A Tribute to Bonnie Castillo, Executive Director, Nurses United

In an era in which we are rethinking our role models Bonnie Castillo, executive director of National Nurses United, the nation’s largest union of registered nurses, has been named by TIME magazine as one of the 2020 TIME 100 most influential people in the world. Bonnie is also the first Latina to hold the title of executive director in the 115-year history of the organization.

This is a fantastic recognition for someone that has spent her life fighting for the rights of those who take care of us in our most vulnerable moments. Nurses have been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic, but shortages of essential items like N95 face masks leave nurses unable to protect themselves, the public or their patients.

In what she refers to as “a fight for our lives,” Bonnie continues to advocate so that nurses across the country get the safety resources that they need. Under her leadership National Nurses United has held more than 2000 actions, spoken out in hundreds of news reports, and conducted several surveys of registered nurses across the country to track their experience during Covid-19.

As shared with californiahealthline.org Bonnie made the difficult decision of dedicating her life to organized labor: “It was pretty clear to me within a couple of years of being a young registered nurse that the needs of myself and my co-workers weren’t being adequately addressed through dealing with management directly… This process of bringing nurses together, predominantly women, strong women, to work collectively was something that was so invigorating and exciting that I felt the need to continue to do this. It was a big decision because I also loved my patients, but I felt … like I could play a big role in making sure that every registered nurse had a voice on the job” she shared with the news organization.

An unwavering advocate, leader and fighter during these unprecedented times we are proud to share the recognition that Dolores Huerta, another exemplary civil rights activist who co-founded what is now the United Farm Workers of America, penned for TIME magazine:

BY DOLORES HUERTA

As a registered nurse and executive director of National Nurses United and the California Nurses Association, Bonnie Castillo is a visionary and a leader. She was among the first to call attention to the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) available to nurses across the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic, and fought layoffs and pay cuts that nurses faced despite their vital frontline work.

Bonnie’s commitment to the labor movement and unions is unwavering; she states that unions are the foundation of a democratic society. Bonnie does not just work to heal patients; she works to heal society. As a mother and grandmother of nurses, I thank Bonnie, and all nurses—including those who have died while serving—for their heroic work in this critical time.