• Table of contents
• RN Movement
• 100 Years of RN Power
• Salaries and Benefits
• Secure Retirement
• Patient Protections
• RN Voice and Respect
• Safe Staffing Ratios
• Binding Contract
• How to Organize
• RN Rights
• What About Strikes
• Newly Organized
• Get involved

An RN voice for our patients and our profession

CNA has grown from 17,000 RNs in 1995, located primarily in Northern California, to more than 70,000 RNs in 200 facilities across the state, along with 16,000 RNs in hospitals throughout Texas, Nevada, Maine, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois through the formation of our national arm—the National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC)—founded in 2004.

CNA and NNOC were the motivating force to bring state nursing associations across the nation together in 2009 to form National Nurses United, which stands today at 160,000 RNs from every state in the nation. NNU pools the collective experiences and might of the most successful RN organizations in the U.S., the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, United American Nurses, and the Massachusetts Nurses Association.

From coast to coast, we have won the best contracts for RNs in the nation

Thirty years ago, RNs were among the lowest-paid professionals, had no retirement, and worked every weekend. Today, through the collective action of our members, nurses at CNA/NNU facilities have safer staffing conditions, a more secure retirement, and salaries commensurate with experience. Our agreements are noted for enhancing the collective voice of RNs in patient care decisions through our Professional Practice Committees and Assignment Despite Objection documentation system.

We believe that a strong professional RN union empowers us to take our patient advocacy from the bedside to the statehouse and beyond. We have repeatedly stepped outside the walls of our facilities, whether it is our 13-year fight to win and defend California’s safe staffing ratios or forming the Registered Nurse Response Network (RNRN) and sending RNs to New Orleans and Haiti.

We invite RNs to join our movement, and to help us build an even more powerful voice for RNs and patients.

Our Progra­­­m

• Improve RN workplace standards through collective bargaining to assure RNs have compensation that recognizes professional skills and a retirement that provides dignity for our families after a lifetime of caring for others.
• Secure passage of state and national legislation for RN staffing ratios and other basic protections for RNs and patients, and meaningful healthcare reform based on a single standard of care for all.
• Make direct-care RNs, not administrators, the voice of nursing in Washington, D.C. and state capitals and the guardians of our practice and profession.
• Block hospital industry efforts to undermine RN professional practice in legislatures, regulatory agencies, boards of nursing, and at the bedside.
• Assure full compliance with highest safety standards on limiting spread of pandemics and guaranteeing RN access to proper safety equipment.

For more information on how you can join, email us at organizing@calnurses.org