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USW activists were part of a wide ranging coalition of unions rallying to protest a possible decision by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that would deny nurses and many other union members their right to remain in their bargaining units under the pretext that they are engaged in management oversight functions.

The case, commonly referred to as Kentucky River, is pending before the NLRB.  The coalitions, RNs Working Together, issued the following statement:

“Nurses will not stand by and allow their union rights go up in smoke. It is imperative that hospitals and the NLRB acknowledge the importance of nurses as patient advocates and continue to recognize their right to union protection. Nurses can't truly speak up for their patients if they fear jeopardizing their jobs, which is why they need a union behind them.”

“This demonstration, like the many others our unions have held over the past month on the nurse-supervisor issue, shows a growing anger over the possibility that nurses and other professionals could lose their jobs for joining a union. Nurses and other professionals make decisions and use independent judgment in the normal course of their job responsibilities. That doesn't make them managers nor should it be used as an excuse to exclude them from union activity.”