Mark Dudzic, National Coordinator, Labor Campaign for Single Payer

Throughout the current health care reform debate, one legislative proposal has enjoyed the most enthusiastic support from a majority of Americans. That legislation is the Single Payer plan in HR.676, the “Medicare for All” legislation. Now, single payer has more momentum than any other proposal. But powerful forces, led by the insurance industry lobby and anchored in the anti-worker right wing, are determined to deny Americans the best solution to one of our most enduring social problems - affordable health care for all.

The battle in Congress today is reduced to whether or not a Public Option will be included in a system which will continue to allow for-profit insurance providers to hold us hostage to their market manipulation. Without having Single Payer under serious consideration by the Congress, the compromise-in-advance Public Option plan is being ferociously attacked, as should have been expected, by some of the same special interests that originally appeared conciliatory to it. Whatever the outcome of the current public policy struggle, a universal, comprehensive, single payer system has to be labor’s ultimate goal.

The labor movement has a special responsibility, now and in the future, to aggressively address the injustice of our broken health care system. No other progressive force has the reach, resources, and the influence to anchor that mobilization.

A majority of State Federations and Central Labor Councils have already recognized this reality by endorsing HR.676. And, a number of CLCs and State Federations have indicated their intention to submit resolutions to the upcoming September AFL-CIO Convention to have Single-Payer and HR.676 approved as the AFL-CIO position on health care in this country. Some resolutions are already in.

The LCS-P Steering Committee encourages others to submit a resolution and we have prepared a model resolution, which is brief (one page) but covers all the major points of S-P advocacy. Resolutions are to be submitted to Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka in accordance to the Convention resolution rules.

A copy of the model resolution is attached or can be found: http://www.laborforsinglepayer.org/modelresolution.pdf

Please send along notification or copies of such submissions to: organizers@laborforsinglepayer.org

Resolution to AFL-CIO 2009 Convention for Single-Payer Health Care – HR.676
Submitted by (Labor Body name- Date)

Our Nation is in crisis. People everywhere are experiencing the effects of economic dislocation and insecurity. The absence of a universal, comprehensive, single-payer health care system is a prominent factor in how desperate the situation is becoming for countless Americans. The Labor Movement has a special responsibility to aggressively address the social injustice of a broken health care system and lead the attack on the institutional causes of its perpetuation. Health care should be a right, not a privilege.

Whereas: the US health system continues to treat health care as a commodity distributed according to ability to pay, rather than as a human right to be dispersed according to medical need. This has resulted in more than 49 million people in the US not having any health insurance and another 40 million who have inadequate coverage with high co-pays and deductibles, with many others at risk of losing coverage as the economy spirals downward. A recent study has shown that 62% of bankruptcies in 2007 were related to problems involving health care. It is certain to be higher today.

Whereas: no union today can engage in collective bargaining without facing a demand or hard choices regarding health care coverage in our contracts. The disproportionate costs of health insurance at the bargaining table have significantly depressed our member’s wages despite the productivity gains their work has produced. ‘Reform’ proposals which include a continuation of for-profit insurance companies, whose interests are counter to and often destructive of ours, will not control costs or improve the international competitiveness of US based employers.

Whereas: HR.676 would end deductibles and co-payments, and provide an effective mechanism for controlling skyrocketing costs while covering all in America. And, HR.676 would save billions annually by eliminating the administrative burdens, overhead and profits and apply those savings to expanded and improved coverage for all.

Whereas: A Single-Payer health care system will provide a major stimulus to the economy, create millions of new jobs, positively increase the national GDP, and create billions in new tax revenues; and

Whereas: hundreds of union organizations, including 39 State Federations and numerous CLCs, have endorsed HR.676 and many have and continue to vigorously advocate for its enactment.

Therefore be it resolved, that the AFL-CIO adopt this resolution and endorse HR.676, the “United States National Health Care Act;” and that the Federation and all its affiliates play a leading role in mobilizing broad public and political support for single-payer health care to meet the needs of our members, their families, and all in America.

On ____________, 2009, the delegates of __________________________________________

Approved the above resolution for submission to the AFL-CIO 2009 Convention and respectfully submit it to:
Secretary-Treasurer Richard L. Trumka
AFL-CIO
815 16th Street NW
Washington, DC 20006

Name & Title ________________________________________ Date _____________, 2009

Signature _______________________________________