Member Spotlight: Libby Manly (NNU)
Member Spotlight is a recurring blog post series intended to highlight and connect the dots between the programs and priorities of the NC State AFL-CIO and the leaders and activist members of our affiliates who make it all possible.
My name is Libby Manly, and I have been a nurse for 15 years, working at the VA hospital in Durham, NC. I joined National Nurses United (NNU) as a student nurse and have been a union member since 2016. Now, as an elected leader in my union, I use my voice to advocate for always putting veterans first, stopping attacks that lead to a decline in patient quality of care, and advocate for respectability for nurses in the workplace. Cuts to my union and the VA by the current administration will lead to detrimental consequences for veterans who have given so much to our country and ask for so little in return. Around 30% of VA nurses are veterans themselves! Some of the NNU’s other goals aside from stopping cuts to the VA are providing Medicare for all, improving access to nutrition for children, and stopping violence against nurses in the workplace.
My journey with my union and at the VA has allowed me to speak up about issues I feel passionately about. I want some problems resolved, and I want for there to be quality and affordable care available for our veterans, as well as nurses getting respect and not being subjected to burnout in the workplace. Cuts to the VA, and cutting contracts with the nurses union, are harmful for nurses and patients alike. There are 9 million veterans nationwide who need specified care, and prefer the care that they receive at the VA. Cuts to the VA lead to less bed availability, overworking doctors and underpaying them, thus, leading doctors to seek employment elsewhere. Being short-staffed leads to diminished availability to offer specialty services, meaning veterans would have to travel farther, pay more, and wait longer for the care that they need. The VA is not profit-based, so veterans receive more affordable care at the VA than they would if they were forced to go to private hospitals. Where I work, nuclear medicine was closed so we are no longer able to do pet scans on veterans, which was crucial for treatment. Having to turn away veteran patients feels like turning our backs on them, which is not what nurses sign up for. Veteran healthcare outcomes are far better when they can just show up without an appointment and we can provide them with care on the spot without having to wait exorbitant lengths for care at a hospital with far more expenses.
People need to take action to demand that congress reinstate union rights of workers at the VA. The nurses union is vital for facilitating fair working practices for healthcare providers, and keeping beds available for our country’s veterans. Staffing vacancies were once negotiated between management and the union through a bargaining agreement. Without that in place, nurses will lose workplace safety conditions, overtime protections, and the ability to fight for proper funding. Violence against nurses has been escalating for years, and will only be made worse with the VA being unable to offer beds. Already overcrowded hospitals will only continue to be overcrowded with growing wait times and will result with a decline in care. The NNU contract allowed nurses to stand up for their patient’s rights to ensure that they receive the best treatment they can provide. The VA is the only healthcare system centered around providing the specific care vets need. Raise awareness where you can, take action within your community, and get your voices heard! We need to do everything in our power to let Congress know that what’s happening at the VA is wrong and our nurses and veterans deserve better.
TAKE ACTION: Demand Congress restore the union rights of VA nurses and demand a vote on the Protect America’s Workforce Act!