Backus Federation of Nurses 5th Anniversary

In nursing school we are taught that our most important role is to advocate for our patients.
Without that ability, one cannot truly be a nurse.
At Backus Hospital, we felt we were losing that ability, and as such, were losing our identity as nurses.

Five years ago today, we took that back.

On May 11, 2011, the Registered Nurses voted to form the Backus Federation of Nurses, AFT Local 5149.
It was not easy, nor was the fight to secure a fair contract that followed, but we were successful.
It would not have happened without the dedication to patients and each other of so many different people; nurses, organizers, community leaders, and others, both in and out of the Labor Movement.

I will resist the urge to thank them individually, as I know I would inevitably miss some people, but thank you to all.  You are and always will be, a part of Local 5149.

In Solidarity