The OPEIU Nurses Council (ONC) has made safe staffing levels a top priority and joined hundreds of nurses in a rally in Washington, D.C., calling for the passage of legislation that would make staffing ratios the law of the land.

Nurses from Locals 40 and 459 in Michigan traveled to Washington to press for passage of S.864, National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act, and H.R. 1602, Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2015, both aimed at improving patient safety by implementing staffing ratios and addressing the nurse shortage.

The Local 459 Nurses Council held their annual "Stuff a Backpack" drive. They collected school supplies and backpacks for children in the Foster care system. These children often arrive with just the clothes on their backs. Without these donations they may carry supplies to school in a garbage bag which only makes them feel even more isolated and alone. The role of nurses goes far beyond the walls of a hospital or office. They have a natural desire to help their community in ways that most people never see. Nurses involved in the labor movement are especially inclined to reach out to other disenfranchised groups to help. They know it feels great to stand together in solidarity and make a difference in people's lives.