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Looking Forward After the Election

The 2004 election is behind us. We cannot afford to let disappointment weaken or immobilize us. The election will be taken as a mandate by some employers to try to regain ground they have lost in dealing with nurses.

Instead, it is time to rededicate ourselves to the issues we care so deeply about. More than ever, nurse unity will be required to address the challenges we face in the coming years.

We must now refocus our attention on safe staffing levels, respect on the job, and other crucial concerns. Nurses will need to organize in order to improve their working conditions and to be able to provide the optimal care that patients need and deserve.

We must be prepared to beat back attempts to cut funds to vital programs such as Medicaid, and seek ways to expand access to health care. As we see from California Governor Schwarzenegger's rollback of staffing and lift team regulations, we cannot rely on the goodwill of friends in high offices as there are fewer of them now than at any time in recent memory.

Although the challenges ahead may be daunting, AFSCME nurses have shown they have the resolve not only to fight the tough fights, but also to prevail.

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