Health Care

Health care is a basic human right.  America’s labor movement has worked for more than a century for guaranteed high-quality health care for everyone.  The Affordable Care Act is a historic milestone on this journey, but we still have a long way to go.

America must continue moving forward toward a more equitable and cost-effective health care system. Moving forward means working with employers to demand health care payment and delivery reforms to control costs, allowing people of all ages to buy into the equivalent of Medicare through a public plan option and allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices.  Of course, the most cost-effective and equitable way to provide quality health care is through the social insurance model (“Medicare for All”), as other industrialized countries have shown. 

The worst thing we could do is move backward by repealing the Affordable Care Act or its key provisions; privatizing Medicare or turning it into a voucher program; raising the Medicare eligibility age; increasing Medicare co-pays and deductibles or otherwise cutting Medicare benefits; or taxing employment-based health care benefits. 

More about this issue:

Mar 15, 2024 | News Story

On Wednesday, March 13, Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH)/ Northwell) nurses held a speak-out in front of their hospital and announced that they authorized their executive committee to call a strike if management fails to bargain a fair contract that protects care for Staten Island patient

Mar 15, 2024 | News Story

The unionized employees of Mobilization for Justice, Inc. (MFJ) are wrapping up the third week of their strike for a fair contract and against MFJ's unfair labor practices. On February 23, 93% of voting MFJ Union members rejected management’s contract offer and declared an indefinite strike.

Mar 15, 2024 | News Story

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) this week announced that, by an overwhelming vote of 85% in favor of the union, workers at the Barnes & Noble 82nd Street Store on the Upper West Side of Manhattan have voted to join the RWDSU.

Mar 15, 2024 | News Story

Workers at the Empire Justice Center, who provide civil legal services to New Yorkers in need across the state, won a decisive victory to unionize on Monday, March 4.

Mar 15, 2024 | News Story

After just three days on strike last week, teaching fellows, teaching assistants, course assistants, research assistants, and tutors at The New School, represented by United Auto Workers (UAW), reached a long-awaited tentative agreement at the New School.

Mar 15, 2024 | News Story

The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) gathered with other labor leaders, including AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond, and union members across the labor movement in front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to call on Congress to pass the Protect Our Letter Carriers Act.

Mar 15, 2024 | News Story

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600) and IATSE Local 494 have succeeded in thwarting an elaborate effort by local production company La Celda, LLC to chill both the union’s rights and the rights of produc

Mar 8, 2024 | News Story

After more than six months of bargaining their successor contract, teaching fellows, teaching assistants, course assistants, research assistants, and tutors at The New School, represented by United Auto Workers (UAW), went on strike Wednesday, with supporters including the CLC joining them for th