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Fall 2005 issue

This issue includes information and forms about running for a UAN elected office

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UAN Mobilization

Our national health care system is in disarray, failing patients, nurses and other health care workers. Nurses see and live the results of this chaos every day.

A recent U.S. News & World Report article noted that health care spending in the U.S. was $6,000 per person in the U.S. (see related article, this issue). Nurses know that all too often, that money does not go to improving patient care.

UAN RNs must take the lead to change the system and win the pay, benefi ts and respect nurses deserve.

"At the last NLA, delegates called for a massive infusion of resources to mobilize the power of nurses," said UAN President Cheryl Johnson, RN. "Final approval of the implementation of the mobilization fund is probably the most important decision the 2006 NLA delegates will be called on to make."

For $30 per year for every member of the UAN, UAN nurses have the power to engineer the gains that will benefi t all nurses, including the two million who are not union members, and their patients.

Pooling those collective dollars will multiply the collective power of nurses and pay big dividends:

• Organizing capacity—triple our current UAN organizing staff with more regionally based organizers.
• Support to strengthen affi liates so they can provide topnotch service to the nurses they represent.
• Training in organizing, bargaining and leadership skills for state and local UAN staff nurse leaders.
• Resources to counter anti-union employers and raids.
• Targeted help where it’s urgently needed—whether for a strike, organizing campaigns or internal mobilization.
• A means of pooling our collective resources to reach unorganized nurses and be the national voice for staff nurses.

"This fund is really an investment in the future of staff nurses and their union. When we combine our numbers—and our dollars—the amount is so much greater than the sum of the parts. Together, we are unstoppable," said UAN Secretary- Treasurer Mike Nilsson, RN.

Cost of UAN mobilization fund per member? $30 a year.

Benefit of a strong national RN union that fi ghts for patients and nurses? Priceless.

VA News

Veterans Affairs nurses won an important fight for union rights in October when UAN successfully petitioned the Federal Labor Relations Authority to reinstate the collective bargaining status of 96 RNs in the VA system.

"A nurse's membership in a union is directly linked to his or her ability to provide high-quality patient care to the veterans we serve," said UAN Vice President Ann Converso, RN and NVAC President Alice Staggs, RN in a joint letter to NVAC presidents. "Every VA nurse deserves the protection and support of a union and a collective bargaining contract."

UAN VA RNs Mike Boucher and Cathy Billiter were named NVAC National Safety Representatives. As such, they will work with the VA's national health and safety officials to develop national curricula and programs on health and safety.

Boucher and Billiter will also represent the interests of the union and covered employees on health and safety issues.

UAN Fights Unfair Trade Agreement

Building on a 2004 NLA resolution to fight unfair global trade agreements, UAN worked with union allies to oppose the Central American Free Trade Agreement. As written, CAFTA rewards companies which ship American jobs overseas with greater access to U.S. markets, makes it easier for CAFTA member-governments to violate their workers' rights with impunity and gives big business the ability to challenge government regulations enacted in the public interest.

In particular, UAN worked with Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA), a former dental surgeon, to oppose a CAFTA provision that would enable foreign health service providers to challenge U.S. health care standards if those standards prevented the provider from practicing in the U.S.

Norwood joined 25 other Republicans in voting against CAFTA. Unfortunately, 15 Democrats crossed the line to vote for CAFTA, and the bill passed 217-215.

Click here to read more about CAFTA and its chilling effect on America's workers

Johnson Named To AFL-CIO Group

UAN President Cheryl Johnson, RN, who has served on the AFLCIO Executive Council since 2001, was recently named to the Federation's Executive Committee, the more exclusive governing body of union presidents from the largest affiliates within the Council. The Executive Committee has 19 members.

Dates

December 8-9 .... Program Directors (Chicago)

January 18-19 .... Executive Council (Minneapolis, MN)

Feb. 12-14/06 .... Local Bargaining Unit Training (Chicago)

Mar. 15-16/06.... NLA (Miami Beach, FL)

Editorial

UAN Activist
8515 Georgia Avenue,
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: 301.628.5000
Fax: 301.628.5347
Web: www.UANnurse.org

© 2005 United American Nurses,
AFL-CIO. All rights reserved.