News Flash: National Nurses United Agree to Challenge the Two Parties of Wall Street!

National Nurses United, the nations largest staff RN union with 185,000 members, held its 2012 Convention in Las Vegas on December 11 to 13. Nurses direct from Michigan's battle lines reported on the mass protests against the newly rammed-through "right to work" (for less) legislation and attack on women's reproductive rights. A "Care Plan for Building a National RN Movement" was proposed to delegates. Massachusetts Nurses Association delegate and Socialist Alternative member Seamus Whelan introduced an amendment to the proposal for the NNU to challenge electorally the two parties of the 1% (Democrats and Republicans) in local, state and national election races. Seamus also proposed linking an electoral strategy to emerging social movements to pose an alternative for the 99% against austerity and attacks on our living standards. The Convention voted in favor of this important proposal.

The full text of the passed amendment reads:

The NNU will challenge the corporate domination of politics and society by changing the way we do politics.

The NNU will consider supporting/endorsing independent candidates to challenge the two parties of Wall Street and the 1%, Democratic and Republican, in local, state or national election races of our choosing as these parties seek to carry out major attacks on public services and programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

The NNU will attempt to link an electoral strategy to the political and social movements that will emerge as people fight back against the corporate agenda and thereby allow the ideas and goals of the Main Street Contract for America to reach a broader audience and pose to the 99% a real alternative to austerity and attacks on our living standards.

See the video of NNU nurses demonstrating with Las Vegas Culinary and building trade union workers outside a non-union casino

Catch a glimpse of Seamus Whelan at 20 sec mark and 1.23 sec.