St. Paul Regional Labor Federation Endorses HR767, Single Payer Health Care Bill

The St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, is the latest labor
federation to endorse HR 676, Congressman John Conyers’ single payer
healthcare bill.

Robert “Bobby” Kasper, President of the St Paul Federation, reports that
delegates unanimously endorsed the Conyers bill at their regularly
scheduled meeting on Wednesday May 9th. The resolution to support HR 676
was brought to the Federation by Mike Madden, Chair of the Chisago Labor
Assembly, AFL-CIO, and a representative of IAMAW Local Lodge 112.

The Federation represents 117 local unions with over 50,000 members in
Chisago, Southern Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties of Minnesota.

The St. Paul Federation is the 141st Central Labor Council/Area Labor
Federation and the 592nd union organization to endorse Conyers’ “Expanded
and Improved Medicare for All” legislation.

The full text of the adopted resolution follows.

SAINT PAUL REGIONAL LABOR FEDERATION, AFL-CIO

RESOLUTION SUPPORTING EXPANDED AND IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL

WHEREAS:

More than 50 million people in the U. S. are currently without health
insurance,
More than 75 million people went without health insurance for some length
of time during the past two years
Millions more have inadequate coverage or are at risk of losing coverage
Every year 45,000 people die in the U. S. because they had no health
insurance, and

WHEREAS:

The U.S. health system continues to treat health care as a commodity
distributed according to the ability to pay, rather than as a social
service to be distributed according to human need , and Insurance
companies and HMO’s compete not by increasing quality or lowering costs,
but by avoiding covering those whose needs are greatest,

WHEREAS:

A single-payer program as provided by HR 676 is the only affordable option
for universal, comprehensive health care coverage,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

That the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, wholeheartedly
endorses HR 676 “Expanded and Improved Medicare for ALL”; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO will work with other
unions and community groups to build support and action for a single-payer
universal health care and HR 676 until we make what is morally right for
our nation into what is also politically possible.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO will forward this
resolution to the Minnesota AFL_CIO requesting support of a similar
resolution; notify the St. Paul delegation of our support of HR 676 and
encourage the representatives to co-sponsor HR 676 and ask senators to
introduce a companion bill in the senate.

UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE ST. PAUL REGIONAL LABOR FEDERATION, AFL-CIO,
MAY 9, 2012

HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system by expanding a
greatly improved Medicare 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 76 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers.

HR 676 has been endorsed by 592 union organizations including 141 Central
Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 40 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).

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@aol.com
http://unionsforsinglepayer.org
6/8/2012