Nurses battle NLRB to remain union

Los Angeles--On Oct. 5, the California Nurses Association (CNA) held a noontime demonstration in downtown Los Angeles to protest the National Labor Relations Board's recent decision that reinterpreted what a supervisor is.

The prior interpretation of supervisor was someone who represented management, with "the power to hire and fire," the kind of managers who receive bonuses and other incentives. The new interpretation is that anyone who delegates tasks makes them "...ineligible for union membership" (See Workshop Talks, October-November 2006 N&L.

This especially targets nurses working alongside other health care workers, to claim that they really represent management. As one nurse stated, if enforced, nurses would be working for the bottom line and not for patient care.

The decision is an attempt by the NLRB to begin by breaking nurses' unions, then all public sector workers' unions, such as teachers' unions. Eventually, extending enforcement to private sector workers' unions would further erode all workers' rights. Three of the five members of the board are President Bush appointees.

Close to 200 nurses joined the spirited demonstration at the NLRB office. There were many Asians, some Blacks and Latinas, as well as some men. Some were bused from San Diego and other outlying areas. Signs and chants included:  "Union Rights Equal Human Rights," "Our Union is Our Voice," "Stand Up-Look Around. There's a Health Care Crisis in This Town," and "NLRB Beware, RN's Will Fight For Patient Care."

At one point, a radio played Aretha Franklin's "Respect," Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up," and other protest songs as many nurses marched and danced to the beat. Many demonstrators unrolled and held up a list, about 30 feet long, of thousands of nurses who have pledged to strike if there is an attempt to enforce the new interpretation of supervisor.

A couple of nurses went to the NLRB office to directly challenge the NLRB members through their staff. There is talk of a strike if they attempt to enforce the new interpretation. The nurses are asking the public to call or write the NLRB office in support of the nurses.  Their website is www.cna.org.

--Basho