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O! USW Member Skvara Set to Chat with Oprah, Michael Moore |
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You’ve seen him on “Hardball with Chris Matthews” and on “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric,” but tomorrow retired United Steelworkers (USW) member Steve Skvara hits the big time—”The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
Skvara entered the national spotlight at the AFL-CIO Presidential Candidates Forum in August when he spoke about how his former company’s bankruptcy had robbed him of part of his pension and all of his family health care coverage. He asked the White House hopefuls:
What’s wrong with America and what will you do to fix it?
Skvara, Winfrey, filmmaker Michael Moore and others will explore what’s needed to fix the nation’s broken health care system on the show, “Sick in America: It Can Happen to You.” It’s scheduled to be broadcast nationally at 4 p.m. in most viewing areas and on ABC-TV affiliate stations, but be sure check your local listings.
When he first was asked to appear on “Oprah” in September, he turned down the invitation because it conflicted with his plans to attend the Alliance for Retired Americans legislative conference that same week. The show’s producers made arrangements to fly him to Chicago for a taping and back to Washington, D.C., so he wouldn’t miss important conference sessions.
Long before he gained national attention after his forum appearance, Skvara has been active in union, retiree and health care issues. Along with his Alliance activism, the Valparaiso, Ind., resident is a district board member of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR). Says Alliance President George Kourpias:
I am extremely proud of Steve for sharing his experience with the world. This is only one example of how retirees will make their voices heard in the health care debate, and it is an important illustration of how powerful each of our stories can be.
One segment of the show will include Moore, who will discuss his film Sicko with a health insurance lobbyist. That should be fun.
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Finally Oprah will have guests with REAL issues to talk! Personally I think Skvara should be nominated for an Emmy for his performance at the presidential debate for the category of reality based social documentary.
I want to see Moore tear the insurance boss a new one! Since SiCKO came out he has endorsed H.R. 676 a bill that has the support of over 300 labor organizations across the U.S.
I believe the U.S. labor movement must get serious about the crisis in our healthcare system! Dennis Kucinich is the ONLY presidential candidate with a real solution!!
Universal Health Care
A poem by David G. Hurlburt CWA 9410 (c)2007
Health care is our basic human right.
Now is the time to stand up and fight.
Put our money and our vote up on the line.
Get up on our feet and walk a picket line.
Dial a phone or write a letter,
Do it so every one will feel better.
Why should only rich have medical care?
And the poor kids die but Bush doesn’t care?
Get out of your chair and in to the street.
It is time for us all to vote with our feet.
Show and tell politicians, turn up the heat.
If we all fight together we can not be beat.
The Iraqis get universal health care,
The rules of war require that its there.
Prisoners in Git-mo get medical care.
But not all Americans that’s just not fair?
What about the hard working poor?
They need medical care for sure?
The system is broken it profits the greedy.
Let us fix the system to serve the needy.
Bush and Cheney are the real Sicko’s,
Impeachment is needed don’t you know.
Denial of health care to all is a high crime,
Remove them from office it is way past time.
While we are at it Health care for profit must go.
Single payer health care for all is the way to go.
Overhead and profit is just another poison pill.
We have had enough we have taken our fill.
Skyrocketing premiums, deductibles and co-pay,
Caused by advertising, profit and big CEO pay.
It must be stopped now and here is the fix.
There is a bill in the congress HR six seven six.
Oprah is better at igniting public outrage than my hero, Michael Moore, where the general public is concerned. We know first hand, as union workers, how very many concessions we’ve made over the last twenty years to hold on to our health care—and has it helped? No. We are still expected to come to the bargaining table to beg for our health care and that of our retirees, and the value of those packages has been severely compromised over the years. Folks on fixed incomes are often in danger of losing the coverage they thought would protect them.
Our retiree brothers and sisters can’t depend on the “generosity” of the employer at contract time—but they can depend on our resolve. If we aren’t going to be able to keep our retirees covered and out of the poorhouse by negotiating it, then we need to do it by legislating it— health care for all Americans.
After spending thirty plus years in the grocery industry, I may not be able to do my regular job anymore. I’m still too young for Medicare, and have preexisting conditions that make it difficult to get any new insurance. As soon as my doctor declares me permanently disabled, I will be at the mercy of future negotiations for my health care. My pension will be there, my Social Security will be there, but my health care is only as good as the next contract.
I don’t generally watch Oprah but I turned it on to see Michael Moore, The German/Canadain Gentleman (missed his name) and that pathetic advocate for the for profit health insurance industry. I thought Oprah’s best moment whas when the German/Canadian trying to be diplomatic to the for profit advocate, made the remark that the term Sociaized Medicine should not be used in refrence to Universal Health Care because it misunderstood, Mike Moore remarked perhaps it should be called “Christinaized Medicine” because Christ would advocate for Universal Health Care. Oprah simply replied , “no I think the term Socialized Medicine is just fine after all that is what Universal Health Care is.. The American people must realize it is a good thing.
I have made two comments under the CWA Posting, however I will reiterate some of the comments as best I can. My next door neighbor worked for Centel/Sprint/Embarq for 35 years. Before retiring he was told there would be cap on life and health insurance the amount the company would pay. His life insurance was reduced from $40,000.00 dollars to $10,000.00 and just recently as of October 1st 2007 he recieved a letter telling him that the company would no longer pay Health Care Benefits !!!! Nada, zilch, and zero!!! What a great American Company!!!!! Some of the retirees are meeting as of October 4th 2007 to discuss what measures they can take. This travesty has happened in the geographical center of North Carolina.(Asheboro) where a certain member of the House of Representative ie Howard Coble is pleased to tell me a union member of 29 years how proud he is to be recepiant of the Adam Smith award in NC and he voted againist the Employee Free Choice Act, because he said ” It gave unions too much power”!!! And right here in his own back yard as it where people are losing their benefits so he can protect his cronies in big business and receive more acolades for stopping of the working class. He and any other Representative should be of the people and for the people. What his actions indicate are terrany! Such blind sidedness leads to this type of self perpetuating greed, and agrandizement by business of all types. Screw the working class you have my blessing thus saith Howard. Also in a speech by Howard to some locals in my town he reffered to the John Locke Foundation specifically a representative from that organization as they were doing the Lord’s work!!! When I questioned that person after that meeting about her work and the comments on the medicaid system, I said why doesn’t your Foundation look into why so many employees of WaL-Mart are on medicaid and what can you do make Wal-Mart pay it share of the health care benefits for its employees. She was stunned I hadn’t thought of that! However, she is doing the Lord’s work as tauted by Congressman Howard Coble from NC 6th District. Amen!