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