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national nurses united
California Nurses Association condemns Trump administration plans to deploy ICE, National Guard to invade Bay Area
Oct 23, 2025
California’s largest union of registered nurses, an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), the largest U.S. RN union, issued the following statement responding to recent announcements by the Trump administration that both ICE and the National Guard would be deployed to the San Francisco Bay Area:
Registered nurses across California condemn and reject the Trump administration’s recently announced plans to deploy ICE, border patrol agents, and the National Guard to the San Francisco Bay Area. President Trump so far has sought to misuse the National Guard and active-duty soldiers to attack five major Democratic-led cities: Washington, D.C; Los Angeles; Chicago; Portland, Ore.; and Memphis, Tenn.
As advocates for the health and safety of all patients, regardless of their immigration status, nurses warn that increased militarization of our neighborhoods actively endangers public health. Armed federal agents on our Bay Area streets and in our communities, not immigrant workers, are the biggest threat to all of our safety. Immigrants are our family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, are us, and we stand in solidarity with all immigrants as working people.
Across the United States, we have been outraged to see violent raids, kidnappings, and indiscriminate racial profiling of Black and Brown people, resulting in physical harm and immense trauma to our patients — as well as disruption to critical community resources, including hospitals.
Nurses know that when ICE attacks immigrants and other activists, it often takes patients they injure to our hospitals. These federal agents bring fear and panic to places that must remain safe spaces for healing. On Tuesday, Oct. 21, an ICE agent in Los Angeles shot two people — something that never would have happened if they weren’t attacking immigrant workers who are just trying to make a better life for themselves. This resulted in ICE converging on California Hospital and the entire facility being locked down, with visitors and ambulances being turned away. Nurses reject any ICE presence at our health care facilities and will be holding our employers responsible for ensuring that we can continue to do our jobs saving the lives of all patients.
Trump has also violated the due process and Constitutional rights of U.S. citizens, who have been detained, beaten, tased, and shot by immigration agents (at least 170 U.S. citizens, according to Pro Publica) during these violent raids and military deployments. A registered nurse and former member of our union was among those detained in Los Angeles.
California nurses demand an immediate stop to the violence the Trump administration has already inflicted on our state and on our nation, and we will be standing in solidarity to resist and say, “No!” to this outrageously unjust attack on the Bay Area. Our communities are not war zones, and we understand that when this administration comes after the most vulnerable, we all lose.
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National Nurses United urges passage of Medicare for All Act
At Congressional bill introduction, leaders of nation’s largest union of registered nurses tout life-saving benefits of expanding Medicare
Apr 29, 2025
Registered nurses with National Nurses United (NNU) are reaffirming their support for the Medicare for All Act, following the bill’s reintroduction in Congress today by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the U.S. Senate and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) in the U.S. House of Representatives.
NNU members have long supported efforts to achieve guaranteed health care for every person in the United States, through a single-payer system that provides health care based on patient needs, not industry profits. The legislation comes at a critical time when vital lifesaving health care programs, like Medicaid and Veterans Health Administration benefits, are at risk of being completely gutted.
“Nurses are fighting for a future in which our patients’ health is put first always and that’s why we are proud to continue our support for Medicare for All,” said Nancy Hagans, RN and NNU president. “When we guarantee health care for all, corporations and billionaires will no longer be able to deny anyone the care that they need. In the richest country on earth, nobody should have to be forced to choose between taking their medications and putting food on the table. Yet countless families are pushed to the breaking point while greedy corporations charge astronomical, ludicrous fees for care that is every patient’s right to receive.”
The Medicare for All Act builds upon and expands Medicare to provide comprehensive benefits – primary care, vision, dental, prescription drugs, mental health services, home and community-based care, and more – to every person. In addition to allowing patients to have the freedom to choose the doctors, hospitals, and other providers they wish to see without worrying about whether a provider is in-network, the bill would also allow the health care system to negotiate drug prices and reduce exorbitant administrative waste.
Currently, 85 million people in America are either uninsured or underinsured, a number that stands to grow exponentially if Congressional lawmakers choose to gut, rather than defend and strengthen, the country’s public health infrastructure.
“The goal of the current administration and their billionaire buddies is to pile on endless cuts and attacks so that we become too demoralized and overwhelmed to move forward,” said Bonnie Castillo, RN and executive director of NNU. “Registered nurses and our allies don’t step back but step up, during pandemics, climate emergencies, and authoritarian regimes. We won’t let them threaten public services like Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security or try to eliminate federal workers’ protected union rights. As patient advocates, it is our duty to fight for a system that prioritizes people over profits. So even on our hardest days, we won’t stop fighting for Medicare for All.”
