United American Nurses Unit
Bargains One-Year Extension

Guild members at United American Nurses in December approved a one-year extension to their 32-month agreement.

The UAN contract provides for a 4 percent raise in 2008 and the creation of a labor-management committee to study possible changes to health-insurance coverage. The new contract expires at the end of the year.

Through organizing, collective bargaining, and legislative work, the UAN unit services a national union of more than 100,000 direct-care nurses (R.N.’s) in state nurses associations nationwide.

The extension agreement was worked out in part because both sides wanted to address the organization’s uncertain future. UAN’s president, Cheryl L. Johnson, who had forged the affiliation with the AFL-CIO in July 2001, passed away in October. Johnson was the first and only president of UAN, which was formed in 1999.

“Cheryl was a guiding force in the founding and creation of the UAN as the national union for staff nurses,” said UAN Vice President Ann Converso, who is serving the remainder of the presidential term.

Among the issues in the pending election (set for March) is whether UAN should renew its affiliation agreement with the American Nurses Association (ANA).

The UAN unit has15 Guild members working in communications, research, lobbying, and organizing. Most are in the headquarters office in Washington, which is shared with the ANA.