CNA and Labor Unions Sue Trump Administration Over UC Coercion

CNA and Coalition of Labor Unions Take Legal Action Against Federal Government

The California Nurses Association (CNA), representing 25,000 registered nurses working in University of California medical centers across the state, has joined forces with other labor unions to file a lawsuit aimed at halting the federal government's attempts to influence the University of California system. The legal action, submitted on September 16, is a response to what is seen as an effort by the Trump administration to align the UC system with the President's ideological stance.

Maureen Dugan, a registered nurse at UCSF Parnassus and a member of the CNA Board of Directors, expressed the union's position: "As union nurses, we always speak up when our patients are needlessly and senselessly prevented from receiving the care they need." She further stated, "We refuse to stand by as the Trump administration attempts to tell UC nurses how to provide care for our patients or tries to make our hospitals unsafe for our patients!"

According to the lawsuit filed, the coalition, which includes national and California-based labor unions, accuses the U.S. federal government of illegally coercing the UC into actions that violate the First Amendment. The unions are particularly concerned about agreements that could mandate cooperation with immigration enforcement, potentially allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to UC hospitals, and efforts to undermine gender-inclusive policies, including gender-affirming care for minors.

Maureen Dugan further commented on the impact of these potential funding cuts: “In addition to attacking our most vulnerable patients, the funding cuts that Trump is threatening risk UC nurses’ ability to care for all the Californians who come to our medical centers for world-class care. These cuts also undermine the economic engine that is the UC, the second-largest employer in the state. Simply put, Trump’s coercive tactics against the UC are not about improving the lives of working people. It is a transparent attempt to expand Trump’s power by quashing this public good.”

Joining the CNA in this legal effort are numerous labor unions, including the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) UC-AFT Local 1474, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 399, and various University of California Faculty Associations (UC FAs) such as those from Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz, as well as the University Professional and Technical Employees-Communications Workers of America (UPTE-CWA) Local 9119, the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) UAW Local 4811, and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 2010.

The California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is recognized as the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States, boasting more than 100,000 members across over 200 facilities in California and over 225,000 RNs nationwide.