The Oregon Nurses Association today approved an affiliation agreement with the American Federation of Teachers, bringing more than 10,400 Oregon registered nurses into the 1.5 million-member union of educators and government and health care employees.
Union officials called the agreement historic.
“Educators and nurses share a mutual respect, mutual priorities and a mutual desire to provide our members with the tools and conditions they need to do their jobs,” AFT President Randi Weingarten
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The Oregon Nurses Association today approved an affiliation agreement with the American Federation of Teachers, bringing more than 10,400 Oregon registered nurses into the 1.5 million-member union of educators and government and health care employees.
Union officials called the agreement historic.
“Educators and nurses share a mutual respect, mutual priorities and a mutual desire to provide our members with the tools and conditions they need to do their jobs,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a statement. “They need the power and the voice to advocate for their patients, whether it’s in Salem or on Capitol Hill.”
ONA President Steve Rooney said in a statement that the affiliation is important as nurses deal with a rapidly changing healthcare industry and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, the controversial health care overhaul legislation.
The Oregon union’s vote, Saturday at its meeting in Portland, follows the National Federation of Nurses‘ similar vote of affiliation, which added about 23,600 registered nurses from Washington, Montana and Ohio to the AFT’s membership.
Prior to its two recent affiliations, the AFT union represented 48,000 registered nurses, according to the union.