SEARCH
Working America and Allies Rally to Demand Better Health Policies |
|
 |
||||
|
||||
Frank Snyder, Pennsylvania Labor 2008 state director, reports on Working America’s Week of Action.
Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) and Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Labor Federation chairman and Allegheny County Labor Council president Jack Shea were the featured speakers at a health care rally sponsored by Working America and the Allegheny council. The event was hosted June 3 by the United Steelworkers at their national office in Pittsburgh.
The rally was one in a series of events taking place across the country as part of “Working America Week” to highlight the union movement’s ability to reach nonunion members through Working America. Taking part were allies and union members from CWA, GCIU, PFT, SEIU, UFCW, UMWA and USW.
The first speaker, Del Linville, a retired member of GCC/IBT Local 440, explained how Working America brings together working families.
It makes it easier for everyone to get involved in events like phone banks, labor walks, worksite leafleting and events like this one today.
Linville went on to discuss the disastrous state of health care in this country. He said it’s important that we in the union movement “demand in this election that we get health coverage for everybody, no matter who they are,” to save lives and do away with the current unfair policies that leave many underinsured or uninsured.
While the main topic was health care, other issues important to both union and nonunion members also were featured. As Shea emphasized in his speech:
Nonunion issues are the same as union issues, and working families all around the state and country are concerned about their wages, pensions, health care, job security and the education of their children.
Altmire acknowledged the huge role the labor movement played in his election to Congress in 2006:
Through the work of the people in this room, you made a difference for me in this state. The 2 million people who are gathering today all around the country, representing the AFL-CIO and Working America, are the people who made the difference all across the country. We had a national tidal wave in 2006.
Altmire said health care is an issue “that comes up all the time” and too many people are getting left behind under current health care policies. He encouraged those at the event to continue being active in this election cycle because the labor movement “was the difference in 2006” and will be the difference again in 2008.
Last year, 87,000 workers joined unions in Pennsylvania, further bolstering our 900,000 active members in the state. With Working America’s 400,000 members, along with our retirees, Pennsylvania’s labor movement of 1,800,000 members is truly in a position to be the difference the congressman suggests.
1 Comment
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Here’s the $64,000 question: How in the world could we have a productive society contributing to a healthy economy if we do not insure the health (and safety) of our citizens?
For those who do not know the answer to this rhetorical question, the answer is . . . WE CAN’T.