Update: The vote was successful! See more details here.
Thanks to the hard work of the nurses and the support of the community there is a union representation election set for October 8th and 9th. But the struggle is not over. Unfortunately management is using some tactics out of a union busters manual to intimidate the nurses from having representation. So the nurses are having a rally on October 2nd, at 12noon at the San Diego VA, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA 92161.
At the summer BBQ Katie Phelan of National Nurses United addressed the club about the state of affairs at the San Diego Veterans Administration Hospital, and the upcoming election to organize nurses.
The election would cover some 500 RNs at VA San Diego Hospital which is located adjacent to the Thornton campus of the University of California San Diego Medical Center. UC San Diego RNs are already represented by CNA, which represents more than 85,000 California RNs, including nearly 6,000 in San Diego County. NNU, the fastest growing union in the U.S., currently represents RNs at 22 VA hospitals across the U.S., part of a 185,000 member organization nationally.
Katie encouraged us to send letters (or emails) of support to the VA. Here are two samples for you to download or copy/paste, as well as the addresses and contact details for you to send your letters of support for the nurses.
Community Support Letter (plain text and .docx formats)
Veterans Support Letter (plain text and .docx formats)
Addresses and contact details:
Robert McDonald
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont NW
Washington DC
202-213-5781
Email: Robert.McDonald@va.gov
Jeffrey T. Gering
Director
VA San Diego Health Care System
3350 La Jolla Village Dr.
San Diego, CA 92161
858-642-3201
Jeffrey.gering@va.gov
Sandra Solem
Associate Director, Patient Care Services/Nurse Executive
VA San Diego Health Care System
3350 La Jolla Village Dr.
San Diego, CA 92161
858-642-3839
Sandra.solem@va.gov
If possible also send Katie a copy of your emails and/or letters that you send in support with your name and/or title so that the nurses get to see them as well. Sometimes they are so intent on doing their jobs as nurses they don’t realized the service they are providing to the Veterans and their communities.
Katie Phelan
CNA/NNU
National Nurses Organizing Committee
National Nurses United
813-418-1936 (cell)
kphelan@nationalnursesunited.org
Health care is a right…not a privilege.
Support Single-Payer Universal Healthcare.
www.SinglePayer.com
More information:
RNs, Veterans Call for Action to Improve Patient Care
San Diego Veterans Administration Nurses File for Election to Join Largest RN Union
POINT LOMA & OB DEMS 