From editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org Thu Oct 15 21:47:28 2015 From: editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org (Single Payer News) Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2015 21:47:28 -0400 Subject: Champaign, Illinois, Education Support Staff Union Endorses HR 676 Message-ID: CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS, EDUCATION SUPPORT STAFF UNION ENDORSES HR 676 The Champaign Schools Education Support Staff Union, affiliated with the National Education Association [1] and the Illinois Education Association [2], has endorsed HR 676 [3], national single payer health care legislation, reports Heidi Johnson, Executive Board Member of the union. "As an elected union officer I see how the healthcare benefits for our members is becoming harder and harder to get during our negotiations," said Johnson. "I am afraid that in the near future it will become even worse," she said in explaining why the union took this action for single payer. "I am from Germany originally so I am very familiar with single payer healthcare system and unfortunately had to live under this American style corporate system for many years. Believe me, this healthcare system in the US is horrible, and I believe that this country could do so much better," Johnson stated. The union has 400 members including secretaries, custodians, bus drivers and monitors, food service workers, maintenance and teacher aides. David Johnson, a retired carpenter, host of the Central Illinois World Labor Hour radio program, and a delegate to the Champaign County AFL-CIO, was instrumental in bringing the single payer issue to this union. In other single payer news, two additional congresspersons, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts and Alma Adams of North Carolina signed on in September as co-sponsors of HR 676 [4], bringing the total to 53. #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 53 co-sponsors [5] in addition to Congressman Conyers. HR 676 has been endorsed by 621 union organizations [6] including 151 Central Labor 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. For a list of union endorsers [7], or a sample endorsement resolution [8], contact: Kay Tillow All Unions Committee for Single Payer Health Care--HR 676 [9] 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 https://www.facebook.com/unionsforsinglepayer [10] Links: ------ [1] http://www.nea.org/ [2] http://www.ieanea.org/ [3] https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/676?q={%22search%22%3A[%22%22hr676%22%22]}&resultIndex=1 [4] https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/676/cosponsors?q={%22search%22%3A[%22%22hr676%22%22]}&resultIndex=1 [5] https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/676/cosponsors?q={%22search%22%3A[%22%22hr676%22%22]}&resultIndex=1 [6] http://unionsforsinglepayer.org/union_endorsers [7] http://unionsforsinglepayer.org/union_endorsers [8] http://unionsforsinglepayer.org/tools/sample_resolution [9] http://unionsforsinglepayer.org/ [10] https://www.facebook.com/unionsforsinglepayer -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: