AFSCME/UNA to host 12th National Nurses Congress May 4-7, 2009
AFSCME nurses are on the front lines of a health care system that is unable to meet the needs of this country's sick and elderly.
Patients have an increasingly difficult time accessing the services they need. More than 70 million citizens are under- or uninsured, relying on the safety net to provide care.
Health care facilities are experiencing staffing shortages, health care workers are stretched beyond the breaking point and vital services are being slashed. All the while, health care costs continue to skyrocket as revenues plummet.
We are in a time of extreme challenges, but also a time of tremendous opportunities. The Obama administration has committed to bring forward an agenda for reform that has the potential to fix a broken health care system. The time is now for AFSCME to be the voice for change that works, change that expands access and care, and change that improves working conditions.
No group is better qualified to lead this fight than AFSCME nurses.
The 2009 National Nurses Congress will focus on the issue of health care reform, looking at reform from a number of perspectives. We will have sessions that provide an historical context to the discussion, the options for reform that will make a true difference in patient care, the impact reform measures may have on working nurses and how to effectively lobby for the change we need.
The Congress will bring together experts from a variety of fields to ensure an informative and useful exchange of ideas. Sessions will also address union building and issues that nurses face on the job.
On National Nurses Day participants will lobby Congress on the critical issues they face. Sample “Dear Senator and Representative” letters will be available for nurses to use in letter writing campaigns back home. Information on how to get active will be presented.
Nurses can earn contact hours for attending the Congress.
We encourage you to support AFSCME nurses by sharing information about the Congress with your membership.
Dates: May 4-7, 2009
Place: Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.
Room Rate: single/double occupancy: $254.00 plus 14.5% tax per room per night ($290.83)
Registration/Housing: See form below.
Who Should Attend: AFSCME nurses, leaders, activists and staff of AFSCME affiliates that represent registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and licensed vocational nurses
Forms: