I wasn’t sure whether being part of a union could make a difference until I joined UNAC/UHCP.
Navigating through my first assignment with a terminally ill cancer patient was humbling and powerful. Experiencing the healing process and the empathy involved is incredibly rewarding. It made me feel human. My coworkers helped me get through it. Teamwork is essential to a nurse’s success, every day.
Being part of the UNAC/UHCP team makes me feel protected and secure. I worked hard to earn my license. The union gives me the strength to know I can fight to protect and maintain our benefits and wages as well as improve the quality of care for our patients.
Last year, I had a chance to go to the state capitol to testify before Cal-OSHA on the threat that workplace violence poses to health care professionals throughout California.
I realized, then, that there is strength in numbers when voices are raised together. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Workplace violence matters to health care professionals. It made me feel proud to belong to a union that works to protect nurses. UNAC/UHCP taught me the importance and power of what a united voice could be.
With a Masters in nursing education, I fall into the role of educator easily. I believe educating our members is the key to building strength and understanding the process. What I find most satisfying about the role I play in the union is my ability to mediate. I enjoy being the go-between for members. The friendly exchange gives me insight and is evidence of how much they are learning.
Joining UNAC/UHCP has been a whole new experience, but together with my coworkers, I am happily taking on the challenge. United, we are getting stronger.