Wednesday, November 9, 2016

The day after

What does a progressive, who campaigned for and even had the privilege of being a delegate for the candidate who lost the election, do the day after?

Hillary said in her gracious speech, "Never stop believing that fighting for what is right is worth it."

So......
We get to work.

The healthcare workers of PeaceHealth Southwest, in Vancouver, Washington will vote on becoming a union in 12 days.
It's good to be able to play a small role in the process.
The nurses of this hospital are a AFT affiliate Union, part of the Washington Nurses Association. The techs recently unionized with AFT and are negotiating their first contract, and now the healthcare workers are working for their voice.

We have a great team of organizers and a great organizing committee of workers working on this campaign and I'm having the opportunity to speak with workers in the office and in the hospital. 
I hope what I bring to the conversation is the experience of having worked at the bedside and gone through my own organizing and first contract campaign.

It's rewarding work, fighting for healthcare workers to gain a voice. 
The changes in health care are coming fast and furious, whether we're talking east coast or west. Often, it is the workers who are left behind. Unless they have a voice.

But you know what?
The workers are as concerned about the effects of the changes to their patients as they are the effects on themselves.
That's just the way healthcare workers are.

So, 
On this day after...
I still believe.
The fight is always worth it.

No comments: