A former single mother who lived for many years below the poverty line, struggling to care for a son with autism, Denalie Bruins understands firsthand the value of having a union. Now a nurse at Missoula’s Community Medical Center and a proud member of AFSCME Local 398, for which she serves as the treasurer, Denalie feels lucky to have a union, which gives her and other nurses a voice on the job, decent wages, and good benefits.
“We just finished negotiating a new contract,” Denalie says. “And had we not had a union, we would have gone back probably ten years in cuts to wages and benefits.” Having a union gives the nurses at Community Medical Center a seat at the negotiating table with the Executive Board, which gives them the strength to say what they need in the negotiations. “This benefits not only the nurses, but the company we work for,” Denalie points out, “because they in turn get to hold on to valuable, experienced nurses. It’s in their best interest to take care of us as best as they can” – which the nurses’ union helps them do.
“Having a union gives us a voice, and a sense of camaraderie,” Denalie continues. “We’re not isolated this way. Often, we find, what’s right for this sister, is right for another sister or brother. And nurses have a place to go to with frustrations. The Union is a very good place to go, because there are people who understand, who are willing to fight for their sisters and brothers.” Pausing, Denalie adds, “It’s a great family to have.”
“We want others to enjoy the benefits that we have,” Denalie says, and that is why she has been working hard to promote the passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. “It has been eye opening,” she explains, “realizing that a lot of people have not had the benefits that I’ve had. Learning that other places have to struggle really hard in order to just organize and form a union – and sometimes workers get fired.”
So Denalie has been taking action, as pictured, talking with community members about workers' rights and basic needs. “I have been working to have people sign petitions in support, or letters of support, to Honorable Senator Max Baucus and Senator Jon Tester. We need to honor our labor, let everyone have what I do – a collective voice for bargaining, and wages, and benefits. Hope, and support, in rough economic troubled times.”
