2 powerful labor unions end months of rivalry, pledge to cooperate in organizing nurses

2 powerful labor unions end months of rivalry, pledge to cooperate in organizing nurses

Two powerful labor unions, ending months of bitter rivalry over organizing nurses, declared a truce on Thursday and pledged to work together on unionizing hospital workers and reforming the health care system. The agreement between the 1.8-M member Service Employees International Union & 85,000-member CA Nurses Assn./National Nurses Organizing Committee calls for both unions to stop "raiding" each other for members or otherwise interfering "in the other's internal affairs. It's much more than a truce. It's really trying to establish a partnership at a moment of profound change in our country," said SEIU president Andy Stern. Stern said hostility between the two unions had become an unwanted distraction at a time when unions have a chance to make major political gains under a labor-friendly White House. Together, the two unions will push for universal health care and passage of legislation to make it easier for workers to form unions. They will also combine forces to organize nonunion hospital workers around the country, with CNA representing the nurses and SEIU signing up other types of hospital employees. CNA Executive Dir. Rose Ann DeMoro said the agreement would strengthen nurses' ability "to fight for real health care reform and advocate for improved patient care conditions." The agreement comes three weeks after DeMoro's union announced it will unite with two other nurses' unions to form the largest nurses' union in U.S. history with 150,000 members. The truce is remarkable given the level of acrimony that existed between the 2 camps just a few weeks ago. including 2 notable physical confrontations. Last month, DeMoro accused Stern of trying to destroy her union and denounced the SEIU for "undermining RN professional standards & in suppressing union democracy." The ill will between the groups escalated last year after CNA sent organizers to Ohio to discourage more than 8,000 hospital workers from joining SEIU. A few weeks later, SEIU sent busloads of members to Detroit where they forced their way into CNA meetings at a conference hall. He acknowledged the "up & down relationship" with SEIU but said the new coalition represents "the most powerful pact in health care in this country" to push for sweeping health care & labor reforms. "The Obama adm provides an opening like we've never seen in history," she said.