Mike Nilsson, RN, President, Health Care Professional Unit, Florida Nurses Association, Pasco County Health Department, Hudson, FL, 1520 Coachlight Way, Dunedin, FL 34698, 727-863-2444, FDNYRET@aol.com

The Florida Nurses Association, an affiliate of the United American Nurses, has been a strong voice in addressing issues effecting the public’s health by representing its state employed members working in numerous and diverse health care settings. In my role as the President of the Bargaining Unit I have worked with administrators within state agencies and elected officials both within the legislature and governors office to partner in developing legislation and policy. The role of FNA as an autonomous union in a right-to-work environment has been vital in strengthening current workplace issues and developing future professional standards that protect both state health care employees and the public. In my 20 years of involvement with FNA , the union has been involved in establishing educational requirements for health care professionals in the area of HIV/AIDS. We have been instrumental in creating the Healthy Start Program for at-risk populations. We have worked closely with legislators to create a new state Department of Health and continue to work for appropriate funding to insure the public’s health. A critical area of involvement has been addressing staffing and standards for public health nurses. The FNA has taken the lead on domestic security in insuring the role of public health in protecting the public from natural and manmade disasters. While we have had the opportunity to have input in creating many positive public health initiatives, our struggle now is to prevent the further deterioration of the public health infrastructure through outsourcing, downsizing, privatization and budget reductions.

Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to

• Recognize the role of unions in the legislative process.
• Understand how a union helps to establish and maintain professional standards.
• Understand how a union of registered nurses is equipped to address health care issues.
• List both the pros and cons of providing collective bargaining in the public sector in a right-to-work state.

Keywords: Labor, Labor-Management Relations

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.