NNU demands House stand up for workers and call a vote on the Protect America’s Workforce Act

National Nurses United, the nation's largest union of registered nurses, provided this statement as the Protect America's Workforce Act discharge petition reached an important milestone, with 218 congressional signatures in the U.S. House of Representatives, allowing it to move quickly to a vote on the House floor:

"Nurses are very encouraged that 218 congressional members, both Democrats and Republicans, signed onto the petition, signaling they are ready to vote to restore collective bargaining rights for VA nurses and strengthen the care our nation's veterans receive at Veterans Health Administration facilities across the country.

"Nurses, who are committed patient advocates, are demanding the passage of this bill that will restore the protections we need to speak up about our patient safety concerns. This bill was necessitated by this administration's unprecedented attack on federal workers and their collective bargaining rights on March 27 and August 28, when it issued two executive orders attempting to strip more than a million union workers of their bargaining rights under the patently false premise that these workers represent a threat to national security.

"Nurses and other federal workers understand that these executive orders were issued in retaliation for union workers' advocacy and their outspoken concern about policies affecting veterans' health and well-being.

"Now that we have reached this milestone mark in congressional support, we look forward to this bill being brought to the House floor for a vote. We urge our elected officials to vote in favor of this critical legislation and restore collective bargaining protections for unionized federal workers."

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.