Highlighting the urgent need for a unified voice for nursing as the pandemic rages, MNA took the bold step to lead the movement towards unifying nurses unions throughout the country

Lansing, MI – The Michigan Nurses Association announced today that its newly elected Board of Directors unanimously voted to affiliate with National Nurses United, the largest nurses’ union in the country, representing over 170,000 members.

“Solidarity is more important now than ever before,” said Jamie Brown, RN, President of the Michigan Nurses Association. “Healthcare executives and DC politicians continue to ignore the voice of those of us on the frontlines while the pandemic only gets worse. It is time for nurses to unite and fight back.”

“We are so excited to welcome our Michigan colleagues into National Nurses United,” said Bonnie Castillo, RN and executive director of NNU. “Covid-19 has shown us not only that nurses across the country are facing the exact same issues and dangers at work, but also that our nursing solidarity is everything. Our unity and strength in numbers is the key to winning any and all protections for ourselves, for our patients, and for our communities.”

About five years ago, the Michigan Nurses Association voted to leave NNU through a decision made by the Board of Directors at the time. Since then, many of the issues highlighted by the previous Board around questions of jurisdictional autonomy have been addressed. The newly elected Board of Directors made the decision to reaffiliate unanimously.

The affiliation will provide Michigan nurses and healthcare professionals with access to national resources and full membership status in the AFL-CIO.

“As the pandemic continued to surge, being isolated just no longer made sense. Nurses all across the country need to be united. We look forward to joining with our union siblings across the country in these dire times to advocate for our patients and for each other,” said Brown.

The Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) is the largest, most effective union for RNs across the state. As the voice for all registered nurses in Michigan, MNA advocates for nurses and their patients at the Capitol, in the community, and at the bargaining table. 

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Contact: Amelia Dornbush, 517-896-7478