From editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org Wed Oct 9 20:19:32 2019 From: editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org (Single Payer News Editor) Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2019 20:19:32 -0400 Subject: Massachusetts AFL-CIO Votes to Vet Presidential Candidates on Medicare for All Message-ID: <2de02275975e21ee62fff7676f1ee6ed@unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org> MASSACHUSETTS UNIONS VOTE TO VET PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ON MEDICARE FOR ALL By Nausicaa Renner [1] The Intercept October 9 2019, 8:00 a.m. Members of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO recently passed a unanimous resolution to endorse a presidential candidate _only_ if that candidate supports Medicare for All, marking a break from the labor federation's national leadership, which has equivocated on the question of whether to support universal health care. The resolution, which was passed at a late September convention in Massachusetts attended by delegates from AFL-CIO constituent unions across the country, comes after months of comments from labor leaders criticizing Medicare for All, despite support for the measure among their members. In August and September, Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO, and Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers (an AFL-CIO member union), said publicly that they do not currently support universal health care, despite assurances from Sen. Bernie Sanders, who authored the Medicare for All plan, that a single-payer option would not sacrifice hard-won benefits for union members. "The Massachusetts AFL-CIO urges the national AFL-CIO to endorse a presidential candidate with a demonstrated commitment to the pro-worker agenda that this body has previously endorsed, including but not limited to a $15-dollar federal minimum wage, ending Right to Work nationwide, and a Medicare for All system that recognizes health care as a human right," reads the resolution, which was put forward [2] by Beth Kontos, the president of the American Federation of Teachers in Massachusetts. Kontos told The Intercept that members of AFT Massachusetts reached out to her about putting forward a resolution. "This came from our rank and file," she said, "who all have health care but wanted to make sure there was health care for everyone." "It's gotten to the point where we have this tiered system with people with nothing," Kontos said. "We need to look at a way to take the profit out of it." The Massachusetts AFL-CIO has not received a response to their resolution from the national AFL-CIO. "I haven't heard anything negative, nothing one way or another," Kontos said. "This came from our rank and file who all have health care but wanted to make sure there was health care for everyone." If adopted by the national organization, the resolution would effectively sideline former Vice President Joe Biden, who supports preserving a version of the Affordable Care Act, from being considered for endorsement by the largest federation of labor unions in the U.S. -- and instead focus labor support on Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has adopted Sanders's plan in her platform. During the last presidential election cycle, there was significant support [3] for Sanders within the labor federation, but the AFL-CIO ultimately endorsed Hillary Clinton. The national AFL-CIO office did not return a request for comment. Even as members of the AFL-CIO and American Federation of Teachers have endorsed Medicare for All in recent years, their leaders have consistently hedged on the issue. In 2017, the AFL-CIO passed a resolution [4] at its national convention that was generally supportive of Medicare for All in the long run, but with a caveat: "Our longstanding goal for achieving this is to move expeditiously toward a single-payer system, like Medicare for All, that provides universal coverage using a social insurance model, while retaining a role for workers' health plans." Sanders has responded to labor concerns about the details of Medicare for All. In August, he altered his labor plan [5] to stipulate that companies would have to pay out the money they would have spent in health care in other benefits for their employees. That was apparently not enough for Trumka, the AFL-CIO head. He told Chris Wallace [6] on Fox News over Labor Day weekend that he would "have a tough time" supporting Medicare for All, echoing statements he made to reporters at an event hosted by the Christian Science Monitor [7]. "We think ultimately you're going to have to get to a single-payer plan," Trumka told Wallace, '"but there has to be a role for the hard fought high-quality plans that we've negotiated. Look, it's just unfair to say to somebody, 'You've sacrificed over