San Jose, California. The news item below was sent to us by
Fred Hirsch,
Executive Board member and former Vice President of Local 393, Plumbers,
Steamfitters & Refrigeration Fitters in San Jose.
We urge all union members to contact their own congressperson and let
them
know that you and your union have endorsed HR 676. Urge them to
vote for
the single payer HR 676 amendment which will be offered by
Representative
Weiner (D-NY) during the debate in the House on healthcare reform.
AS THE MAN SAYS, "YES WE CAN!"
Yesterday (8/26) a dozen members and officers of Plumbers and Fitters
Local 393 in San Jose staffed telephones in our union office from
5:00-8:30 PM, calling members to ask them, to in turn, call their own
Representatives in their own Congressional Districts to urge support of
H.R. 676, the Single Payer, Medicare for All bill. Speaker Pelosi
has
assured Rep. Anthony Weiner that H.R. 676 will be heard on the House
floor.
We told our brothers and sisters that our union has been supporting such
universal and comprehensive health care for many years. We
detailed the
enormous economic advantage it would have on our paychecks, in the
payments of our retirees and on the health and future of our families
and
of all people in our country. The response was almost invariably
positive
(only two reported negative responses.) We gave the local and
Washington,
D.C. phone numbers of the Congressmembers and asked that, after they
made
their call, they urge their family members and co-workers to do the
same.
We had a short script for messages, which we left on answering machines,
so that not a single call was wasted - and we'll do the same or better
next week. Then we'll have the advantage of using the vigorous and
eloquent message from our fallen Senator, Ted Kennedy. His statement on
Utube, Democracy Now, and on some other TV is, that we should all have
universal and comprehensive health coverage - the same health care as
members of Congress and the President.
What we did last night, we'll do again, and do it better, next week. You
and your union can do likewise. The script we used is below. You
can make
improvements. Please get it on. Si Se Puede!
Tom Alexander, Member Advocate
Bill Alexander, Past President
Fred Hirsch, Executive Board Member
I'm (your name) from Local 393 and I'm
volunteering my time tonight
calling 393 members from the union hall.
We're calling to encourage you to make a phone call or write an email in
support of Single Payer health care reform.
The debate these days in Washington DC and around the country is about
public options and co-ops. For a lot of reasons, we are supporting
a
single payer, Medicare-for-All approach. For 393 active members it
would
mean $7.00/hour in savings -- money we could put on the check or add to
our pensions. For our retirees, it would mean even more. The
average
pre-Medicare retiree pays over $750/month for medical and dental.
Medicare retirees pay, on average, $450 a month. If
Medicare-for-All is
passed, our retirees would pay nothing. No premiums, no copays, no
deductibles. You go to any doctor you want. Note - HR 676 is
a call for
expanded and improved Medicare for All, including dental, home care,
mental health and much more. Win, lose, or draw, the harder we
push for
Single Payer, the better the final legislation will be.
What we're asking is for you to call or write your Congressmember.
Do you
know who that is?
<If they do, give them the Congressmember's phone number and the
generic
email address.>
<If they don't, tell them to call 202-225-3121 and tell the operator
you
want to talk to your Representative. They'll ask you your zip
code. They
will connect you directly to their line. This operator is there
24/7.
Unless you call mid-day, you will undoubtedly get your Congressmember's
recording, so be prepared to leave a message.
The message: I live in your district. I'm a steam
fitter/plumber/refrigeration fitter/whatever and, while I have a great
health plan, I am very much in support of HR 676, the Medicare-for -All
bill. I am not interested in any bill that relies on co-ops.
We need
real reform and I want you to know that I will support you at home when
you vote for health reform...Thanks for your time.
That's it. You can write your Congressmember via e-mail, if you
prefer.
You can get his/her address by going to www.house.gov/writerep
<http://www.house.gov/writerep>
. Just go there and click on your state
and zip code.
For a direct line to your Representaive's office:
Dennis Cardoza
800-356-6424
Sam Farr
800-340-3277
Anna Eshoo
650-323-2984 or 408-245-2339
Pete Stark
510-494-1388
Jerry McNerney
925-737-0727 or 408-744-0727
George Miller
707-645-1888 or 925-602-1880
Jackie Speier
650-342-0300
Mike Honda
888-643-4715
Zoe Lofgren
408-271-8700
Steelworkers and British Union
Counter Lies About British Healthcare
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The United Steelworkers and
the British union
UNITE have set up a website to counter the lies being spread about the
healthcare system in the United Kingdom and the National Health Service
(NHS) which provides it.
Rabid right wingers and Republican office holders continue to spread
outright lies about British healthcare in an effort to influence the
debate in the U.S. over healthcare reform.
Iowa Senator Charles Grassley has said that 77 year old Massachusetts
Senator Ted Kennedy would not receive treatment for his brain cancer
under
the British system, and South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint said the
British
NHS "does not allow" women under 25 to receive screening for
cervical
cancer.
These and other lies are directly answered on the website which also
includes factual information about cradle to grave healthcare for all
which is free.
The USW and UNITE officially merged over a year ago. The website
can be
seen at:
Portland, Oregon. American Federation of Government Employees
Local 2157
and Painters Local 10 have endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
AFGE Local 2157 represents 600 employees at the Portland VA Medical
Center
and outlying clinics in Oregon as well as at the Veterans' Benefits
Administration offices and Willamette National Cemetery. The local
endorsed HR 676 following a presentation by member Betsy Zucker and Jobs
with Justice activist Peter Shapiro. Local 2157
President Leonard Fearn
said: "We are proud to join the growing number of unions who
support
single payer healthcare. Private insurance adds cost, but no
value, to
our health care dollars. Single Payer Now."
AFGE Local 2157 has submitted its resolution to the AFGE International
Union Convention which meets this month.
Local 10 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT)
also endorsed HR 676. Travis Giobbi, a Local 10 apprentice,
submitted the
resolution and reports that the local forwarded its resolution to their
International Union Convention which meets in September.
#30#
HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system by expanding a
greatly improved Medicare system to everyone residing in the U. S.
HR 676 would cover every person for all necessary medical care including
prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and
preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health,
physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision
care, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable
medical equipment, palliative care, and long term care.
HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save
hundreds of
billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the
private health insurance industry and HMOs.
In the current Congress, HR 676 has 86 co-sponsors in addition to
Conyers.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced SB 703, a single payer
bill
in the Senate.
HR 676 has been endorsed by 558 union organizations in 49 states
including
130 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 state
AFL-CIO's (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC,
MO,
MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK,
MI,
MT, NE, NY, NV & MA).
Single Payer: From Off the
Table to On the Floor of the House
Single payer health care will come to a vote in the House this fall.
Ask
your Member of Congress to vote "yes" on the Weiner HR 676
Amendment.
On July 31 in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Anthony
Weiner
(D, NY) sought to replace Division A of HR 3200 with the text of HR 676,
the "U.S. National Health Care Act," sponsored by Rep. John
Conyers. This
would effectively transform HR 3200 into single-payer legislation.
Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Elliot Engel (D-NY), Mike Doyle (D-PA), Jan
Schakowsky (D-IL), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Bobby Rush (D-IL) joined
Congressman Weiner in sponsoring the HR 676 amendment.
Representative Weiner and his colleagues spoke eloquently for this
single
payer amendment. Chairman Waxman, in asking Weiner and the others
to
withdraw the amendment, promised that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is
committed to allow this amendment to be introduced, debated and voted on
by the full House this fall.
Weiner and his colleagues agreed to withdraw the amendment in response
to
the Speaker's promise. The full 17 minute debate and solution in
Waxman's
Committee can be viewed at this link. The video ends with Weiner
and
Baldwin celebrating the victory with a high five.
The Weiner amendment presents an historic opportunity for Members of
Congress to register their support for single-payer national health
insurance as the best way to solve the U.S. healthcare crisis. It
will
most likely come up in the House in late September or October.
Ask your representative to vote "yes" on the Weiner HR 676
Amendment.
Call (202) 224-3121 and ask for your congressperson. If your union
has
endorsed HR 676 let your representative know.
Then call Congressman Weiner (202) 225-6616 and congratulate him for his
courage in bringing HR 676, national single payer health care, to the
Floor for this historic debate.
You can find out more details and send a letter to your representative
here: http://www.pnhp.org/amendment/
Weiner's bold stand is beginning to make news. His appearance on
MSNBC's
Joe Scarborough Show is here:
Trumka Tells Netroots Nation:
"My Preference Is Single Payer"
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In a wide ranging speech to the
annual
Netroots Nation Convention, Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer,
said, "My preference, and the feeling of many in the labor
movement, is
that we should have a single payer health care system."
Netroots Nation
is the largest annual assembly of progressive bloggers and web
journalists.
Trumka's speech followed an impassioned appeal for single payer by
Pennsylvania State Senator Jim Ferlo who presented the Paul Wellstone
Award to Congressman Eric Massa (D-NY). Massa is a co-sponsor and
one of
the most outspoken supporters of HR 676, single payer healthcare
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
Trumka will return to Pittsburgh in mid September for the AFL-CIO
Convention where he is expected to be elected President. More than
fifty
resolutions calling for the endorsement of HR 676 have been submitted to
the convention.
HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system by expanding a
greatly improved Medicare system to everyone residing in the U. S.
HR 676 would cover every person for all necessary medical care including
prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and
preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health,
physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision
care, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable
medical equipment, palliative care, and long term care.
HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save
hundreds of
billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the
private health insurance industry and HMOs.
In the current Congress, HR 676 has 86 co-sponsors in addition to
Conyers.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced SB 703, a single payer
bill
in the Senate.
HR 676 has been endorsed by 556 union organizations in 49 states
including
130 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 state
AFL-CIO's (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC,
MO,
MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK,
MI,
MT, NE, NY, NV & MA).
Montana LIUNA Local Endorses HR 676
Helena, Montana. Laborers' Union Local 1686 has endorsed HR 676,
single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI). The union is a part of the Laborers International Union of
North
America (LIUNA).
Local 1686 is a statewide construction and public employees local.
Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer Kim Rickard said after the
endorsement:
"Local 1686 has joined tens of thousands of other workers and
hundreds of
other local unions in our concern over rising costs of health insurance
blocking workers' progress in wages and other areas. All of our
unions
face a healthcare crisis and reform must happen. Although our
members and
I are fortunate enough to have extraordinary health insurance coverage
through our Union Health and Welfare Trust, more than 46 million people
in
the United States are not afforded the same. Insurance must be
provided
to those that do not have the ability through a union to receive health
insurance coverage."
Many HR 676 Resolutions submitted
to AFL-CIO Convention
>From South Carolina to Alaska and California to Vermont over 40
labor
organizations have sent in resolutions calling on the AFL-CIO Convention
to endorse HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
The AFL-CIO convention will meet in Pittsburgh September 13-17th.
The
deadline for resolutions to be received is August 14.
Resolutions can be emailed to resolutions-amendments@aflcio.org
or, if
that is not possible, send three copies by mail to the AFL-CIO
secretary-treasurer at 815 16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006.
To
confirm receipt of your resolution, call (202) 637-3907.
We have received reports that the following union organizations have
sent
HR 676 resolutions in for the convention:
Albany County Central Federation of Labor, NY
Beaver-Lawrence Central Labor Council, PA
Bergen County Central Trades & Labor Council, NJ
Blair Bedford Central Labor Council, PA
Butler County United Labor Council, PA
California School Employees Association, CA
Capital District Area Labor Federation, NY
Dayton Miami Valley AFL-CIO, OH
Duluth, MN AFL-CIO Central Labor Body, MN
Erie Crawford Central Labor Council, PA
Essex West Hudson Central Labor Council, NJ
Greater Charleston Central Labor Council, SC
Greater Green Bay Labor Council, WI
Greater Southeastern Mass Labor Council, MA
Greater Westmoreland County Labor Council, PA
Huron Valley Central Labor Council, MI
Juneau Central Labor Council, AK
Kentucky Tri-County Council of Labor, KY
Marquette County Labor Council, MI
Mercer County Central Labor Council, NJ
Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation, MN
Northern Kentucky Labor Council, KY
North Bay Central Labor Council, CA
North Shore Labor Council, MA
Northwest Central Labor Council, IN
San Joaquin Calaveras Counties Central Labor Council, CA
San Mateo County Central Labor Council, CA
Sheboygan County Labor Council, WI
South Carolina AFL-CIO, SC
South Central Federation of Labor, WI
South Central Iowa Federation of Labor, IA
Southern Iowa Labor Council, IA
Stanislaus and Tuolumne Counties Central Labor Council, CA
Tarrant County Central Labor Council, TX
Tri County Regional Labor Council, OH
Troy Area Labor Council, NY
Vermont State Labor Council, VT
Washington-Orange-Lamoille Labor Council, VT
Webb County Central Labor Council, TX
White River Central Labor Council, IN
Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, WI
IATSE is Twenty-first International
Union to Endorse HR 676
Orlando, Florida. The 66th Quadrennial Convention of IATSE,
the
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees became the
twenty-first international union to endorse HR 676, national single
payer
healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
On July 29, 2009, over 800 delegates, representing more than 100,000
members nationwide, voted unanimously to endorse H.R. 676. Since a
campaign to endorse HR 676 began within IATSE last January, over
seventy-five individual IATSE locals have endorsed HR 676.
International President Matthew D. Loeb stated from the podium after the
vote that HR 676 is the "right thing to do." The
Convention resolution
will now be submitted to the AFL-CIO Convention to take place in
Pittsburgh Sept. 13-17th.
Robert Score, Recording Corresponding Secretary of IATSE Local One in
New
York City, led the six month campaign.
Get on the bus! July 30, Rally and Lobby
in DC for HR 676
July 30 marks Medicare's 44th Birthday. Activists from more than a
dozen
cities are sending busloads to Washington, DC, to celebrate the occasion
and to show Congress and President Obama the strong support for a
national, single payer healthcare system. People will visit their
Congresspersons to urge them to sign on to HR 676 in the House and S 703
in the Senate, then come together for a rally at 1:00 pm.
Rally for Expanded and Improved Medicare for All, HR 676
Thursday, July 30, 1:00 pm, Upper Senate Park
(between Constitution Ave, New Jersey Ave, and Delaware Ave)
Confirmed Rally Speakers:
Jos Williams - President, AFL-CIO Metropolitan Washington Labor Council,
AFL-CIO
Dr. David Scheiner - President Obama's personal physician of 22 years
Sidney M. Wolfe, MD - Acting President of Public Citizen
Terry O'Neill - President, National Organization for Women
Senator James Ferlo - Pennsylvania State Senator
Sameer Dossani - Demand Dignity Campaign Director, Amnesty International
Barbara Ehrenreich - Feminist, sociologist, political activist, and
author
of "Nickled and Dimed"
Congressman John Conyers, Jr - Chair, House Judiciary Committee, and
sponsor of HR 676
Medea Benjamin - Cofounder of Code Pink and Global Exchange
Tim Carpenter - Progressive Democrats of America, Executive Director
Donna Smith - Community Activist and Legislative Advocate, California
Nurses Association, whose story of financial bankruptcy was featured in
Michael Moore's film, "SiCKO."
Medicare has successfully provided care to seniors and people with
disabilities for almost half a century. Its single payer structure
with
only 3% administrative costs stands in sharp contrast to the 20% and
higher wasted by the private insurance companies on administration and
profits. As Washington struggles to fund health care reform, an
expanded
and improved Medicare shows the way to do it!
Two More Labor Councils Endorse HR
676. Total Now 130
In Grand Forks, North Dakota, the Northern Valley Labor Council AFL-CIO
of
Western Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota has endorsed HR 676, single
payer health care legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI), reports Mark Froemke, President of the West Minnesota Area Labor
Council. The Council voted at its June 9th meeting.
In Portland, Oregon, the Northwest Oregon Labor Council voted June 22nd
to
endorse HR 676 and to submit a resolution to the National AFL-CIO
Convention calling for an endorsement of HR 676.
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 Secretary-Treasurer Jeff
Anderson, a member of the Executive Board of the Northwest Oregon
Council,
helped in bringing forward the resolution to the Executive Board and to
the Council. Other supporting unions included IBEW Local 48, the
Machinists, and CWA, reports Margaret Butler, CWA Local 7901 council
delegate.
One hundred and thirty Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations have
now
endorsed HR 676.
July 14, 2009
Urgent: Single Payer on the Table in Energy and
Commerce on Thursday
This Thursday, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) will introduce, in the
Energy
and Commerce Committee, an amendment that abolishes private insurance
and
creates a national single-payer system that would cover everyone.
This
amendment would substitute Rep. John Conyers' (D-MI) single-payer bill,
HR
676, for the current Tri-Committee Health Reform Bill.
The Congressional Switchboard can be reached, toll free at 800-473-6711.
If your representative is not a member of the Committee, please call
Committee Chair Henry Waxman at 202-225-3976 and ask him to support
Weiner's single payer amendment.
Labor Delegation Persuades John
Murtha To Co-Sponsor HR 676
Johnstown, Pennsylvania. After meeting with western
Pennsylvania labor
leaders on June 29, Representative John Murtha agreed to sign on as a
co-sponsor of HR 676, national single payer health care legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). Eighty-five House
members,
in addition to Conyers, now have their names on HR 676.
Murtha, who has represented Pennsylvania's 12th CD since 1974, is the
eighth most senior member of the House of Representatives, and chairs
the
Defense subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee.
Those who met with Murtha came from the Greater Westmoreland County
Labor
Council in Greensburg and the Johnstown Regional Central Labor Council.
The group included Ed Grystar, Harriet Ellenberger and Rosemary Trump,
all
Executive Board members of the Westmoreland Council, and Terry Havener
of
the Johnstown Council. Also in the delegation was Father Bernard
Survil,
a Catholic priest active in labor affairs.
Ed Grystar said, after learning that Murtha has signed on as a
co-sponsor,
"The fact that Murtha, from a relatively conservative middle of the
road
district, signed on as a co-sponsor signifies that the grass roots
movement for single payer is growing and opportunities exist to get
others
from similar districts to sign on."
In addition to Murtha, Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) also signed on
to
HR 676 on July 9. Weiner is a member of the Energy & Commerce
Committee
which is one of three committees writing the House bill.
HR 676 would institute a single
payer health care system by expanding a
greatly improved Medicare system to everyone residing in the U. S.
HR 676 would cover every person for all necessary medical care including
prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and
preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health,
physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision
care, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable
medical equipment, palliative care, and long term care.
HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save
hundreds of
billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the
private health insurance industry and HMOs.
