Union Retirees Persuade Congresswoman to Co-Sponsor HR 676 (Plus More)

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.

Read the Duluth LABOR WORLD here:
http://unionsforsinglepayerhr676.org/articles/2009-05-22/clc_calls_for_afl-cio_endorsement

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.

Read it here: http://unionsforsinglepayerhr676.org/articles

CNA MAKES VIDEO OF NURSES' AND DOCTORS' PROTEST

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.

View it here:
http://unionsforsinglepayerhr676.org/videos/2009-05-19-rns_and_mds_arrested_for_speaking_out


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 77 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 519 union organizations in 49 states including
127 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
05/26/09