Charmaine S. Morales, RN

Charmaine Morales, RN, is the President of UNAC/UHCP, representing over 40,000 registered nurses and health care professionals. Her journey is one of reinvention, resilience, and relentless commitment to justice. A successful small business owner before pursuing her calling in nursing, Charmaine began her healthcare career as a med-surg nurse at Kaiser South Bay Medical Center.

Elected UNAC/UHCP Secretary in 2013, she quickly established community service and union growth as pillars of her leadership.  Her vision extended to Hawaii in 2018, where she built a new union chapter from the ground up. Her leadership empowered Maui Health System workers to secure a voice in patient care and workplace decisions—sparking momentum for more health care professionals across Hawaii to join UNAC/UHCP.

Charmaine was elected Executive Vice President in 2016 and became President in 2022. She has never forgotten her roots as a night-shift nurse, where she learned the importance of listening to every voice. That inclusive leadership guided her role as co-lead of the Patient and Worker Safety Subcommittee during the 2021 Kaiser Permanente negotiations. Under her leadership, mental health was recognized as equal to physical health—a transformative win for patients and workers alike.

In the wake of the 2021 racial justice uprisings, she established UNAC/UHCP’s Racial and Social Justice Committee, which created the Alexis G. Philius Scholarship supporting Black students pursuing health care careers.

In 2022, she launched Membership Matters Academy, a groundbreaking engagement program that became the foundation for the union’s growth and leadership development.

As the first woman of color, and the first Mexican-American and Filipina, to serve as UNAC/UHCP President, Charmaine brings a historic and deeply personal perspective to her role. Nearly a quarter of nurses in California are Filipino or of Filipino heritage, and she has championed representation and equity throughout her career.

Charmaine also serves as Vice President of the Los Angeles Labor Council, the California Labor Federation, the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees (NUHHCE), and Highly Favored: A Blessing to Others—a grassroots community group serving the unhoused in Southern California.

Her leadership is rooted in solidarity, equity, and the belief that when health care professionals stand together, they can transform workplaces, uplift communities, and change lives.