Historic Pact Creates Largest RN Union Ever In U.S.

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 18 Feb 2009 - 7:00 PDT

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Powerful New Association of 150,000 RNs Joins to Organize All RNs, Promote Healthcare Justice

United American Nurses, California Nurses Assn/NNOC, and Massachusetts Nurses Assn Reach Landmark Accord

In a dramatic move to unite the power and influence of America's leading direct care RN organizations, the United American Nurses, California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, and the Massachusetts Nurses Association today announced they are joining together to form a new, 150,000-member association.

The new organization will be called the United American Nurses-National Nurses Organizing Committee, UAN-NNOC (AFL-CIO), the three said in a joint statement issued today.

"Under the principle that RNs should be represented by an RN union," the statement declared, "we resolve to create a new union of staff nurse-led organizations named UAN-NNOC" to:

1. "Build an RN movement in order to defend and advance the interests of direct care nurses across the country;

2. "Organize all non-union direct care RNs (a substantial majority of the budget shall be dedicated to new organizing);

3. "Provide a powerful national voice for RN rights, safe RN practice, including RN-to-patient staffing ratios under the principle that safe staffing saves lives, and health care justice;

4. "Provide a vehicle for solidarity with sister nurse and allied organizations around the world;

5. "Create a national Taft-Hartley pension for union RNs."

Central to the new organization is a guiding principle that all RNs "should be represented by an RN union," the joint statement declared.

California Nurses Association

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