10.21.15
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Florida Medical Center RNs, Supporters Hold Informational Picket

Over 80 nurses and community activists came together today at Florida Medical Center (FMC) in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., calling on the hospital to maintain consistent optimum staffing levels and to provide the best possible care for the community.
 
“It was exhilarating to join with a large and spirited group of RNs and supporters rallying at FMC, standing up for patients, and for decent conditions for the hospital staff,” said Bob Bender, from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ft. Lauderdale Social Justice Group. “It’s important for members of the general, faith, activist, labor and professional communities to work together in solidarity for decent wages, working conditions and services—and for hospitals to implement their own desired ratios of nurses to patients.”
 
Gillian Edwards, RN, from nearby Palmetto General Hospital (PGH), joined the FMC nurses on the picket line.

“PGH and FMC are sister facilities. We are battling for the same issues for our nurses. FMC’s fight is our fight, their victory is our victory, and when nurses from FMC asked that we show up for their informational picket, we did because we are family,” said Edwards.
 
“This informational picket is about protecting the patients by calling on the hospital to maintain a working ratios of nurses to patients. This is why I am here because I care about patient safety,” said Mary Lin Montalvo, RN, of FMC.

10.15.15
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RNs ramp up #Nurses4Bernie—on debate night and beyond!

Oakland, CA Debate Party

 

St. Louis, MO Debate Party

Over 200 NNU nurses “painted the town red” in Vegas on Tuesday, for the first Democratic debate. From marching down the strip, in support of Bernie, to cheering along with campaign staff in Bernie’s official watch party—NNU had a significant impact on making it known that Bernie’s values are nurses’ values. 

 

The best part? What happened in Vegas—certainly didn’t stay in Vegas. NNU nurses and supporters also represented “Nurses4Bernie” at watch parties across the country. In Silver Spring, Maryland, NNU members spoke to a crowd of around 100 about why nurses believe in Bernie. In Oakland, CA, nurses and other labor members showed support by sporting temporary Bernie Sanders tattoos during a watch party at the NNU headquarters. 

At a debate party in Echo Park, Los Angeles, RNs joined around 220 Bernie supporters and cheered along with a call for “political revolution.” 

Santa Cruz, CA Debate Party

Check out the photos below for a recap of RNs on debate night and from some of the nearly 40 other Bernie Sanders parties nurses are hosting around the country this month.

 

Want to get more involved? Download a toolkit to host your own house party for Bernie (featuring Bernie info, Bernie Bingo, stickers and more). Every major public poll called Bernie the debate winner, and nurses are playing a critical role in the people’s movement that he is championing. Let’s keep it going—all the way to the White House!

Sacramento, CA Debate Party

View and share more debate night photos on Facebook

10.15.15
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When Bernie Promised to #SayHerName #SandraBland

 

Social activist Hannah Adair Bonner recently posted an anecdote to her blog about running into Bernie Sanders while she was having lunch with Geneva Reed-Veal, the mother of Sandra Bland. Sandra, 28,  died in police custody after being arrested in July during a traffic stop in Texas. Her tragic death ignited a public outcry on social media and became a critical focus of the #SayHerName and #BlackLivesMatter movements. 

Reed-Veal and Sanders sat and talked, and the story of their meeting is both touching, and telling of how Sanders is the real deal. 

You can read the full story on her blog.