Better Than Nothing: Labor Reacts to Passage of Healthcare Bill (photo of Obama at vote 216)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/5727/labor_reactions_to_the_passage_of_health_care_reform/

Monday March 22 2:15 pm

By Lindsay Beyerstein

"We just witnessed history in the making," wrote Jessica Kutch on the SEIU's blog late Sunday night: The House of Representatives had just passed a comprehensive healthcare reform bill. After years of struggle, the U.S. is poised to extend health insurance to 32 million people and curb the worst excesses of the private insurance industry.


President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and senior staff react in the White House, as the House passes the healthcare reform bill on March 21, 2010. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)

"For all those who said "Yes, we can" even when the opposition threw everything it had in our way: It is a new day," SEIU president Andy Stern said in a statement released immediately after the vote.

Obviously, the passage of healthcare reform is a victory for congressional Democrats, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Obama. But to no small extent, it's also a victory for the labor movement. From the beginning, unions have been among the strongest voices for reforming the country's healthcare system. In the final push before this weekend's vote, senior labor leaders played a key role in whipping recalcitrant members of Congress into shape.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka threw himself into the final drive for House votes last week. Some pro-union Democrats, like Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts, were hesitant to support the bill because they didn't think it did enough for labor. One of Trumka's main objectives was to give these representatives permission to support the bill.

FULL story at link.

[kestrel91316]

1. He'll be here to piss in your Wheaties in 3...2...1.....