I gave four talks to nurses in Texas, asked by an organizer for CNA to do so. We tied it into my long book tour last spring and summer. The nurses bought a lot of books. The nurses in San antonio were very well organized and we had a large and lively turnout. I was impressed with the CNA leaders, both staff and rank and file. In Austin, things were similar though on a smaller scale. In Houston and Dallas, I thought that the CNA really had a long way to go in terms of rank and file initiative. It should be noted that there is no enabling bargaining law in Texas for public hospital workers and for private sector workers there is a right to work law.
To me CNA seems more democratic than SEIU. Stern is no democrat nor is senior VP Eliseo Medina. Medina was a top lieutenant of Cesar Chavez, who never really broke with Chavez's leadership style, which was anything but democratic.
Michael Yates