Kay Tillow, All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care, May 18, 2008

Three more Central Labor Councils have endorsed HR.676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). One hundred and seven Central Labor Councils have now endorsed HR.676. In Mansfield, Ohio, the Crawford-Richland Labor Council AF-CIO endorsed HR.676 after inviting Dr. Jonathan Ross to address their regular monthly meeting. Dr. Ross, a Toledo physician, is a national leader of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP). In Quincy, Massachusetts, the Norfolk County Labor Council AFL-CIO has also endorsed the Conyers legislation. In Brockton, Massachusetts, the Plymouth-Bristol Central Labor Council AFL-CIO endorsed HR.676. More than 50 per cent of Massachusetts CLCs  have now endorsed the Conyers bill.

HR.676 would institute a single payer health care system in the US by expanding a greatly improved Medicare system to every resident. HR.676 would cover every person in the US for all necessary medical care including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care, chiropractic and long term care. HR.676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR.676 would save billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMOs. HR.676 currently has 90 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers. Co-sponsors and bill text are here: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.00676: HR.676 has been endorsed by 417 union organizations in 48 states including 107 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 33 state AFL-CIOs (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).

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