Orlando, FL-The largest union in the US, the National Education Association (NEA), has endorsed HR 676, a bill introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) that would establish a national single payer health care system.
The resolution endorsing HR 676 was one of several health care resolutions adopted by the 9,000 delegates to the convention, the Representative Assembly, early in July. It was proposed by California Teachers Association delegate, David Patterson, and called upon the NEA to inform its members about HR 676 through union publications such as “NEA Today,” other union publications, and the NEA website.
The 3.2 million member NEA is the third international union to endorse HR 676 at conventions this summer. Last month the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the West Coast Longshore Union (ILWU) also endorsed the Conyers legislation.
HR 676 now has 75 congressional co-sponsors in addition to John Conyers. It would institute a single payer health care system in the U.S. by expanding a greatly improved Medicare system to every resident.
HR 676 would cover every person in the U. S. for all necessary medical care including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care, chiropractic and long term care. HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMOs.
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HR 676 has been endorsed by 162 union organizations including 34 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and four state AFL-CIO’s (KY, PA, CT & OH).
For further information and a complete list of union endorsers contact:
Kay Tillow
All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care-HR 676
c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 636 1551, (502) 459-3393
email: nursenpo@aol.com.