Registered nurses took to the streets en masse Jan. 27 to “demand hospital execs protect us and our communities with safe staffing,” as put in a live tweet posted by the National Nurses United, the organizer of the demonstrations.
“Union nurses are taking collective action today to demand our corporate hospital employers put patients before profits during #Covid and beyond,” NNU executive Bonnie Castillo tweeted during the proceedings. “From CA [to] NY, thousands of #HealthCareWorkers are holding actions in 19 states + D.C. to stand up for ourselves and our patients.”
The union, which is the largest organization representing RNs in the U.S., spells out its concerns and announces its intentions in materials posted on its website.
“The hospital industry’s response to COVID has demonstrated to nurses and patients that they may attempt to implement their long-desired goal of restructuring the industry to prioritize profits —a direction that nurses and healthcare workers warn is bad for patient and worker safety,” NNU states. “The actions on Jan. 27 are a kickoff to a campaign that puts the industry on notice that such moves will be fought by the people who provide care to patients.”
NNU says the Jan. 27 protests are launching a year of major contract negotiations with “some of the most profitable and mammoth corporate hospital chains in the United States, including HCA Healthcare, Sutter Health and Dignity Health, which is owned by CommonSpirit. Together, the contract negotiations cover nearly 45,000 registered nurses and respiratory therapists, aides, technicians and other healthcare workers across the country.”
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.