Large-Scale Rally by National Nurses United in Support of Medicare for All

San Francisco, CA - On Saturday, Nov. 2, National Nurses United (NNU), the nation's largest union of registered nurses, launched a large-scale rally in support of Medicare for All. NNU has been leading the grassroots fight for Medicare for All for decades and is the leading union advocating for bill H.R. 1384 authored by Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Debbie Dingell.

Speakers included:

• Amy Erb - RN, California Nurses Association Board Member
• Kung Feng Executive Director, Jobs with Justice
• Dean Preston, Candidate for SF Supervisor District 5
• Ola Ojuwumi - Patient advocate
• David Chiu - CA Assembly Member District 17
• Anand Singh - President, UNITE HERE Local 2
• Torrey Strickland - Patient advocate
• Laura Valder - Executive Director, Dolores Street Community
• Ash Katra - CA Assembly Member Services District 27
• Video from Rebecca Wood, patient advocate

Led by flag waving roller bladers and a brass band, they marched to the Federal Building where Nancy Pelosi has her office and conducted a “die in.” The march then went up Mission Street to Yerba Buena Gardens where many who had come from out of town boarded their buses back home.

"We see our patients suffer every day, every shift, because of the health care crisis and it's why we fight so hard for Medicare for All," said Amy Erb, RN and California Nurses Association Board Member. "My diabetic patients have landed in the ICU for days-sometimes losing their limbs or their sight because they were rationing their insulin. This is unacceptable. Medicare for All is the only solution that will guarantee quality health care for all."

A recent CBS National Poll found that 66 percent of the country supports a national health care system making this a critical moment for Speaker Pelosi to stand on the right side of history and support this legislation

At the rally, Sandy Reding, RN, Vice-President-NNU, Executive Council, spoke of a nurse she knew whose insurance based cancer care was interrupted. The nurse died as a result.

Throughout the past year, National Nurses United has hosted hundreds of events to educate and organize grassroots support for Medicare for All. During the rally, patients and nurses shared stories of how the health care crisis affects their lives and called for support for Medicare for All.

“We have led rallies, phone banked, knocked on tens of thousands of doors, and worked with constituents in key districts to pressure their Representatives to endorse H.R. 1384,* said Jean Ross, RN and President of National Nurses United. "Given that we are in Speaker Pelosi's home district, her constituents want to encourage her to use her tremendous power and position of leadership to move the Medicare for All Bill, H.R. 1384, forward."

National Nurses United is the largest union of registered nurses in the United States, with over 150,000 members nationwide.