RN Linda Smith has been a nurse since 2001, providing care at medical facilities all over the nation before settling in South Florida five years ago. With that experience, she says she became a member of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East “my first day on the job”  in the post-partum unit at HCA Florida Northwest Hospital because she knows “how well a union can work to make management hear and respect us.” 

She says it’s more important than ever for nurses to be proactive and strengthen their collective voice because hospitals are putting caregivers and patients at risk with unsafe staffing ratios, cancelled shifts, cuts to ancillary staff, rushed training and more.

The West Virginia native and daughter of a U.S. military serviceman also fears conditions will grow dramatically worse in healthcare facilities in Florida and nationally due to drastic Medicaid cuts approved by the Trump Administration and Republican majorities in the U.S. House and Senate.

The legislation cuts trillions of dollars of care to children, the elderly, veterans and more largely to fund even greater tax cuts to billionaires and big business. In addition to dangerous reductions in care to sick and vulnerable Floridians, the cuts are estimated to result in thousands of job losses in healthcare and other Florida sectors.

“It’s so wrong, these cuts will devastate the delivery of care here and will hurt all of us,” says Smith. “As a nurse, I know these programs are literally life-saving, especially for sick children and seniors.”

Because of the deepening issues facing healthcare workers, the veteran caregiver has stepped up her efforts to mobilize fellow nurses to demand better, safer work environments.  Recently she met with 1199SEIU Florida officers in a strategy session held in the Florida Keys to share her wisdom and broad experiences.

A key element coming out of the meeting she called “very productive and a great step in the right direction” was the reactivation of 1199SEIU Florida’s Nurse Council.

RN and LPN members of 1199SEIU will be invited to join the group for their valuable input on critical matters in the workplace and to hold facilities accountable on such issues as staffing ratios, caregiver safety, wages, best practices and other core elements of the job.

The Nurse Council will meet twice virtually each year, with one in-person annual retreat to discuss issues and set priorities face to face.  The first 2025 virtual Nurse Council meeting will be in October, with more specific details to be announced in the coming weeks.