Labor moves quickly into showdown on health care

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.pww.org/article/articleview/15557/

Author: John Wojcik
People's Weekly World Newspaper, 05/08/09 16:50

The labor movement, determined to be heard as Congress and President Obama hammer out changes in the U.S. healthcare system, is insisting that any new plan include the four features of cost controls, a public option to compete with private insurers, a ban on taxation of employer-based plans, and a choice of doctors and hospitals.

Although unions were not included in the “roundtables” held by key congressional committees last month, they are determined to be represented at formal hearings in June and they plan to lobby lawmakers on an almost round-the-clock basis. The labor movement is also organizing grass-roots demonstrations in support of its four point program.

Almost all the unions that have endorsed single-payer government-run health care coverage are joining in the effort, not because they have changed their position but because they realize a new national approach to health care will emerge, probably by the fall, and they want to insure that the approach that does emerge is the most progressive one possible.

The labor movement sees the skyrocketing cost of healthcare as an impediment to any type of economic recovery. Health care costs raced upwards by 97 percent in the last ten years, leaving inflation and wage hikes in the dust. The costs have been a burden to unions, have forced workers to trade wage hikes for keeping their insurance, and have made companies less than competitive on the world market.

The unions also note that in exchange for all these costs, Americans are getting health care that is inadequate when compared to what is available in many countries around the world.

“The economy cannot afford not to reform health care. We need to mobilize an army across the country to change the health care system by the end of this year and we need nurses at the head of that army.” The words were those of President Obama’s Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius as she addressed a legislative conference in Washington May 6. The conference of nurses was called by the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees.

FULL story at link.

[imdjh]

1. kick

[razors edge]

2. Too bad we didn't have "Stress Tests"

for the medical system before it got to this point. The fact that more than half of bankruptcies are due to medical bills didn't seem to get the point across, apparently an expensive exercise to test the obviousness of the obvious is the only thing that gets consideration for action.

Maybe the Fed will print up a few trill and save us all, or maybe not. I seriously doubt it.

[Earth Bound Misfit]

3. Too big to fail? You & I? Doubtful.

K & R :kick:

[dcsmart]

4. the revolution will begin with organized labor K & R

unions need to begin to take on social and political issues and become a true voice for all working people. right now with the single-payer issue you have thousands of people from unions and single-payer organizations pushing the issue.


:toast:

[Earth Bound Misfit]

5. You said a mouthful...

"unions need to begin to take on social and political issues and become a true voice for all working people"

[dcsmart]

6. there some strong voices that support this

Labor Needs A Radical Vision
http://www.centerforlaborrenewal.org/?P=A&Category_ID=1\

Even more than militant unions, U.S. needs a working people’s movement, Fletcher & Gapasin say
http://talkingunion.wordpress.com/2008/10/20/even-more-than-militant-unions-us-needs-a-working-peoples-movement-fletcher-gapasin-say/


Bill Fletcher, Jr. and Fernando Gapasin
Solidarity Divided
The Crisis in Organized Labor and a New Path toward Social Justice
A new direction for labor by two of its leading activist intellectuals
http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/11121.php

can't forget Eugene
Revolutionary Unionism
http://www.marxists.org/archive/debs/works/1905/revunion.htm

:toast:

Unions have the political power necessary to confront the corporate-political system. the more people unionize, the more power and political participation we will have....this is the "Workers of the World Unite" type of organization....a

"social system under which the necessaries of production are owned, controlled, and administered by the people, for the people, and under which, accordingly, the cause of political and economic despotism having been abolished, class rule is at end." ”.
http://www.marxists.org/archive/deleon/works/1906/060123.htm

DeLeon was talking about socialism, but i left that part out...LOL....