Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (July 3, 2009)
JULY 3, 2009:NWLP 6/30/09 10:25 AM Page 3 Mass rally urges senators to back public health option WASHINGTON, D.C. (PAI) — Declaring Congress must listen to the voters, and not the health insurance companies, thousands of health care ad- vocates demanded universal, affordable health care at a mass rally at the nation’s Capital June 25. The crowd, featuring more than 1,000 Communications Workers of America legislative conference dele- gates decked out in red “We demand Health Care Now!” T-shirts, later con- verged on Capitol Hill to lobby for af- fordable health care. Other unionists at the rally were from Steelworkers, Laborers (in or- ange), Seafarers, The Newspaper Guild, Office and Professional Employees, In- ternational Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, United Food and Commercial Workers (in yellow), National Educa- tion Association (in blue), Service Em- ployees (in purple), Teamsters, Iron Workers, AFSCME (in green), and Bricklayers. Advocates from almost 200 other groups nationwide chimed in, as some came from as far as Portland. The system they advocate, which is being pushed by the Democratic Obama Administration and hammered out in key congressional committees, features universal coverage, medical cost controls, consumer choice of doc- tors, a government-run Medicare-like alternative to the health insurers, and that the cost not be shouldered by taxing workers for their present insurance. “All of us in the labor movement know we can’t just take care of health care at the bargaining table. The bar- gaining table is being crushed by rising health care costs,” said CWA President Larry Cohen. Some in the crowd campaigned for HR 676, government-run universal health care, with total abolition of the private insurers, their high co-pays and premiums, refusal of care, huge profits and tons of paperwork. “We are here; we’re not going away. We voted for change a few months ago. We expect change. And if we don’t get it, there’s going to be more change,” said Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean. Success on health care reform is a must for Democrats, Dean told The Hill newspaper. “I think it’s going to be a catastrophic problem for the Demo- cratic Party if they can’t get this bill out.” Sen. Sherrod Brown, (D-Ohio) told the throng, “We’re counting on you to go across the street” to the Capitol “and convince and persuade and cajole and cajole and cajole” lawmakers to enact universal health care this year. The spe- cial interests will not hijack this process. We must have a strong public option.” Service Employees International Union Secretary-Treasurer Anna Bur- ger said her members see the impact of lack of health care coverage in the na- tion’s emergency rooms daily. “People are more worried about their medical bills than about the illnesses they have to treat,” Burger said. The in- surers “have bean-counters and paper- pushers telling people what they can’t get.” AFSCME President Gerry McEntee warned the crowd about the controversy over paying the nation’s health care bill. Congressional panels are wrestling with Support grows for single payer health care bill Northwest Oregon Labor Council the latest union group to back HR 676 The largest central labor council in Oregon has endorsed House Resolution 676, the single-payer health care bill in- troduced by Michigan Congressman John Conyers. Delegates to the Northwest Oregon Labor Council voted June 22 to back the bill. The resolution was brought to the council by affiliates United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 and International Brotherhood of Elec- trical Workers Local 48. The endorsement wasn’t unanimous, as a delegate representing Teamsters Joint Council No 37 voted against it. HR 676 would institute a single- payer health care system by expanding the Medicare system to all U.S. citizens. The system would cover every person for all necessary medical care, includ- ing prescription drugs, hospital, surgi- cal, outpatient services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (includ- ing for substance abuse), vision care, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable medical equip- ment, palliative care, and long term care. Its sponsors say HR 676 would end deductibles and co-payments, saving hundreds of billions annually by elimi- nating the high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMOs. HR 676 has 93 House co-sponsors, in addition to Conyers. Jim McDermott of Seattle is the only congressman from the Pacific Northwest supporting the bill. HR 676 has the backing of 541 union organizations in 49 states, includ- ing the Oregon AFL-CIO and Washing- ton State Labor Council. JULY 3, 2009 NOLC is the 128th central labor council nationwide to endorse the legis- lation. Also on board in Oregon are the Southern Oregon Labor Council; Cen- tral Oregon Labor Council; and Marion, Polk, and Yamhill Counties Central La- bor Council. Nineteen international unions are backing the bill, including United Steel- workers of America; United Auto Workers; National Education Associa- tion; International Longshore and Ware- house Union; National Association of Letter Carriers; Machinists; Plumbers and Fitters; American Federation of Musicians; Sheet Metal Workers; Of- fice and Professional Employees; American Federation of Teachers; Serv- ice Employees International Union; American Federation of State, County NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS and Municipal Employees; California Nurses Association; Communications Workers of America; Utility Workers Union of America; International Feder- ation of Professional and Technical Em- ployees; United Transportation Union; and United Electrical, Radio and Ma- chine Workers of America. For more about the bill, go to: www.unionsforsinglepayer.org. an estimated $1 trillion cost over 10 years of the health care overhaul. Over- all, health care consumes $2.5 trillion a year, one-sixth of overall U.S. output. At least 20 percent of that health care cost goes for insurers’ overhead, profits and paperwork. “Taxing health care benefits is the wrong way” to pay for health care, McEntee said. “The right way is, first, to start by taxing the wealthy, and sec- ond, by closing corporate loopholes.” In their lobbying after the rally, unionists warned lawmakers that if workers must pay taxes on their present health benefits, they and the labor movement will turn against the health care legislation. Obama doesn’t favor taxing health benefits, and he continues to support a public option. In making a case for the public option, Obama has said, “If pri- vate insurers say that the marketplace provides the best quality health care, if they tell us that they’re offering a good deal, then why is it that the government, which they say can’t run anything, sud- denly is going to drive them out of busi- ness? That’s not logical.” At the rally, Dean said the public op- tion “is the compromise position. That’s going to be the difference between real reform and a bill that doesn’t do any- thing.” The Republican Party and Big Busi- ness are against the public option — and much of the rest of Obama’s plan. PAGE 3
