About Us
From its founding in 1917 to today, the Hawai‘i Nurses’ Association (HNA), OPEIU Local 50, has served as the leading voice for healthcare professionals across the islands. What began as the Honolulu Nurses’ Club in 1918, affiliated with the American Nurses Association, has grown into a dynamic and unified labor organization representing the power, resilience, and values of Hawai‘i’s healthcare workers.
For more than a century, HNA has worked to preserve the identity, integrity, and continuity of the nursing profession in Hawai‘i. In 1960, the Economic and General Welfare Council began advocating for nurses’ labor rights. By 1979, HNA solidified its collective strength through the creation of the Collective Bargaining Organization (HNA/CBO). In 2004, HNA unified its efforts under a single structure to better represent and support all members across legislative, collective bargaining, and healthcare practice efforts.
In 2010, HNA affiliated with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), becoming HNA, OPEIU Local 50, AFL-CIO. This affiliation reinforced our commitment to solidarity and national labor power.
Today, HNA is a transparent, member-driven union organizing power from within. We believe healthcare professionals including registered nurses, radiation therapists, respiratory therapists, clinical documentation improvement specialists, and our many other healthcare professionals are the agents of change in healthcare. We work relentlessly to elevate their voices. By organizing from the ground up, building strategic alliances in the community, and advocating for safe staffing, fair contracts, and professional respect, we are stronger together.
The Executive Board of the Hawai‘i Nurses’ Association welcomes you to a union that is grounded in history—and building power for the future.