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." #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 74 co-sponsors in addition to
> Conyers.
>
> HR 676 has been endorsed by 509 union organizations in 49 states
> including
> 125 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