We are thrilled to invite you to our Juneteenth Celebration in just two days! Join us on June 19 at the corner of J and 17th Streets from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy free ice cream for WSNA members, with additional ice cream available for purchase for friends and family who want to join the festivities.

This event is a celebration of the significant impact Black nurses have had on the nursing profession throughout American history, from the times of slavery and Jim Crow to modern-day achievements. We are proud to honor their contributions and acknowledge the progress made towards racial justice and equity.

However, there is still much work to be done. WSNA remains committed to upholding and advancing the Racial Justice Taskforce (RJT) we fought for last negotiations and advocating for Juneteenth to be recognized as a paid holiday.

The RJT was a hard-won and historic achievement in our last contract. Unfortunately, management now seeks to undermine the committee by pushing for a management structured and corporately driven alternative. This move would diminish the influence of bedside nurses and increase the power imbalance between management and nurses.

Yunna Flenord, WSNA Officer and Co-Chair of the RJT, says one of the reasons the taskforce is so important is because “Nurses dealing with racially charged issues need a place to report these issues without management involved. Many nurses fear retaliation from management when they have an issue, and this is a place where they know it’s safe.”

As part of our Juneteenth celebration, we urge you to sign the petition below, calling on management to empower and protect the RJT and to recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday. Your support is crucial in ensuring our voices are heard.

Please take a moment to sign the petition today at https://forms.office.com/r/QdvJNktieA.

We look forward to celebrating with you and enjoying the beautiful weather!

In solidarity,
Emily Nollmeyer, Co-Chair,
Carina Price, Co-Chair
Sally Budack, Co-Secretary
Shannon Suchland, Co-Secretary
Matthew McGuire, Treasurer
Shelly Mead, Grievance Officer
Yunna Flenord, Grievance Officer
Teresa Kindell, Membership Coordinator
Shelly Mead, Grievance Officer

You can contact WSNA Nurse Representative Jared Richardson, MSN, RN, at jrichardson@wsna.org or WSNA Organizer Grace LaMonte at glamonte@wsna.org.