Debra Friedland

Registered Nurse / Queens, NY

Debbie Friedland of St. John’s Episcopal South Shore Division in Far Rockaway, and Elizabeth Akong of Jamaica Hospital, also in Queens, each have their bags packed. They were among 100 nurses from SEIU Locals across the country who learned new organizing skills in order to join a team that will be dispatched on short notice to Union organizing drives across the country.

The nurses underwent an intensive two-day course January 17-18 in Houston, Texas, organized by the SEIU Nurse Alliance, which has 110,000 nurse members nationwide. Of 2.2 million RNs practicing in the country, about 800,000 do not belong to Unions. The Houston Flight Team training focused on strategies for conducting organizing campaigns with unorganized nurses. These covered learning nursing worksite issues, identifying leaders, and customizing agendas for specific kinds of worker meetings.

“It was great,” said Friedland. “I am reenergized and ready to organize.”  Last summer, nine 1199SEIU RNs joined a Flight Team mission to Las Vegas, Nevada, to help an  SEIU Local there organize nurses at two hospitals. They participated in meetings, door-to-door canvassing and phone-banking. Flight Team volunteers take time off from their schedules to join these campaigns, which can last from 3-5 days.