NY Nurse: November/December 2017

What happens when we bring together nurses, community advocates, and elected officials of all stripes?

We win!

The fight for guaranteed healthcare had a big win in Rockland County on December 5 when the county legislature passed — unanimously — a resolution urging the State Senate to take action on the New York Health Act — our state’s universal healthcare bill. This is the fourth county to endorse the legislation, joining Sullivan, Tompkins and Westchester counties, in addition to a dozen towns and villages across the state.

The countdown to victory was anticipated with great excitement and expectation. A strong campaign by NYSNA’s organizing team came to fruition at 9pm on December 10, when the vote counting commenced. Within a short time a strong majority vote was announced and with it an exclamation of “Victory!” by nurses and supporters.

Few issues have demonstrated the power of working people than the come-from-behind win in defeating the New York State Constitutional Convention this fall. The constitutional convention is nothing more than a way for well-financed special interests to subvert popular will and take down key protections in our society: in public education; the environment, safe workplaces and more. Also at issue was retirement with dignity through the public pension system, as well as critical laws that level the playing field with collective bargaining rights.

The Winter Holiday Season in New York is intense for everyone. For nurses and other round-the-clock workers, we face additional stresses: we often work on these special days. In addition, staffing is at bare bones, and patients tend to be sicker and more depressed. And yet…there’s a special bond that exists between caregiver and patient — and among colleagues — when we work the holiday. It’s hard to explain. Perhaps it’s our capacity to share with others; or the way we connect to people, even when they are complete strangers.