California Nurses’ War against the Right Wing

by Mike Liu
Thanks to David Monkawa
3/2/05

The California Nurses Association (CAN) is fighting the Terminator Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger is trying to do away raise limits on nurses’ patient loads, calling nurses (as well as teachers), “special interests.” In fact, it’s Schwarzenegger who serves the special interests of hospital and insurance companies--that want to keep profits up by employing fewer nurses than California law requires.

California Nurses in L.A. are 60% Asian Pacific Islander women. The majority are immigrants, particularly from the Philippines. The nurses have been fighting back hard. Thousands nurses have lobbied the California State capitol, Sacramento. Their chants included "Arnold, Arnold, you can't hide--we can see your corporate side!" Nurses have picketed his fundraisers, appearances, programs, run commercials and bought ads. The nurses have also brought suit in Sacramento Superior Court to support the 1999 law, which took effect last year, that mandated fixed nurse-to- patient ratios. But two days after the November election, Schwarzenegger officials loosened nurse staffing requirements for emergency rooms and delayed until 2008 putting into effect a rule requiring a 1-to-5 nurse-to-patient ratio for medical- surgical units. The court will hear arguments this week on the ratio issue.

Schwarzenegger has also attacked workers' pensions in favor of individual stock portfolios-Bush's plan, guaranteed meal and break period laws, and eighty-eight public oversight boards for nursing, contractors etc.

The largest unionization struggle led by API women has been at Cedars Sinai Med Center where 1,500 RNs won union representation despite an employer-paid army of professional consultants "union busters" who waged a vicious anti-union campaign. The Bush–dominated Labor Board overturned that victory based on hearsay evidence from one white male anti-union.

Whatever happens in court, Schwarzenegger has hardly improved his image by attacking the nurses. According to a recent Gallup poll, nurses are more popular than Schwarzenegger is. The Democrats have been the sidelines until polls show Schwarzenegger’s popularity is much lower. Profiles in courage. Be bolder; support the nurses.