A Letter of Gratitude On My Anniversary as Executive Director of CNA/NNOC/NNU
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Anniversaries are a powerful opportunity to look back and reflect. So I couldn’t be more proud to stand here, at the culmination of the day, exactly one year ago, when I became your Executive Director.
What a year it has been!
Our unity is our strength, and I’d like to convey to all of you, from the bottom of my heart, “thank you” for making this first year of our transition a success. We’ve made unprecedented gains in our work, both in the ambitiousness of our objectives and in our determination to grow our solidarity and our unions.
Together, this past year, we’ve proven the union-busting Janus Supreme Court case can never tear apart the mighty nurses. This is thanks to our powerful internal organizing campaigns, recruiting and developing hundreds of new RN leaders including huge numbers of young RN leaders.
And at a time when unions were assumed to be in “concession mode,” we again shifted the paradigm and have made major gains in our contract victories. Every victory at the bargaining table has been a result of the deep work we have done throughout our facilities in strengthening our solidarity.
Looking back at our organizing efforts, I’m also proud to say they have been totally off the charts. This year, we welcomed thousands of new union sisters and brothers into NNU. We’ve also had incredible successes organizing thousands of RNs and thousands of community members in support of health care as a human right!
This organizing has contributed to having a Medicare for All bill we can wholeheartedly wrap our arms around and fight to win. Introduced by Representative Pramila Jayapal last week, H.R. 1384 is the most comprehensive Medicare for All bill to date, and we played a major role in helping define the content, which fully guarantees health care security for everyone. The bill was introduced with 107 co-sponsors, many of whom were the direct result of our Medicare for All field organizing that culminated in over 1300 canvasses and phone banks, calling upon congressional representatives to sign on to the bill.
And our groundbreaking health and safety work at state and national levels is unparalleled. From legislation on preventing workplace violence, to advancing safe staffing, we continue to be the authoritative voice of nurse, healthcare worker, and patient advocacy.
Many of you know our officers and board members have just returned from meetings in Alabama. While there, we visited the Legacy Museum: From Slavery to Mass Incarceration, and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. The next day, we participated in the 54th reenactment of the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. This was a profound, emotionally affecting trip, which allowed us to reflect and educate ourselves on the power, courage and solidarity of the civil rights movement.
As I write this message, our RNRN volunteers are also demonstrating our commitment to creating a more just and humane society. They are in Tucson, Arizona providing relief and helping to create miracles for the exhausted refugees who are pouring into a refugee center. We are truly making a difference.
On this milestone day, I want to thank you all again for everything we have been able to accomplish together — from the big wins, to the pivotal, one-on-one conversations that lead to change. I’m looking forward to the next year and beyond with all of you. Let’s keep this beautiful work moving forward!
In solidarity,
Bonnie Castillo, RN
Executive Director CNA/NNOC/NNU
