Nurses' Union Flexes Political Muscle 
  
Labor Group That Played Role in Whitman's Defeat Now Plans to Press Brown on Workplace Rules, Universal Coverage

By Jim Carlton
Wall Street Journal
NOVEMBER 11, 2010
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703514904575602601191975376.html

One of California's most powerful political players
these days is a Bay Area-based nurses' union, which
helped torpedo Republican Meg Whitman's efforts to
become governor and boosted the prospects of the
eventual winning candidate, Democrat Jerry Brown.

Now officials of the 85,000-member California Nurses
Association say they will keep Gov.-elect Brown's feet
to the fire on their agenda of improving conditions for
nurses and the state's health-care system.

While optimistic about working with Mr. Brown, "we're
used to fighting with politicians for our agenda," says
DeAnn McEwen, co-president of the California Nurses
Association, which is based in Oakland and is
affiliated with the national nurse's union, National
Nurses United.

Ms. McEwen says the nurses' union wants improvements in
nursing education and provisions to enforce existing
laws on staffing ratios and other workplace rules.
Union officials also are aiming for Mr. Brown to sign a
health-care bill that would guarantee medical care for
all Californians, which departing Republican Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger twice vetoed. The union endorsed
Mr. Brown early this year.

Continue reading this article at:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703514904575602601191975376.html

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