Four California AFSCME Locals and District Council Endorse HR 676

Four AFSCME locals and a Northern California based District Council
have endorsed HR 676, national single payer healthcare legislation
introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

The four locals are AFSCME East Bay Regional Parks, Local 2428;
AFSCME Local 2019; Pleasant City Employees’ Association, AFSCME Local
955; and AFSCME Local 444.

The Oakland-based AFSCME District Council 57 also endorsed the Conyers
bill. In a letter to Congressman Conyers informing him of their
endorsement, Nancy Swindell, Council President, and George Popyack,
Council Director, thanked Conyers for his ’strong leadership on this
important issue to our nation.’

HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system by expanding
a greatly improved Medicare system to everyone residing in the U. S.

HR 676 would cover every person 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, hearing services including hearing
aids, chiropractic, durable medical equipment, palliative care, and long term care.

HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save hundreds
of billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of
the private health insurance industry and HMOs.

In the current Congress, HR 676 has 82 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced SB 703, a single payer
bill in the Senate.

HR 676 has been endorsed by 540 union organizations in 49 states
including
128 Central Labor Councils and Area Labor Federations and 39 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, MI, MT, NE, NY, NV & MA).

For further information, a list of union endorsers, or a sample
endorsement resolution, contact:

Kay Tillow
All Unions Committee For Single Payer Health Care–HR 676 c/o Nurses
Professional Organization (NPO)