Responsibility

I believe that all human beings have a responsibility to treat each other with respect and fairness. Nurses have a responsibility to do the same for their patients and to advocate for them at the bedside, in the boardroom, at the statehouse and in Washington. We also have a responsibility to our profession, to promote the recruitment, retention, and development of good nurses. Union nurses share all these responsibilities and also have the responsibility to advocate for the financial wellness of the institution they work in, nurses at other institutions, and members of other unions. Union nurses are in the position to influence pay, benefits, working conditions and be the voice in the workplace, all critical in the recruitment and retention of good nurses. We are able to influence state and national healthcare decisions, to have a say in the financial wellness of our institutions and healthcare as a whole. Our leadership will also have the added responsibility to our membership. To make recommendations that keep all the above responsibilities at the forefront. To act as advocates and spokespersons for our members. To be answerable, always, to the members. For the time being the leadership of the Backus nurses union is our bargaining team. We have been meeting regularly and preparing for negotiations. We have the assistance of our AFT CT staff, but the decisions being made are ours. Ultimately, the final decisions will be yours, each and every member gets a vote. Soon we will begin meeting with the management team. I urge you to speak with the bargaining team about any concerns and to attend as many of the negotiation sessions as possible. We all have responsibilities, let us keep them forefront in our minds.