Op-ed: ​‘Affiliating with AFT is one of the best decisions WSNA ever made’

At the July 22-25 convention of AFT, WSNA’s national labor partner, I had the honor of being elected an AFT vice president. AFT has 43 vice presidents serving on the Executive Council, headed by President Randi Weingarten. This isn’t a personal accomplishment as much as it is a testament to the amazing work done by WSNA members, leaders, and staff.

When WSNA affiliated with AFT 11 years ago, it was one of the best decisions we ever made, thanks to leaders such as then-Executive Director Judy Huntington and AFT’s visionary President Weingarten.

I sometimes am asked, “But AFT is a teachers’ union—the American Federation of Teachers. Why is WSNA part of a teachers’ union?”

The simplest answer is to point out that AFT represents more than teachers—its 1.8 million members are in divisions covering pre-K-12 teachers, higher education faculty, public service workers, paraprofessionals and support personnel, and healthcare professionals. In fact, AFT is the second-largest nurses’ union in the country and the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in the AFL-CIO, with over 250,000 nurses and healthcare workers.

But a fuller explanation is that AFT’s history and roots as a union of teaching professionals, and its track record of successfully fighting for fair pay and better working conditions that allow teachers to meet students’ needs, resonate with nurses as we fight for fair pay and better working conditions that allow us to provide safe, quality care for our patients. AFT is fighting for a better future for our members, communities, and those we care for, whether students, patients, or the public.

Nurses and teachers also share a common identity as professions built by strong, independent women. We are natural allies in fighting for women’s rights and gender equity in the workplace and in society at large.

As we look to the future of nursing, we know that the next generations need a solid educational base starting as early as possible, so better funding for schools and better contracts for teachers are also vital to the nursing profession. New nurses are educated in institutions of higher learning, giving us common interests with AFT members in that sector. Good schools at all levels need committed support professionals who can thrive in their roles, and we all need access to the services provided by public service workers like those who AFT represents.

So, while AFT has five divisions, it is not a divided union. We all benefit from the hard work that AFT does on behalf of all members and the individuals, families, and communities we all serve.

AFT and WSNA also share a strong commitment to furthering social justice, advancing diversity, fighting inequities, and focusing on the interests of all working people. AFT doesn’t shy away from taking strong stands, even at the risk of being targeted by regressive forces.

AFT consistently has demonstrated its commitment to nurses and other health professionals. Its Code Red campaign has focused attention on the need for safe staffing and reducing workplace violence. It also has provided support for WSNA and other healthcare affiliates in the fight for safe staffing, organizing, and many other areas. President Weingarten is always there for us­—at our leadership conferences, on picket lines, and wherever she is needed. In December 2022, when one of our members, Doug Brant, a beloved home health nurse, was murdered by a patient’s family member, Randi flew out to Spokane to attend and speak at his memorial vigil.

AFT also has expanded its focus on healthcare. Many of its healthcare affiliates represent other professionals in addition to nurses. AFT recently announced a new initiative to increase its efforts to represent physicians after already achieving considerable organizing successes among that group.

On the first day of its convention, AFT changed its constitution: While maintaining its legal name as the American Federation of Teachers, it also adopted “AFT” as one of its official names. Its branding refers to AFT and the sectors it represents—education, healthcare, and public services. AFT is working to ensure that people know it represents a wide array of professionals.

In joining AFT’s Executive Council, I am serving along with two other nursing leaders—Vicky Byrd is CEO of the Montana Nurses Association and Debbie White is president of HPAE, a dynamic New Jersey union of nurses and healthcare workers. However, I also am serving with an awe-inspiring group of leaders from all of AFT’s divisions.

Our deepening involvement in AFT does not signal a change in our identity as both a union and a professional association. We—along with the Oregon and Montana Nurses Associations—continue our visible presence in AFT and the American Nurses Association. Our success as a union strengthens our work on behalf of all nurses.

Just as AFT’s divisions strengthen its unified purpose, WSNA’s labor and professional work are part of an integrated purpose—advancing nursing and fighting for a healthcare system that puts patients and the health of our communities and populations first.