In the current Congress, HR 676 has 83 co-sponsors in addition to
Conyers.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced SB 703, a single payer
bill
in the Senate.
HR 676 has been endorsed by 552 union organizations in 49 states
including
128 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 state
AFL-CIO's (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC,
MO,
MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK,
MI,
MT, NE, NY, NV & MA).
For further information, a list of union endorsers, or a sample
endorsement resolution, contact:
Kay Tillow
All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care--HR 676
c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 636 1551
Email: nursenpo@aol.com http://unionsforsinglepayerHR676.org
07/08/09
USW President Supports Single Payer
Healthcare
"I think we should fight for single-payer health care, fight
for a
principled position." That was the statement made today by
Leo Gerard,
International President of the United Steelworkers (USW), in an
exclusive
interview with The Real News Network. Gerard made the statement in
the
context of discussing the healthcare reform effort currently underway in
Washington.
Born and raised in Canada, where his adult children still live, Gerard
is
in a unique position to comment on the healthcare struggle now going on
in
the U.S. The interview was conducted in Gerard's office at USW
headquarters in Pittsburgh.
Six more Oregon unions, including both the Oregon Education Association
(NEA) and AFT Oregon, the statewide affiliate of the American Federation
of Teachers (AFT), have endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In April, the 57th Annual State Convention of AFT Oregon, representing
12,000 teachers statewide in twenty locals, endorsed HR 676, reports
Mark
Schwebke, AFT Oregon President. In the same month, the
Representative
Assembly of the Oregon Education Association (OEA), representing about
47,000 educators, reaffirmed its support for single payer healthcare.
AFT
Oregon has sent letters to both of the state's senators and all its
congressmen urging them to support HR 676 and has also advised the AFT
Executive Council of the position taken.
Other Oregon unions that endorsed HR 676 are AFSCME District Council 75,
with 25,000 members; the State Council of Machinists (IAM);
Portland
Local 757, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) with 4,600 members; and
AFT
Local 5017, Oregon Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals.
AFGE, IBT and IATSE Locals in New
York, Missouri, and Texas Endorse HR 676
In Maryland Heights, Missouri, Chico Humes, President of Teamsters Local
6-505M, Graphic Communications Conference/IBT, reports that his local
has
endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In New York City AFGE Local 3911 endorsed HR 676 after a presentation by
Len Rodberg, President of PNHP's Metro NY Chapter.
Local 3911
represents federal workers at EPA Region 2.
In Austin, Texas, Keith Roy Harris, President of IATSE Local 205,
reports
his local endorsed HR 676 at the June membership meeting. Local
205 is
one of a large number of IATSE locals that will be supporting a HR 676
resolution at the IATSE international union convention at the end of
July.
Illinois UTU and Indiana UMWA Locals
Endorse HR 676
In Salem, Illinois, Paul Byars, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 0979 of the
United Transportation Union (UTU), reports the local has endorsed HR
676,
single payer health care legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers (D-MI).
In Booneville, Indiana, Roger Anderson, President of United Mine Workers
(UMWA) Local 9926, reports that his local has also endorsed HR 676.
Roger Anderson said: "The UMWA has been at the forefront of
health care.
It was one of the first unions to negotiate health care for its working
members and retirees and the only union to build hospitals in rural
areas
to guarantee access to health care for its members and their families.
With the present system in place, the members of Local 9926 understand
that the health care they have fought for and were promised for life can
be taken away overnight."
June 25, 2009 - Unions Oppose Any Taxing of Health
Benefits
During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama was sharply critical of
Senator John McCain for wanting to tax health care benefits.
Currently,
administration officials have not ruled out such a tax which was floated
by Democrats in the Senate. On June 24th, at an ABC News televised
town
hall meeting, President Obama refused to rule out the taxing of health
benefits.
A majority of international unions have signed on to a letter to all
U.S.
Senators opposing any health reform proposal that would tax health care
benefits saying, ".(W)e wish to express our strong opposition
to any
proposal that would pay for this reform by altering the tax treatment of
employer provided health care."
Vincent Panvini, Director of Government Relations for the Sheet Metal
Workers' International Association, who was instrumental in organizing
the
letter, said that opposition to any bill that included taxing of health
care benefits would be "tremendous." "You haven't
seen nothing yet," he
added.
Air Line Pilots Association
Amalgamated Transit Union
American Federation of Government Employees
American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada
American Federation of Teachers
American Postal Workers Union
Association of Flight Attendants
Association of Professional Flight Attendants
Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International
Union
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way
Communications Workers of America
International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and
Reinforcing Iron Workers
International Association of Fire Fighters
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
International Longshore and Warehouse Union
International Longshoremen's Association
International Union of Police Associations
International Union, UAW
Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO
National Air Traffic Controllers Association
National Association of Letter Carriers
Professional Aviation Safety Specialists
Seafarers International Union
Sheet Metal Workers International Association
Transport Workers Union of America
United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters
United Mine Workers of America
United Steel Workers
United Transportation Union
Montana MEA-MFT Endorses HR 676,
President Speaks at Single Payer Rally
The largest union in Montana has endorsed HR 676, single payer health
care
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
The Montana Education Association (MEA) and the Montana Federation of
Teachers (MFT) merged in 2000 and are joint affiliates of both NEA and
AFT. The Representative Assembly of MEA-MFT has twice endorsed HR
676.
In 2008 the MEA-MFT was instrumental in getting the Montana AFL-CIO to
endorse HR 676 and to renew its endorsement in 2009.
Eric Feaver, President of the MEA-MFT, said: "Basically we
know as well
as any union how ridiculous and unsustainable our nation's reliance on
employer provided health care insurance is. We are not interested
in
promoting more growth in insurance companies. We want quality
health care
for all at a price all can afford to pay."
President Feaver spoke June 5th at one of five single payer rallies held
outside the district offices of Max Baucus, Montana's senior senator and
Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. You can see and hear
Feaver's
speech at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA9z_3gvbqs
Three Maine Labor Councils Call on
AFL-CIO Convention to Endorse HR 676
and Call for March On Washington
Three Labor Councils in Maine, Southern, Western and Central, have
followed the lead of the Maine State AFL-CIO in calling on the national
AFL-CIO September Convention to endorse HR 676 and educate and mobilize
for its passage.
The resolution passed by the 3 councils urges that the AFL-CIO
Convention:
".pursue the passage of HR 676, the 'United States National
Health Care
Act' to meet the needs of our members, our families, and all America,
and
not endorse or support any fallback program of mandated insurance which
includes the wasteful, for-profit insurance industry.."
The resolution further calls on the AFL-CIO to "...help organize
and
financially support a 'Healthcare is a Human right' Solidarity March and
Rally in Washington, DC."
Chris Teret, President of the Southern Council said: "The
Southern Maine
Labor Council realizes that the fundamental principle of labor is
solidarity-an injury to one is an injury to all. For that reason,
the
labor movement can't support any health care system except one that
includes everybody, no exceptions. We know the insurance companies
are
the problem and we're ready to see them gone.."
The Troy Area Labor Council initiated the campaign to get resolutions
urging support of HR 676 sent to the AFL-CIO Convention which meets in
Pittsburgh September 14-17. The sample resolution and information
on how
to submit a resolution are at: http://pefencon.info/HR676/Resolution.htm
Four California AFSCME Locals and
District Council Endorse HR 676
Four AFSCME locals and a Northern California based District Council have
endorsed HR 676, national single payer healthcare legislation introduced
by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
The four locals are AFSCME East Bay Regional Parks, Local 2428;
AFSCME
Local 2019; Pleasant City Employees' Association, AFSCME Local
955; and
AFSCME Local 444.
The Oakland-based AFSCME District Council 57 also endorsed the Conyers
bill. In a letter to Congressman Conyers informing him of their
endorsement, Nancy Swindell, Council President, and George Popyack,
Council Director, thanked Conyers for his "strong leadership on
this
important issue to our nation."
Seven More Reps Sign On to HR 676;
House Holds Single Payer Hearing
Since May 20 seven more US Representatives have signed on to HR 676,
national single payer health care sponsored by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI), bringing the total, including Conyers, to 83. The full
list is
here: http://unionsforsinglepayer.org/
Click on 111th Congress.
Congressman Conyers was able to get the first official single payer
congressional hearing in decades. It took place in a House
subcommittee
on June 10, 2009.
The witnesses included Congressman Conyers, Chair of the Judiciary
Committee and chief sponsor of HR 676; Marcia Angell MD, former
Editor of
the New England Journal of Medicine; Walter Tsou MD, National
Board
Advisor of PNHP; and Geri Jenkins, Co-President of the CNA/NNOC,
plus
David Gratzer of The Manhattan Institute who testified against single
payer.
Don't miss the questioning by Representatives Phil Hare and Dennis
Kucinich.
Conyers at 7:50
Jenkins at 22:37
Tsou at 29:15
Angell at 40:24
Hare at 1:11:16
Kucinich at 1:19:32
Congressman Conyers is requesting that there be single payer hearings in
every House committee with jurisdiction over health care prior to
deciding
on health care reform so that the most popular plan can be fully heard
and
considered.
You can call or fax Committee Chairmen Rangel and Waxman to urge them to
hold hearings on single payer health care. If your congressperson
is on
either committee, you can encourage him or her to speak to the Chairmen
in
favor of single payer hearings.
In preparation for the upcoming International Convention this July,
twelve
more IATSE local unions have endorsed HR 676, national single payer
health
care legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
Robert Score, Recording Corresponding Secretary of IATSE Local One in
New
York City, who is coordinating the effort to win his International
Union's
endorsement of HR 676, reports that these local unions have endorsed HR
676 and submitted their resolutions to the upcoming convention:
Local 3
(Pittsburgh), Local 5 (Cincinnati), Local 7 (Denver), Local 8
(Philadelphia), Local 16 (San Francisco), Local 18 (Milwaukee), Local 22
(Washington, DC), Local 33 (Los Angeles), Local 46 (Nashville), Local
127
(Dallas), Local 284 (Wilmington, DE), Local 417 (Raleigh).
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture
Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts, founded over a century ago,
represents over 110,000 members in the entertainment and related
industries.
Altoona, PA The Blair-Bedford Central Labor Council in Altoona, PA
has
endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). The Blair-Bedford Labor Council is the
128 central labor council to endorse HR 676.
Toledo, OH The Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), which began
organizing farm workers in the 1970's, and is the second largest farm
workers union organization in the U.S. has also endorsed the Conyers
legislation.
Valencia, CA UE Local 1004, which represents more than 500
ancillary
staff working in a community based non-profit hospital, has also
endorsed
HR 676 writing to Conyers that "We understand both as health
care
providers and as patients that NOW is the time for bold action.
Single
payer health care is both an economic and a moral necessity."
Single Payer Hearing in House, Wed.
June 10
The Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee of the House
Education & Labor Committee will hold a hearing titled
"Examining the
Single Payer Health Care Option" this Wednesday, June 10th at 10:30
am in
2175 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.
For those of you who would like to attend in person and can make the
trip
to Washington, D.C., hearings are open to the public. Just make
sure you
get there early, so you get a seat.
Contact C-SPAN and let them know you would like them to broadcast the
hearing.
C-SPAN's Main Number is: (202) 737-3220
Three Committees in the House have jurisdiction over healthcare (1)
Education & Labor (2) Energy & Commerce (3) Ways & Means.
Please call the chairmen of the Energy & Commerce and Ways &
Means
committees and tell them that:
"Because the majority of Americans, doctors, and nurses support a
single-payer healthcare system, we need a robust debate on
single-payer
healthcare--with single-payer advocates as witnesses. Please
follow Rep.
George Miller's lead and hold hearings on single-payer healthcare in
your
committee."
Call or fax the two Committee Chairmen and ask them to hold Single-Payer
hearings
Energy and Commerce Chairman Rep. Henry Waxman
Phone: 202-225-3976 - Fax: 202-225-4099 -
Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Charles Rangel
Phone: 202-225-4365 - Fax: 202-225-0816
Correction: The news release
of June 8, 2009, should have identified Tom
Szymanski as Organizer and Business Representative for IBEW Local 725 in
Terre Haute, Indiana. The Business Manager of the Local is R. Todd
Thacker. We apologize to both.
Montana Teachers' Union President Speaks Out for Single Payer
Protesters want Baucus to consider single-payer system
By JOHN S. ADAMS Tribune Capitol Bureau
HELENA-Undeterred by Sen. Max Baucus' steadfast refusal to inject
single-payer into the congressional debate on health care reform, more
than 100 proponents of a "Medicare-for-all" form of
nationalized health
insurance rallied for their cause on Friday.
Protesters in Helena, Great Falls, Missoula, Bozeman and Butte gathered
at
Baucus' local field offices and demanded that Montana's senior senator,
and chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, put single-payer
back on the table.
Eric Feaver, president of the state's largest labor union, MEA-MFT,
addressed the crowd at the amphitheater at the Great Northern Town
Center
and said he doesn't want to "trash" Baucus, but that Baucus is
on the
wrong path by ignoring single-payer.
"I think he has a very difficult job and he has 100 senators to
work with
that are not of one mind," Feaver said. "But I am here to
remind Sen.
Baucus that MEA-MFT does have 18,000 members who live and work
everywhere
in this state and they all vote. And they have supported single-payer
for
many years."
Though Baucus has been frigid to the idea of single-payer, he has said
he'd consider supporting a public option in which the federal government
would create an insurance plan that would compete with private insurance
plans. However, Baucus also has floated the idea of taxing
employer-provided health care benefits, a proposal MEA-MFT adamantly
opposes, Feaver said.
"The working men and women of this state support health care
reform, and
they want the most comprehensive health care reform possible,"
Feaver
said.
Kim Abbott, lead organizer for the Montana Human Rights Network's Right
to
Healthcare program, said affordable health care is not a privilege, but
a
human right.
"There is nothing more infuriating, or frustrating or sickening
than
knowing the answer but not having the political will to do the right
thing," Abbott said. "We all know the answer. What's the
answer?"
"Single payer!" the crowd responded.
Dr. Carol Paris, a Maryland psychiatrist who was twice arrested last
month
for protesting single-payer's exclusion from two Senate Finance
Committee
hearings, also appeared at Friday's rally.
Paris, who was introduced as a "hero" of the single-payer
movement for her
acts of civil disobedience, said single-payer advocates need to
"keep the
heat on Sen. Baucus."
"The next 60 days truly are critical," Paris said. "We
need to keep the
momentum going here and in Washington."
Paris said single-payer advocates have three demands of Baucus.
· That he and Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., hold Senate hearings on
the
merits of single-payer health care.
· That Baucus order the Congressional Budget Office to study the
costs of
implementing the Senate and House versions of single payer bills that
have
already been introduced.
· That Baucus arrange a meeting between President Barack Obama
and
single-payer experts.
After the rally protesters walked to Baucus' office around the corner. A
Baucus staffer handed protesters a sheet of paper with Baucus' position
on
single payer.
"For more than a year Sen. Baucus has been laying the ground work
to enact
comprehensive, meaningful health care reform," the letter said in
part. It
went on to say that Baucus and single-payer advocates "share the
same
goal."
"Both Senator Baucus and single payer advocates believe that every
Montanan should have quality, affordable health care," the letter
stated.
The two sides remain far from agreement on how to achieve that goal.
IBEW Business Manager, CNA Indiana
Organizer Speak at Rally for HR 676
Indianapolis, Indiana. Over 100 people rallied for HR 676
outside the
annual stockholders meeting of Wellpoint/Anthem on May 20, then marched
to
the offices of Indiana U.S. Senator Evan Bayh. The rally was
sponsored by
Hoosiers for a Commonsense Health Plan.
Speakers at the rally included Tom Szymanski, Organizer and Business
Manager for IBEW Local 725 in Terre Haute, and Gary Fritz, Indiana
Organizer for the California Nurses Association/NNOC. The Rally
was
chaired by Julia Vaughn from Indiana AFSCME.
The rally called for passage of HR 676, national single payer health
care,
ending for-profit insurance companies' participation in healthcare, and
for the resignation of Susan Bayh from the Board of Directors of
Wellpoint. Susan Bayh, wife of Senator Bayh, was paid almost
$300,000 as
a Wellpoint director last year.
We are grateful to Robert Pedersen for these videos.
Maine State AFL-CIO Urges National
to Endorse HR 676 at September Convention
Augusta, Maine. On Wednesday, May 20, 2009, the Maine State
AFL-CIO
reaffirmed its commitment to Universal Single Payer Health Care and
adopted a resolution to be presented at the National AFL-CIO convention
supporting HR 676, The United States National Health Care Act. The
AFL-CIO Convention will be held in Pittsburgh, September 14-17, 2009.
The Maine resolution calls upon the national AFL-CIO to push for real
health care reform and support HR 676. Don Berry, Vice President
of the
Maine State AFL-CIO, said: "This is an issue that we can't
afford to
ignore because it's not just a union issue; this is an issue that
affects
everyone."
Berry went on to say: "We need to relentlessly push for a
healthcare
system that will truly work for our members, the general public and all
working people and that is a national single payer system such as that
embodied in HR 676. With this resolution we are calling on the
institutions of the labor movement to act like a genuine rights based
social movement around the issue of health care - that means
articulating
and fighting for the rights that we truly want, organizing around a long
term strategy, and tirelessly educating and mobilizing our rank and file
membership to win those basic rights."
"If our only assessment was what kind of compromised legislation
might be
able to get through Congress in the immediate term, would the victories
of
the Civil Rights movement have ever occurred? How much longer
would women
have waited for the right to vote, how much longer would it have taken
to
eliminate slavery, how much longer would workers have had to wait for
the
8 hour day or the weekend? All of those things were won because
social
movements were built that demanded the basic rights they deserved and
nothing less. We ask no less from today's labor movement when it
comes to
the issue of healthcare," Vice President Berry concluded.
California AFSCME District Council
Urges Support for HR 676
The President of AFSCME District Council 36 in Southern California has
written to three Congressmen urging support for HR 676, single payer
healthcare legislation now in the House of Representatives.
Alice Goff, President of AFSCME District Council 36 in Los Angeles, sent
the letter to Representatives John Conyers, Xavier Becerra and Henry
Waxman. AFSCME District Council 36 represents 22,000 members
across
California.
Conyers is the author of HR 676. Becerra is one of 77 current
co-sponsors
in addition to Conyers. Waxman, who was a co-sponsor of HR 676 in
the
109th but not in the 111th Congress, chairs the Energy and Commerce
Committee, one of three House Committees with jurisdiction over
healthcare.
Text of letter follows:
May 11, 2009
Congressman John Conyers
2426 Rayburn
House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Re: Support for HR 676 (Conyers)
Dear Congressman Conyers:
I am writing to express our union's support for HR 676, the Unites
States
National Health Insurance Act, and to thank you for your leadership on
this important issue. As you know, HR 676 is the only proposal
before the
congress that will guarantee comprehensive health insurance to every
American and give them the ability to choose their own physician.
With
the serious economic crisis we face today, there has never been a more
timely initiative. This model will save billions of dollars in
national
health care spending and will save money for families, individuals,
businesses and local governments.
At the same time, HR 676 will respond to the needs of residents without
insurance and the growing number losing their employer-based health care
that are unable to maintain the coverage on their own even with COBRA.
Each year employers and working families find health insurance premiums
rising. The costs are often passed on to employees or benefits are
diminished. Overall, health care costs rise annually at more than
double
the rate of inflation. They have outpaced increases in wages by a
ratio
of 4:1 since 2000. The trajectory is unmistaken and is clearly
unsustainable.
While the United States spends almost twice as much for health care as
other industrial nations, exceeding 16% of our GDP, millions remain
without coverage and our health outcomes, according to the World Health
Organization, is ranked as 37th.
It is time to fundamentally change our broken health care system and
provide quality, comprehensive and guaranteed coverage for everyone.
HR
676 moves clearly and decisively toward that goal. And that's why
our
membership of over 22,000 in Southern California, District Council 36
and
our AFSCME Affiliates throughout the state supports HR 676.
Sincerely,
Alice Goff
President
Cc: Congressman Xavier Becerra
Congressman Henry Waxman
Council 36 Executive Board
Willie Pelote, AFSCME
California Political & Legislative Director
Kentucky AFL-CIO President and UAW
Local President Speak at Rally for
Single Payer
Louisville, Kentucky. Over 150 peopled rallied for single
payer health
care and HR 676 in front of Humana's headquarters in downtown Louisville
on Thursday, May 28th. The demonstration for single payer in
Louisville
is one of more than fifty taking place around the country May 27 to June
3rd.
Two of the speakers at the rally were Bill Londrigan, President of the
Kentucky AFL-CIO, and Rocky Comito, President of UAW Local 862 at Ford's
Louisville Assembly and Kentucky Truck Plants.
Washington, D.C. The American Federation of Government
Employees (AFGE)
National Capital Area Council 1 has endorsed HR 676, single payer health
care legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
The AFGE Capital Council represents thousands of federal employees in
the
metropolitan Washington, DC area. Thomas O. Murphy reports that at
Council 1's June 10th meeting a motion will be presented urging the
August
National Convention of AFGE to support HR 676.
Five percent of all federal employees, over 250,000, are unable to
afford
health insurance under the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan.
Union Retirees Persuade
Congresswoman to Co-Sponsor HR 676 (Plus More)
HR 676 now has 77 co-sponsors in addition to Congressman John Conyers.
Latest to add her name to the list of co-sponsors is California
Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (CA-16). Lofgren spoke May 16th at the
annual
Legislators BBQ sponsored by FORUM (Federation of Retired Union Members)
in San Jose.
In her talk on the current health care reform debate, Lofgren asked the
crowd, "How many support single payer?" Virtually
everyone raised their
hand. She then asked, "Who supports any of the alternative
health reform
plans?" No one raised a hand. Representative Lofgren
then announced,
"Okay, on Monday morning I'll call John Conyers and put my name on
his
bill." Congratulations to Fred Hirsch, Plumbers &
Steamfitters, Local
393, and the eighty other union retirees at the meeting.
DULUTH CLC CALLS FOR AFL-CIO CONVENTION ENDORSEMENT OF HR 676
The Duluth Minnesota LABOR WORLD, one of the oldest continuously
published
labor newspapers in the country, reports on the action taken by the
Duluth
Central Labor Council to ask the AFL-CIO Pittsburgh Convention in
September to endorse HR 676, single payer health care legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). The Troy Area Labor
Council initiated this effort in a letter sent to all 491 central labor
councils. The Troy Area Labor Council is also calling for the
AFL-CIO
Convention to initiate a march on Washington to make health care a human
right.
RAY KENNY'S HR 676 LETTER PUBLISHED IN IBEW'S, THE ELECTRICAL WORKER
Ray Kenny, a member of IBEW Local 48 in Portland, Oregon, was
instrumental
in getting his local union to endorse HR 676. His letter in
support of HR
676 appears in the May, 2009, issue of The Electrical Worker, official
journal of the IBEW International union.
California Nurses Association (CNA/NNOC) has made a video of the nurses'
and doctors' protest at the Senate Finance Committee
"roundtable" May 12th
where no single payer advocates were permitted to testify.
Bill Moyers' Journal
Friday evening, May 22, PBS
(check local listings)
Why single-payer health care isn't among the health-care reform plans
under consideration.
Guests include
Donna Smith (California Nurses Association),
Dr. Sidney Wolfe (Public Citizen)
Dr. David Himmelstein (Physicians for a National Health Program).
Labor Councils in Oregon and
California Endorse HR 676
Two more central labor councils have passed resolutions endorsing HR
676,
single payer healthcare legislation introduced by John Conyers (D-MI).
One hundred and twenty-seven central labor councils have now endorsed HR
676.
In Salem, Oregon, the Marion, Polk & Yamhill Counties Central Labor
Council endorsed
HR 676, reports Joe Munger, a member of the Council and President of USW
Local 8378.
In Orange, California, the Orange County AFL-CIO Central Labor Council
has
also endorsed HR 676, reports Marianne Monfils from the CSEA Orange
Field
office.
Montana AFL-CIO State Convention
Reaffirms Endorsement of HR 676
Helena, Montana. The 53rd Annual Montana AFL-CIO State Convention
reaffirmed its previous endorsement of HR 676, single payer health care
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). The
Montana
AFL-CIO endorsed HR 676 for the first time at its 2008 Convention.
This year's Convention resolution resolved "that the Montana State
AFL-CIO
reaffirms its endorsement of and commitment to a single payer universal
system of health care such as HR 676" and further resolved
"that until
such a time as there is a single payer universal system of health care
in
our nation, the Montana State AFL-CIO adamantly opposes federal and/or
state taxation of union bargained, employer provided health care
benefits."
The Convention directed that Jim McGarvey, Executive Secretary of the
Montana AFL-CIO, deliver copies of the resolution to the media and to
the
state's congressional delegation including Montana Senator Max Baucus
who
spoke to the convention on May 2nd.
Baucus is a leading proponent in Congress of taxing health care
benefits.
Baucus is Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee where 13 people were
recently arrested for protesting the exclusion of supporters of single
payer from two Committee Round Tables on May 5th and 12th.
Senator Baucus raised the idea of taxing health benefits at the May 12th
Senate Finance Committee Round Table. In response, Gerald Shea,
Assistant
for Government Affairs to AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, deemed Baucus'
proposal to tax health benefits a "radical change" and said,
"If we're
going to do a radical change, I think that single payer is really the
way
to go."
While Senator Baucus continues to say, without offering any evidence
whatsoever, that single payer is "(not) going to work in this
country,"
two more U.S. Senators announced that a single payer system is best for
America.
Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown told an April 17th Cleveland Heights rally
that
"I would love to see a single payer system," and New York
Senator Chuck
Schumer, a member of the Finance Committee, is quoted in The Albany
Times-Union as saying: "I believe that a single-payer system
would be the
best way to ensure that all Americans have access to health care."
Despite acknowledging that a single payer health care system would be
the
best way to solve the health care crisis, neither senator is supporting
it.
Steelworkers District 2 Endorses HR
676
Menasha, Wisconsin. The United Steelworkers District 2 Council has
endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
One of thirteen districts in the USW, District 2 represents 75,000 union
members in Michigan and Wisconsin.
A copy of the adopted resolution has been posted on the district's
website
at:
Terre Haute, Indiana. IBEW Local 725 has endorsed HR 676,
single payer
healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
Local 725 is a construction local with jurisdiction in nine Indiana and
six Illinois counties.
R. Todd Thacker, Local 725 Business Manager, said: "Health
care coverage
continues to be a critical issue, either in finding coverage or dealing
with ever increasing costs. Health care needs to be addressed to
help the
millions of American families who are uninsured and underinsured.
The
best way to solve the problem is to pass singe-payer health care
coverage
that would finally put us on the same level playing field with the rest
of
the world's industrialized countries."
Tom Szymanski, Organizer and Business Representative for the local, said
in a press release: "Health care coverage and cost increases
are always a
fight at negotiations. Health care needs to be addressed as a
Human
Right, not as a privileged right, and must have the profit-motive
removed
to be effective in providing coverage for all American families."
IAM Local Writes President Obama,
Urges Support of HR 676
Burlingame, California. The President and Vice President of
IAMAW Air
Transport Employees Local Lodge 1781 have written President Obama on
behalf of their members urging him to give "serious attention"
to HR 676,
single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers
(D-MI).
In their letter to President Obama, Larry Wing and Troy Rivera,
President
and Vice President of Local 1781 said: "More and more health
cost
premiums and deductibles have been shifted to our active and retired
members during the last several national negotiations with airlines.
It
is a dangerous trend which begs for a national solution."
"We continually hear member complaints about the roles of our
private
insurers who are supposed to protect us in time of need. In this,
we are
not unlike millions of other Americans who share our grief," the
letter
continued.
"We fully support our great International Union, IAMAW, its
President Tom
Buffenbarger, and the hundreds of other Labor Unions who have endorsed
Rep. John Conyers' HR-676. It is our view that HR-676 would
provide
affordable universal health care for many of our seniors," the
letter
concluded.
Air Transport Employees Local Lodge 1781 is one of the ten largest
locals
in the IAM. Based near San Francisco, it represents ground personnel at
United, Northwest, US Airways, British Airways, Philippine Airlines and
Alaska Airlines.
NY Labor Council Urges AFL-CIO
Convention to Endorse HR 676
The Troy Area Labor Council has submitted a resolution to the AFL-CIO
September Convention, calling for the AFL-CIO to endorse HR 676 and to
lobby against ". any fallback program of mandated insurance or
public
option plans which include the wasteful, for-profit insurance
industry."
The Troy Council's resolution also asks that "the AFL-CIO
help organize
and financially support a 'Healthcare is a Human Right' Solidarity March
and Rally in Washington, DC."
The upstate New York labor council has sent copies of its resolution to
all 491 Central labor Councils and Area labor federations requesting
".
that your Labor Council join with us in submitting this or a similar
resolution to this year's AFL-CIO Convention."
In the letter, sent to all 491Labor Councils, Mike Keenan, President of
the Troy Council, said: "While the discussion of health care reform
goes
on in the White House and in the Congress, unfortunately, what we are
hearing from the media are mostly the voices of the insurance industry
and
pharmaceutical lobbies; and misguided politicians who think that the
healthcare crisis can be solved by either taxing healthcare benefits or
mandating that we purchase health insurance."
The AFL-CIO Convention will meet September 14-17th in Pittsburgh, PA.
Labor Councils are entitled to vote in the convention. One
hundred and
twenty-seven Labor Councils have endorsed HR 676, single payer
healthcare
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) and 75
co-sponsors.
Two Washington state postal worker union organizations have endorsed HR
676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers (D-MI).
In Richland, Washington, the annual convention of the state organization
of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) endorsed HR 676. The
Washington State APWU convention is the second APWU State organization
to
endorse HR 676.
In Seattle, the Greater Seattle Area Local of the APWU has also endorsed
the Conyers legislation and forwarded its resolution to the Martin
Luther
King County Labor Council with a request to recommend endorsement of HR
676 to the National AFL-CIO.
David Yao, Vice President of the Greater Seattle Area Local APWU, was
instrumental in presenting both resolutions. The Greater Seattle
Area
APWU represents 1,450 postal clerks, truck drivers, vehicle mechanics
and
maintenance employees of the Postal Service.
State Legislators Launch Effort to
Push HR 676
A group of state legislators has initiated a nationwide effort to
publish
an Appeal to President Obama and members of the 111th Congress to
support
HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced in Congress by
Representative John Conyers, Jr. and 75 co-sponsors.
Twenty four state legislators, from 16 states, have sent a copy of the
Appeal to all 7,500 state legislators in the United States asking them
to
add their names to The Appeal which will be published in Roll Call, a
widely read Capitol Hill publication.
The legislators, in their letter, cite the growing "economic
crisis" and
"badly strained" state budgets as the reason why they are
asking "The U.S.
Congress . to heal our hemorrhaging state budgets while bringing
comprehensive quality health care to all our people, by passing HR
676.."
Co-conveners of the campaign are State Senator Jim Ferlo of Pittsburgh
and
Assemblyman Richard Gottfried of New York. Senators and
representatives
from Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Texas, Virginia and
Wisconsin also signed the letter.
Kay Tillow, Coordinator of the All Unions Committee for Single Payer
Health Care-HR 676, welcomed the effort by these state legislators and
urged everyone to contact their own state senator and representative and
ask them to sign the Appeal.
"State legislators," Tillow said, "are caught in a vice
of escalating
healthcare costs, driven largely by the for-profit insurance industry
and
declining revenues. Without a national single payer system, state
budgets
will continue in crisis and health needs will not be met."
By Andy Coates, MD
Steward in the Public Employees Federation (PEF), AFL-CIO,
A statewide New York union affiliated with AFT and SEIU
In an attempt to find out what union members think about the health care
crisis and its solution, the AFL-CIO recently asked union members and
supporters to complete a health care survey.
The problem with the survey is that it does not present the full range
of
opinions union members have, and nowhere in the survey is single payer,
or
Medicare for All, or HR 676 even mentioned as an option.
Question #21 in the survey offers only variations on keeping for-profit
insurance companies in the center of health care. There is no
choice to
go to a single payer, publicly funded system that covers all medically
necessary care as in HR 676.
Everyone knows that single payer is supported by many within labor.
Over
500 union organizations, including 39 state AFL-CIO's and 126 Central
Labor Councils, have endorsed HR 676 which is co-sponsored by 76 members
in the House of Representatives. Recently, Vermont Senator Bernie
Sanders, a friend of labor, introduced SB 703, a single payer bill, in
the
Senate.
Since a large section of unions and union members supports a single
payer
solution to the health care crisis, it is unfair to construct a survey
that completely ignores opinions from single payer advocates.
The AFL-CIO has a crucial role to play in the health care debate now
unfolding. It is important that those who speak for labor in this
debate
are able to reflect the vital and growing single payer sentiment within
our union movement.
We encourage you to write President Sweeney, jsweeney@aflcio.org,
and urge
him to include the single payer choice in the survey seeking the views
of
union members on health care. You could also fax President Sweeney
at:
(202) 508-6946.
IATSE Locals in St. Louis, Boston
& Sacramento Endorse HR 676
Three more IATSE local unions have endorsed HR 676, single payer health
care legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
Stage Hands Local 6 in St. Louis, Stage Hands Local 11 in Boston and
Local
50 in Sacramento all endorsed HR 676, reports Robert Score of IATSE
Local
1 in New York City.
Score is an outspoken advocate for HR 676 and is leading an effort to
have
the IATSE international union endorse the Conyers bill at the union's
convention this July.
Portland IBEW Local Endorses HR 676
Portland, Oregon. The 4,000 member IBEW Local 48 has voted
to endorse HR
676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers (D-MI).
Dana Welty, Oregon Nurses Association, and Tom Leedham, IBT Local 206,
made a joint presentation on HR 676 to the February membership meeting
but
the endorsement of HR 676 was tabled until the next meeting so that
members could familiarize themselves more on the issue, reports Ray
Kenny,
a member of IBEW Local 48.
Kenny led a group of activists in the local who then worked the phones,
leafleted the bigger job sites and distributed single payer buttons.
Their
work paid off with the overwhelming endorsement of HR 676 at the
following
membership meeting.
Kenny said: "Our members were outraged that Senator Wyden's plan
would not
only keep insurance companies in the mix, but would actually tax the
value
of the negotiated coverage we have now."
USW and CWA Locals Endorse HR 676
Two more local unions in Oregon have endorsed HR 676, single payer
healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In McMinnville, Steelworkers Local 8378 endorsed HR 676 and submitted
its
resolution to the Marion, Polk and Yamhill Counties Central Labor
Council
for consideration, reports Joseph Munger, President of the USW Local.
In Portland, Communications Workers of America Local 7901 also endorsed
the Conyers bill. Mark Sturbois, a member of the 1,000 member CWA
local
as well as the Health Care Committee of Portland JwJ, reports that the
endorsement resolution was passed out of the Local's Executive Board
with
a recommendation to endorse. Sturbois stated that the resolution
for HR
676 was "well received as the best avenue for controlling costs and
providing universal coverage. We voted last year to endorse the
resolution at the AFL-CIO convention in Oregon and thought it was
important to back that up with our own endorsement," Sturbois said.
Massachusetts NEA Local Endorses HR
676
The Board of Directors of the Somerville Teachers Association (STA) has
voted to endorse HR 676, single payer health care legislation introduced
by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
The Somerville Teachers Association, an affiliate of the Massachusetts
Teachers Association and the National Education Association (NEA), voted
at its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 7th. The
STA has over
700 members who work as teachers, paraprofessionals and adult educators.
"Health care reform is finally on the national agenda," said
Linda
Vitiello, President of the Somerville Teachers Association.
"We are
excited to be part of a national grassroots movement for Medicare for
All
and HR 676 -- and to join with so many other labor organizations that
support it."
"Winning reforms that will work for everyone should be the
government's
highest priority," Vitiello added. "For over 40 years
Medicare has proven
its effectiveness with seniors and the disabled. Improving and
expanding
it to cover everyone is the most common sense solution to the health
care
crisis."
Both Houses of the Maine state
legislature, on roll call votes, have
endorsed a single payer healthcare system and HR 676.
Separately, a just released poll conducted by the Maine Medical Society,
shows that a majority of the state's physicians support a single payer
healthcare system.
The HR 676 resolution and vote in Maine, follows a similar roll call
vote
by the New Hampshire House. The New Hampshire House voted 192-150
on
March 24th In favor of Resolution HCR2 which endorses HR 676 and a
single
payer health care system.
Below is the Associated Press story that ran in many Maine newspapers
which also cites the recent poll conducted by the Maine Medical Society.
Submitted By The Associated Press
on Wednesday, Apr. 8 at 3:13 pm
AUGUSTA - Maine lawmakers have passed a resolution
calling on President
Obama and Congress to establish a single-payer health system that covers
everyone.
The Senate passed the nonbinding resolution by a 20-15 vote on
Wednesday,
a day after the House did the same by a 91-52 vote.
The resolution cites the high costs of the present system and says
managed
care, health maintenance organizations and other reforms have failed to
contain health costs.
The resolution was passed months after a poll of nearly 600 Maine
physicians showed a majority in favor of a single payer or
"Medicare for
all" approach. The survey, conducted in November and December,
showed 52
percent in favor and 48 percent against.
Two California Labor Councils
Endorse HR 676
Two more California Labor Councils have endorsed HR 676, single payer
health care legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
One hundred and twenty-five labor councils and/or area labor federations
have now endorsed the Conyers legislation. More than fifty per
cent of
the labor councils in California have endorsed HR 676.
In Merced, California, the Merced-Mariposa Central Labor Council
endorsed
HR 676, reports Council President John Stewart. Stewart said:
"Our
Council is supporting HR 676 because we believe this . will create
jobs.."
Stewart continued, "We believe this is morally right and
that this bill
will make huge strides in our ongoing fight for social and economic
justice."
In Fresno, the Central Labor Council of Fresno, Madera, Tulare &
King
Counties has also endorsed HR 676, reports Randy Ghan, Council Executive
Secretary Treasurer.
Oregon Laborers Union Endorses HR
676
Portland, OR Laborers Local 483 (LIUNA) has endorsed HR 676,
single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI). The local represents 900 City of Portland workers in the
Maintenance, Parks and Environmental Services Bureau.
Wesley Buchholz, Director of Political Action for the local who made the
presentation to the membership meeting, said: "Like the rest
of the
nation we are in dire economic times and facing layoffs. Relief
must come
for all working people. HR 676 is the most sensible way to provide
massive aid both economic and physical. Our members want to add
their
voices to the demand for social and economic justice and join this
groundswell movement attempting to amend the tyrannical system that
values
profits before people."
Central Kentucky Building &
Construction Trades Council Endorsed HR 676
Lexington, Kentucky. The Central Kentucky Building &
Construction Trades
Council has endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), reports Council President
Robert Akin.
The endorsement resolution said in part: "The cost of
healthcare
continues to spiral out of control with no end in sight damaging
families'
economic stability and adding tremendous burdens on the U.S. to compete
in
the world economically. As long as health care is treated as a for
profit
commodity this will never end."
"We hereby resolve that the Central Kentucky Building &
Construction
Trades Council endorses HR 676 which will provide for a single payer
universal health care system to cover all of the citizens of the U.S,"
the
resolution continued. "We encourage all elected officials
from local,
state and national governments to support this common sense, equal to
all,
and just effort to solve one of the greatest problems that the U.S.A.
faces at this time," the resolution concluded.
Texas IAM Local is 500th Union to
Endorse HR 676
Houston, Texas. IAMAW Local Lodge 2339H in Houston,
representing 5,000
flight attendants at Continental and Express Jet Airlines, is the 500th
union organization to endorse HR 676, single payer healthcare
legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
Christine Diaz, the Local's Legislative Committee Chairperson, said:
"It
was important for our local to stand in solidarity with the hundreds of
other labor organizations who have already endorsed HR 676. We are
going
to win this fight at the grass roots level, and it is going to take
educating not only our members, but the general public, on the truth
about
single payer health care."
Rosalie Canton, President of Local Lodge 2339H, said: "When
our
membership has to stop work for whatever reason, it is not uncommon to
hear, 'Well, I will just have to risk not having health insurance for
three months. I cannot afford to pay for COBRA.' The system
must change
so that your health insurance is not tied to your employer. It
just
doesn't work anymore."
The Legislative Committee has met with Rep. Gene Green but has not yet
secured his agreement to sign on as a co-sponsor of HR 676.
Three IATSE Locals in Arizona and
New York Endorse HR 676
Three local unions affiliated with the International Alliance of
Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), AFL-CIO, have endorsed HR 676,
single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI).
In Phoenix, Bill Hennessy, Business Representative for IATSE Local 336,
reports that the local is "sending a letter endorsing this bill (HR
676)
to our senators and congressmen."
In New York City, Valerie Gladstone , President of IATSE Local
798,
Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists, and Daniel Dashman, Business
Agent,
report that on March 9th the membership ".unanimously voted
to endorse HR
676." and by doing so, the letter continued, "Local 798 is
honored to join
the hundreds of labor organizations and other groups who have already
endorsed this bill. Local 798 by this action also joins those
groups and
organizations in their dedication to the principle that this great
nation
should have the finest affordable healthcare for all of its
residents."
Also in New York, IATSE Local 18032, Association of Theatrical Press
Agents & Managers, has also endorsed HR 676. Nick Kaledin,
ATPAM
Secretary-Treasurer said: "The Board of Governors fully
supports the
campaign to pass HR 676.and sent an e-blast to the membership asking
them
to write their representatives."
Two California Labor Councils
Endorse HR 676
Two more central labor councils in California have endorsed HR 676,
single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI).
One hundred and twenty-three labor councils and Area Labor Federations
have now endorsed the single payer legislation.
Rose Roach, from the California School Employees Association (CSEA), was
instrumental in getting the endorsement of HR 676 from the San Joaquin
and
Calaveras Counties Central Labor Council in Stockton and the Stanislaus
and Tuolumne Counties Central Labor Council in Modesto.
Two UFCW Locals Voice Support for
HR 676
Two United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) local unions have joined
the
growing list of labor organizations voicing support for HR 676, single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI).
In South St. Paul, Minnesota, the Executive Board of UFCW Local 789
overwhelmingly endorsed HR 676 on March 10. The 7,000 member local
represents workers in retail, grocery, long term care and meat packing.
Bernie Hesse, Local 789 Director of Special Projects, spoke of the
endorsement: "Healthcare is a right not a privilege, and
Medicare for all
is the right direction for us to follow. We call upon elected
officials
to move legislation which will benefit all workers and strengthen our
economy. We stand ready to educate, agitate, and build power to
pass
healthcare for all."
In Tigard, Oregon, the Active Ballot Club (ABC) of UFCW Local 555 voted
to
recommend to the UFCW International Union that it endorse HR 676.
The
Active Ballot Club is the political arm of the 18,000 member UFCW Local.
In a letter to UFCW International President Joseph Hansen, UFCW Local
555
President Dan Clay wrote: "We would like to take this
opportunity to
encourage you to review, and if possible, to endorse HR 676 on a
national
level." The letter continued: "Health care, as you
are well aware, is on
the verge of bankrupting this country. In its current form, if
allowed to
continue, it will decimate people's lives and make annual budgets a
nightmare for anyone to allocate for." In concluding his
letter asking
for the International Union to endorse HR 676, President Clay said that
HR
676 ".will also provide the best benefit to a system that is
exhausted and
on the verge of collapse."
Alabama Labor Council and Kentucky
CWA Local Endorse HR 676
Mobile, Alabama. The Southwest Alabama Labor Council has endorsed
HR 676,
single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers
(D-MI).
The Alabama Labor Council is the one hundred-and-twenty-first labor
council to endorse the Conyers legislation. The resolution was
forwarded
to the members of congress who represent Mobile and surrounding areas.
In Lexington, Kentucky, CWA Local 3372 has also endorsed the Conyers
legislation, reports Local President Joseph McCarty. The
resolution was
sent to Representative Ben Chandler.
Congratulations
to the Vermont AFL-CIO for calling this demonstration in Burlington
in support of single payer healthcare on Tuesday, March 17th.
We
urge all who can to join them. See notice below. After
this notice was issued, the rally time was moved up to 11:00 am.
Now
is the time to begin thinking about a labor-led 'Solidarity Day'
rally in Washington,
DC,
for
Single Payer healthcare.
March 10 Action for HR 676;
March 12 in Dearborn; March 17 in Burlington
Billy Tauzin, CEO of PhRma, Karen Ignagni of America's Health Insurance
Plans, Bill Novelli of AARP, and dozens of other corporate heads of
profit-making health care industries were present at the White House
Summit while single payer advocates struggled to get in. Phone
call
campaigns and demonstrations make a difference. We will have to
escalate
our activities to get the single payer solution fully into the national
debate with equal respect and time in all the meetings and congressional
hearings.
On March 10, we will join a whirlwind action day in support of HR 676
with
regional actions to follow on March 12 and March 17.
Call your congressperson on Tuesday, March 10, to urge that he or she
sign
on to HR 676, national single payer health care. This is the bill
that
ends the waste and greed and brings care to everyone.
Please take a moment to call the US Capitol switchboard: (202) 224
3121.
Then ask for your representative.
To see if your representative is among the 64 co-sponsors, go here:
unionsforsinglepayer.org, then click on "111th Congress."
If your congressperson is already a co-sponsor, express your thanks and
encourage him or her to speak up boldly for HR 676 and to become active
in
the HR 676 Caucus.
With a zip code, you can look up anyone's representative here:
votesmart.org.
We also urge you to contact the new Health and Human Services
Secretary-designate, Kathleen Sebelius, toll free at 1-877-696-6775, to
let her know you support HR 676, single-payer national health care.
In addition, you are invited to join in the campaign to fax your health
insurance bills and denial letters to Congress. For fax
covers and
further information on the fax campaign, go here:
healthcare-now.org/campaigns/call/
TUESDAY, MARCH 10, PROTEST IN WASHINGTON, DC:
If you are near Washington, DC, March 10th is your opportunity to put
your
feet in the street! The America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) is
hosting a conference. AHIP is the trade group that develops the
policies
that keep profit first while leaving over a third of the population
uninsured or with completely inadequate coverage. Join with HR 676
advocates for a demonstration outside of the conference:
11 a.m. Tuesday, March 10th
Ritz Carlton Hotel, 1160 22nd St. NW
Washington, D.C.
THURSDAY, MARCH 12, PROTEST IN DEARBORN,
MICHIGAN
At the White House Summit on Health Care Reform, President Obama
announced
that the next step would be regional meetings in keeping with the
commitment to "a transparent, accountable government."
The first
conference will be held in Dearborn.
Thursday, March 12, 1:00 PM
Ford Conference Center, 1151 Village Rd.
Dearborn, Michigan
Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP) and HR 676 unionists and
activists in the region have called a Press Conference and protest
outside
the Ford Conference Center at 1:00 pm. Johnathon Ross, MD, past
president
of PNHP will lead the press conference. Everyone urged to be there
to
show support for single payer. For further info: Bob Sisler:
(313) 824
0952
or Al Cholger acholger@comcast.net
TUESDAY, MARCH 17, ACTION IN BURLINGTON,
VERMONT
Another of 5 regional summit meetings on healthcare reform announced by
the White House is scheduled for:
12 Noon
University of Vermont
Davis Center, 590 Main St.
Burlington, Vermont.
To insist on full single payer inclusion in the entire reform process,
Deb
Richter, MD, former president of PNHP, will lead a peaceful action in
front of the Davis Center. Professionals are urged to bring their
white
coats and stethoscopes. Everyone come to show support!
Further info:
Deb Richter, vthca@sover.net,
Call 802-371-7764
Oregon Plumbers Local Endorses HR
676
Portland, Oregon. Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 290 has
endorsed HR
676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers (D-MI). The 4,000 member local has jurisdiction in
Northern
California, Southwest Washington and Oregon.
Eric Fanning, who introduced the endorsement resolution, said after it
passed: "The membership of United Association Local 290,
Plumbers and
Steamfitters, is fully aware of the crisis in health care where profits
trump patient care. The Massachusetts plan has proven to be a
failure.
Senator Ron Wyden's proposed plan would tax our health and welfare
contributions, and this does not benefit organized labor. Health
Care for
America Now (HCAN) would create a two-tiered health care system.
HR 676,
we believe, is the best solution to our health care crisis."
Victories are Good,
Congratulations!
The White House has reversed itself and extended invitations for two
single payer supporters to attend Thursday's Healthcare Summit.
Congressman John Conyers, author of HR 676 single payer legislation in
the
House, and Dr. Oliver Fine, who currently heads Physicians for a
National
Health Program (PNHP), received invitations on Wednesday.
Single payer advocates should take heart and great pride in their role
in
reversing what had been a refusal to invite any single payer advocates
to
the Summit. The White House was inundated with phone calls, faxes and
emails all urging that the invitations be extended.
A great big thank you is extended to all those who posted, distributed
and
otherwise spread the word and, to many, many more who actually took the
time to contact the White House to object to the exclusion of single
payer
advocates.
This small victory should give us all hope. It should also send
word to
any and all who seek to keep single payer "off the table" that
single
payer advocates must be heard in all the committees and subcommittees of
the House and Senate which will be considering healthcare reform
legislation.
Call The White House: Let
Single Payer In
On Thursday, March 5, 2009, the White House will host a summit on how to
reform the healthcare system.
The 120 invited guests include lobbyists for various interest groups
including the private-for-profit insurance industry (AHIP), some members
of Congress including Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus who has already
ruled single payer "off the table," and various others
concerned with
healthcare.
No single payer advocates have been invited to attend.
Please urge President Obama to fulfill his promise for transparency and
openness in government
Call The White House (202) 456-1414 or (202) 456-1111.
Tell them to let single payer into the White House Summit on healthcare.
Sen. Baucus: We Need Accurate
Numbers not "Creative" Figuring
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), who ruled single
payer "off the table" before he even started considering
healthcare
reform, is now trying to pressure the Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
to
judge the Baucus health plan financially sound.
Baucus held a Finance Committee hearing last Wednesday (2/25/09) at
which
the sole witness was CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf.
According to CongressDaily (2/25), Baucus, other lawmakers, and
"some
special interest groups have not been particularly pleased with what
they
view as CBO's conservative scoring of some supposed cost-cutting efforts
that are needed to help offset the enormous price tag" of
overhauling the
health care system under the Baucus plan.
Baucus said if healthcare reform is to pass, the CBO needs to "get
ever
more creative to find . pathways to get the savings that we have to
have."
(Edney, CongressDaily, 2/25)
Baucus told the head of CBO at last Wednesday's hearing that the
Congressional Budget Office will play a significant role in efforts to
overhaul the U.S. health care system because the agency's cost
assessments
will "make or break this enterprise," CQ HealthBeat.
Experienced
observers assert that this is Baucus' way of pressuring the agency to
come
up with figures to justify the kind of healthcare reform Baucus wants.
Similar pressure in the extreme was placed upon the CBO in the early
1990's when the Clinton health plan was being debated.
The CBO is responsible for "scoring" any legislative proposal
for its true
costs and savings. CBO has been recognized for the accuracy of its
findings and projections and for its non-partisanship. In fact, a
1991
CBO study found that a single payer system in the US could cover all the
uninsured at the (then) current level of spending or less because of
reduction in administrative costs. http://www.pnhp.org/facts/single_payer_system_cost.php?page=all
Many recently proposed healthcare plans, similar to the one Baucus says
he
is drafting, keep private-for-profit health insurance companies in the
mix
and are based on claiming hugh savings from such things as the
introduction of computerized record keeping. These so called
"savings"
are then touted as the way the proposed plan can be "paid
for".
The CBO has issued a series of recent studies which have found that most
savings claimed, in the effort to keep private-for-profit insurance
companies in the mix, do not exist. Recent CBO studies of disease
management, "medical homes," electronic medical records,
comparative
effectiveness research, a public plan that competes with the private
insurers and others, do not save money as claimed.
Call, write or fax Senator Baucus and tell him we need accurate numbers
not creative figuring. Single payer should be on the table and
should be
given a full and fair hearing by the Senate Finance Committee.
Senator Max Baucus
511 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2651(Office)
(202) 224-9412 (Fax)
Springfield Missouri Labor Council
Endorses HR 676
Springfield, Missouri. The Greater Springfield Area Central
Labor
Council has endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
The Springfield Council is the 120th central labor council to endorse HR
676.
The Council's resolution stated, "Administrative waste stemming
from our
reliance on private insurers consumes one-third of health
spending," and
Bradley Stokes, Council President, added, "We recognize everyone in
America deserves access to affordable quality health care and strongly
feel HR 676 can provide this."
The Greater Springfield Area Council represents 10,000 working men and
women in Southwest Missouri. Stokes is the Business
Manager/Financial
Secretary of IBEW Local 753.
Seattle City Council Endorses HR
676
The Seattle City Council has joined the growing nationwide movement of
cities, counties, and state legislatures to urge Congress to pass HR
676,
national single payer healthcare, introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI).
The cities, counties, and states endorsing HR 676 (including Tuskeegee,
AL; Warren County, TN; Lorain, OH; Erie, PA;
Indianapolis, IN; and
the Kentucky House of Representatives) are listed at http://unionsforsinglepayer.org/more
Many of the resolutions passed are available at that website. We
urge
everyone to take similar action in your city, county or state.
This is a
good way to build the support for HR 676. Our unions can lead the
way to
make HR 676 politically possible!
The news release below was issued by Seattle Councilmember Nick Licata
who
authored the resolution.
THE TIME FOR REAL HEALTH CARE REFORM IS NOW
On Tuesday, February 17 the Seattle City Council affirmed their
unanimous
support for universal access to quality health care. In doing so,
Seattle
joined 24 other cities and counties and 18 states passing similar
resolutions. I authored and sponsored this resolution upon the
request of the Washington chapter of Physicians for a National Health
Plan
(PNHP).
Resolution 31111 urges the U.S. Congress to enact legislation to
establish
and implement this right by adopting HR 676, the U.S. National Health
Insurance Act, proposed by Representative John Conyers or HR 1200, the
American Health Security Act, proposed by Representative Jim
McDermott. Both bills are the "single-payer" model, which
would guarantee
everyone access to all medically necessary care, including prescription
drugs, with no co-pays or deductibles. Only the single-payer model
contains costs by eliminating the administrative waste and bureaucracy
associated with the private insurance industry, and it would assure
patients their personal choice of doctor and hospital. The resolution
also
requests our Washington State Congressional delegation to support these
bills.
Other city councils calling for the bill's passage include those in
Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, San Francisco and Louisville, Ky.
The
U.S. Conference of Mayors at its June meeting in Miami passed a similar
resolution. Local government is closer to the people and their
health care struggles than most elected officials. We see the real
impacts
of our communities and constituents suffering. Additionally, the costs
to
the City of Seattle of providing health-care benefits to its employees
have risen while City revenue has not kept pace. Here are some
sobering facts:
An estimated 160,000, 15.6% of King County residents less than 65 years
of
age, do not have health insurance.
The number of uninsured children in Washington State has reached the
highest level in more than a decade; 3% of children in King County are
uninsured
Seattle's community health clinics provide treatment for individuals
regardless of their ability to pay and approximately 60% of their new
patients are uninsured costing King County $139,821,202 in 2006.
A recent letter from PNHP to the previous Secretary-designate Tom
Daschle,
Health and Human Services says: Candidly, we are alarmed by some
comments
by members of the Senate and by the Obama transition team that suggest
that the single-payer option is being excluded from
consideration - is 'off the table' - in the health reform
debate.other proposals "share the fatal flaw of preserving a
central role
for the investor-owned health insurance industry in a private-public
financing mix. This approach simply won't work, as
numerous state-based experiments patterned after this model have shown.
These plans always fail because they are unable to control costs."
Subsidizing COBRA Is Not Enough--We
Need Single Payer
Andrew Coates MD
COBRA is a law that allows you to keep your employer-sponsored health
insurance for 18 months if you lose or change jobs. To do so, you have
to
pay 102% of the cost (the full premium plus a 2% surcharge).
The stimulus package just passed provides for laid off workers, who had
health insurance on the job, to receive a subsidy of 65% of the health
insurance premium for up to nine months.
According to a report by FamiliesUSA, the national average unemployment
benefit is $1,278 monthly. Under COBRA, national family coverage
averages
$1,069 per month. So laid off workers, in order to keep health
insurance
for their families, will have to pay more than $375 a month but after
nine
months will have to come up with the full $1,069.
To keep family coverage under COBRA, with the subsidy, it will cost
people
who are laid off, on average, almost one-third of every unemployment
check. This money will go to a health insurance company, instead
of food,
housing and school expenses for the family.
A recent study by the Commonwealth Fund reported that only 9% of
unemployed workers continued health insurance under COBRA. The 65%
subsidy should allow some to consider keeping health insurance under
COBRA, where before it would have been just unthinkable. This can
help
those with chronic illnesses, or those with very sick family members, or
where a spouse continues working.
But while the subsidy makes private health insurance through COBRA
slightly more affordable for the unemployed, purchasing it remains a
Faustian bargain. What "stimulus" is there in asking a
person who has
just lost their job to give almost a third of each unemployment check to
the private insurance industry? And what will they do after nine
months
have come and gone?
Despite the good intentions in Congress and the White House, subsidized
COBRA payments are not feasible for the unemployed -- and terrible
policy
for the nation. There is no reason why Congress should shovel our
money
into an industry that pits its profits against our health, with a
program
that holds almost one-third of our limited unemployment check hostage
and
only lasts nine months.
If the leaders of this nation wanted to provide health security for all
they would enact a single-payer mechanism to finance health care.
Single payer would mean that no one would ever be without health care.
Not first time job seekers, not workers changing jobs, not laid off or
striking workers. Everyone would be covered.
A single payer health program would save at least $400 billion in health
spending per year, and create millions of new jobs. It would mean
enormous savings for employers (including federal, state and local
governments as well as schools and not-for-profit agencies) who now pay
private health insurance premiums, and allow unions to get back to
bargaining for wages and working conditions instead fighting over
reduced
benefit levels, bigger premiums, more co-pays and deductibles.
Everyone
would be relieved from the worry about health coverage that now comes
with
the loss of a job.
Now that would be a stimulus! We really need single payer national
health
care.
Andrew Coates MD works on the staff of a state hospital near Albany, NY
He is a member of the Professional Employees Federation (PEF) a joint
statewide affiliate of AFT and SEIU.
Oregon Carpenters' Local Endorses
HR 676
Portland, Oregon. Carpenters' Local 247 has endorsed HR 676,
single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI).
An informal group of union members from different crafts, calling
themselves Cross Trade Solidarity, has organized to push for
endorsements
of the Conyers legislation in Portland area locals.
Latino Caucus, California CLC, OPEIU
Local All Endorse HR 676
HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation, introduced by Congressman
John Conyers (D-MI), has picked up three more labor endorsements.
Delegates to the 19th Annual Latino Caucus of the Amalgamated Transit
Union (ATU), meeting in Allentown, Pennsylvania at the end of September,
endorsed HR 676, reports Jose G. Guerrero.
In California, the Napa/Solano Central Labor Council has also endorsed
the
Conyers legislation, reports Jon Riley, Council President. The
Napa/Solano CLC is the 117th central labor council to endorse HR 676.
In New York City, Local 153 of the Office & Professional Employees
International Union (OPEIU) also endorsed HR 676 after hearing a talk by
Paula Friedman, chair of the Retirees' Committee of the Bergen County
(NJ)
Central Trades & Labor Council. The local represents workers
in the
tri-state area.
Teachers, Writers, and Staff Association Unions Endorse HR
676
In East Schodack, New York, the Rensselaer-Columbia-Greene Counties
Board
of Co-operative Educational Services Teachers' Association, an affiliate
of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT, AFT/NEA), has endorsed HR
676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers (D-MI).
Local President Joe Mix said, "We truly believe HR 676 is the
most
important healthcare legislation for working citizens in the United
States."
In Boston, Massachusetts, National Writers Union, UAW Local 1981, has
also
endorsed HR 676. The union released a statement on their HR 676
endorsement: "The healthcare crisis has affected the 'pursuit
of
happiness,' an American tradition since the signing of the Declaration
of
Independence and thus, in this way, has taken away even more freedom
than
the pursuit of profits has granted. This is why the National
Writers
Union, with over 1,500 members, endorses HR 676 as the way to provide
healthcare to all, not profits to few."
In Albany, New York, the Field Staff Association (FSA), a union of
professional advocates who work for the Civil Service Employees
Association (CSEA/AFSCME Local 1000), also endorsed HR 676.
Colorado State Building & Construction Trades Council Endorses HR
676
Lakewood, Colorado. The Colorado State Building &
Construction Trades
Council is the fifth state council to endorse HR 676, single payer
healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
Neal Hall, Business Manager for the Council, said after the vote:
"My
Council had a unanimous vote on endorsement of HR 676 due to the fact
that
cost of health care through collective bargaining has increased
approximately 17 to 25 per cent each year over the last ten years in
Colorado. It would be nice to see negotiated wage increases going
to
wages instead of health care and thereby benefit the membership as was
intended."
Statewide building and construction trades councils that have endorsed
HR
676 are Maine, Texas, Washington, New Hampshire, and Colorado.
Eight
other city or county building trades councils have also endorsed HR 676.
CWA Posts Singlepayer Video on Website
Washington, DC The Communications Workers of America (CWA)
has posted a
video on the union's website comparing healthcare systems in the United
States and Canada.
The video "A Tale of Two Countries" was made by the Canadian
Media Guild-CWA.
American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Convention Endorses
HR 676
Chicago, Illinois. The more than 3,000 delegates to the 80th
Convention
of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) voted to "support the
passage
of HR 676," single payer health care legislation introduced by
Congressman
John Conyers (D-MI).
The AFT is the 15th international union to endorse HR 676.
Five AFT affiliates submitted resolutions calling for support for HR
676.
In addition, one local union submitted a resolution urging endorsement
of
a single payer healthcare system.
Affiliates that submitted resolutions for HR 676 included the Chicago
Teachers Union, Local 1; United University Professions, Local
2190; the
California Federation of Teachers; the New Jersey State Federation
of
Teachers; and the AFT Seattle Community Colleges, Local 1789.
The West
Haven Federation of Teachers, Local 1547, called for support for single
payer.
Martha Livingston, a Chapter Vice President and a Convention Delegate
from
the 32,000 member UUP, Local 2190, said after the vote: "I'm
thrilled
that the leadership of my union, with 1.4 million members, was in
complete
agreement with the membership in both the Political Action Committee and
on the floor of the convention where there was unanimous support for HR
676."
Other international unions that have endorsed HR 676 are UAW, NEA, ILWU,
NALC, IAM, Plumbers & Pipefitters (UA), Musicians (AFM), UE, CNA/NNOC,
SMWIA, IFPTE , OPEIU, UTU & SEIU.
California CWA and AFT/NEA Locals Endorse HR 676
Big California unions continue to endorse HR 676, single payer
healthcare
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
A CWA local representing 12,000 employees at all campuses of the
University of California and the Lawrence Berkeley and Lawrence
Livermore
National Labs has endorsed HR 676, reports Carolan Buckmaster, a member
of
the Statewide Executive Board and President of the United
Professional &
Technical Employees (UPTE-CWA 9119) San Diego Chapter.
In San Francisco, the 6,000 member United Educators of San Francisco
affiliated with both the AFT and NEA, has also endorsed HR 676, reports
President Dennis Kelly.
Kelly said: "Health care determines not only the well-being of our
members, but it is increasingly a measure of the health of our economy.
We need to take care of ourselves now so we can take care of future
generations in this nation."
Nevada and Massachusetts State AFL-CIO's Endorse HR 676
State conventions of the Nevada AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO
have
both passed resolutions endorsing HR 676, single payer healthcare
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
Thirty-nine state labor federations have now endorsed HR 676.
The resolution of the Nevada State AFL-CIO passed August 19th and was
reported by Danny L. Thompson Executive Secretary Treasurer.
In Massachusetts, delegates to the Massachusetts AFL-CIO's annual COPE
convention in Andover, MA voted on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008 to endorse
HR
676. John Horgan, IBEW Local 2222 steward at Verizon, had
made a
presentation on HR 676 to the state COPE Committee which voted to
endorse
HR 676. The COPE Committee's endorsement was approved by the State
Federation's Executive Board and passed unanimously by the convention
upon
a motion by Robert Haynes, State Federation President.
Horgan had earlier been responsible for several endorsements of HR 676
by
a number of Massachusetts Central Labor Councils.
#30#
HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system in the U.S. by
expanding a greatly improved Medicare system to every resident.
HR 676 would cover every person in the U. S. for all necessary medical
care including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient
services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental,
mental
health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for
substance abuse), vision care, chiropractic and long term care.
HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save
billions
annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private
health insurance industry and HMOs.
HR 676 currently has 91 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers.
Co-sponsors
and bill text are here:
HR 676 has been endorsed by 460 union organizations in 49 states
including
114 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 state
AFL-CIO's (KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC,
MO,
MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK,
MI,
MT, NE, NY, NV & MA).
SEIU and CWA Locals endorse HR 676
A statewide SEIU local in Maine and a CWA local union in California have
endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In Augusta, Maine, Local 1989 SEIU/ Maine State Employees Association
(MSEA), a 10,000 member statewide organization, endorsed HR 676.
The
endorsement was reported to the Southern Maine Labor Council in Portland
by Local 1989 delegates to the Council.
In Sacramento, California, CWA Local 9421 also endorsed HR 676, reports
President Dee Garcia. The local's endorsement of HR 676 came after
receiving a letter signed by twenty-two California unionists. The
letter
was sent to all local unions in the state.
AFL-CIO VP & PNHP Physician speak at HR 676 Reception at DNC
At a reception honoring Congressman John Conyers and co-sponsors of HR
676, held at the Denver Democratic Party Convention, two of the speakers
were Greg Junemann, a member of the national AFL-CIO Executive Council
and
President of the 75,000 member International Federation of Professional
and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and Claudia Fegan MD, past President of
Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP).
Orlando, Florida. The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
(LCLAA), at its 17th National membership Convention Aug. 4-8, endorsed
HR
676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers (D-MI).
Founded in 1973, LCLAA is the main national Latino organization
representing the interests of over 1.7 million Latino trade unionists.
LCLAA is a constituency group representing Latino workers in both the
AFL-CIO and Change to Win labor federations. Its headquarters are
in the
AFL-CIO building in Washington, DC.
The LCLAA resolution for HR 676 notes that premiums for employer
sponsored
health insurance have been rising five times faster that workers'
salaries, and that of the 47 million Americans without health insurance
15
million are Hispanic and 9 million are children.
The resolution endorsing HR 676 was presented by Sonia Ivany, President
of
the New York LCLAA chapter. Dr. Jaime Torres a New York physician
and
Chair of Latinos for National Health Insurance said after learning that
LCLAA had endorsed HR 676:
"We congratulate the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
for
unanimously passing a resolution endorsing HR 676 at their national
convention in Orlando. We want to honor Sonia Ivany, President of
the New
York LCLAA chapter, for her passionate work on behalf of equitable
healthcare for all, and for spearheading this resolution at the
convention."
Union President's Labor Day Message on Health Care
We are pleased to present the Labor Day message below written by James
V.
Bertolone, President of American Postal Workers Union, Local 215, and
President of the Rochester and Genesee Valley Area Labor Federation,
AFL-CIO.
This op-ed appeared in the Rochester, New York, DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE
on
August 29th and can be found at:
We wish all our readers a happy and safe Labor Day. See you at the
Parade
and Picnic.
MAKE U.S. HEALTHIER and WEALTHIER: PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR ALL
LABOR DAY:
UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE COVERAGE
James V. Bertolone . Guest essayist . August 29, 2008
This coming Labor Day, working people from coast to coast will be
working for candidates who are ready to turn around our health care
system, turn around our economy, turn around the decline of the middle
class and turn around America.
Our polling shows that more than 80 percent of Americans think our
country is heading in the wrong direction; that our health care system
costs too much, excludes too many, covers too little and is getting
worse. The drive for universal health care coverage is mobilizing
thousands of working people in this year's election cycle.
Whether measured by the World Health Organization, the medical
profession or our own government's statistics, our health care costs
nearly twice as much per person as that in other industrialized
societies.
Of America's gross domestic product, health care costs totaled 17
percent in 2006, and now in 2008 totals more than $7,000 per person.
With costs continuing to rise in a contracting economy, we apparently
are heading for $1 out of every $5 spent in our $14 trillion economy
going to health care by about the end of this decade.
While other countries have universal health care, we have more than 47
million Americans with no health insurance and more than 25 million
underinsured.
We rank 24th among industrialized countries and 37th overall in the key
areas for how long we live, infant mortality and immunizations. Only in
health care costs does the United States rank No. 1.
We also pay nearly 50 percent more than most industrialized countries
for prescription drugs.
In most other countries, the concept of for-profit health care insurance
is alien, as health care is considered a universal right.
In a for-profit system, health care companies increase profits by
denying coverage to those at risk, such as the elderly and those with
pre-existing conditions, and by denying medical procedures and tests.
I have yet to meet a person covered by Medicare who wishes to lose that
coverage to be at the mercy of for-profit health insurance.
The 15,000 doctors who belong to Physicians for a National Health
Program say that 60 percent of the uninsured and 28 percent of insured
Americans go without needed care due to costs, resulting in more than
18,000 deaths per year.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors, representing 1,100 mayors, in June
endorsed HR 676, single-payer Medicare for all. Back in 2003, an article
in The New England Journal of Medicine reported that nearly one-third of
U.S. health care costs, $2,300 per person, were due to administration
and profits. The article concluded that a single-payer system would
reduce administrative costs by $1,150 per person, saving $350 billion a
year, enough to insure all uninsured Americans. We know these costs have
risen in the past five years.
In our state, there is a large concern about the high cost of property
and school taxes. Imagine covering all health care costs for all our
police, fire, state, county, city, town and school district employees
for less than $4,000 per person, the average cost of universal health
care coverage in other industrialized nations. The thousands saved per
employee would result in real tax savings.
Companies' health care costs put us at a competitive disadvantage in the
global economy. Health care costs thwart startup businesses. And they
hinder workers' mobility if a potential job excludes coverage for a
spouse's or child's pre-existing serious or chronic condition.
This issue is also about family values. We know the primary cause of
divorce and family breakup is financial strain. Nearly half of all
bankruptcies are due to medical issues, while the other half are due to
job loss. In our system, job loss and loss of health insurance are the
same issue.
For-profit, deregulated health care is a wound on our country's soul.
Labor, with this election cycle and our advocacy after the election,
will not stop until universal health care is achieved for all - and we
turn around America.
Happy Labor Day.
CNA Hosts HR 676 Celebration at the Democratic Convention in Denver
If you plan to be in Denver next week at the Democratic Party
Convention,
you are invited to attend a reception hosted by the California Nurses
Association/ National Nurses Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO, to celebrate
the broad--and growing--support in Congress for HR 676, "Expanded
and
Improved Medicare for All."
The celebration will honor the members of the Congressional HR 676
caucus
and introduce ten congressional candidates who have pledged to support
this legislation.
The reception will be:
Tuesday, August 26
6:30 to 9:00 pm
Colorado Convention Center
700 14th Street, Denver, CO
The Four Seasons Ballroom 1
Remarks will be delivered by:
Rose Ann DeMoro, Executive Director, CNA/NNOC
Dr. Quentin Young, National Coordinator, Physicians for a National
Health
Program
Greg Junemann, Chair of the HR 676 Labor Caucus and President, IFPTE
Leaders of the Congressional HR 676 Caucus
Michael Moore (invited)
Those attending this convention are invited to join supporters of and
advocates for a "single-payer" health care system for drinks,
appetizers
and live music. Progressive Democrats of America is a co-sponsor
of the
event.
Distributed by:
Kay Tillow
All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care--HR 676
c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 636 1551
Email: nursenpo@aol.com
08/21/08
Labor Councils in New York and California Endorse HR 676
Labor Councils in Bakersfield, California, and Schenectady, New York are
the latest central labor bodies to endorse HR 676, single payer
healthcare
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). One
hundred
and fourteen labor councils and Area Labor Federations have now endorsed
HR 676.
The Schenectady Central Labor Council endorsed HR 676 at its August 11th
meeting. Council President Frank Natalie said after
the vote: "It is
the position of the council that in the richest country in the world,
every person is entitled to affordable and adequate healthcare coverage
regardless of socioeconomic status. Those without adequate health
insurance coverage often forgo preventive care and treatments at times
making this a life or death decision, often these victims are children.
This is unacceptable."
In Bakersfield, CA, the Kern, Inyo and Mono Counties Central Labor
Council
also endorsed HR 676 at its August meeting. The resolution,
endorsing HR
676 and the state's single payer bill, SB 840, states:
"Previous,
piecemeal approaches to this crisis have not only failed to establish
universal, comprehensive, affordable health care for Californians, but
have even further complicated an already fragmented, profoundly
inequitable system."
New York State AFL-CIO Endorses HR 676
New York City, NY. On August 18th, the 31st Constitutional
Convention of
the New York State AFL-CIO unanimously endorsed HR 676 and called upon
the
national AFL-CIO to support the single payer legislation introduced by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). The 2.5 million member NY State
AFL-CIO
is the 37th state federation to endorse HR 676.
Resolution 2, "Single Payer Healthcare--Expanded and Improved
Medicare For
All (HR 676)," came to the floor of the convention with the
recommendation
of the state federation's Executive Board. The Board
combined four pro
HR 676 resolutions that had been submitted by IATSE Local One; Capital
District Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO; United University
Professions/AFT; and AFSCME Local 154/DC 37.
Delegates from the Capital District Area Labor Federation distributed to
all convention delegates a four page brochure supporting their
resolution.
The brochure was prepared by Troy Area Labor Council President
Mike
Keenan. It quotes the March, 2007, national AFL-CIO Executive
Council
statement citing Medicare as "One concrete plan that meets the test
of
comprehensive, universal health coverage.." The brochure also
includes a
list of "Ten Problems with the Private Health Insurance
System."
Robert Score, Recording-Corresponding Secretary of IATSE Local One, who
was instrumental in organizing for the passage of Resolution 2, said in
an
August 19 letter to his membership: "We now look forward to
the
endorsement from the NYC Central Labor Council and the New York City
Council." Score has been in touch with City Council President
Christine
Quinn.
In July Score worked with IATSE's International President who wrote to
Denis Hughes, President of the NYS AFL-CIO, urging support for
".any
Resolution before them to endorse HR 676." The letter states:
"Only a
streamlined efficient and universally accessible system that puts the
basic needs and health of American families before the interests of
corporations will suffice. The fundamental liberties and
protections that
we as Americans are entitled to, are simply unrealized in the absence of
real universal healthcare."
San Francisco, California. On July 31st at its 38th
International
Convention, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees (AFSCME) endorsed HR 676, single payer legislation introduced
by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
Resolution 19, adopted after a vigorous debate, states:
".RESOLVED: That
AFSCME initiate a concerted campaign . beginning with endorsing existing
and future legislation that calls for universal, affordable, quality
health care such as Congressman John Conyers' bill, H.R. 676, Expanded
and
Improved Medicare for All and Congressman Pete Stark's bill, H.R. 1841,
Americare Healthcare Act, and state legislation such as the Healthy
Wisconsin initiative."
Another part of the resolution states: "By all indications
from the
primary elections, the battle lines will be drawn between a
not-for-profit, publicly-financed system covering all individuals and a
private, for-profit health care reform that places emphasis on making
individuals pay for their own insurance and having public tax dollars go
towards subsidizing private health insurance companies."
The resolution continues: "Nearly every poll shows that
Americans support
a government funded and provided universal health care system and would
be
willing to pay for it in higher taxes if necessary."
AFSCME is the 18th international union to endorse HR 676. Other
international unions that have endorsed HR 676 are UAW, NEA, ILWU, NALC,
IAM, Plumbers & Pipefitters (UA), Musicians (AFM), UE, CNA/NNOC,
SMWIA,
IFPTE , OPEIU, UTU, SEIU, USW, California School Employees Association
(CSEA), & AFT.
York and Syracuse Labor Councils Endorse HR 676
Two central labor councils, in New York and Pennsylvania, have endorsed
HR
67, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers (D-MI).
In York, Pennsylvania, the York-Adams County Central Labor Council has
endorsed HR 676, reports Council President Clark Ruppert of IAMAW #1403.
Ruppert said: "Delegates have approved the resolution
supporting a single
payer health care plan for all Americans because they have all seen that
the current health care coverage is not affordable and is not working
for
the American workers, and it is not working for our employers either.
It
is one more unfair burden on the worker and the employers who are
competing with foreign business."
In Syracuse, New York, Dr. Dennis Nave reports that the Greater Syracuse
Labor Council has also endorsed the Conyers legislation. Nave, a
member
of the Teamsters union, is the only medical doctor to lead a central
labor
body. Dr. Nave said the Council's resolution emphasized
".affordable,
accessible healthcare as a right and not a privilege. Our nation's
greatest asset is our working families." The Greater Syracuse
Labor
Council represents 40,000 working families in Central New York.
One hundred and twelve Central labor Councils and Area Labor Federations
have now endorsed HR 676.
Plumbers and Teamster Locals Endorse HR 676
Teamster Local 612 in West Caldwell, New Jersey, and Plumbers and
Steamfitters (UA) Local 47 in Monaca, Pennsylvania, have endorsed HR
676,
single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers
(D-MI). Local 612 is a member of the Graphic Communication
Conference of
the IBT.
Frank Bovalino, Chair of the Local 47 Political Action Committee, said:
"The time has come for us as unions to forge the way to put an end
to the
Health Care Industry holding us hostage financially for health care.
Local Union 47 not only endorses HR 676, they are proactive in informing
our Legislators we support this and expect them to cosponsor this
legislation."
Nebraska AFL-CIO Endorses HR 676
Omaha, Nebraska. The Executive Board of the Nebraska State
AFL-CIO has
voted to endorse HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced
by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
The July 22nd vote makes the Nebraska state federation the 36th state
AFL-CIO to endorse the Conyers legislation.
Ken Mass, President of the Nebraska AFL-CIO, said after the vote:
"Everybody understands what's happening in healthcare with ever
increasing
costs, yet it is important to maintain quality of care. That's why
we
voted to endorse HR 676."
Steelworkers'
Convention Continues Support for HR 676
Las Vegas, Nevada. After a lively floor debate, the 3,200
delegates to
the United Steelworkers (USW) Convention voted in favor of a resolution
which top union officials said supported single payer healthcare and
continued the USW's strong support for HR 676, legislation introduced by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) which would implement a single payer
healthcare system
The resolution that the delegates debated called for a "publicly
funded"
universal health care plan for all Americans and for healthcare as
"a
human right."
One delegate said the union might need to "take the fight.to the
streets.
We must declare war on the insurance companies. This is a fight we
have
to win."
New Jersey AFL-CIO and UMWA's Cecil Roberts Endorse Single Payer
United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) President Cecil Roberts was the
keynote speaker at the most recent State Convention of the Kentucky
AFL-CIO. You can hear Roberts' remarks in support of single payer
healthcare at:
(video courtesy of Bill Londrigan, President, Kentucky AFL-CIO).
Meeting in June in Atlantic City, the New Jersey State AFL-CIO
Convention
passed a resolution, submitted by the NJ State AFL-CIO Retirees
Committee,
which notes the features of Congressman John Conyers' single payer
health
care bill, HR 676.
The adopted resolution, entitled Universal, Single Payer Health Care
Coverage, resolves:
"that the New Jersey State AFL-CIO supports Single Payer Healthcare
Coverage and will lobby all labor endorsed candidates for national
office
to work for this important issue."
A copy of the complete resolution is available from Paula Friedman,
Chair
of the Bergen County Central Trades & Labor Council AFL-CIO Retirees
Committee pafr20@verizon.net.
Montana AFL-CIO Endorses HR 676
Helena, Montana. Delegates to the 52nd Annual Montana
AFL-CIO State
Convention have approved a resolution endorsing HR 676, single payer
healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI),
reports Jim McGarvey, Executive Secretary of the Montana AFL-CIO.
Montana is the 35th state AFL-CIO to endorse HR 676. The
endorsement
resolution was submitted by the Montana Education Association/Montana
Federation of Teachers, a joint state affiliate of the NEA and AFT.
The resolution adopted by the Montana delegates begins:
"Whereas a single-payer health care system throughout the United
States
would enhance the health care and lives of every American, and
Whereas organized working men and women every day sacrifice salary to
the
rising cost of health care,
Whereas a taxpayer funded health care system has proven to work well for
senior citizens (Medicare), children of families living in or close to
poverty (CHIP), and veterans (VA),"
and concludes:
"Whereas the Montana AFL-CIO can help solving the health care
crisis in
America by urging Congress to adopt a single-payer health care plan such
as HR 676,
Therefore, be it resolved that the Montana AFL-CIO endorse and promote a
single-payer universal system of health care such as HR 676."
Marine Firemen, Carpenters and Theatrical Locals Endorse HR 676
In San Francisco, Local 22 of the Brotherhood of Carpenters &
Joiners
(BCJ) endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In San Diego, Local 297 of International Alliance of Theatre and Stage
Employees (IATSE) also endorsed the Conyers legislation.
The Pacific Coast Marine Firemen, Oilers, Watertenders and Wipers
Association (Marine Firemen's Union), with headquarters in San
Francisco,
endorsed HR 676. The union, established in 1883, is a fully autonomous
division of the Seafarers International Union (SIU). Its members
work as
engineers aboard containerships, bulk carriers, research and military
contract vessels.
Anthony Poplawski, union president, said: "In 1981, President
Reagan.ended U.S. Public Health Service benefits to merchant seamen and
closed the marine hospitals that were established nearly 200 years
earlier
to provide for the nation's commercial mariners. Since then,
maritime
labor has struggled to negotiate and maintain replacement health care
benefits and contain health care costs while insurance providers reap
substantial profits. The time has come for a single-payer system
for all
citizens."
U.S. Conference of Mayors Backs Single-Payer
National Health Insurance
The U.S. Conference
of Mayors, meeting in Miami, adopted a resolution this morning
in support of single-payer national health insurance.
The assembly, in
unanimous vote, backed a resolution calling for the enactment of
the "United States National Health Insurance Act,"
H.R. 676. The bill, which is also known as the "Improved
and Expanded Medicare for All Act," is sponsored by Rep.
John Conyers of Michigan and 90 other members of
Congress."This is a major achievement, a qualitative change
in the movement for genuine health care reform," said Dr.
David Prensky, a retired dentist from Palm Beach, Fla., who
helped promote the resolution. Prensky is a member of the
Chicago-based Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP).
"It shows that
our country's mayors now support the kind of approach that every
other industrialized country has - an approach that guarantees
health care for everyone at an affordable cost," he said.
"Mayors, in a
very real sense, are closer to the people than most elected
officials," Prensky continued. "They are closer to the
grassroots, where their communities and constituents are
suffering. Meanwhile their city budgets are being shattered by
health costs for their own employees."
Conyers' bill would
guarantee everyone care for all medically necessary services,
contain costs by slashing the administrative waste and
bureaucracy associated with the private insurance industry and
assure patients their choice of doctor and hospital.
The resolution was
introduced by Mayor Lois Frankel of West Palm Beach, Fla., and
six other mayors from Baltimore to Santa Cruz, Calif. Frankel
worked in cooperation with the statewide advocacy group
Floridians for Health Care and the national group
Healthcare-Now.
"By taking this
action," said Dr. Quentin Young, national coordinator of
PNHP, "the mayors have put, in the boldest way,
single-payer national health insurance on top of the domestic
agenda, squarely in the middle of the legislative and
presidential elections."
The U.S. Conference
of Mayors is a nonpartisan organization of mayors representing
cities with a population of 30,000 or more. It currently has
about 1,100 members.
Text of Resolution adopted by the U.S.
Conference of Mayors, June 23:
Resolution in support of the United States
National Health Insurance Act, H.R. 676
Submitted By:
The Honorable Lois J. Frankel, Mayor of West
Palm Beach, Fla.
The Honorable Wayne J. Hall Sr., Mayor of
Mayor of Hempstead, N.Y.
The Honorable Carolyn K. Peterson, Mayor of
Ithaca, N.Y.
The Honorable John E. Marks, III, Mayor of
Tallahassee, Fla.
The Honorable Sheila Dixon, Mayor of
Baltimore, Md.
The Honorable Becky Tooley, Mayor of Coconut
Creek, Fla.
The Honorable Ryan Coonerty, Mayor of Santa
Cruz, Calif.
WHEREAS, every person deserves access to
affordable quality health care; and
WHEREAS, the number of Americans without
health insurance now exceeds 47 million; and
WHEREAS, millions with insurance have
coverage so inadequate that a major illness would lead to
financial ruin, and medical illness and bills contribute to
one-half of all bankruptcies; and
WHEREAS, proposals for "consumer
directed health care" such as Health Savings Accounts or
Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs) would only worsen this
situation by penalizing the sick, discouraging prevention and
saddling many working families with huge medical bills; and
WHEREAS, managed care and other
market-based reforms have failed to contain health care costs,
which now threaten the international competitiveness of U.S.
manufacturers; and
WHEREAS, administrative waste stemming from
our reliance on private insurers consumes one-third of private
health spending while the single payer Medicare system has
administrative costs of less than 5 percent; and
WHEREAS, U.S. hospitals spend 24.3 percent
of their budgets on billing and administration while hospitals
under Canada's single payer system spend only 12.9 percent;
and
WHEREAS, Harvard researchers estimate that
more than $300 billion could be recovered by replacing private
insurance companies with a single public payer, enough to
cover the uninsured and to improve coverage for all those who
now have only partial coverage; and
WHEREAS, entrusting care to profit-oriented
firms diverts billions of dollars to outrageous incomes for
CEOs and threatens the quality of care; and
WHEREAS, The United States National Health
Insurance Act (H.R. 676) would assure universal coverage of
all medically necessary services, contain costs by slashing
bureaucracy, protect the doctor patient relationship, assure
patients a completely free choice of doctors, and allow
physicians a free choice of practice settings; and
WHEREAS, most polls show that the majority
of Americans support universal health care; and
WHEREAS, as of the date of this resolution,
the majority of American physicians (59 percent) believe that
Single Payer is the best method of securing universal health
care; and
WHEREAS, The United States National Health
Insurance Act (H.R. 676) will guarantee every mayor that all
residents and employees of his/her city will be fully covered
for health care and save millions of taxpayer dollars now
spent on premiums to provide less than full health insurance
coverage for government employees; and
NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED, that the United States
Conference of Mayors expresses its support for The United
States National Health Insurance Act (H.R. 676), and calls
upon federal legislators to work towards its immediate
enactment and further urges the adoption of a process to
insure that health care providers justify any increase in
health care costs.
Three Massachusetts NEA Affiliates Endorse HR 676
Three affiliates of the National Education Association (NEA) in
Massachusetts have endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In Brookline, Massachusetts, the Brookline Educators Union, affiliated
with the Massachusetts Teachers Association (NEA), has endorsed HR 676,
reports Barry David, a high school Spanish teacher.
David, a supporter of HR 676, appeared before the union's Representative
Council which then voted to endorse HR 676 and bring the resolution
before
the MTA statewide meeting where it was referred to the MTA Legislative
Committee. David is one of six delegates from his local to the NEA
Representative Assembly which meets in July.
Representing teachers and support personnel employed by the Brookline
School District, the Brookline Educators Union has nearly 1,000 members
and is one of the larger NEA affiliates in Massachusetts.
In Boston and Amherst, the Joint Executive Council of the Professional
Staff Union (PSU) has also unanimously endorsed HR 676. The
Professional
Staff Union comprises Local 751 and Local 754 of the Massachusetts
Teachers Association (NEA). The Two locals represent over 1,600
professional and supervisory workers at the Amherst and Boston campuses
of
the University of Massachusetts.
Three Massachusetts NEA Affiliates Endorse HR 676
Three affiliates of the National Education Association (NEA) in
Massachusetts have endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In Brookline, Massachusetts, the Brookline Educators Union, affiliated
with the Massachusetts Teachers Association (NEA), has endorsed HR 676,
reports Barry David, a high school Spanish teacher.
David, a supporter of HR 676, appeared before the union's Representative
Council which then voted to endorse HR 676 and bring the resolution
before
the MTA statewide meeting where it was referred to the MTA Legislative
Committee. David is one of six delegates from his local to the NEA
Representative Assembly which meets in July.
Representing teachers and support personnel employed by the Brookline
School District, the Brookline Educators Union has nearly 1,000 members
and is one of the larger NEA affiliates in Massachusetts.
In Boston and Amherst, the Joint Executive Council of the Professional
Staff Union (PSU) has also unanimously endorsed HR 676. The
Professional
Staff Union comprises Local 751 and Local 754 of the Massachusetts
Teachers Association (NEA). The Two locals represent over 1,600
professional and supervisory workers at the Amherst and Boston campuses
of
the University of Massachusetts.
SEIU Convention Endorses HR 676
San Juan, Puerto Rico. The recent SEIU convention went on record
in
support of HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). The SEIU is the thirteenth
international
union to endorse HR 676.
Local 1199Healthcare Workers East and SEIU Local 1021, in California,
had
each submitted a resolution to the convention calling for support for HR
676. Convention Resolution 105B, which combined all resolutions on
healthcare, was adopted by the convention.
SEIU locals that have previously endorsed HR 676 include United
Healthcare
Workers West, Chicago Local 73, Pennsylvania Local 668, Local
1199Healthcare Workers East, 32 BJ SEIU in Baltimore, the New York State
Public Employees Federation (affiliated both with AFT and SEIU),
Pittsburgh Local 3, and District 1199P in Pennsylvania.
Other international unions that have endorsed HR 676 are UAW, NEA, ILWU,
NALC, IAM, Plumbers & Pipefitters (UA), Musicians (AFM), UE, CNA/NNOC,
SMWIA, IFPTE & OPEIU.
The article below was written by Andrew Coates who is member of
Professional Employees Federation (PEF) a statewide union in New York
jointly affiliated with AFT and SEIU. Coates is an elected union
steward
at the Albany hospital where he works as a physician.
State Assembly points the way forward on health care
Andrew D. Coates, MD
Supporters of national health insurance - a single-payer system of
nonprofit, public financing that would guarantee quality health care to
every one of us - were just getting used to being compared to Don
Quixote.
Our critics smile at us and say that national health insurance a great
idea, but they add a wink, for they believe the insurance companies are
simply too rich and too powerful. The not-so-subtle message: give up and
prepare for compromise with the private insurance industry.
Enter the New York State Assembly, not known as a den of starry-eyed
idealists, with an overwhelming vote of support for single-payer health
reform.
On May 27, the State Legislature's lower house decisively adopted a
resolution backing a federal proposal, H.R. 676, the "U.S. National
Health
Insurance Act," sponsored by Rep. John Conyers of Michigan. The
Congressional bill's 90 co-sponsors include New York Representatives
Yvette Clark, Eliot Engel, Maurice Hinchey, Carolyn Maloney, Michael
McNulty, Gregory Meeks, Jerrold Nadler, Charles Rangel, Jose Serrano,
Edolphus Towns and Anthony Weiner.
The chief sponsor of the May 27 resolution was Assemblyman Felix Ortiz
(D-51, Brooklyn). The measure was also pushed by a coalition of labor
groups, doctors and nurses, religious groups, anti-poverty and human
rights organizations. A similar measure in support of H.R. 676 was
adopted
in 2007 by the Republican-led Rensselaer County Legislature.
