Stuff that History is Made Of . . .That You Won't Find in a Textbook!!, The

Georgia Nursing, Nov 2004-Jan 2005 by Grear, Rhonda K

It is November 5, 1916. The waters of Puget Sound are calm. A small steam, engine boat, the Verona, is packed with about 250 men from Seattle who are eager to show the authorities in Everett, Washington that working people stand together, even in the face of violence!

Waiting on the dock at Everett was Sheriff Donald McRae and several hundred hastily armed "deputies," many fresh from a beating of 41 men a few nights before, can now pick up the faint strains of the song being sung by the men on the deck of the Verona:

"We meet today in Freedom's cause,

and raise our banners high!

We'll join our hands in union strong,

To battle, win or die!"

And die they did when the Sheriff and his Deputies opened fire and killed more than half of the men standing on the deck of the Verona that day. (Excerpt from "Everett Massacre" - Materials used as part of the LLI)

What? You mean you never heard of the Everett Massacre? As for me, I know I hadn't until I was privileged to attend the 4th Annual United American Nurses Labor Leader Institute held in Seattle, Washington September 19-23 and what an experience it was!

Here constituent members from various Nursing Associations gathered to learn about Labor History, Local Bargaining Unit Structure, Basic Internal Communications, Collective Bargaining, Arbitration Advocacy, Labor and Employment Law, and Civil Rights Issues, to name a few of the courses offered. An old cliche says . . . "All work and no play makes Jill a dull girl," so some exciting and fun activities were also part of the curriculum. The most tangible and exciting thing we did was to go to a "Labor Bus Tour" fall the historical sites of Seattle's rich history in the Labor Movement. We rode by the building where the first Union Paper was printed and went to the cemetery to see where some of the movement's earliest leaders were buried. Another event, which was enjoyed by all, was a Lunch Cruise on the Royal Argosy, which took us out into Elliot Bay which borders the Coastline of Seattle. All in all, it was a very exciting, educational and insightful week.

As for the Union "For Nurses by Nurses," the United American Nurses (UAN), has recognized that quality training is essential for helping Staff Nurse Leaders become effective, skilled Union Leaders. The labor Leader Institute reflects the UAN's commitment to provide quality training to its members and leaders.

As for the instructional component, all of the instructors were renowned leaders, recognized for their commitment to Labor and Nursing issues in general. As students, we were privileged to have a lunch session with Dr. Diana Mason, who is the present editor of the American Journal of Nursing, who spoke to us concerning the need for Staffing Ratios and the importance of respectful communications between Nurses and Doctors to alleviate Medical Errors. Mike Boucher, United American Nurses National VA Council President and President of the North Carolina UAN, presented issues particular to the Federal constituency of the UAN. He presented VA specific training such as: "Union Relevance in the 21st Century" and "The Paradigm Shift to Interest Based Bargaining."

Hats off to the United American Nurses AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations) for its commitment to excellence and I for one am proud to be a member.

by Rhonda K. Grear, MSN, RNBC

Chair, GNA Labor Relations Unit