Unions announces efforts to mobilize passage of healthcare for all legislation
WHAT: Statehouse press conference with leaders representing all major labor unions in Vermont
WHEN: 11am, Tuesday, February 16th
WHERE: Cedar Creek Room, Statehouse, Montpelier
WHO: Working Vermont, a coalition of Vermont labor unions have joined the Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign in an effort to make Vermont the first state in the country to establish the moral commitment that healthcare will be treated as a public good for every resident. Unions participating represent over 30,000 Vermonters include the Vermont State Labor Council AFL-CIO, Vermont NEA, Vermont State Employees Association, Vermont Federation of Nurses & Health Professionals – United Professions of Vermont/AFT, United Nurses & Allied Professions, United Electrical Workers and Vermont Building & Construction Trades Council.
“For a long time union workers were able to negotiate health insurance coverage as a benefit as part of our compensation. But with exploding healthcare costs which are spiraling out of control, we now believe that the current healthcare system is broken and needs fundamental change. It is time that healthcare be treated as a basic right, as a public good for every Vermont resident. Vermonters are paying almost $5 billion dollars a year for healthcare, if we actually put all of our healthcare dollars towards actual healthcare, we would have more than enough money to provide high quality comprehensive care for every one of us,” said Jennifer Henry, RN, who is the President of the United Professions of Vermont/AFT.
The Healthcare Is A Human Right campaign, which is coordinated by the Vermont Workers’ Center, is a growing grassroots network of Vermonters who have been organizing to build enough support for Vermont to take fundamental steps to fix the broken healthcare system.
“We think we need to create change at the roots of crisis, which to us means eliminating the treatment of healthcare as a commodity, ending the fee for service practice, and divorcing healthcare from employment. It should not matter who you are, where you work, or how much money you have. If someone in our community needs health services they should be available just as the fire department and K-12 public education are available to everyone, and we pay for them equitably, ” says Amy Lester, a school guidance counselor from Plainfield and local leader of her Vermont NEA chapter.
Several healthcare bills have been introduced and are in current consideration by the Vermont Legislature. The Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign is looking for major strides to be accomplished in 2010. “Action needs to take place this year. We feel there is real urgency to have a fully implemented, universally accessible healthcare system and any implementation plan should find the shortest possible route to this goal,” says Jill Charboneau, a postal worker from Middlebury and acting President of the Vermont State Labor Council.
At the press conference leaders will announce plans to hold a Healthcare Is A Human Right Rally on Saturday, May 1st in Montpelier. Last year’s May 1 Statehouse Healthcare Is A Human Right rally drew over twelve hundred participants and is considered the largest weekday rally in the state capitol’s history.
BACKGROUND: In 2008, the Vermont Workers’ Center launched the Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign.. After the huge May 1, 2009 rally, the campaign began collecting thousands of postcards signed by Vermonters across the state supporting Healthcare Is A Human Right and calling for action in the Legislature in 2010. In September a series of ten People’s Forums on Healthcare across the state with 77 state legislators and more than 800 people participating. They were held in Montpelier, Bennington, Brattleboro, Burlington, Rutland, Danville, St. Albans, Colchester, Morrisville and Vergennes. At the December 1st People’s Forum in Colchester, Sen. Doug Racine the Chair of the Vermont Senate Health & Welfare Committee, announced that joint hearings on single payer bills H.100 and S.88 will begin on January 12. On January 6th over 200 hundred people attended an event to deliver over 4000 postcards to Sen. Racine, Senate President Peter Shumlin, Speaker Shap Smith and House Committee on Healthcare Chair, Rep. Steve Maier. Over 350 Vermonters filled into the the Statehouse for the January 12 Hearing, with an overwhleming majority calling for Vermont to fix the broken healthcare system. Vermont’s Senator Bernie Sanders said at the event “We have an historic opportunity, not only for the people of this state but for the people of America, of leading this country forward in terms of a comprehensive, cost effective universal healthcare system, and if Vermont goes forward, other states will follow.”
ENDORSERS: List of the 100+ Vermont organizations who have endorsed the Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign click here: http://workerscenter.org/node/43
MORE INFO:
- Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign Toolkit, FAQ and January 29th Testimony to Joint Health Committees: www.workerscenter.org/toolkit
- “VT. health reform tops January Agenda” VT Press Bureau http://www.timesargus.com/article/RH/20091214/NEWS03/912140360
- “To Your Health” 12/22/09 Seven Days column by Shay Totten http://www.7dvt.com/2009your-health
- Dec 10: Human Rights Day Report with Nurses & Sen. Racine: http://www.workerscenter.org/node/190
- Sen. Racine Announces Hearings on S.88/H.100: http://www.workerscenter.org/node/185
- Rutland Herald Editorial endorses HCHR Campaign: http://www.workerscenter.org/node/138
- Musicians launch benefit CD for HCHR Campaign: http://vermontcareforall.org/
- VPR’s All Things Considered with Scott Ainslie, musician and HCHR leader. Link to listen http://www.vpr.net/flash/audio_player/audio_player.php?id=29863
- Dec 5: The Vermont NEA, the State’s Largest Union Gets Behind HCHR Campaign http://www.workerscenter.org/node/189
- Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign: www.workerscenter.org/healthcare
- Summary of bills S.88/H.100: http://www.workerscenter.org/node/168
- Burlington Free Press My Turn “Vermont Must Lead The Way” http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20091202/OPINION02/912020315/1006/OPINION/My-Turn-Vermont-must-lead-on-health-care
- Vermont Public Radio Report on HCHR: http://www.workerscenter.org/node/134
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James Haslam
Director/Lead Organizer
Vermont Workers’ Center
294 North Winooski Avenue
Burlington, VT 05401
james@workerscenter.org
www.workerscenter.org
802-861-4892 office
802-272-0882 cell
