Organized workers can win the good fight

Two recent legislative victories demonstrate the amazing power of front line health care workers. Workers, joining together in their unions, were able to overcome the power of money and win victories both for themselves and for health care consumers.

The first victory was passage in the US House of Representatives of a true Patients' Bill of Rights. The bill includes, among other things, access to specialists, right to sue the HMO, an independent appeal mechanism and whistleblower protection for health care workers.

For months, the managed care industry succeeded in stopping enactment of a strong patients' rights bill. High-powered, high-paid lobbyists roamed the halls of Congress working to stop bills with true patient protection.

On the very day of the final vote, the managed care industry, in a blatant move to buy votes, held a $1500-a-plate breakfast fund raiser for the Speaker of the House.

On the other side of the issue, fighting for real rights, were unions, nurses, doctors and patients.

On the day of the vote, in spite of money and pressure from the insurance and managed care industries, victory went to the workers and consumers and the Patients' Bill of Rights passed.

The second victory was passage of new legislation in California to mandate nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and restrict the duties of unlicensed personnel. This time, not only were the insurance and managed care industries fighting the legislation but also the hospital industry, all of them extremely powerful in the state of California.

The campaign for staffing ratios was spearheaded by the California Nurses Association, a union of nurses. These unionized nurses together with other workers and health care consumers succeeded in overcoming the full force of the industries.

Again, it was the power of organized workers and consumers that was able to beat the power of money.

In the struggle for patient care, we can win if we refuse to admit defeat.

We can win if we stand up and don't back down.

We can win if we join together with our brothers and sisters in the union and with health care consumers.

In the words of the famous labor song Solidarity, "In our hands is placed a power greater than their hoarded gold." We can turn the health care system around by winning one victory at a time when we remember that together, through the union, we have the power.