Unions Oppose Any Taxing of Health Benefits

Unions Oppose Any Taxing of Health Benefits

Unions Oppose Any Taxing of Health Benefits

During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama was sharply critical of
Senator John McCain for wanting to tax health care benefits.  Currently,
administration officials have not ruled out such a tax which was floated
by Democrats in the Senate.  On June 24th, at an ABC News televised town
hall meeting, President Obama refused to rule out the taxing of health
benefits.

A majority of international unions have signed on to a letter to all U.S.
Senators opposing any health reform proposal that would tax health care
benefits saying,  "…(W)e wish to express our strong opposition to any
proposal that would pay for this reform by altering the tax treatment of
employer provided health care."

Vincent Panvini, Director of Government Relations for the Sheet Metal
Workers' International Association, who was instrumental in organizing the
letter, said that opposition to any bill that included taxing of health
care benefits would be "tremendous."  "You haven't seen nothing yet," he
added.

The list of the signers of the letter is below.

A June 18th article in Roll Call tells how and why the unions put the
letter together.
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_148/news/35990-1.html?type=printer_friendly

The full text of the letter can be found on the website of the Teamsters at:
http://www.teamster.org/content/teamsters-urge-congress-reject-proposals-tax-employer-provided-health-benefits

Air Line Pilots Association
Amalgamated Transit Union
American Federation of Government Employees
American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada
American Federation of Teachers
American Postal Workers Union
Association of Flight Attendants
Association of Professional Flight Attendants
Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way
Communications Workers of America
International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and
Reinforcing Iron Workers
International Association of Fire Fighters
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
International Longshore and Warehouse Union
International Longshoremen's Association
International Union of Police Associations
International Union, UAW
Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO
National Air Traffic Controllers Association
National Association of Letter Carriers
Professional Aviation Safety Specialists
Seafarers International Union
Sheet Metal Workers International Association
Transport Workers Union of America
United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters
United Mine Workers of America
United Steel Workers
United Transportation Union

Distributed by:
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
06/26/09