In AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest New York Times  column, she describes what it is exactly that unions do. Though unions are the most popular they have been in decades, anti-union sentiment still thrives in red states and across the nation. “Several years ago, The Atlantic ran a story whose headline made even me, a labor leader, scratch my head: ‘Union Membership: Very Sexy,’” Weingarten writes in the column. “The gist was that higher wages, health benefits and job security—all associated with union membership—boost one’s chances of getting married. Belonging to a union doesn’t actually guarantee happily ever after, but it does help working people have a better life in the here and now.” Click through to read the full column.

On April 2, 2013, the Washington State Supreme Court in the case of Washington State Nurses Association (WSNA) v. Sacred Heart Medical Center (SHMC), reaffirmed its earlier unanimous decision upholding nurses’ statutory rights to be paid overtime when their duties prevent them from taking a rest period. Sacred Heart Medical Center’s motion for reconsideration of the Court’s October 25, 2012 (No. 86563-9,10/25/12) decision was denied, bringing an end to the long, hard-fought battle of the nurses for justice and protection of patient safety.

“Nurses, the public’s heroes of health care, intercept

Two recent studies on nurse understaffing and nurse fatigue have revealed that these two prominent issues negatively impact the quality of care delivery, patient and employee satisfaction and operational costs in hospitals. Read the article from Healthcare Financial News here.

This will serve as notice that the 2013 NFN Nominating Committee has prepared the slate of candidates running for election to the positions of President and Secretary for four year terms from 2013-2017. The election will take place during the 2013 NFN National Federation Assembly, and the nominations are as follows:

Nominations for the Office of NFN President:

• Barbara A. Crane, RN

Nominations for the Office of NFN Secretary:

• Kim Armstrong, RN
• Vicky Byrd, RN

Read more about the National Federation Assembly (NFA) including proposed resolutions, the agenda and a recap of the 2011 NFA.

NFN pauses today to honor the 45th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King Jr, who lost his life while advocating for  justice during the 1968 AFSCME Sanitation Workers Strike.  It is ironic that these many years later, the fight for social justice, workers’ rights and workplace safety continues to be a hard fought battle even in the 21st Century.

Click here to see Walter Cronkite’s breaking news of the assassination.

Nurses showed up in mass to demonstrate today in an informational picket against the Employer’s putting profits over patients.  The strong and determined nurses carried signs that passionately expressed their commitment to quality patient care as well as to protest the exploitation of nurses for Peace Health’s love of purses.  “These nurses are the real salt of the earth. They are stark raving reasonable, as one sign suggests, and they have the support of the community” said NFN President Barbara Crane, who was inspired by the spirit of the members.   The contract campaign is gaining momentum