the last 40 years -- you've given up wages, you've negotiated a good health care plan, and now we're going to ask you to take 50 percent of the health care plan you negotiated.'" Myles Calvey, IBEW 2222 business manager and a vice president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, said Trumka's hesitation is understandable, given the tough negotiating positions labor unions often find themselves in. "Our frustration in the union business is we always have to fight, right from the beginning, when someone says, 'I want to be part of the union,'" he said. But, on the other hand, he added, health care could be "one less thing we have to fight about." "We have to understand that the only thing that's important is our health." "It's going to take a strong Democrat," said Calvey, who is supportive of the resolution and of a Sanders presidency. "We're going to end up in dust, so we have to understand that the only thing that's important is our health." Weingarten, of the American Federation of Teachers, also maintained her opposition to Medicare for All, despite Sanders's assurances. On September 23, she wrote an op-ed [8]for Politico that argued for the coexistence of public and private options in health care, and for Medicare as "a floor, not a ceiling.""Preserving the _option_ for employers and unions to continue to innovate in health care is critically important," she wrote. AFT, which supported Hillary Clinton in 2016, has yet to endorse a candidate for 2020. A member of the AFT, Ben Curttright, responded in Jacobin [9], questioning why Weingarten had taken a stand against Medicare for All, which AFT endorsed in 2018, and repeated a private health insurance talking point she made on Hill TV: "The one thing I am afraid of is that in many of the different plans, that if you have too short a horizon in terms of when insurance goes, you're taking things from people that people rely on right now," Weingarten told Krystal Ball. (Weingarten then responded on Medium [10].) The International Association of Fire Fighters, one of the only unions to endorse a presidential candidate yet this cycle with its vote for Biden, has been staunchly opposed to Medicare for All. "The unique aspect of our profession requires a unique health care coverage," said Harold Schaitberger, the president of IAFF, in August. It's unclear whether the delegate for the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts was present for the Medicare for All resolution vote. Proponents of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO resolution hope that it will encourage other statewide groups to support similar measures and, eventually, build a larger movement for Medicare for All and other left-wing policies. "This is a really old model of how to build support," said Russ Weiss-Irwin, a middle school ESL teacher in Boston and member of the AFT. "It's a way to build consciousness among a small group of people." In July, the Texas AFL-CIO endorsed a similar resolution [11] encouraging its state lawmakers to support Medicare for All and similar local legislation. The Massachusetts delegates also endorsed resolutions [12] supporting comprehensive immigration reform and a just transition to a green economy that describes the "the twin crises of climate change and economic inequality." (In his Fox News interview, Trumka was noncommittal on the Green New Deal, saying that the AFL-CIO would support candidates who made the economy work for working people.") "I'm very happy that members spoke up," Kontos said. "We want to encourage this kind of involvement." https://theintercept.com/2019/10/09/massachusetts-unions-vote-to-vet-presidential-candidates-on-medicare-for-all-breaking-with-labors-top-brass/ [13] ___________________________ Distributed by: All Unions Committee for Single Payer Health Care--HR 676 [14] P. O. Box 17595 Louisville, KY 40217 (502) 636 1551 Email: [15]nursenpo at aol.com http://unionsforsinglepayer.org [14] https://www.facebook.com/unionsforsinglepayer [16] Links: ------ [1] https://theintercept.com/staff/nausicaarenner/ [2] https://www.massaflcio.org/system/files/resolution_to_endorse_a_pro-worker_presidential_candidate.pdf [3] https://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/afl-cio-endorsement-2016-democratic-primary-119701 [4] https://aflcio.org/resolutions/resolution-6-making-health-care-all-reality [5] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sen-bernie-sanders-changes-medicare-for-all-plan-in-face-of-opposition-by-organized-labor/2019/08/21/d8144e06-c423-11e9-9986-1fb3e4397be4_story.html [6] https://www.foxnews.com/politics/afl-cio-head-would-have-a-hard-time-supporting-medicare-for-all-that-eliminates-union-plans [7] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-healthcare/democrats-medicare-for-all-must-consider-union-won-plans-afl-cio-idUSKCN1VJ268 [8] https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2019/09/23/medicare-for-all-000977 [9] https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/09/randi-weingarten-medicare-for-all-aft-president-american-federation-teachers [10] https://medium.com/@rweingarten/letter-to-the-editor-jacobin-f3c376714fc4 [11] https://www.texasaflcio.org/2019-adopted-resolutions/supporting-medicare-all [12] https://www.massaflcio.org/2019Convention [13] https://theintercept.com/2019/10/09/massachusetts-unions-vote-to-vet-presidential-candidates-on-medicare-for-all-breaking-with-labors-top-brass/ [14] http://unionsforsinglepayer.org [15] http://mce_host/roundcube/nursenpo at aol.com [16] https://www.facebook.com/unionsforsinglepayer -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org Sun Oct 27 15:17:53 2019 From: editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org (Single Payer News Editor) Date: Sun, 27 Oct 2019 15:17:53 -0400 Subject: =?UTF-8?Q?=E2=80=9COff=20the=20Table=E2=80=9D=20Video=20Featured?= =?UTF-8?Q?=20at=20Kentucky=20AFL-CIO=20State=20Convention?= Message-ID: LEXINGTON, KY The single payer video, "Off The Table," [1] was featured at the 33rd Biennial Convention of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO held here October 13-15th. The 23 minute video [1], which makes the case for a single payer, improved Medicare for All healthcare system with interviews of union members in Canada and the United States, was introduced by Kay Tillow, executive producer of the video. In keynote speeches, both Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America, and Sara Nelson, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants, brought a fighting single payer message to the convention as well. "Off the Table" can be viewed here [1]. For locals and CLC's that would like to show the video, Unions for Single Payer will provide a speaker to answer questions. Kay Tillow introduces "Off the Table" (photo by Berry Craig) Distributed by: All Unions Committee for Single Payer Health Care--HR 676 [2] P. O. Box 17595 Louisville, KY 40217 (502) 636 1551 Email: [3]nursenpo at aol.com http://unionsforsinglepayer.org [2] https://www.facebook.com/unionsforsinglepayer [4] Links: ------ [1] https://unionsforsinglepayer.org/offthetable/ [2] http://unionsforsinglepayer.org [3] http://mce_host/roundcube/nursenpo at aol.com [4] https://www.facebook.com/unionsforsinglepayer -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 03639bd9.png Type: image/png Size: 445453 bytes Desc: not available URL: From editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org Tue Oct 29 20:09:34 2019 From: editor at unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org (Single Payer News Editor) Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2019 20:09:34 -0400 Subject: A Tribute to Congressman John Conyers, Jr. Message-ID: <23f48a525e732e1cff4dcebfeb257e95@unionsforsinglepayerhealthcare.org> JOHN CONYERS CONFRONTED NANCY PELOSI ON SINGLE PAYER HEALTH CARE By Kay Tillow https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/10/29/1895956/-A-Tribute-to-Congressman-John-Conyers-Jr?_=2019-10-29T16:38:04.060-07:00 [1] In the years since 2003 when Congressman John Conyers, Jr. first introduced HR 676, his national single payer, improved Medicare for All legislation, he often organized public briefings to promote the issue. Conyers would reserve a room somewhere on Capitol Hill, Physicians for a National Health Program would provide a speaker, and all of Congress and their staffers would be invited to attend. This was an educational campaign that escalated in 2009 when health care was on the nation's agenda, but excluded from the discussion by Senator Max Baucus who controlled the health law in his Finance Committee. Single payer activists from around the country would travel to DC to visit their representatives and organize attendance at the single payer briefings. Afterwards Conyers would always invite the advocates to come to his office overlooking the Capitol Dome. On one such occasion, as a rag tag group sat crowded between the bass and the drums and the other items collected from across the globe, Conyers asked us if we would join him in going to see Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Soon he was leading about ten of us at a fast clip, through the back ways and maze of corridors, negotiating with security officers to get us through as we made our way to Pelosi's office. We were told that the speaker was not available. Conyers said that we would wait for her. What was Pelosi's staff to do? They covered their contempt with a layer of proper decorum. Conyers was the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and could not be forced to wait in the hallway. They ushered us into a room with a