The “power of unity” was the resounding message as the Hawaii Nurses Association (HNA) voted to remain united with its national organization, the American Nurses Association (ANA). The 134-19 vote was held July 21 at HNA’s special House of Delegates
The “power of unity” was the resounding message as the Hawaii Nurses Association (HNA) voted to remain united with its national organization, the American Nurses Association (ANA).
The 134-19 vote was held July 21 at HNA’s special House of Delegates meeting at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center.
The decision comes at a time of a shortage of nurses and a greater recognition of the link between appropriate nursing care and quality patient outcomes. Nurses often say they find strength in unity as they fight against dangerous practices such as mandatory overtime and unsafe nurse—patient ratios.
“This positive response shows that HNA members feel strongly about having a national voice and local control of their state nurses association,” said Joan Crat, a registered nurse at Queen’s Medical Center.
“The vote sends a clear and unequivocal message that more can be accomplished through unity than through fragmentation.”
About 170 Wilcox Hospital nurses are affected by the vote because they belong to the HNA’s Collective Bargaining Organization, which has a total membership of 3,800 statewide. Another 400 “management” nurses also fall under the HNA, but not the CBO because latter represents “labor” and the former, “management.”
The HNA vote comes after a few members proposed bylaw changes that called for the state organization, the HNA, to disaffiliate from the ANA and instead hook up with the California Nurses Association.
Some HNA members say their union sisters and brothers have been actively promoting the California Nurses Association as an alternative to HNA/ANA. Indeed, the California union has been actively seeking members around the country, says CBO Board Member Bill Richter.
“In Maine, they actually shipped people in,” Richter said. “The concern is that by stealing away ANA members, they dilute the power of the national union.”
“There’s a lot of unorganized nurses out there.
Why basically take over another union?” Richter asked.
On July 2, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to bar CNA staff from working at or acting on behalf of the HNA-CBO, the collective bargaining arm of the HNA. CNA staff had been retained on a contract basis in late May by the HNA-CBO Chair, who later appeared in a brochure promoting disaffiliation, as did several members of the HNA Board of Directors.
“They keep telling us that local state nursing associations don’t need national unions,” Richter said.
“The irony is, actually, the duplicity is that they’re trying to make a big association themselves.”
In February, the ANA conducted a scientifically valid survey of HNA’s membership that found that close to 70 percent strongly supported maintaining affiliation with ANA.
“This is a victory for all nurses,” said ANA President Barbara A. Blakency.
“The challenges that nurses are facing, and the impact of changing health care policies, require that nurses speak with one strong voice.”
The Hawaii Nurses Association has been affiliated with ANA since 1918.
The ANA has 2.7 million members in 54 states and territories.
