From editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org Wed Nov 2 22:41:45 2011 From: editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org (Single Payer News) Date: Wed, 2 Nov 2011 22:41:45 -0400 Subject: IBEW International Convention Endorses Single Payer Message-ID: IBEW International Convention Endorses Single Payer The 38th convention of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) has endorsed single payer health as a solution to the nation's health care crisis. The 3,000 delegates who attended the IBEW convention called upon ? our international officers (to) do everything in their power and authority to work with other groups and elected officials to build support and action for universal single payer health insurance .? The IBEW represents over 725,000 members in the United States and Canada and is one of the largest building trades unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO. The September 2011 convention was held in Vancouver, Canada. Ed Hill, IBEW International Union President who presided at the convention, said afterwards: ?The IBEW believes that single-payer health insurance in the United States is a worthy long-term goal. While a national single-payer system currently has little chance of becoming a reality in the near future, the 38th IBEW International Convention wanted to go on record in support of the concept in order to help nudge the debate forward and keep the issue in front of elected officials.? Resolution 60 on single payer, which was submitted by IBEW Local 23 in St. Paul, Minnesota, and passed by the convention, cites the fact that the United States is spending 16 percent of our Gross Domestic Product on health care but: ? (T)he battle with employers is on-going concerning the increases in health care costs; battles which for the most part we are losing in the form of costs being passed on to our members;? Resolution 60 states that, ? (R)etirees who have previously sacrificed to obtain health care benefits are now being stripped of those benefits;? and says that ?a universal single payer health care plan would reduce wasteful costs to all Americans while continuing to provide excellent health care coverage.? Resolution 60 also calls for sending a copy of the resolution ? to all elected officials in the United States House and Senate and to all elected state legislators.? #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 (including oral surgery, periodontics, endodontics), mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care and correction, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable medical equipment, palliative care, podiatric 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 70 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers. HR 676 has been endorsed by 585 union organizations in 49 states including 138 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 at aol.com http://unionsforsinglepayer.org 11/02/2011 To STOP receiving these emails reply with REMOVE in subject line From editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org Wed Nov 30 23:04:01 2011 From: editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org (Single Payer News) Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2011 23:04:01 -0500 Subject: Teaneck, NJ, calls for immediate enactment of HR 676, national single payer health care Message-ID: <86b2f21aeb18d2e737d75e8c1392af2b.squirrel@www.unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org> Teaneck, NJ, calls for immediate enactment of HR 676, national single payer health care Paula Friedman, Chair of the Retiree Committee of the Bergen County Central Trades and Labor Council in New Jersey, reports that their latest victory is the successful passage of a resolution by the Township of Teaneck calling for the ?immediate enactment? of HR 676, national single payer health care legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). The resolution notes that HR 676 ?would assure universal coverage of all medically necessary services, contain costs by slashing bureaucracy, protect the doctor-patient relationship, (and) assure patients a completely free choice of doctors .? Teaneck Council Member Elie Katz made the motion that was seconded by Council Member Monica Honis. The vote was unanimous. The HR 676 Resolution states that ?the rising cost of insuring public employees can be reduced and best met not by limiting benefits but by providing benefits under a national, publicly-funded health insurance program ? This is particularly important to New Jersey where the attacks on public employee benefits have been massive. In addition, the resolution states that ?the complex bureaucracy arising from our fragmented, for-profit, multi-payer system of healthcare financing consumes approximately thirty percent (30%) of the United States health care spending while the single-payer Medicare system has administrative cost of less that 5%...? and that ?managed care and other market-based reforms have failed to contain healthcare costs, which now threaten the international competitiveness of U. S. manufacturers ? Friedman said that the Retiree Committee has been working to educate municipal governments in Bergen County and seeking their endorsement for HR 676, also known as Expanded and Improved Medicare for All. The committee is made up of representatives from the UAW, Teamsters, Sheetmetal Workers, AFT, Letter Carriers, CWA, and Lithographers, among others.. Friedman encourages unions, labor councils, and retiree councils across the country to endorse HR 676 and then pick up this campaign to win cities and states to also endorse. The list of union endorsers of HR 676 is here: http://unionsforsinglepayer.org/union_endorsers Sample union resolution for HR 676: http://unionsforsinglepayer.org/files/union_endorsers/sample_resolution.doc City Councils and State Legislatures endorsing HR 676: http://unionsforsinglepayer.org/more The Teaneck Resolution is here: http://unionsforsinglepayer.org/files/other_endorsers/Teaneck_NJ_Resolution.pdf #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 (including oral surgery, periodontics, endodontics), mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care and correction, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable medical equipment, palliative care, podiatric 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 72 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers. HR 676 has been endorsed by 585 union organizations in 49 states including 138 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 at aol.com http://unionsforsinglepayer.org 11/30/2011 To STOP receiving these emails reply with REMOVE in subject line