humongous conference table and brought out a bowl of M and M's. We were an odd assortment of regular folks, some dressed in t shirts, jeans, and tennis shoes and dragging roller bags. Conyers assured the staff that we would wait as long as necessary. After some time Pelosi did manage to come and see us. She couldn't have the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee leading a sit in in her office, could she? She said something respectful about the Honorable Chairman leaving unspoken her irritation at the unannounced visit. Conyers told her that we were there to speak with her about single payer health care. With a straight face, Pelosi said that she was for it, had been for it for thirty years, how could she not be since she was from San Francisco? Conyers spoke softly but firmly. In a polite and quiet voice he said that we had two requests. One was that before the health care bill came to a vote that there would be a hearing on single payer health care in at least one committee with jurisdiction. The second request was that before the health care bill was finalized that she would call for a full meeting of the entire Democratic caucus for a factual presentation on the advantages of single payer health care. Pelosi shook hands round the room, but never answered the questions. And never fulfilled the requests. She continued to say that she supported improved Medicare for All as she worked to assure that it would never see the light of day. Congressman John Conyers had introduced the model single payer bill, HR 676, Expanded and Improved Medicare into each Congress from 2003 to 2017. It was based on the Physicians' Proposal for a national Health Plan. He worked to keep the HR 676 number as a help to those who were building the movement. He attended the modest conferences of the advocates and cheered with us as the endorsements of HR 676 rolled in and the movement grew. He never used the bill to bargain for himself, but kept it intact--a foundation for a future when it would be possible to pass. That's what he did with his Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday bill. Conyers introduced the legislation into the House shortly after King was assassinated. It took fifteen years and a movement of millions to make it a reality. Upon the resignation of Congressman Conyers, the Medicare for All movement lost a champion. There were some who never thought he should be the lead sponsor of the single payer legislation--he worked too closely with communists and other radicals, they said, was too left and too independent of the mainstream Democrats. His single payer legislation has suffered since his departure from the House. The new bill that replaced HR 676 does not convert the investor-owned, for-profit hospitals, nursing homes, and dialysis centers into not-for-profits. The for-profits remain to work havoc on the system, lower the quality, undermine the care, drive up the costs. HR 676's outline of progressive financing is gone--replaced by nothing. The guarantee of two years of annual salary to displaced workers disappeared. An unnecessary and harmful Medicare buy-in has been inserted, giving credence to the false assertion that a transition period is needed. The Medicare Buy-in endangers the support needed to get to full single payer. It will take some work to persuade the new single payer sponsor to restore these principled elements of the model bill. That task still lies ahead. When heroic civil rights champion and humble seamstress Rosa Parks died, Conyers, who had given her work in her later years, arranged that her body would lie in state in the Capitol. She was the 29th person and the first woman to be given such an honor. Conyers should be so honored himself. That is not likely to happen. But the movements that he nourished will find their strength. Medicare for All is featured in every debate and argued over in every blog and newspaper as people rise to claim a health care system that has already been established in every other wealthy country--and some not so wealthy. His work will yet bear fruit. Rest in power, Congressman Conyers. John Conyers, Jr. presente! Distributed by: All Unions Committee for Single Payer Health Care--HR 676 [2] P. O. Box 17595 Louisville, KY 40217 (502) 636 1551 Email: [3]nursenpo at aol.com http://unionsforsinglepayer.org [2] https://www.facebook.com/unionsforsinglepayer [4] 10/29/2019 Links: ------ [1] https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/10/29/1895956/-A-Tribute-to-Congressman-John-Conyers-Jr?_=2019-10-29T16:38:04.060-07:00 [2] http://unionsforsinglepayer.org [3] http://mce_host/roundcube/nursenpo at aol.com [4] https://www.facebook.com/unionsforsinglepayer -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: 5454ba0b.png Type: image/png Size: 174388 bytes Desc: not available URL: