The members of the coalition did not disclose or endorse a specific plan, and their group drew flak because of its most prominent member: Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott.
Besides CWA President Larry Cohen and SEIU President Andy Stern, other participants in "Better Health Care Together" Feb. 7 included the Center for American Progress--a pro-Democratic think tank--AT&T and Intel. AT&T\'s workers are unionized with CWA.
The notable participant was Scott, whose firm--the nation\'s largest private employer--is known for its expensive health care coverage, skimpy wages, labor law-breaking, mistreatment of workers and the fact that it forces 46 percent of its workers and their families into publicly paid health care programs.
And when a reporter asked Scott if Wal-Mart would commit to spending more on health care or covering more of its workers at a lower cost, he said no. That, and the presence of other unionists, drew criticism from UFCW President Joe Hansen, leader of the drive to expose Wal-Mart and its ill-treatment of workers and labor law-breaking.
Cohen, Stern, Scott and the others declared the U.S. "health care system is broken. The traditional employer-based model of coverage in its current form is endangered without substantial reform to our health care system. It is being crushed by out-of-control costs, pressures of the global economy, and the large and growing number of uninsured." They said workers are threatened, as are firms.
The crisis is solvable, the group declared, only if "business, government, labor, the health care delivery system and the nonprofit sector work together" around four principles of health care: Quality affordable health insurance for all; individual responsibility "to maintain and protect their health"; dramatically more efficient health care spending; and that "businesses, governments, and individuals all should contribute to managing and financing a new health care system."
Cohen explained he joined the coalition because "Our current system puts a huge strain on employers that provide quality benefits for employees--both current and retired--and their families. It forces many businesses to compete not on the quality of their products, services and performance, but instead on the cost of health care benefits. It is long past time to move health care--a public good--from the corporate balance sheet to the public balance sheet."
Stern elaborated on his stand by saying health care is not just an economic crisis for workers and companies but "a moral crisis."
"Today we all add our voices to that effort and help drive it forward," Stern added. "This partnership of unlikely allies offers even greater hope that we can finally stop talking about health care and do something about it."
But advocates of single-payer health coverage and probers of Wal-Mart\'s role in driving down health coverage and living standards in general blasted Stern. Hansen, who served over a year on a special congressionally created health care panel, and whose union has been trying to organize Wal-Mart despite the law-breaking, was very critical.
"Wal-Mart is the largest corporation that provides the least health care to employees. But suddenly the company has become a proponent of health care for everyone--apparently, though, as long as Wal-Mart doesn\'t have to deal with the health care needs of its own employees. Wal-Mart is changing its public posture, but it also needs to change its actual practices."
Share
The members of the coalition did not disclose or endorse a specific plan, and their group drew flak because of its most prominent member: Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott.
Besides CWA President Larry Cohen and SEIU President Andy Stern, other participants in "Better Health Care Together" Feb. 7 included the Center for American Progress–a pro-Democratic think tank–AT&T and Intel. AT&T\’s workers are unionized with CWA.
The notable participant was Scott, whose firm–the nation\’s largest private employer–is known for its expensive health care coverage, skimpy wages, labor law-breaking, mistreatment of workers and the fact that it forces 46 percent of its workers and their families into publicly paid health care programs.
And when a reporter asked Scott if Wal-Mart would commit to spending more on health care or covering more of its workers at a lower cost, he said no. That, and the presence of other unionists, drew criticism from UFCW President Joe Hansen, leader of the drive to expose Wal-Mart and its ill-treatment of workers and labor law-breaking.
Stern\’s stand also was hit by a 25,000-member SEIU local in Chicago that, the day before, backed government-run single-payer health care. More than 200 other union groups also back that "Medicare for all" plan by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.
Cohen, Stern, Scott and the others declared the U.S. "health care system is broken. The traditional employer-based model of coverage in its current form is endangered without substantial reform to our health care system. It is being crushed by out-of-control costs, pressures of the global economy, and the large and growing number of uninsured." They said workers are threatened, as are firms.
The crisis is solvable, the group declared, only if "business, government, labor, the health care delivery system and the nonprofit sector work together" around four principles of health care: Quality affordable health insurance for all; individual responsibility "to maintain and protect their health"; dramatically more efficient health care spending; and that "businesses, governments, and individuals all should contribute to managing and financing a new health care system."
Cohen explained he joined the coalition because "Our current system puts a huge strain on employers that provide quality benefits for employees–both current and retired–and their families. It forces many businesses to compete not on the quality of their products, services and performance, but instead on the cost of health care benefits. It is long past time to move health care–a public good–from the corporate balance sheet to the public balance sheet."
Stern elaborated on his stand by saying health care is not just an economic crisis for workers and companies but "a moral crisis."
"Today we all add our voices to that effort and help drive it forward," Stern added. "This partnership of unlikely allies offers even greater hope that we can finally stop talking about health care and do something about it."
But advocates of single-payer health coverage and probers of Wal-Mart\’s role in driving down health coverage and living standards in general blasted Stern. Hansen, who served over a year on a special congressionally created health care panel, and whose union has been trying to organize Wal-Mart despite the law-breaking, was very critical.
"It\’s not appropriate to take the stage with a company that refuses to remedy its mistreatment of workers, among other irresponsible practices. Wal-Mart is actually decreasing health care coverage to employees and facing the largest gender discrimination case in the history of this country," Hansen said.
"Wal-Mart is the largest corporation that provides the least health care to employees. But suddenly the company has become a proponent of health care for everyone–apparently, though, as long as Wal-Mart doesn\’t have to deal with the health care needs of its own employees. Wal-Mart is changing its public posture, but it also needs to change its actual practices."