Mass. Group Joins Largest Nurses Union

Three unions that together represent about 150,000 registered nurses, including a Massachusetts group, said Wednesday they are forming a new organization that would be the nation's largest nurses' union.

The agreement combines the Massachusetts Nurses Association, California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee and United American Nurses into a single entity that will be more active in the debate over health care reform.

The new union - to be called the United American Nurses-National Nurses Organizing Committee - will focus on improving standards for nurses and patients and devote more resources to increasing membership, said Rose Anne DeMoro, CNA's executive director.

CNA is the country's largest nurses' union, with about 85,000 members nationwide.