“The American people understand, as I do, that health care is a human right, not a privilege and that we must end the international embarrassment of the United States being the only major country on earth that does not guarantee health care to all of its citizens,” said Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). “It is not acceptable to me, nor to the American people, that over 85 million people today are either uninsured or underinsured. Today, there are millions of people who would like to go to a doctor but cannot afford to do so. This is an outrage. In America, your health and your longevity should not be dependent on your wealth. Health care is a human right that all Americans, regardless of income, are entitled to and they deserve the best health care that our country can provide.”
“It is a travesty when 85 million people are uninsured or underinsured and millions more are drowning in medical debt in the richest nation on Earth,” said Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) . “We don’t suffer from scarcity in America, we suffer from greed. That’s most clear in our broken healthcare system, which is why we need Medicare for All. People deserve and want comprehensive health care that covers mental health, long-term care, reproductive care, dental, vision and hearing, all without copays, private insurance premiums, sky high deductibles or other hidden fees. Health care is a human right, that is exactly why it’s time to pass Medicare for All.”
“Every American has the right to health care, period. If you’re sick, you should be able to go to the doctor without being worried about the cost of treatment or prescription medicine. Too many families must decide between putting food on the table and getting medical care that they desperately need,”said Representative Debbie Dingell (MI-06). “A health care system that ties coverage to employment will always leave patients vulnerable. It’s flat-out wrong and Medicare for All would put a stop to it. We’ve been fighting this fight since the 1940s, when my father-in-law helped author the first universal health care bill. It’s time to get this done.”
For more information on the Medicare for All Act, please refer to NNU’s fact sheet.
In addition to the Medicare for All Act, NNU members are advocating for the following federal legislation:
- NURSE STAFFING STANDARDS FOR HOSPITAL PATIENT SAFETY AND QUALITY CARE ACT, sponsored by Rep. Jan Schakowsky: There are no federal mandates regulating the number of patients a registered nurse can care for at one time in U.S. hospitals. As a result, registered nurses (RNs) are consistently required to care for more patients than is safe, compromising patient care and negatively impacting patient outcomes. These dangerous conditions are causing thousands of RNs to leave the hospital bedside. This legislation would improve patient care and increase nurse retention by setting mandated, minimum RN-to-patient staffing ratios.
- THE WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PREVENTION FOR HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL SERVICE WORKERS ACT, sponsored by Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Rep. Joe Courtney: Violence against nurses and other health care workers in hospitals and other health care facilities is a growing epidemic across the United States. Nurses report being punched, kicked, bitten, beaten, choked, and assaulted on the job — and some have faced stabbings and shootings. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the hazard of workplace violence, with nurses reporting an increase in violent incidents on the job since the beginning of the pandemic. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act would mandate OSHA to promulgate a standard that would require all covered employers to develop and implement prevention plans to reduce workplace violence incidents. The Workplace Violence Prevention bill passed the House of Representatives in both the 116th and 117th Congress with significant bipartisan support.
- THE RICHARD L. TRUMKA PROTECTING THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE (PRO) ACT, sponsored by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Bobby Scott: A union gives workers the ability to act together to advocate for safe working conditions, to improve their wages and benefits, and to protect their workplace rights through collective bargaining and concerted activity. For registered nurses, union advocacy and representation allows us to focus on what we do best: caring for our patients. Attacks on unions and the right to unionize have hurt efforts to improve the lives of working families. Current labor law does far too little to protect and allow workers to exercise our right to join a union. The PRO Act is an important step to protect workers’ rights to organize a union and to stop employers’ attacks so that every worker can organize without fear of retaliation. The PRO Act passed the House of Representatives in the 116th and 117th Congress with bipartisan support.
- THE VA EMPLOYEE FAIRNESS ACT, sponsored by Rep. Mark Takano: Section 7422 of Title 38 of the U.S. Code limits the collective bargaining rights of certain Veterans Affairs (VA) clinical professionals, including registered nurses. This section restricts the ability of registered nurses to speak out about poor working conditions and to resolve disputes with management. As a result, the quality of patient care can deteriorate and problems in VA facilities can go unaddressed. The VA Employee Fairness Act would improve patient care in VA hospitals by expanding the collective bargaining rights of registered nurses and other clinicians employed by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The VA Employee Fairness Act passed the House of Representatives in December 2022 with bipartisan support.