Noting that approximately 2.6 million New Yorkers currently lack health
insurance, that people who have insurance are often burdened with
"unacceptable medical debt" that frequently leads to
bankruptcy, and that
all New Yorkers face "sometimes life-threatening delays in
obtaining
health care," the N.Y. Assembly unambiguously declared itself in
support
of the single-payer approach. By calling for passage of a bill in the
U.S.
Congress, they acknowledge our need for a nationwide solution.
The single-payer model has accumulated new support because of the
failure
of compromise after compromise with private health insurers in state
after
state.
Massachusetts' mandate model has reduced the percentage of uninsured
through state-subsidies for private health insurance for low-income
families but generated a spectacular deficit. The plan also failed to
provide for an influx of new primary care patients and failed to
eliminate
excessive out-of-pocket costs including co-pays and deductibles.
Further,
the middle class uninsured who have been "mandated" to buy
private health
without a state subsidy (or else pay a fine) simply cannot afford the
premiums.
Meanwhile the single payer model has already proved its effectiveness in
country after country.
Taiwan recently adopted single payer. Like other nations that have
national health insurance, health costs been brought under control. More
striking, the new system has improved health outcomes. Significantly,
disparities in the quality of care for the affluent vs. the poor have
been
lessened in Taiwan, with life expectancy among low-income people in
rising
most dramatically. (In contrast, life expectancy for American women in
1,000 U.S. counties, poor and rural areas, actually declined for the
first
time in our history during the 1990s.)
Single payer health financing delivers better care, better medical
outcomes at a lower cost through a basic democratic method: by sharing
health risks and needs across the whole public. In this era of
evidence-based medicine, the evidence is in: single payer is the way to
go.
The New York State Assembly's action demonstrates that those who smile
knowingly and call for compromise with the private insurance industry
are
seriously out of touch with popular opinion.
An exaggeration? Consider this: over 430 labor organizations, including
33
state chapters of the AFL-CIO, have endorsed H.R. 676. The Capital
District Area Labor Federation and the Troy Area Labor Council have also
endorsed H.R. 676. These organizations have also helped organize local
participation in an upcoming nationwide day of protest: "Healthcare
YES!
Insurance companies NO!" They will rally, with other groups,
outside of
the 90 State St. office of the New York Health Plan Association on
Thursday, June 19th at 5 p.m.
Some 59 percent of doctors now support national health insurance, up
from
49 percent only five years ago. In Minnesota, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts
and New York, when polled, nearly two-thirds of physicians and surgeons
support single payer.
Last December an Associated Press poll showed strong public support - 65
percent - in favor of "a universal health insurance program in
which
everyone is covered under a program like Medicare that is run by the
government and financed by taxpayers."
These figures, and the Assembly's resolution on H.R. 676, give further
expression to a gathering, unstoppable movement for fundamental health
care reform, confirming Victor Hugo's estimate that "there is
nothing more
powerful than an idea whose time has come."
Minor tweaks in our deeply flawed system simply aren't enough. The
private
health insurance industry, which skims off such a big share of each
health
care dollar in administrative costs, marketing, outsized profit-taking,
and outlandish CEO salaries, has outlived its usefulness. It's time to
move on.
We should be proud that our Assembly has helped point the way forward.
Let's make this a banner year for moving toward a more effective and
compassionate health care system: single payer.
Andrew D. Coates, M.D., practices and teaches medicine in Albany and is
secretary of the Capital District (N.Y.) chapter of Physicians for a
National Health Program (www.pnhp.org)
Pipefitters, Postal, Letter Carriers and Longshore Locals Endorse HR
676
Four more local unions have endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In Augusta, Maine, Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 716 (UA) unanimously
endorsed HR 676, reports Business Manager John Napolitano.
In Oakland, California, ILWU Local 6 has also endorsed the Conyers
legislation, reports Fred Pecker, Local 6 Secretary-Treasurer.
Pecker is
also a member of the ILWU's International Executive Board.
In Delevan, New York, American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Western New
York Area Local 183 endorsed HR 676, reports President Timothy Northem.
In Frewsburg, New York, Local 165 of the National Association of Letter
Carriers (NALC) also endorsed HR 676, according to Mark Carlson,
Treasurer.
California Labor Council Endorses HR 676
Eureka, California. The Humboldt-Del Norte Counties AFL-CIO
Central
Labor Council is the 108th central labor council to endorse HR 676,
single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI).
The endorsement resolution was submitted by Kathryn Donahue, a
Registered
Nurse and representative of the California Nurses Association (CNA/NNOC).
The council's endorsement was the subject of an op-ed column authored by
Sid Berg and published in the Eureka Reporter. Berg is President
of the
Building and Construction Trades Council of Humboldt and Del Norte
Counties.
Berg's column quotes Donahue saying the solution is "to initiate a
patient
based system with public accountability.. The United States spends
approximately twice as much of our gross domestic product as other
developed nations on health care. We remain the only
industrialized
country without a national health plan."
"As a working individual, contributing to the general welfare of
our
community, I encourage the citizens of this county, state and nation to
become involved in this fight to fix our healthcare industry before it
collapses. The Central Labor Council of Humboldt & Del Norte
Counties
(AFL-CIO) has added its name to the growing list of endorsers of HR
676,"
Donahue concluded.
IBT, APWU Locals and Building Trades Council Endorse HR 676
Teamster and Postal worker local unions and another building trades
council have all endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In New York City, Teamster Local 805 (IBT) has endorsed HR 676, reports
Local President Sandy Pope.
In Medford, Oregon, the Southern Oregon Area Local of the American
Postal
Workers Union (APWU) has also endorsed the Conyers legislation.
In San Diego, California, the San Diego Building and Construction Trades
Council unanimously endorsed HR 676, reports Council President Tom
Lemmon.
#30#
HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system in the U.S. by
expanding a greatly improved Medicare system to every resident.
HR 676 would cover every person in the U. S. for all necessary medical
care including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient
services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental,
mental
health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for
substance abuse), vision care, chiropractic and long term care.
HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save
billions
annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private
health insurance industry and HMOs.
HR 676 currently has 90 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers. Co-sponsors
and bill text are here:
THREE MORE LABOR COUNCILS ENDORSE HR 676
Three more Central Labor Councils have endorsed HR 676, single payer
healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
One
Hundred and seven Central Labor Councils have now endorsed HR 676.
In Mansfield, Ohio, the Crawford-Richland Labor Council AF-CIO endorsed
HR
676 after inviting Dr. Jonathan Ross to address their regular monthly
meeting. Dr. Ross, a Toledo physician, is a national leader of
Physicians
for a National Health Program (PNHP).
In Quincy, Massachusetts, the Norfolk County Labor Council AFL-CIO has
also endorsed the Conyers legislation.
In Brockton, Massachusetts, the Plymouth-Bristol Central Labor Council
AFL-CIO endorsed HR 676. More than 50 per cent of Massachusetts CLC's
have now endorsed the Conyers bill.
FOUR AFT AFFILIATES ENDORSE HR 676
Four more affiliates of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT),
including two statewide affiliates, have endorsed HR 676, single payer
healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In North Carolina, the State Federation of the AFT has endorsed HR 676,
reports Dianne Jackson, President AFT/NC, and a media specialist at
Glenwood Elementary School.
In Austin, Texas AFT Local 6249, which represents full and part time
faculty and classified and professional/technical employees at Austin
Community College, has also endorsed the Conyers legislation.
Cleabum Zwememenn and Dan Dewberry, who are President and Treasurer of
the
local said of the endorsement, "We have been fighting for
health
insurance for the adjunct faculty for years. We believe that
health
insurance is a moral imperative and the future of this country could
hinge
on access to health care."
In Indianapolis, Indiana, the State Federation of Teachers/AFT has
endorsed HR 676, reports Executive Director, Sally J. Sloan.
In Daly City, California, AFT Local 3267, Jefferson Elementary
Federation
of Teachers, endorsed HR 676, reports Melinda Dart President of the 300
member local union.
Dart said: "We have had one 3 per cent raise in six years. In
addition,
many of our members pay out of pocket for health care. They have
effectively taken a pay cut as health care costs escalate. We are
at the
mercy of our insurance companies and HMO's which reveal their higher
rates
every summer. We desperately need a bill like HR 676 to
succeed."
FOUR AFT AFFILIATES ENDORSE HR 676
Four more affiliates of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT),
including two statewide affiliates, have endorsed HR 676, single payer
healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In North Carolina, the State Federation of the AFT has endorsed HR 676,
reports Dianne Jackson, President AFT/NC, and a media specialist at
Glenwood Elementary School.
In Austin, Texas AFT Local 6249, which represents full and part time
faculty and classified and professional/technical employees at Austin
Community College, has also endorsed the Conyers legislation.
Cleabum Zwememenn and Dan Dewberry, who are President and Treasurer of
the
local said of the endorsement, "We have been fighting for
health
insurance for the adjunct faculty for years. We believe that
health
insurance is a moral imperative and the future of this country could
hinge
on access to health care."
In Indianapolis, Indiana, the State Federation of Teachers/AFT has
endorsed HR 676, reports Executive Director, Sally J. Sloan.
In Daly City, California, AFT Local 3267, Jefferson Elementary
Federation
of Teachers, endorsed HR 676, reports Melinda Dart President of the 300
member local union.
Dart said: "We have had one 3 per cent raise in six years. In
addition,
many of our members pay out of pocket for health care. They have
effectively taken a pay cut as health care costs escalate. We are
at the
mercy of our insurance companies and HMO's which reveal their higher
rates
every summer. We desperately need a bill like HR 676 to
succeed."
C-SPAN Discussion of HR 676 Tuesday Night June 10 ,2008.
Washington, DC. John Conyers and other Members of Congress will
take to
the floor of the House of Representatives Tuesday evening, June 10, to
lead a discussion of HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation. HR 676
now has 90 co-sponsors in the House, more than any other health care
bill.
Conyers has reserved the time under House Rules known as "Special
Orders."
Special Orders provide the opportunity for discussion on a
specific topic
to occur after the last floor vote of the day. Other
congressional
representatives who will participate in the discussion are Emanuel
Cleaver
(MO), Nancy Boyda (KS), Sheila Jackson-Lee (TX) and Diane Watson (CA).
The TUESDAY, June 10, session will be covered on C-SPAN, beginning
at
approximately 9:00 p.m. eastern standard time (EST).
Seattle and Guam AFT Affiliates Endorse HR 676
Local union affiliates of the American Federation of Teachers in Seattle
and Guam have endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
AFT Local 1789, which represents faculty members at Seattle Community
Colleges, endorsed HR 676, reports Local President, Lynne Dodson.
On the Pacific Island of Guam, Matt Rector, President of AFT Local 1581,
reports that his local, which is the largest and fastest growing union
on
Guam, has also endorsed HR 676.
Rector wrote of his local's endorsement:
"If anyone needs an incentive to support universal healthcare for
every
American they just need to look at the health insurance that public
employees on Guam get because it is the shape of things to come for the
rest of the nation. All plans have a $1500 per person deductible,
with an
80-20 plan, with caps ($200 for a physical) that kick in after the
deductible. Employees cannot use the plan on island for
non-emergent care
and must fly to the Philippines (air fare isn't included in the plan).
This leaves the majority of our people without access to preventative
healthcare and critical healthcare can only be afforded after lots of
fundraisers, begging on the street and/or selling off assets.
Every man,
women and child on our island and in our nation deserves better.
Quality
healthcare should depend on the quality of patients' need, not the
quantity of their bank account."
Pipefitters, Postal, Letter Carriers and Longshore Locals Endorse HR
676
Four more local unions have endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In Augusta, Maine, Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 716 (UA) unanimously
endorsed HR 676, reports Business Manager John Napolitano.
In Oakland, California, ILWU Local 6 has also endorsed the Conyers
legislation, reports Fred Pecker, Local 6 Secretary-Treasurer.
Pecker is
also a member of the ILWU's International Executive Board.
In Delevan, New York, American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Western New
York Area Local 183 endorsed HR 676, reports President Timothy Northem.
In Frewsburg, New York, Local 165 of the National Association of Letter
Carriers (NALC) also endorsed HR 676, according to Mark Carlson,
Treasurer.
California Labor Council Endorses HR 676
Eureka, California. The Humboldt-Del Norte Counties AFL-CIO
Central
Labor Council is the 108th central labor council to endorse HR 676,
single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI).
The endorsement resolution was submitted by Kathryn Donahue, a
Registered
Nurse and representative of the California Nurses Association (CNA/NNOC).
The council's endorsement was the subject of an op-ed column authored by
Sid Berg and published in the Eureka Reporter. Berg is President
of the
Building and Construction Trades Council of Humboldt and Del Norte
Counties.
Berg's column quotes Donahue saying the solution is "to initiate a
patient
based system with public accountability.. The United States spends
approximately twice as much of our gross domestic product as other
developed nations on health care. We remain the only
industrialized
country without a national health plan."
"As a working individual, contributing to the general welfare of
our
community, I encourage the citizens of this county, state and nation to
become involved in this fight to fix our healthcare industry before it
collapses. The Central Labor Council of Humboldt & Del Norte
Counties
(AFL-CIO) has added its name to the growing list of endorsers of HR
676,"
Donahue concluded.
IBT, APWU Locals and Building Trades Council Endorse HR 676
Teamster and Postal worker local unions and another building trades
council have all endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In New York City, Teamster Local 805 (IBT) has endorsed HR 676, reports
Local President Sandy Pope.
In Medford, Oregon, the Southern Oregon Area Local of the American
Postal
Workers Union (APWU) has also endorsed the Conyers legislation.
In San Diego, California, the San Diego Building and Construction Trades
Council unanimously endorsed HR 676, reports Council President Tom
Lemmon.
THREE MORE LABOR COUNCILS ENDORSE HR 676
Three more Central Labor Councils have endorsed HR 676, single payer
healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
One
Hundred and seven Central Labor Councils have now endorsed HR 676.
In Mansfield, Ohio, the Crawford-Richland Labor Council AF-CIO endorsed
HR
676 after inviting Dr. Jonathan Ross to address their regular monthly
meeting. Dr. Ross, a Toledo physician, is a national leader of
Physicians
for a National Health Program (PNHP).
In Quincy, Massachusetts, the Norfolk County Labor Council AFL-CIO has
also endorsed the Conyers legislation.
In Brockton, Massachusetts, the Plymouth-Bristol Central Labor Council
AFL-CIO endorsed HR 676. More than 50 per cent of Massachusetts CLC's
have now endorsed the Conyers bill.
FOUR AFT AFFILIATES ENDORSE HR 676
Four more affiliates of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT),
including two statewide affiliates, have endorsed HR 676, single payer
healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In North Carolina, the State Federation of the AFT has endorsed HR 676,
reports Dianne Jackson, President AFT/NC, and a media specialist at
Glenwood Elementary School.
In Austin, Texas AFT Local 6249, which represents full and part time
faculty and classified and professional/technical employees at Austin
Community College, has also endorsed the Conyers legislation.
Cleabum Zwememenn and Dan Dewberry, who are President and Treasurer of
the
local said of the endorsement, "We have been fighting for
health
insurance for the adjunct faculty for years. We believe that
health
insurance is a moral imperative and the future of this country could
hinge
on access to health care."
In Indianapolis, Indiana, the State Federation of Teachers/AFT has
endorsed HR 676, reports Executive Director, Sally J. Sloan.
In Daly City, California, AFT Local 3267, Jefferson Elementary
Federation
of Teachers, endorsed HR 676, reports Melinda Dart President of the 300
member local union.
Dart said: "We have had one 3 per cent raise in six years. In
addition,
many of our members pay out of pocket for health care. They have
effectively taken a pay cut as health care costs escalate. We are
at the
mercy of our insurance companies and HMO's which reveal their higher
rates
every summer. We desperately need a bill like HR 676 to
succeed."
INDIANA UAW LOCAL ENDORSES HR 676
Rockport, Indiana. UAW Local 3044 has endorsed HR 676,
single payer
healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
The
local represents workers at AK Steel Corporation, a state of the art
steel
finishing facility that produces finished steel for the automotive and
appliance industry.
Rick Ditto, Local 3044 President, said: "Our local recognizes
the dire
need for health care reform in our country. Studying the various
ideas
for health care reform made our decision simple to endorse HR 676.
It is
the method of taking a proven existing system in Medicare, making
improvements and expanding it to cover everyone of all ages. A win
win
situation for all."
DETROIT UTILITY WORKERS ENDORSE HR 676
Detroit, Michigan. Utility Workers Union of America (UWA)
Local 223 has
endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). Local 223 represents over 4,500
members
in the electric and gas utility industry.
James Harrison, Local 223 President said after the endorsement:
"Healthcare prices in the U.S. are rising at a rate of almost three
times
overall inflation and healthcare spending is soaring at close to double
digit percent increases per year and yet health care quality remains
poor,
with as many as 100,000 preventable deaths per year and billions of
dollars wasted in the current system.
"The Utility Workers are proud to stand with our brothers and
sisters in
the labor movement in supporting national healthcare legislation that
assures every American has access to affordable quality health
care."
Local Unions in Kentucky, New York and Maryland Endorse HR 676
Four local unions in New York, Maryland and Kentucky have endorsed HR
676,
single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers
In Baltimore, Maryland, IAM Local Lodge 543 has endorsed HR 676.
In Cheektowaga, New York, Local 210 of the Laborers (LIUNA) has also
endorsed the Conyers bill, reports Business Manager Sam Capitano.
In Louisville, Kentucky, Local 1447 of the Amalgamated Transit Union
(ATU), which represents drivers, mechanics, clerks, and service
personnel
at the Transit Authority of River City, endorsed the single payer
legislation, according to President Jonathan Dooley.
In Island Park, New York, Stephen Sombrotto, President of the 1,000
member
Local 621 of the United Workers of America, reported his local endorsed
the Conyers bill and said:
"Our members and Executive Board feel that in the richest most
powerful
country in the world for our citizens to be without healthcare is
absolutely not acceptable. Politicians have a moral obligation to
the
citizens of this country to get every person covered and show the rest
of
the world that we are not a selfish wasteful society. If the
powers that
be get this done, I believe you will see the people follow and take care
and sacrifice for the better good of our nation."
CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION ENDORSES HR 676
Chicago, Illinois. The 36,000 member Chicago Teachers Union
(AFT Local
1) has endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced
by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
The April 2nd endorsement came at the Local's 600 member House of
Delegates meeting by a near unanimous vote. Those who spoke for
the
endorsement pointed out that not only would HR 676 cover everyone in the
country but would also enable the union to take healthcare off the
collective bargaining table.
