On Thursday, September 3, SEIU 1021 registered nurses working for Alameda Health System and the San Francisco Department of Public Health gathered at the San Francisco union hall for the registered nurse industry summit in preparation for upcoming contract bargaining. 

As they discussed strategy for their contract campaigns, members received a legislative/political update from Nurse Alliance members, as well as an update on the nursing labor market to provide valuable insights as they enter bargaining.

Throughout the summit, one message was clear: SEIU 1021 members must organize.

Registered Nurses Industry Chair John Pearson, who works as an emergency room nurse at Highland Hospital, said, “We’re never going to have a comparable amount of money as the billionaires that are trying to dismantle public services. What we do have is one another and the power we create when we organize in mass. That starts with organizing conversations.”

As the summit wound down, it was clear attendees were on the right track, from reviewing how to map their worksites to discussing the best way to approach organizing conversations.

With their contract campaigns ahead, the RNs left the summit ready to put what they learned into action by building stronger connections with coworkers and turning organizing conversations into collective power at the bargaining table.