ICYMI: Antelope Valley Press: Nurses show support for union

February 26th, 2018

With the Supreme Court hearing arguments for Janus v AFSCME today and threatening public sector unions across the country, Bryan Caforio, Democratic candidate for California’s 25th Congressional District, released the following statement:

“Over the last century, every single benefit to the middle class—from living wages to retirement security to safe working conditions—has come through the hard work of organized labor, and this case is nothing more than a right-wing corporate attack on working families. I’m running for Congress because we need someone in office who will put the working men and women in our community above corporate special interests, and regardless of what the Supreme Court ultimately rules in this case, I’ll never stop fighting for my brothers and sisters in organized labor.”

 

Antelope Valley Press

Nurses show support for union

By: Allison Gatlin

 

LANCASTER – Some two dozen nurses rallied outside Antelope Valley Hospital on Thursday afternoon to draw attention to the importance of unions such as the California Nurses Association, which represents the hospital’s nursing staff.

Prompting the rally is a case set to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday that could be harmful to unions such as the CNA.

[…]

Dustin Cheeney, a staff nurse and union representative, said he saw firsthand the difference union representation can make in terms of ensuring safety and patient care.

Employed at the hospital for 13 years, Cheeney began in the environmental services department, which is not represented by a union. There, if an employee saw something they felt was a safety concern, they might be afraid to speak up for fear of reprisals.

“It was a completely different situation,” he said. “Now, I have a way I can advocate for my patients. We are patient advocates first.”

The Antelope Valley Hospital gathering, conducted along 15th Street West at noon, was one of several planned Thursday across the country by National Nurses United.

Democratic congressional candidate Bryan Caforio joined the rally, calling for support of unions to fight continuing corporate efforts to decrease their power and effectiveness.

“In the last 100 years, every single benefit to the middle class has come from organized labor,” he said.

Regardless of the outcome of the Supreme Court case, “we have to remember, we’re stronger together. We can’t let them try to destroy us,” he said.

 

Read the full story here.

 

 

The son of two public school teachers, Caforio was born and raised in Southern California, attended UCLA and Yale Law School, worked for a United States federal judge, and practices as an attorney taking on some of the world’s biggest banks and corporations. Bryan lives in Santa Clarita with his wife Lisa, who serves as a Deputy City Attorney at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.

California’s 25th Congressional District covers northern Los Angeles County and part of Ventura County, including the Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope Valley, and Simi Valley. Hillary Clinton won the district by more than six points in 2016, registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans, and the district is majority-minority. The district is now considered a “toss-up” and is held by Tea Party Republican Steve Knight, whom national Republicans have publicly identified as one of their most vulnerable incumbents.