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The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) – which has been extremely active in recent months – has joined forces with unions from 13 other nations to form Global Nurses United (GNU), an international organization designed to fight “austerity measures, privatization and cuts in health care services.”
The organization was formed during a June 22 conclave in San Francisco. Endorsers of the declaration include nurse and health care worker unions from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Ireland, Israel, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea and the United States.
GNU plans to kick off its efforts with “actions in member nations” in September coinciding with the opening of the next session of the United National General Assembly. The new group plans to “work collectively to guarantee the highest standards of universal healthcare as a human right for all, to secure safe patient care, especially with safe nurse-to-patient ratios [a hot-button issue for the CNA/NNU lately], and safe health care workplaces.”
This global initiative is yet another indication that the CNA, one of California’s largest health employee unions, is expanding its reach.
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