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Nurses Take Back Health Care One Employer At Time

Dan Henderson

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Nurses are taking back health care one employer at a time. They are organizing, bargaining, and winning contracts that improve patient care and working conditions.

Nurses Take Back Health Care One Employer at a Time

by Jeanne Moore

5 out of 5

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In recent years, nurses have seen their wages and benefits decline, while their workloads have increased. This has led to a crisis in the nursing profession, with many nurses leaving the field or retiring early.

But nurses are fighting back. They are organizing unions and bargaining for better contracts. And they are winning.

In 2018, nurses at St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor Hospital in Michigan won a contract that included a 12% wage increase over three years, as well as improved health insurance and retirement benefits.

In 2019, nurses at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center won a contract that included a 19% wage increase over four years, as well as improved staffing ratios and paid time off.

These are just two examples of the many victories that nurses have won in recent years. Nurses are taking back health care one employer at a time, and they are making a difference.

How Nurses Are Organizing

Nurses are organizing in a variety of ways. Some nurses are joining traditional unions, such as the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the National Nurses United (NNU).

Other nurses are forming independent unions, such as the California Nurses Association (CNA) and the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA).

Still other nurses are organizing through social media and online platforms. These nurses are using social media to connect with each other, share information, and organize protests and rallies.

What Nurses Are Bargaining For

Nurses are bargaining for a variety of things, including:

Higher wages
Better health insurance and retirement benefits
Improved staffing ratios
Paid time off
Safe working conditions
A voice in decision-making

The Impact of Nurses' Organizing

Nurses' organizing is having a positive impact on patient care and working conditions. When nurses have a strong union, they are able to negotiate for better contracts that improve patient care and working conditions.

For example, nurses' unions have won contracts that have reduced patient-to-nurse ratios, increased staffing levels, and improved access to health insurance and retirement benefits.

These improvements have led to better patient outcomes and reduced nurse burnout. Nurses who work in unionized hospitals are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs and to stay in the profession.

The Future of Nurses' Organizing

The future of nurses' organizing is bright. Nurses are increasingly recognizing the power of collective action, and they are organizing in greater numbers than ever before.

Nurses are winning victories at the bargaining table, and they are making a difference in the lives of patients and nurses alike.

As nurses continue to organize, they will continue to take back health care one employer at a time.

Nurses Take Back Health Care One Employer at a Time

by Jeanne Moore

5 out of 5