FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November, 10 2000

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Joan Meehan-Hurwitz, 202-651-7020
Cindy Price, 202-651-7038
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Boston, MA – The "power of unity" was the resounding message as the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) voted to remain united with its national organization, the American Nurses Association (ANA). The vote was held at MNA's annual business meeting yesterday in Boston, MA.

The decision comes at a time when nurses and quality care are under siege due to management practices, such as forcing nurses to work short-staffed and mandating overtime, which put profits ahead of patients and create a hostile work environment for nurses.

"This positive response reinforces that MNA members feel strongly about staying with our national organization. The vote sends a clear and unequivocal message that more can be accomplished through unity than through fragmentation," said Peggy Barry, MS, RN, chair of the Committee to Preserve ANA Affiliation.

MNA held the vote after members of its Labor Relations Council proposed a bylaws change that called for the state organization to disaffiliate from ANA. The vote to keep its affiliation with ANA resonates a message throughout the state and the nation that Massachusetts nurses are committed to working with ANA and ANA is committed to working with nurses in Massachusetts. Together they will meet the needs of all nurses and the patients they serve.

"This is a victory for all nurses," said ANA President Mary Foley, MS, RN. "With the radical changes in the health care industry and the focus on cost not quality, nurses and patients are in jeopardy. It's important that we speak with one strong voice to successfully advocate on issues important to our profession."

United American Nurses (UAN) Chair Cheryl Johnson, BSN, RN, also expressed excitement over the vote. "UAN has developed an aggressive agenda because we know that nurses are facing a more hostile work environment. Our strength is in our numbers. I welcome the opportunity to work with MNA members because I know the essence of a strong union is sticking together, working out differences and fighting for common interest."

The Massachusetts Nurses Association represents 18,000 nurses and provides the voice and leadership for registered nurses in the state. ANA represents the interests of 2.6 million registered nurses (RNs) through its 54 constituent state and territorial associations. The UAN, the labor arm of the ANA, is the largest union for RNs in America and the only national union that devotes 100 percent of its resources to nurses.

The American Nurses Association is the only full-service professional organization representing the nation's 2.6 million Registered Nurses through its 54 constituent associations. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

2000 press releases

Other past press releases: 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996

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