The Chicago Teachers Union represents teachers and educational support
personnel working in the 600 schools within the Chicago Public School
System. Its members include approximately 26,500 teachers, 6,500
paraprofessionals and 3,000 retirees. The CTU is affiliated with
the
American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the Illinois Federation of
Teachers
(IFT), the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL) and the Illinois AFL-CIO.
The Chicago public school system is the third largest in the country.
CTU
Local 1 of the AFT is the largest local in the state and was the
founding
union from which the AFT developed.
PHILADELPHIA AFL-CIO ENDORSES HR 676
Philadelphia, PA. The Philadelphia Council of the AFL-CIO has
endorsed HR
676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers (D-MI). This is the one hundred and fourth central labor council
to endorse the Conyers legislation.
Pat Eiding, who before becoming Council President was Business Manager
of
Asbestos Workers & Insulators Local 14, said after the vote:
"47 million uninsured people in America is an embarrassment.
We need to
find a better way to do health care in this country. HR 676 would
provide
coverage to all Americans without shifting the burden onto individuals -
which is a key element in any reform effort."
The Philadelphia Council represents over 150,000 union members in the
nation's 6th largest city and has over 100 affiliated local unions in
the
private, public, building and transportation sectors. The
endorsement
resolution was introduced by Jim Savage, president of USW Local 10-1 and
a
vice president of the Philadelphia Council.
LABOR COUNCILS IN OREGON, MASSACHUSETTS & NY ENDORSE HR 676
Three more labor councils have endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). One
hundred
and three central labor councils or area labor federations have now
endorsed HR 676.
In Central Point, Oregon, the Southern Oregon Central Labor Council
endorsed HR 676, reports Carol Bennett the council's
Secretary/Treasurer.
Bennett said, "We're glad that somebody is doing something.
It's been a
long time coming."
In Lowell, Massachusetts, the Merrimack Valley Central Labor Council
also
endorsed the Conyers legislation. The council has 35 affiliates
with
40,000 union members in 32 Massachusetts cities and towns.
In Cattaragus, New York, the Cattaragus-Allegany Counties Central Labor
Council, AFL-CIO, also endorsed HR 676, reports Council President Hobart
Rhinehart.
NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL ENDORSES HR 676
Hooksett, New Hampshire. The New Hampshire State Building
and
Construction Trades Council has endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
Edward Foley, State Council President who also serves as Business
Representative of Sheet Metal Workers Local 17, said after the April 3rd
unanimous council vote:
"The NHSBCTC is proud to stand in solidarity with our brothers and
sisters
in the labor movement. In the USA it is unacceptable that the cost
of
health insurance should drive working families into bankruptcy and force
average Americans to choose between health insurance or food on the
table
or college tuition for their children. It is high time that we
solved the
crisis of affordable health insurance for every American. HR 676
is one
giant step forward for the American people."
New Hampshire is the fourth state building and construction trades
council
to endorse HR 676. The others are Maine, Texas, and Washington.
Seven
city or county building trades councils have also endorsed HR 676.
Los Angeles County Labor Federation is 99th CLC to Endorse HR 676
The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, representing over
800,000 union workers and their families, has endorsed HR 676, single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI). This is the 99th central labor council to endorse the
Conyers
legislation.
The resolution supporting HR 676 was introduced by Joshua Pechthalt,
President of AFT Local 1021, United Teachers of Los Angeles.
Pechthalt is
also a vice president of the LA County Federation.
Pechthalt said: "The struggle to win and maintain quality
health care is
something our members deal with every time they sit down and negotiate a
contract. We are committed to achieving guaranteed, comprehensive
health
care reform for all. The current system that has insurance
companies
skimming off exorbitant profits rates while millions of Americans either
have inadequate or no health care coverage must be stopped."
Maryland IBEW and NY Plumber Locals Endorse HR 676
Two more building trades local unions have endorsed HR 676, single payer
healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In Cockeysville, Maryland, IBEW Local 1501 has endorsed the Conyers
bill.
In South Glens Falls, New YoLos Angeles County Labor Federation is 99th
CLC to Endorse HR 676
The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, representing over
800,000 union workers and their families, has endorsed HR 676, single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI). This is the 99th central labor council to endorse the
Conyers
legislation.
The resolution supporting HR 676 was introduced by Joshua Pechthalt,
President of AFT Local 1021, United Teachers of Los Angeles.
Pechthalt is
also a vice president of the LA County Federation.
Pechthalt said: "The struggle to win and maintain quality
health care is
something our members deal with every time they sit down and negotiate a
contract. We are committed to achieving guaranteed, comprehensive
health
care reform for all. The current system that has insurance
companies
skimming off exorbitant profits rates while millions of Americans either
have inadequate or no health care coverage must be stopped."
rk, Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA) Local 773
has also endorsed HR 676, reports Larry Bulman, Business Manager.
Bulman, who also serves as the Chair of the Saratoga City Democratic
Party, says of his local's endorsement, "It was an easy
decision."
Local unions in Baltimore are responding favorably to a request to
endorse
HR 676 made by some of the state's top labor leaders in a letter to all
unions. HR 676 is single payer healthcare legislation introduced
by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
Those unions who have endorsed HR 676 after receiving the letter include
Local 31-N, Graphic Communications Conference (IBT); Local 32 BJ,
SEIU; Local 8-1165, United Steelworkers (USW); UNITE-HERE Mid Atlantic;
and
the Baltimore Francis Stu Filby Area Local, American Postal Workers
Union
(APWU).
IAM, UAW, CWA LOCAL UNIONS ENDORSE HR 676
Unions in Minnesota, Pennsylvania, and California have endorsed HR 676,
single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers
(D-MI).
In Vadnais Heights, Minnesota the Minnesota State Council of Machinists
(IAM) endorsed HR 676 . This is the fourth IAM State Council to
take this action.
In Butler, Pennsylvania, UAW Local 3303 with 1,300 active members and
the Local 3303 Retirees Chapter with 1,600 members have endorsed the
Conyers
legislation.
In Santa Cruz, California, Local 3 of the University Professional and
Technical Employees (UPTE), affiliated with the CWA, has also endorsed
HR 676.
Released February 05, 2008
Lynn Williams is a past International President of
the United Steelworkers (USW) and current president of SOAR,
the Steelworkers' retiree organization. This is what he wrote
about Canada's single payer healthcare in a recent article entitled
"Rebuilding the Labor Movement"
(1/31/08). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lynn-r-williams/rebuilding-the-labor-move_b_84295.html
".. Certainly the right to health care would be part of any
civilized definition of freedom from want or economic security.
"My own experience with the evolution and provision of health care
may prove instructive, as I was in Canada during the time the national
program developed there.
"It works marvelously well from the experience of my family. My
mother lived in a nursing home for the last ten years of her life, and
it cost
only the difference between a double room and her single. Three of my
four children and their families live under it, and it has been just
fine (the fourth lives out of the country). I have been living under it
again since returning to Canada after my retirement as president of the
Steelworkers and have yet to pay a cent for a covered service, which is
virtually everything.
"It is truly universal. It is paid for out of tax revenue. As a
percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it is much less expensive
than the world's highest percentage of GDP spent on health care in the
United States. The U.S. spends $6,102 per person as compared to Canada's
$3,165. Yet, the results are measurably better in Canada, where
there is greater longevity and lower infant mortality
"Every advanced country in the world, with the exception only of
the U.S., has some version of a public health insurance plan. None is
perfect, but what system is? Virtually all have better statistics than
the U.S., are less costly, and provide care to everyone."
For further information, a list of union endorsers, or a sample
endorsement resolution, contact:
Kay Tillow
All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care--HR 676
c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 636 1551
Email: nursenpo@aol.com
02/05/08
SHEET METAL WORKERS' INTERNATIONAL ENDORSES HR 676
Washington, DC-The Sheet Metal Workers' International Association (SMWIA)
has endorsed HR 676, single payer health care legislation introduced by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). The union, which represents over
150,000
members, is the tenth international union to officially endorse HR 676.
Vincent Panvini, the union's Government Affairs Director, said, "We
commend Congressman John Conyers for his vision, leadership and common
sense in addressing the critical need for a national health program that
strengthens the United States domestically and internationally."
Panvini said further, "The Sheet Metal Workers' International
Association
endorses HR 676, the National Health Insurance Act, to insure that all
U.S. residents have access to health care services through a program
that
reduces the cost of health insurance for taxpayers and businesses and
maintains the protection provided to millions of Americans covered by
the
federal and state funding for existing health care programs."
THREE AFT FACULTY UNIONS ENDORSE HR 676
College faculty unions in three states have endorsed HR 676, legislation
that would institute a single payer system in the U.S. introduced by
Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In Anchorage, Alaska, the Representative Assembly of Local 4996, United
Academics-AAUP/AFT, endorsed HR 676 reports local President Carl Shepro.
The local represents 950 faculty members on the three major campuses of
the University of Alaska system.
In New York, Local 3998, Long Island University Faculty Federation,
NYSUT/AFT, has also endorsed HR 676 reports local President Ed Donahue.
In Philadelphia, AFT Local 2026 endorsed HR 676. Local 2026
represents
1,300 faculty and staff at the Community College of Philadelphia.
Local 2026 Co-presidents, John Braxton and Karen Schermerhorn, said
after
the vote, "Health insurance was the single largest issue in our
bargaining
for our contract last year. We came away with our health benefits
largely
intact, but we know it will be even harder next time to negotiate a
contract without health insurance take-aways. This country needs
to catch
up with the rest of the industrialized world and treat health insurance
as
a benefit that all citizens deserve, and take the responsibility away
from
individual employers and individual unions."
CALIFORNIA AFL-CIO ENDORSES HR 676
Oakland, California. The Executive Council of the California
AFL-CIO has
unanimously endorsed HR 676, single payer health care legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers. With over 2.1 million
members the
California State Federation is the largest state affiliate of the
AFL-CIO.
Rose Ann DeMoro, Executive Director of the California Nurses
Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC), introduced
the endorsement resolution shortly after being elected to the Executive
Council of the state federation. The CNA/NNOC has set up a website
at
http://www.GuaranteedHealthcare.org.
California is the 32nd state AFL-CIO to endorse HR 676.
HR 676 has been endorsed by 355 union organizations in 48 states
including
94 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 32 state AFL-CIOs
(KY, PA, CT, OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO, MN, ME,
AR, MD-DC, TX, IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL & CA).
ELEVENTH INTERNATIONAL UNION IFPTE ENDORSES HR 676
Silver Spring, Maryland. The International Federation of
Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE) is the eleventh
international union to endorse HR 676, single payer health care
legislation introduced by Congressman
John Conyers (D-MI).
"All Americans would win with HR 676," said Gregory Junemann,
President of the 75,000 member union. Junemann said,
"Chairman Conyers' bill does exactly what the members of IFPTE have
asked for, namely to provide for a complete dismantling of our broken
healthcare system that has resulted in upwards of 45 million uninsured
Americans and replace it with a national single payer system."
An IFPTE official announced the union's support for HR 676 at a meeting
of the AFL-CIO Healthcare Reform Committee in Washington, DC. At
the IFPTE's 55th Convention, the union had "reaffirmed its support
for a universal or single-payer health care system."
The press release announcing the union's endorsement is at www.ifpte.org.
International unions that have endorsed HR 676 are: UAW, NEA, ILWU,
NALC,
IAM, Plumbers & Pipefitters (UA), Musicians (AFM), UE, CNA/NNOC
& SMWIA.
OPEIU International Union and Masters, Mates & Pilots
Endorse HR 676
The Office & Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) has
become the 12th international union to endorse HR 676, national single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI). The union represents over 100,000 members across the
country.
The International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, a 6,800
member fully autonomous marine affiliate of the International Longshore
Association (ILA), has also endorsed HR 676. The MM&P
represents licensed
deck officers, state pilots, marine engineers, and others in the
maritime industry.
Other international unions that have endorsed HR 676 are UAW, NEA, ILWU,
NALC, IAM, Plumbers & Pipefitters (UA), Musicians (AFM), UE, CNA/NNOC,
SMWIA & IFPTE.
ALASKA AFL-CIO ENDORSES HR 676
The Alaska AFL-CIO has endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), reports state
federation President Vince Beltrami.
Alaska is the thirty-third state AFL-CIO to endorse HR 676. The
endorsement resolution passed last month at the federation's annual
Legislative Conference.
CWA and UE Locals in California Endorse HR 676
Two more California local unions have endorsed HR 676, national single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI).
In San Jose, Louis Rocha, President of CWA Local 9423, reports that the
local has endorsed the Conyers legislation.
In Pomona, UE Local 1421 has also endorsed HR 676, reports Leanna Noble,
International Representative.
CALIFORNIA SCHOOL EMPLOYEES (CSEA) ENDORSE HR 676
San Jose, California. The 230,000 member California School
Employees Association has endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare
legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
The CSEA, directly affiliated with the AFL-CIO since 2001, represents
workers in 750 chapters in school districts and community colleges
throughout California. Founded in 1927, the CSEA is the largest
union of
classified school employees in the country.
Classified employees perform a wide range of essential work, including
food services, maintenance and operations, transportation, instructional
assistance, office and clerical work, security, library and media
assistance, computer services and more.
Two Labor Councils in NY Endorse HR 676; Bring Total to 97
Two labor councils in upstate New York have endorsed HR 676, single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI).
A total of 97 central labor councils and area labor federations have now
endorsed HR 676.
In Elmira, the Chemung/Schuyler Labor Assembly, AFL-CIO, endorsed the
Conyers legislation, reports Margaret Costello, council president.
In Mount Upton, the Tri-County Labor Council also endorsed HR 676,
reports President Mary Twitchell for whom this health care crisis hits
close to home. Twitchell said her uninsured son ".
could purchase health
insurance through his employer but it would cost him half his paycheck.
He's single, lives on his own, what does a family do? It's
outrageous! How can this be happening? The kid pays taxes,
works hard, contributes to
society. What a wake up call for me. The passing into law of HR
676 has become a mission for me," concludes Twitchell.
The Tri-County Labor Council represents unions in Chenango, Delaware and
Otsego Counties.
NEW YORK UNION LEADERS URGE ALL STATE & CLC's TO
ENDORSE HR 676
Nineteen New York labor leaders have sent a letter to all local unions
and central labor councils in the state urging them to endorse of HR
676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John
Conyers
(D-MI).
Writing under the banner of "New York Labor for Single Payer
Healthcare-HR 676" the signers of the letter represent a variety of
unions and come from every geographic region in the state. Eight of the
signers are presidents of Central Labor Councils or Area Labor
Federations.
The letter calls attention to the deep crisis in the nation's health
care system saying "All of us are at risk-all but the private
insurance industry." It goes on to point out that 2.8 million
New Yorkers, including 500,000 children, had no health coverage
whatsoever in 2006, and concludes "We can help our fellow union
members by taking health care off the bargaining table. By
standing up for all working people, and leading the effort to truly
provide healthcare for all, we will affirm labor's rightful role as a
leader in the fight for social justice."
The letter requests that copies of any resolution passed, be sent to
John Sweeney, the NYS AFL-CIO, congressional representatives and New
York's two U.S. senators.
The letter was signed by Mike Keenan, President, Troy Area Labor
Council; Mary Landolfi, President, Local 802 AFM; Paul Sumner,
President, Lodge 1145 IAM; Tom Grace, Chair, Political Action Committee,
Buffalo AFL-CIO; Jim Bertolone, President, Rochester & Genesee
Valley Area Labor Federation; Sandy Pope, President, Local 805 IBT;
Barbara Bowen, President, Local 2334 AFT; Tina Gerardi, Chief Executive
Officer, NYS Nurses Association; Jeff Vogel, Delegate Assembly,
1199/SEIU; Ken Brynien, President, Local 4053 NYS Public Employees
Federation AFT/SEIU; Martha Livingston, Delegate Assembly, Local 2190
AFT; Joe Fox, President, Capital District Area Labor Federation; Kathy
Taylor, President Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation; Steve Green,
President, Albany County Central Federation of Labor; Peggy Costello,
President, Chemung/Schuyler Labor Assembly; Cliff Brosnan, President,
Greater Glens Falls Central Labor Council; Mary
Twitchell, President, Tri-County Central Labor Council; Terry Tyoe,
Division leader PEF Division 169; and Phillip H. Smith, President, Local
2190 AFT United University Professions.
Copies of the letter and accompanying sample resolution can be obtain on
request (please indicate PDF or word document).
UNITED TRANSPORTATION UNION (UTU) ENDORSES HR 676
Cleveland, Ohio. The 125,000 member United Transportation
Union (UTU) is the 13th international union to endorse HR 676, single
payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers
(D-MI).
James Brunkenhoefer, UTU National Legislative Director, said:
"The UTU is for HR 676 because single payer health care will reduce
costs without impacting the quality of the care."
The endorsement resolution was passed by the UTU's U.S. Legislative
Committee during the Tenth Quadrennial Convention. The union is
the largest operating rail union in the U.S. with over 600 local unions.
The convention resolution, which was submitted by the Maryland State
Legislative Board, said in part: "The U.S. health system
continues to treat health care as a commodity distributed according to
the ability to
pay, rather than as a social service to be distributed according to
human need. Insurance companies and HMO's compete not by
increasing quality or lowering costs, but by avoiding covering those
whose needs are greatest."
Twelve other international unions have endorsed HR 676 including the
UAW, NEA, IAM, Plumbers & Pipefitters (UA), Musicians (AFM), UE,
CNA/NNOC, ILWU, NALC, Sheetmetal (SMWIA), IFPTE & OPEIU.
SANTA CRUZ FEDERATION of TEACHERS (AFT) ENDORSES HR 676
Santa Cruz, California. The Greater Santa Cruz Federation of
Teachers has endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
In announcing the endorsement AFT Local 2030 President Barry Kirschen
said:
"Adequate health care must not be considered a luxury enjoyed only
by the rich but a basic service provided to the populace by the
governments of great nations. It is high time that the U.S. adopt
a plan to provide health coverage to every man, woman and child in this
nation."
The union represents 600 certificated faculty, adult educators and
substitute teachers employed by the Santa Cruz City School System.
Cayuga County NY Central Labor Council is 98th CLC to
Endorse HR 676
Auburn, New York. The Cayuga County Central Labor Council
became the 98th Central Labor Council to endorse HR 676, single payer
healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).
The Council is part of the Central New York Area Labor Federation.
George Farenthold, Council President said: "The Conyers bill
is everything that organized labor has been fighting for, for most of
the last 25 years. We're pleased to join the other 97 labor
councils in making an all out effort to make HR 676 the law of the
land." He said the council's resolution passed unanimously on
March 8th.