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National Nurses United Condemns Gaza Bombardment
National Nurses United (NNU) mourns the loss of life over the weekend in the besieged Gaza Strip area of Palestine due to Israeli airstrikes that killed dozens--including at least 15 children. "As nurses, we are grateful that a cease-fire between militants in Gaza and the Israeli Government has been accepted and we urge it be permanent," said NNU Secretary Treasurer Martha KUhl, RN. "We express alarm at the grave impacts on critical health care infrastructure caused by last week's bombardment.
Aug 09, 2022
National Nurses United (NNU) mourns the loss of life over the weekend in the besieged Gaza Strip area of Palestine due to Israeli airstrikes that killed dozens--including at least 15 children. "As nurses, we are grateful that a cease-fire between militants in Gaza and the Israeli Government has been accepted and we urge it be permanent," said NNU Secretary Treasurer Martha KUhl, RN. "We express alarm at the grave impacts on critical health care infrastructure caused by last week's bombardment. This includes the incredible strain placed on nurses and other healthcare workers struggling to provide care at the main hospital in Gaza, the Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City. In addition to caring for patients who were victims of the bombardment, the hospital faces an energy crisis as Israel cut off vital supplies of fuel to the Gaza Strip late last week.
"NNU joins the international community in condemning this attack on civilians, on children, on health care infrastructure, healthcare workers, and public health," continued Kuhl. "As nurses and as people of conscience, we find these acts of war wholly unacceptable. We stand with Palestinian nurses, doctors, and other health care workers and their unions who have valiantly worked to save human lives during this recent escalation of violence. We call for an end to military aggression, to occupation, and an end to the illegal blockade of Gaza."
Recent violence has only compounded the public health effects of the 15-year blockade of Gaza--where critical goods, services, and freedom of movement have been restricted by the Israeli government as part of its ongoing occupation of Palestine. Due to the humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade, the area has been deemed as "uninhabitable" by the United Nations. According to human rights reports, 97 percent of water in Gaza is undrinkable, where 75 percent of the area's 2 million residents experience food insecurity. More than half of Gaza's residents are children, the vast majority of whom suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Since 2008, military attacks by the state of Israel have resulted in more than 4,000 civilian deaths in Gaza, hundreds of whom have been children. Despite the United Nations, international human rights, and international health organizations calling for accountability for Israel's systematic human rights violations, military occupation, and apartheid practices, Israel remains one of the biggest recipients of U.S. aid, nearly $4 billion annually.
"We want an immediate end to unconditional U.S. aid to the state of Israel that has been used to fund the Israeli government's human rights violations," said NNU President Jean Ross, RN. "Just as we seek peace and justice globally, and have opposed the Russian invasion of Ukraine, so do we call for peace and solidarity in Gaza and in the rest of Palestine."
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Women Leaders Urge Senate to Pass Workplace Violence Prevention Legislation
Jul 14, 2022
Today, a group of organizations representing millions of women across the country is urging the U.S. Senate to pass the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, a bill introduced by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) that would protect health care and social service workers from violence on the job.
The majority of health care and social service workers in the United States are women, and women comprise about 90% of the U.S. nursing workforce. These workers are nearly five times as likely to suffer serious workplace violence injury than workers in other sectors. Addressing this growing epidemic of workplace violence is crucial to addressing the high rates of health care and social service workers leaving their jobs due to unsafe working conditions.
The letter connects workplace violence to a culture that consistently discredits work done by women, stating, "While women - and particularly women of color - continue to be prominent in critical frontline jobs like health care and social service work, our work is undervalued because it often sits under the broader category of care work, jobs that have been historically devalued simply because women perform them. Unfortunately, with the devaluing of our work comes the devaluing of our lives."
The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act would mandate that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) create a federal standard requiring health care and social service employers to develop and implement a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan. This bill is a companion to H.R. 1195, which passed the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support in April 2021.
Joining the letter are leaders of the AFL-CIO; American Federation of Teachers; American Medical Women's Association; Coalition of Labor Union Women; League of Women Voters of the United States; MANA, a National Latina Organization; National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.; National Council of Jewish Women; National Council of Negro Women; National Nurses United; National Organization for Women; UltraViolet; and Women's March.
"NNU is honored to stand alongside our sister organizations in fighting to protect working women on the front lines of both the physical and mental health crises in our country," said NNU Executive Director Bonnie Castillo, RN. "Too many nurses across the country are physically and verbally attacked each year, and the violence only continues to worsen. Everyone deserves to be safe in their workplace, and we urge the Senate to pass this crucial bill immediately so we can continue to care for our patients without the near-constant threat of violence."
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