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:

May 5, 2023 | News Story

On Friday, Barnes & Noble workers at the flagship Union Square, New York store filed for their union election with the NLRB seeking representation with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).

May 5, 2023 | News Story

“No contract, no peace!” That was the rallying cry outside of Carnegie Hall last Saturday as the DCINY Orchestra and their allies ramped up their campaign for a fair contract with DCINY.

May 5, 2023 | News Story

NYSNA nurses from New York Presbyterian-Brooklyn Methodist picket outside of the hospital in Park Slope on Thursday to call out attacks on safe staffing and quality care standards.

May 5, 2023 | News Story

More than 160 resident physicians at Elmhurst Hospital, one of the city’s largest public hospitals and ground zero of New York’s COVID pandemic response, voted to authorize a strike if they do not reach a deal on raises and hazard pay, the Com

Jun 4, 2023 | News Story

For updated picket locations and times, and to rsvp, please visit:

https://www.wgacontract2023.org/strike/picket-schedules-and-locations

 

Apr 28, 2023 | News Story

Friday, April 28, 12PM: Join the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) for our annual Workers’ Memorial Day event to honor those who have died or suffered injuries or illnesses while on the job, to rec

Apr 28, 2023 | News Story

The NYC CLC, representing 300 unions and 1.3 million members including more than one million registered voter households across New York City, yesterday announced its first round of endorsements for the 2023 New York City elections.

Apr 28, 2023 | News Story

On Wednesday, a delegation of workers representing nearly two hundred employees at around 70 GrowNYC Greenmarkets, farm stands, and CSA pick-up locations, and who work across GrowNYC’s operations in hundreds of schools in their distribution hubs and in nutrition education and composting announced

Apr 28, 2023 | News Story

Represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR), almost 300 physicians employed by the MediSys Health Network (“Medisys”) at Jamaica and Flushing Hospitals could go on strike if MediSys refuses to agree to their urgent demands around a living wage, adequate benefits, and patient care.

Apr 28, 2023 | News Story

After more than two years of negotiations, Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) members at BDG (Bustle Digital Group) reached a tentative agreement with management on a first union contract. Members will vote shortly to ratify the contract, at which time details will be made public.