Unionism and the Formation of Critical Consciousness among Nursing Professionals in Alagoas (1992–2009)

Abstract

Introduction: The work of nursing assistants and technicians (NATs) in Brazil is historically marked by precarious conditions, low wages, and limited political recognition. The union movement in Alagoas emerged as a collective response to these conditions, constituting resistance to employer hegemony. Drawing on the Gramscian framework, union action represents a counter-hegemonic strategy to articulate labor rights and promote workers' political consciousness. NAT unionism remains underrepresented in Brazilian nursing scholarship. Objective: To describe NAT unionism in Alagoas (1992–2009), understanding their actions as counter-hegemonic strategies aimed at improving working conditions and building the political consciousness of the professional category. Methods: Qualitative, historical-social study with analysis of documentary and oral sources from six NATs. Participants were selected by intentional sampling; semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded and fully transcribed. Data were analyzed through thematic content analysis guided by the Gramscian framework. Results: The union acted as a space for collective organization, promoting mobilizations, strikes, and political actions that broadened workers' awareness. Leadership changes expressed political continuity and strategic female leadership. Insertion into the Unified Health Workers' Movement expanded articulation within Alagoas civil society. Music during strikes emerged as a counter-hegemonic cultural instrument of collective cohesion and confrontation with exploitative relations in healthcare. Conclusion: NAT unionism in Alagoas played a relevant role in the struggle for labor rights and the social and political recognition of the category, constituting counter-hegemonic practices that transcended immediate economic demands and contributed to the political consciousness of mid-level nursing workers.