Sacramento event to honor 90th anniversary of women's suffrage amendment

 On the eve of a major gathering of thousands of registered nurses, joined by women's, labor, and community members in Sacramento Thursday, August 26, California Gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman Tuesday night renewed her attack on registered nurses' collective voice, workplace protections, and retirement security.

The Sacramento event will feature a colorful march and rally to honor the 90th anniversary of the women's suffrage amendment. Participants will also protest the platform and voting record of Whitman which they say dishonors the legacy and values of the suffrage movement.

But even before nurses, teachers, and other event participants began boarding trains in Los Angeles and Bakersfield Wednesday to head to Sacramento, Whitman rekindled her ongoing war with California nurses with a conference call Tuesday night with handpicked nurses forming her supposed nurse "advisory board."

Whitman used the forum for further attacks on the California Nurses Association, and repeated her call to roll back state rules that guarantee employees are able to take meal and rest breaks and be paid for overtime work, a stance that would endanger patients by forcing nurses to work long hours while fatigued.

Whitman also repeated her plans to sharply cut retirement benefits for nurses and all public employees, and blasted CNA for supporting retirement security for RNs.

"California's nurses understand the threat that Whitman's program poses for their patients, and for standards they have fought so hard to win," said CNA co-president Malinda Markowitz, RN. "Whitman's agenda clearly reflects her corporate CEO background and her corporate donors, but is contrary to the well being of regular Californians. It also stands in sharp contrast to the values represented by the suffrage movement – which is why thousands will be in Sacramento Thursday to honor our foremothers and will be working to protect our future."