> From: dbechler@... [mailto:dbechler@...]
> Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 9:19 AM
> Subject: Labor Support For June 19 SF rally for HR 676
> & SB 840
>
>
>
> Dear Health Care Activists,
>
>
>
> Last night, May 12, 2008, the San Francisco Labor Council
> voted unanimously
> to support the June 19th Rally in support of HR 676 and
> California's SB 840
> (single payer) at the America's Health Insurance Plans
> national conference.
> 22 months ago when the SF Labor Council first endorsed HR
> 676, only 2 State
> AFL-CIO Federations of Labor had endorsed HR 676. Today,
> 33 State
> Federations of Labor endorse HR 676. On June 19th,
> thousands of people
> from all walks of life - school secretaries, seniors,
> nurses, patients,
> teachers, medical students, doctors, community activists -
> will rally for a
> healthcare system minus the insurance industry.
>
> Pasted below is the SF Labor Council's resolution and
> details on the June
> 19th rally.
>
> June 19th leaflets for downloading and a current list of
> participating
> groups can be found at www.singlepayernow.net
> <http://www.singlepayernow.net/> .
>
>
>
> We encourage you to forward this announcement.
>
> ___ I have forwarded this announcement.
>
>
>
> Thank you.
>
> Don Bechler
>
> Chair - California Universal Health Care Organizing
> Project.
>
> 415-695-7891
>
> www.singlepayernow.net
> <http://www.singlepayernow.net/>
>
>
>
> SF Labor Council Resolution in Support of the June 19th
> Rally at the
> America's Health Insurance Plans Conference and Calling
> for support for
>
> SB 840, the California Universal Healthcare Act and
>
> HR 676, the U.S. National Health Insurance Act.
>
>
>
> Whereas, our health care system is in decline as evidenced
> by growing number
> of uninsured workers, steeply rising health insurance
> premiums and declining
> quality of care for both insured and uninsured people; and
>
>
>
> Whereas, HR 676 has been endorsed by 408 union
> organizations in 48 states
> including 104 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor
> Federations and 33 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).
>
>
>
> Whereas, a lack of health insurance is a substantial
> barrier to receiving
> health care and has been a proven cause of poor health
> outcomes and increase
> mortality; and
>
>
>
> Whereas, most insured are members of working families whose
> employers do not
> provide health insurance benefits; and
>
>
>
> Whereas, people who have insurance are very worried of
> losing it due to
> declining employer offered coverage and employment
> instability; and
>
>
>
> Whereas, health insurance premiums are growing by double
> digit margins each
> year such that growth in health care spending is the single
> greatest problem
> facing our economy; and
>
>
>
> Whereas, the United States is the last industrial nation in
> the world yet to
> establish a health care plan to cover all residents and the
> United States
> spends twice as much on health care as every other
> industrial nation; and
>
>
>
> Whereas, Senate Bill 840 (Kuehl), and HR 676 (Conyers) are
> plans to
> establish a system of health insurance for everyone without
> the health
> insurance industry thereby stabilizing the growth in health
> care spending,
> and improving quality at the same; and
>
>
>
> Whereas, this model has been tested in every other
> industrial nation in the
> world, and in the United States through Medicare and
> Veterans
> Administration; and
>
>
>
> Whereas, this model is funded by consolidating all public
> monies spent on
> health care and replacing the premiums, co-payments and
> deductibles paid to
> insurance companies with premiums paid to this system; and
>
>
>
> Whereas, an independent financial analysis of SB 840 found
> that the cost of
> providing coverage to the uninsured and underinsured would
> be more than
> offset by savings resulting from administrative implication
> bulk purchasing
> of prescription. This analysis also determined that his
> model would provide
> savings to California businesses, consumers and government;
> and.
>
>
>
> THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the San Francisco Labor
> Council support the
> June 19th rally calling for Healthcare - Yes! Insurance
> Companies - No!, and
> support for HR 676 and SB 840; and
>
>
>
> AND, BE IT RESOLVED, that the San Francisco Labor Council
> urges all of its
> local unions and affiliates to support and attend the June
> 19th rally.
>
>
>
> BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that San Francisco Labor Council
> notify the Alameda
> and San Mateo Labor Councils to do the same.
>
>
>
> Rally Details - Download a leaflet at
> www.singlepayernow.net
>
> Healthcare YES!
>
> Insurance Companies NO!
>
> Join us on June 19th at the convention of the America's
> Health Insurance
> Plans (AHIP), San Francisco at 12 noon for a rally in
> support of HR 676 and
> SB 840, and against the insurance industry.
>
>
>
> From June 18-20, 2008, the America's Health Insurance
> Plans (AHIP) will be
> meeting at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center.
> Their Thursday, June
> 19 program features former U
>
> Senators John Breaux Bill Frist; past Secretary of Health
> & Human Services
> Tommy Thompson: former counselor to President Bush Dan
> Bartlett; and former
> Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Terry
> McAuliffe. All these
> speakers oppose proposals that remove the health insurance
> industry from our
> healthcare.
>
> Rally
>
> June 19 Thursday
>
> Noon to 1:30
>
> Moscone Center West
>
> Howard St at 4th St
>
> San Francisco
>
>
>
> Sponsored by the Single Payer Health Care Coalition
>
> For more information visit: www.singlepayernow.net or call
> 415-695-7891
>
>
>
> Carpools are also available from various locations: Call
> California Alliance
> of Retired Americans at 510-663-4086
>
>
>
> labor donated