National Nurses United
{{Short description|US organization of registered nurses}}
{{use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox organization
|name = National Nurses United
|logo = Nationalnursesunitedlogo.png
|location_country = United States
|affiliation = AFL–CIO
|members = 225,000{{cite web |title=National Nurses United: About |url=https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/about |access-date=7 December 2022}}
|full_name =
|native_name =
|image =
|founded = 2009
|dissolved =
|merged =
|headquarters = Oakland, California
|key_people = Bonnie Castillo (Executive Director), Deborah Burger, Zenei Cortez, Jean Ross (Presidents)
|website = {{URL|www.nationalnursesunited.org}}
|footnotes =
}}
National Nurses United (NNU) is the largest organization of registered nurses in the United States.{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/20/AR2010112003592.html|title=Growing National Nurses United union steps up strikes in aggressive new strategy}}{{cite web|url=https://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/07/nurses-rally-for-health-care-funding/|title=Nurses Rally for Health Care Funding|date=7 June 2011}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.commondreams.org/organization/national-nurses-united|title=National Nurses United|publisher=Common Dreams|language=en |access-date=2020-04-08}} With more than 225,000 members,{{cite web |last=Mensik |first=Hailey |title=New York nurses union merges with NNU, US’s largest nursing syndicate |website=Healthcare Dive |date=21 October 2022 |url=https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/new-york-state-nurse-union-affiliate-national-nurses-united-NNU/634639/ |access-date=7 December 2022}} it is the farthest-reaching union and professional association of registered nurses in the U.S. Founded in 2009 through the merging of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, the United American Nurses, and the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the NNU focuses on amplifying the voice of direct care RNs and patients in national policy. The union's policy positions include the enactment of safe nurse-to-patient ratios, patient advocacy rights at the Executive and State level, and legislation for single-payer health care to secure "quality healthcare for all, as a human right."{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/about|title=National Nurses United}} The organization's goal is to "organize all direct care RNs into a single organization capable of exercising influence over the healthcare industry, governments, and employers."
Leadership
The executive director of the national organization, which is affiliated with the AFL–CIO, is labor leader Bonnie Castillo, who also heads the 90,000-member California Nurses Association.{{cite web|url=http://www.thenation.com/audio/161575/nation-conversations-rose-ann-demoro-demanding-decent-standard-living-all-americans|title=Nation Conversations: Rose Ann DeMoro on Demanding a Decent Standard of Living For All Americans |work=The Nation|date=21 June 2011}} The former executive director is RoseAnn DeMoro, who serves as National Vice President and Executive Board Member of the AFL–CIO.
Activities
= Single-payer health care =
The organization backs a Medicare for All single-payer healthcare plan for the United States.{{cite news|last1=Peter|first1=Nicholas|title=Nurses Seek Democratic Showdown|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/nurses-seek-democratic-showdown-1464737766|access-date=1 June 2016|work=Wall Street Journal|date=31 May 2016}}{{cite web | title=Major Nurses’ Union Backs Bernie Sanders and His Push for ‘Medicare for All’ | website=The New York Times | date=November 12, 2019 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/12/us/politics/bernie-sanders-nurses-endorsement.html | access-date=July 1, 2022}}
To support a single-payer system, NNU leadership mobilized large-scale demonstrations demanding single-payer healthcare be included in the platform at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
= Occupy Wall Street =
National Nurses United has held numerous protests, including one in front of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and another on Wall Street, to protest privatization and profiteering in the health care industry.
NNU supports a tax on financial transactions, which the organization says could raise at least $350 billion a year.{{cite web|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/nurses-unions-propose-wall-street-tax-124864239/169182.html|title=Nurses, Unions Propose Wall Street Tax|work=VOA}}
= Support for Bernie Sanders =
File:National Nurses United Rally for Bernie.jpg, advisor to Bernie Sanders for President 2020 campaign.]]
In The New York Times on January 28, 2016, Nicholas Confessore reported, "According to Federal Election Commission records [NNU's] 'super PAC' has spent close to $1 million on ads and other support for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/29/us/politics/bernie-sanders-is-democrats-top-beneficiary-of-outside-spending-like-it-or-not.html |title=Bernie Sanders Tops His Rivals in Use of Outside Money |work=The New York Times |date=28 January 2016}} The NNU spending was classified as "Expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate."{{cite web |url=https://theintercept.com/2016/01/29/nyt-outside-spending/ |title=New York Times Gets it Wrong: Bernie Sanders Not "Top Beneficiary of Outside Money" |work=The Intercept |date=29 January 2016}} In 2019, NNU officially endorsed Sanders for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
History
=United American Nurses=
Founded in 1999, it only represented registered nurses (RNs).{{cite web |title=United American Nurses' Founding Members |url=https://www.newswise.com/articles/united-american-nurses-founding-members |via=newswise.com |date=1999-11-19}} In 2009, UAN merged with the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee and Massachusetts Nurses Association to form NNU.
=New York State Nurses Association=
See also
{{Commons category}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/}}
- [http://www.nationalnursesunited.org/site/entry/msc1 Main Street Contract for the American People]
{{AFL-CIO}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Nursing organizations in the United States
Category:2009 establishments in the United States