The OPEIU Nurses Council held their Executive Board Meeting in June of 2014. Representatives from all over the United States came together to strategize on how each local can help promote legislation related to safe staffing issues. We are supporting HR 1907 and brainstormed ideas for grassroots movements in each state to educate people how to contact their representatives to get this bill signed into law. Nurses were encouraged to use the video the ONC put together to show how dangerous short staffing can be for patients. Also on the agenda was a presentation from OPEIU International rep Richard Lanigan who helped us navigate the Grievance to Arbitration process. We also heard from lobbyist Bob Grossman who walked us through the steps of how a bill becomes a law.
This meeting is a great chance for nursing professionals to share with each other our struggles and triumphs while balancing Union work with our nursing careers. We can take our message out to other nurses as we show them the importance of organizing to be able to have a voice in their workplace and a powerful impact on their working conditions. Solidarity works for nurses as they need to help shape the future of nursing.