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California Nurses Association
| California Nurses Association | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | California |
| Type: | 501(c)(5) |
| Year founded: | 1903 |
| Website: | Official website |
| Budget | |
| 2013: | $63,538,000 |
| 2012: | $61,229,133 |
| 2011: | $59,210,936 |
The California Nurses Association (CNA) is a labor union in California. It is a state affiliate of the National Nurses Organizing Committee and according to its website, it is also a member of the AFL-CIO.
Mission
According to its tax returns, the mission of the California Nurses Association is as follows:[1]
| “ | The organization's primary mission is to provide effective collective bargaining representation to CNA members in order to promote the economic and professional interests of direct care nurses and to advocate for direct care nurses and their patients on all public policy matters related to safe care and nursing practice.[2] | ” |
History
Founded in 1903, The CNA has grown considerably with "more than 86,000 members in hospitals, clinics and home health agencies in all 50 states." The CNA founded the National Nurses Organizing Committee in 2004 and then combined with the "United American Nurses, and the Massachusetts Nurses Association to create the largest union and professional association of nurses in U.S. history" in 2009.[3]
Work
Collective bargaining
As a labor organization, the California Nurses Association typically provides support for its members in collective bargaining with employers. In an informative pamphlet about their activity, the CNA describes its bargaining process as one that involves establishing legally-binding contracts that guarantee "changes in the workplace must be negotiated between management and RNs." The process, as the CNA describes it, involves establishing a negotiating team of nurses, surveying employees about bargaining priorities, involving nurses directly in the negotiating process and a full nursing staff vote on any tentative contract.[4]
Patient ratios
From 1991 to 2003, the group worked to establish "safe patient ratios" to "improve the quality of care and nurse recruitment and retention in California hospitals."[5] The CNA also calls itself an advocate for patient rights by advocating for the rights of nurse members. In 2015, the CNA questioned a proposed merger between St. Joseph Health—an Irvine, Calif., for-profit company that manages hospitals—and Providence Health and Services to ensure that "patient protections and nurses’ rights are not infringed."[6]
Political activity
Single-payer health advocacy, 2017
In July 2017, after the Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D) did not allow a bill proposing a single-payer health system to proceed in the Assembly, the CNA staged protests at the state capitol. According to Politico, the union protested by "waving signs with Rendon’s name printed on a knife buried in the back of the California bear."[7] According to U.S. News and World Report, the union also followed lawmakers around the capitol chanting "Shame on you."[8]
2016 elections
For the 2016 election cycle, the CNA endorsed two candidates for the California State Senate: Mariko Yamada (D) and Steve Bradford (D). They also endorsed Janice Hahn for Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Aaron Peskin for San Francisco Board of Supervisors.[9]
Presidential preference
The California Nurses Association endorsed Bernie Sanders for the Democratic primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.[10]
2010 elections
The group also offers endorsements of certain state-level legislation and candidates for office. In the 2010 election cycle, for example, they opposed California Proposition 13 and supported California Proposition 15.[11]
Leadership
As of July 2017, RoseAnn DeMoro was the executive director of the California Nurses Association.[8]
As of 2011, the following individuals were listed as board members for the California Nurses Association:[4]
| Board members as of 2011 |
|---|
|
Finances
The following is a breakdown of the California Nurses Association's revenues and expenses for the 2011 to 2013 fiscal years:
| Annual revenue and expenses for the California Nurses Association, 2011–2013 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Tax Year | Total Revenue | Total Expenses |
| 2013[1] | $85,976,402 | $63,538,000 |
| 2012[12] | $84,420,533 | $61,229,133 |
| 2011[13] | $74,520,904 | $59,210,936 |
Tax status
The California Nurses Association is a 501(c)(5) nonprofit organization. 501(c)(5) is an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax exemption status that applies to nonprofit agricultural, horticultural or labor organizations.[14] Agricultural organizations include entities that engage in fishing, forestry, raising livestock, or growing and harvesting crops. Horticultural organizations denote entities that cultivate plants for decorative or functional purposes.[15] Since politics and legislation may directly impact labor or agricultural activities, 501(c)(5) organizations may engage in lobbying and campaign activities as a means of advancing the interests of their members.[16]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms California Nurses Association. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 GuideStar, "California Nurses Association IRS Form 990 (2013)," accessed August 21, 2015
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ National Nurses United, "About Us," accessed August 21, 2015
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 National Nurses United, "CNA/NNU 101," accessed August 21, 2015
- ↑ National Nurses United, "National Campaign for Safe Patient Ratios," accessed August 21, 2015
- ↑ Napa Valley Register, "Nurses accuse Queen of the Valley, St. Joseph Health of profits before people," August 19, 2015
- ↑ Politico, "California Democrats plunge into 'civil war,'" July 10, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 U.S. News and World Report, "Nurses Aren't Giving Up on California's Single-Payer Push," July 13, 2017
- ↑ National Nurses United, "California Endorsements," accessed August 21, 2015
- ↑ The Los Angeles Times, "California nurses union is all in for Sanders. But can it tilt the outcome on its home turf?" May 8, 2016
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Yes on Proposition 15," accessed August 21, 2015
- ↑ Guidestar, "California Nurses Association IRS Form 990 (2012)," accessed August 21, 2015
- ↑ Guidestar, "California Nurses Association IRS Form 990 (2011)," accessed August 21, 2015
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "IRC 501(c)(5) organizations," accessed December 21, 2015
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Labor organizations," accessed December 21, 2015
- ↑ Internal Revenue Service, "Political campaign and lobbying activities of IRC 501(c)(4), (c)(5), and (c)(6) organizations," accessed December 21, 2015
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