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Webster’s
dictionary describes an “interloper” as one who intrudes or interferes;
an encroachment. You might question why anyone who claims to be
professional would want to engage in such behavior. So do I.
Unfortunately there is a broad scale national effort by the California
Nurses Association (also known as NNOC - National Nurses Organizing
Committee) to do just that. Georgia is their latest target for
encroachment.
So
who is the California Nurses Association? Let’s start with who they are
not. They are not affiliated with the American Nurses Association (www.nursingworld.org.)
They are not RN’s working in Georgia. They are not invited guests of the
Georgia Nurses Association (www.georgianurses.org)
or any other state nursing organization in Georgia. The California
Nurses Association (NNOC) describes themselves as an alternative to
ANA and state nurses
associations. NNOC plans to build RN power through new aggressive
unionizing campaigns in every state. Currently in Georgia, the UAN
(United American Nurses), which is an affiliated member of ANA and
GNA’s Labor Relations Unit,
represents RNs at the Atlanta VA and the Augusta VA through a
national VA collective bargaining contract. GNA’s bylaws support a nurse’s right to organize and
offers collective bargaining representation through the United American
Nurses
www.nursingworld.org/uan . Beyond the two
VA’s, there has been no recent indication that nurses from
Georgia
facilities have been seriously seeking RN union representation. If they
do, the UAN/GNA Labor Relations Unit is willing and prepared to meet those needs in
Georgia. There will always be a
desire to improve working conditions for RNs and quality care for
patients. This work is central to our mission and our purpose as an
organization. GNA has close to 100 years of demonstrated success in that regard. Magnet
designation is another successful option
GNA
supports to achieve substantive improvements for the RN and their
patients.
In addition to the UAN
collective bargaining program, ANA and
GNA also support a non-union workplace advocacy program through its
other affiliate, the Center for American Nurses
www.centerforamericannurses.org The Center
for American Nurses (CAN) is a professional association whose mission is
to create a community of nursing organizations that serves individual,
non-union nurses by providing programs, tools, and policies that address
their workplace concerns. The current president of this national
professional association, Dr. Debbie Hatmaker, resides in Georgia and
serves on staff at GNA as our Chief Programs Officer.
We have a
place for and vibrant programs at ANA and at GNA for ALL nurses; we
don’t subscribe to the concept of separating those nurses who will
stand on a picket line from those who will not. Instead, GNA
welcomes all nurses.
So why
have the California interlopers (CNA - NNOC) decided to intrude into
Georgia? We are not as special as that statement might indicate. It
appears that there are very few states where these union organizers have
not cast their line (if you will excuse the fishing pun.) It is
becoming increasingly apparent however, that despite their boastful
campaign slogans, the dues paying members of the California Nurses
Association are disgruntled with the lack of representation they are
getting from their leaders; especially with their own dues money being
dispersed across the country to set up shop elsewhere; everywhere;
anywhere. The question appears to be why, with the issues the California
nurses have at home, are their money and leadership resources going
somewhere else? Are the nurses working in California willing to
financially underwrite efforts to unionize RNs for the entire country?
How benevolent of them. For example, the California Nurses Association
established an office with staffing in Arizona five years ago and has
yet to unionize one facility there. They attempted to do the same thing
in Hawaii to no avail. In the meantime, back home in California their
members are growing restless with the unfulfilled promises of staffing
ratios and the exorbitant cost of their dues rising toward $1000/year.
Are
Georgia nurses willing to donate $30 to this
NNOC national fishing expedition? Perhaps a few will. After
all, NNOC needs to find a way to pay for postage to mail out more
negative propaganda about ANA to nurses in other states. In high school
we use to call these chain letters…
So how
might this intrusion from California physically manifest itself in our
state? We are likely to see interference down at the state Capital
during the legislative session. That has been the case in other states.
We are likely to see certain CE programs offered to nurses that end up
really being campaigns for unionizing. We are likely to see some RNs
who want someone, anyone really, to bully facilities and management for
them because they don’t want to do it themselves. We are likely to see
media releases that depict RNs as victims. We are likely to see
out-of-towners coming to work at certain facilities to help ignite a
movement from within. You get the picture.
The
Georgia Nurses Association has been a national role model for
demonstrating mutual respect within differing viewpoints of our
membership. GNA has succeeded in blending two philosophically opposed
leadership groups together; enabling them to have access to both
philosophies and having the choice of picking the best programs for
their workplace. As I look at the wretchedness of what has happened in
some state nursing communities where encroachers have been, I appreciate
even more what GNA has to offer as an antidote to that.
As you know, southerners
don’t take too kindly to outsiders coming in with “a better way..” so I
doubt California’s tactics will gain much traction here. In the meantime
however, we caution you to know who you are talking too and beware of
the promises they make. Sometimes outsiders take our smooth southern
style for naiveté…’ Their mistake…
If
you have any questions or concerns about this please contact me at
ceo@georgianurses.org
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