California Nurses Association

Infobox Union|
name=California Nurses Association
country= United States
affiliation= AFL-CIO, National Nurses Organizing Committee
members= 80,000 [ [http://www.calnurses.org/about-us/ About Us Index Page ] ] 2007: 60,968 (CNA) / 4,614 (NNOC) [California Nurses Association LM-2 Report (2007), United States Dept. of Labor. File Number 015-724. Retrieved from http://erds.dol-esa.gov/query/getOrgQry.do]
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founded= 1903
current=
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dissolved_date=
dissolved_state=
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office= Oakland, California
people= Executive director, Rose Ann DeMoro; Presidents: Deborah Burger, RN; Zenei Cortez, RN; Geri Jenkins, RN; and Malinda Markowitz, RN |website= [http://www.calnurses.org www.calnurses.org]
footnotes=

The California Nurses Association (CNA) is a labor union and professional association of Registered Nurses in the United States. CNA has a four-member Council of Presidents, currently including Deborah Burger, RN; Zenei Cortez, RN; Geri Jenkins, RN; and Malinda Markowitz, RN. The executive director of the CNA is long-time labor leader Rose Ann DeMoro. Its affiliated National Nurses Organizing Committee is a national professional association and labor union for Registered Nurses.

The CNA is a primary national organizational advocate of House Resolution 676.

Policies and activities

Founded in 1903 as the California State Nurses Association, the California Nurses Association is well known for its long history of advocacy for direct care registered nurses and patient care protections. On the national level, CNA is at the forefront of HR 676 advocacy.

Under DeMoro's leadership, CNA has also gained attention for its sponsorship of landmark legislative and regulatory reforms, including the nation's first mandated registered nurse-to-patient ratios which were sponsored by CNA. The ratio law, which requires hospitals to maintain a minimum number of nurses in all hospital units at all times to assure patient safety, was signed in 1999 by then-California Gov. Gray Davis. The ratios were implemented in 2004.

A California Field Poll in April, 2008 found that CNA has the highest favorable rating among all groups, politicians, and institutions involved in public policy debates over healthcare reform in the state. [ [http://www.field.com/fieldpollonline/subscribers/Rls2267.pdf California Field Poll, Release #2267, Release Date: Monday, April 28, 2008 By Mark DiCamillo and Mervin Field] ]

CNA/NNOC has also drawn national attention for campaigns on behalf of patients denied medical treatment recommended by their physician. The group's website urges support for HR 676 (Conyers), a bill for a national health care insurance plan, essentially, equal treatment Medicare for all Americans.

In 2004, CNA founded the National Nurses Organizing Committee in response to the requests of direct care RNs across the nation for a stronger voice to improve RN and patient care standards. The CNA website [May 10, 2008] claims the group is the fastest-growing union in the United States, adding that 80,000 RNs now belong to CNA/NNOC.

In April 2008, the CNA/NNOC clashed with SEIU over an agreement between SEIU and Catholic Healthcare Partners of Ohio. CNA/NNOC labeled the election a "sham." SEIU and Catholic Healthcare Partners cancelled the election for 8,000 workers in 9 Ohio hospitals on whether to have SEIU representation. NNOC contends that the agreement fits SEIU's pattern of forging controversial agreements with employers that sacrifice public protections and workplace standards in exchange for more members. [ [http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080616/kaplan Labor's Growing Pains] ]

On May 9, 2008, the Public Broadcasting System television show with Bill Moyers featured a segment on CNA/NNOC describing a campaign conducted by the organization saying all Americans should be entitled to the same level of care available to Vice President Dick Cheney and other members of Congress. The program may be viewed at www.pbs.org or www.calnurses.org.

On June 19, 2008, CNA/NNOC joined with other health care, labor, and community activists, and patients in sponsoring a day of protest against the insurance industry in 19 cities across the U.S. calling for enactment of HR 676.

ee also

*List of nursing organizations

ources

External links

* [http://www.calnurses.org California Nurses Association] - official site
* [http://www.nnoc.net NNOC]