City Council Speaker Gifford Miller invited Gloria Acevedo, president of United Federation of Nurses Local 436, and a group of union members to City Hall May 5.

There, he and other council members presented the unionists with a proclamation honoring their work and supporting the observance of National Nurses' Week from May 6-12.

The document praised the “compassionate, professional care” that the nurses provide to “the poor and wealthy, old and young, and people of every nation, ethnic background, political affiliation and religious belief.”

The proclamation cited nurses as “an integral and indispensable component of the health care system.” The Council’s action was carefully timed to coincide with the May 6 birthday of Florence Nightingale, the famed founder of the nursing profession. With the support of many City Council members, Local 436 has been pressing for legislation that would require a nurse in every public school.