ANA House Of Delegates Takes Action To Protect Members' Rights, Strengthen Association

Washington, DC - Elected delegates from the American Nurses Association's (ANA) 54 Constituent Member Associations (CMAs) took action to protect individual members' rights and strengthen the association during the House of Delegates (HOD) meeting held in Minneapolis, MN, June 25-28.

The HOD overwhelmingly passed a resolution intended to protect the rights of all CMA nurses to participate in ANA, as well as strengthen CMAs. Specifically, CMAs must continue to pay dues to ANA unless two-thirds of the entire membership votes to discontinue its partnership with the national association. Ninety-five percent of the delegates present voted in favor of this change to the dues policy.

This action was designed to ensure that individual members have a voice regarding their ongoing affiliation with the American Nurses Association. ANA is a federation of 54 CMAs - one in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Virgin Islands and the Federal Nurses Association. When nurses join a CMA, it is with the understanding that they also have an affiliation with ANA as an integral right of CMA membership.

Prior to this change, which is effective immediately, a small portion of a CMA membership could vote to have the CMA disaffiliate from ANA, thereby severing the relationship with ANA for all CMA members. Since 1995, three CMAs have voted to disaffiliate from ANA. These actions have been led by small groups of disgruntled CMA members, and the vast majority of members in those CMAs are not even aware that they have lost their affiliation to the ANA, which they value.

"This latest action protects the democratic process on which ANA was founded and protects the rights of individual members," said ANA President Barbara Blakeney, MS, APRN,BC, ANP. "It does not prohibit disaffiliation but ensures that members' rights are preserved in the process."

In another action, delegates approved a request by the ANA Board of Directors that will provide periodic increases in the dues paid to ANA by CMAs - called a "dues escalator" - that will be tied to the Consumer Price Index-Urban (CPI-U). The increased funding will be used to strengthen and sustain ANA and the CMAs and to support programs that enhance the ANA/CMA partnership.

"The House of Delegates took decisive action to reaffirm ANA as the singular, national voice of nurses and to underscore the value and importance of the CMA/ANA partnership," said Blakeney. "These actions send a strong message to those who seek to undermine the ANA and attempt to encroach on ANA/CMA member rights."

In 2001, the HOD approved a dues increase, the first in 12 years. At that time, the HOD instructed the BOD to provide a financial analysis to the HOD every three years. The dues escalator will be calculated on an annual basis, implemented every three years without additional HOD action and will sunset in 2010. Seventy percent of the delegates present voted in favor of the dues escalator, which is effective Jan. 1, 2005.

"By passing the dues escalator, the delegates have demonstrated their strong support for the important work of ANA and a commitment to the shared financial stewardship of ANA and the CMAs," said ANA Chief Executive Officer Linda J. Stierle, MSN, RN, CNAA,BC.

The HOD, comprised of nearly 600 nurses, largely from ANA's CMAs, is the ANA's policy-setting body. Its annual meeting was held in conjunction with ANA's biennial convention.

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The American Nurses Association is the only full-service professional organization representing the nation's 2.7 million registered nurses (RNs) through its 54 constituent member associations. The 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 .

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