From editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org Tue Nov 11 22:28:59 2014 From: editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org (Single Payer News) Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 22:28:59 -0500 Subject: North Idaho CLC in Coeur =?iso-8859-1?Q?D=92Alene_Endorses_HR_676?= Message-ID: <45f14d74286cebb2cf0a304125660419.squirrel@unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org> North Idaho CLC in Coeur D?Alene Endorses HR 676 "The North Idaho Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, has endorsed HR 676,? reports President Brad Cederblom. ?We realize that the Affordable Care Act was a step in the right direction, but we believe that a Single Payer System would be better for all of our members," he stated. The North Idaho Central Labor Council is located in Coeur D?Alene, a region of Idaho rich in labor history since the 1890?s when miners waged militant struggles to defend their conditions and to found their union, the Western Federation of Miners. Cederblom, President of the North Idaho CLC since 2009, was instrumental in bringing HR 676 before the Idaho AFL-CIO convention in June of 2013, when Idaho became the 43rd State AFL-CIO Federation to endorse the bill. Cederblom is from Ironworkers Local 14 where he has held 14 elected positions including Vice President. The North Idaho Central Labor Council is the 148th CLC to endorse HR 676, Expanded and Improved Medicare for All. #30# HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system by expanding a greatly improved Medicare to everyone residing in the U. S. Patients will choose their own physicians and hospitals. 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 62 co-sponsors in addition to Congressman Conyers. HR 676 has been endorsed by 615 union organizations including 148 Central8Labor Councils/Area Labor Federations and 44 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, NJ, NY, NV, MA, RI, NH, ID & NM). 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 11/11/2014 To STOP receiving these emails reply with REMOVE in subject line. From editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org Thu Nov 13 22:40:15 2014 From: editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org (Single Payer News) Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 22:40:15 -0500 Subject: Join Demonstrations in Solidarity with Postal Workers Message-ID: <37256363b299d77cf7cdc5536bc15d08.squirrel@unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org> Join Demonstrations in Solidarity with Postal Workers National Day of Action Friday, Nov 14 Join an Event Near You! http://www.apwu.org/news/web-news-article/join-event-near-you US Postal Service Poised to Make Devastating Cuts in Service: Postal Workers to Deliver Message ? ?Stop Delaying America?s Mail? ? At 150 Protests in 50 States For Immediate Release 11/13/2014 - Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe and the USPS Board of Governors, the board that oversees the U.S. Postal Service, are poised to make devastating cuts in service to the American people ? cuts so severe that they would forever damage the U.S. Postal Service. ? On Jan. 5, the USPS is slated to lower ?service standards? to virtually eliminate overnight delivery ? including first-class mail from one address to another within the same city or town. ? All mail (medicine, online purchases, local newspapers, newsletters of religious organizations, bill payments, letters and invitations) throughout the country would be delayed. ? Beginning Jan. 5, 82 Mail Processing & Distribution Centers are scheduled to close. On Nov. 14 postal workers will protest at 150 locations as part of a National Day of Action to send a message to Postmaster General and the USPS Board of Governors: Stop Delaying America?s Mail! The cuts would cause hardships for the public and small businesses, eliminate jobs, and destroy the world?s most efficient and affordable delivery network by driving away mail and revenue. They are part of the same flawed strategy that?s behind efforts to end Saturday and door-to-door deliveries, cut back post office hours, and make other reductions in mail service. The travesty is that the cuts are absolutely unnecessary ? because postal operations are profitable. The Postal Service, which isn?t funded by taxpayers, has earned an operating profit so far this year of more than $1 billion. And, while revenue from First Class Mail has been declining, package delivery, largely due to the growth of e-commerce, has been rapidly expanding. There is red ink, but it stems from political interference, not from the mail. In 2006, a lame-duck Congress mandated that the Postal Service pre-fund future retiree health benefits 75 years in advance ? something no other public agency or private firm is required to do. That costs the Postal Service $5.6 billion a year ? and that?s the red ink. Fifty-one senators and 160 House members have called for a one-year moratorium on the reduction in service and the closure of the mail processing centers to allow Congress time to enact postal legislation that would improve, not degrade, postal service. The Postmaster General and USPS Board of Governors should honor their request. For more information, visit www.StopMailDelays.org or https://www.facebook.com/stopdelayingamericasmail. - See more at: http://www.apwu.org/news/press-release/us-postal-service-poised-make-devastating-cuts-service-postal-workers-deliver#sthash.i6DBn6h8.dpuf http://www.apwu.org/news/press-release/us-postal-service-poised-make-devastating-cuts-service-postal-workers-deliver Distributed by: All Unions Committee for Single Payer Health Care?HR 676 c/o Nurses Professional Org. 1169 Eastern Parkway #2218 Louisville, KY 40217 (502) 636 1551 nursenpo at aol.com 11/13/14