as nurses, we know all too well that working in a hospital these days means engaging in a daily struggle to provide care in an industry more concerned about it's bottom-line than about providing patient care.
registered nurses struggle day in and day out to provide care without adequate staffing and resources.
non-rn hospital staff are struggling to fulfill essential hospital functions with ever decreasing numbers of staff, while worrying that they'll be the next to be laid off.
patients, left to wonder if a nurse will be available to help if they ring their call-lights and whether their hospital bills will bankrupt their families are likely the most affected.
the accord between cna/nnoc and seiu and the resulting massive increase in unionization will improve the experience of providing and receiving care in us hospitals--and the resulting movement will change the whole nature of how health care is provided in the us.
in the words of rose ann demoro, the executive director of cna/nnoc, the nation's largest organization of direct care rns with 85,000 members in all 50 states:
"this is an exciting new day for nurses and patients across the nation. this agreement provides a huge spark for the emergence of a more powerful, unified national movement that is needed to more effectively challenge healthcare industry layoffs and attacks on rn economic and professional standards and patient care conditions. it will also strengthen the ability of all direct-care rns to fight for real healthcare reform and advocate for improved patient care conditions and stronger patient safety legislation from coast to coast."
in the words of andy stern, president of seiu,the nation's largest healthcare union:
"this marks the beginning of a new future for nurses and other healthcare workers and their patients throughout this nation. we are lining up to make sweeping changes to this country's broken healthcare system, and as we wait for the starting gun it is imperative that we put the past behind us and move forward by putting all healthcare workers in the strongest possible position to define reform, move legislation, and make the new healthcare system operational. is this accord surprising? perhaps, but those who recognize our shared value of making sure registered nurses and other healthcare workers have not only a say but a critical role in helping reshape a failed system into something that actually helps people know that this is the right step to help us meet the challenge and the call of this moment."
among key elements of the pact:
the two unions will work together to organize non-union hospital workers throughout the country, with cna/nnoc as the leading voice for rns, and seiu as the leading voice for all other hospital workers.
the unions will launch an intensive national organizing campaign with an initial focus on the nation's largest hospital systems.
in addition to organizing, seiu and cna/nnoc will coordinate on a broad range of other issues from bargaining with common employers to the campaign to enact the employee free choice act.
seiu and cna/nnoc publicly endorse measures that allow states to adopt single-payer health care systems.
both parties will refrain from "raiding," seeking to displace the existing members of the other's organization, or from interference in the other's internal affairs.
the two unions will create a new joint rn organization in florida to represent current and future rns of both unions. in all other states, seiu will continue to represent their current rn members in collective bargaining.
