Citing continuing concerns about the threat to public health, National Nurses United today urged the Obama Administration to formally reject the permit for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, not just rely on a possible veto of legislation expected to pass in the new Congress.

Registered nurses from Daughters of Charity hospitals throughout the greater Bay Area will hold rallies prior to hearings and then testify to share findings from an impact report released mid-December, by CNA/NNU outlining the crucial healthcare services that would be lost in the event of hospital closures.

Registered nurses from Daughters of Charity hospitals will give testimony at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood and St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Los Angeles on Monday Jan 5, and Tuesday Jan. 6 respectively in their continued fight to save their hospitals and preserve essential patient care services in their communities.

Yesterday registered nurses voted to approve their first ever collective bargaining agreement at Community Hospital Long Beach. At a time when many labor contracts are premised on substantial cuts in workplace and living standards for nurses and other workers, the RNs successfully negotiated an agreement that represents improvements in their existing standards.

Registered nurses from Daughters of Charity hospitals are mobilizing en masse to public hearings next week, in their continued fight to save their hospitals and preserve essential patient care services in their communities, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU) who represents 1,800 nurses at four of the hospitals announced today.

The RNs' strike, and the hospital's subsequent lockout, were preceded by management's refusal to bargain in good faith and continued actions to undermine discussion. In November, hospital executives acted unilaterally, and illegally, in implementing their most recent position and declared an impasse, despite the fact that the registered nurses were ready and willing to continue negotiations with hospital executives to protect quality patient care and safe working conditions.

Last week the National Labor Relations Board ordered Bluefield Regional Medical Center (BRMC) in Bluefield, W. Va and Greenbrier Valley Medical Center (GVMC) in Ronceverte, W.Va. to end their lawless behavior in refusing to bargain with its registered nurses.