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

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

Photo courtesy: calnurses.org

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) - United American Nurses, the California Nurses Assn/NNOC, and the Massachusetts Nurses Assn have reached 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:

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

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

"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;

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

"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.

Source: California Nurse's Association