[2]National Nurses United


Today
is the last day of the whirlwind of a year that was 2020.

Before we close the books, we wanted to look back and reflect on our work
this year (we were very busy so this list is long, but we couldn’t be
prouder). 

Many of our plans for 2020 immediately shifted when the pandemic hit. Our
union jumped into action to support not just our own members, but all
nurses, health care workers, and patients during Covid-19. Nevertheless,
we continued our fight for Medicare for All throughout the year, because
we know – like you do – that the pandemic has highlighted the need for
guaranteed health care for all now more than ever. 

Together, here’s just some of what we accomplished in 2020:

In March, April, and May, when Covid-19 started spreading rapidly, we
fought for frontline nurses and health care workers by pressuring Congress
to enact an OSHA temporary emergency infectious diseases standard and
fully utilize the Defense Production Act to produce more personal
protective equipment (PPE). 

Over half a million people signed our petition to Congress (thank you!)
and over 25,000 phone calls were made to members of Congress boldly making
these demands. Our union held multiple actions outside the White House and
hundreds of actions at health care facilities around the country. 

As a result of this organizing and with your support, we passed our two
key demands for nurses and health care workers in the House in May. But
the year didn’t slow down from there. 

In March and June, we witnessed the murders of Breonna Taylor and George
Floyd at the hands of the police. NNU led conversations around racial
inequity from our hospitals to our streets through our Freedom Now! Racial
Justice & Solidarity in Our Times digital event. 

By mid-summer, we saw the single largest spike in the number of uninsured
people in American history because so many people lost their jobs – and
therefore their employer-sponsored health insurance. This crisis made it
even more apparent why we need Medicare for All now. 

So we held a national strategy call in July with leaders including Rep. Ro
Khanna and Patrisse Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter and founder
of Reform LA Jails, to chart out a plan. We recruited volunteers to hold
virtual meetings with their legislators to get more support in Congress
for Medicare for All.

We also organized Movement Builder Trainings to teach activists how to
talk with their family, friends, and coworkers and bring them into our
Medicare for All fight.

In July and August, we held a five-part educational webinar series titled
“Healing the Social and Economic Effects of Covid-19” with each session
focused on a different aspect of the pandemic. Thousands of community
members and nurses joined these webinars to discuss the underlying social
and economic issues that are worsening this pandemic and what we can do to
build a more just world now as well as on the other side of this crisis. 

In August, we knew we needed to take action to show nationwide support for
Medicare for All as the only appropriate response to this crisis. So we
held a national Day of Action with 85 socially distanced actions in 21
states and DC, consisting of car caravans, banner drops, sign holding
events, and more. 

We know that in order to win Medicare for All, we need all voices
represented. That’s why in November, we launched our Medicare para todos
program to recruit bilingual volunteers and grow our outreach to
Spanish-speakers. 

We already started on an ambitious project to text every Spanish-speaking
voter in California – and, eventually, nationally – about Medicare for
All. 

In November, we held another national call, this time launching our
District Leaders Program and sharing our plans for the very beginning of
the new year. Volunteers stepped up in over 200 districts to help organize
meetings with their congressional reps in preparation for when Medicare
for All is reintroduced in Congress in 2021.

We also announced the launch of the California Guaranteed Health Care for
All campaign, also known as CalCare, to win single-payer health care in
California. We are committed to fighting for health care justice at every
level!

This year has been a WILD ride. But, despite everything, we were able to
accomplish so much in 2020 thanks to people like you stepping up and taking
action with us. 

Looking ahead, we still have so much more to do. This pandemic put into
focus the purpose and stakes of our work – to protect nurses, patients,
and communities and fight harder than ever before for Medicare for All. In
2021, we’ll need to escalate our pressure on Congress and build our
movement in every district in order to win. 

I’m glad we had this opportunity to look back, reflect, and celebrate
everything we’ve done in 2020. With you on our side, I know we can
accomplish even more in 2021. 

Thank you for all your work and can’t wait to keep fighting with you.

Happy New Year, 

Jasmine Ruddy
Organizer
Nurses' Campaign for Medicare for All


You can unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time:
[link removed]