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:

Apr 22, 2022 | News Story

Members of the Housing Works Union held a worker speak-out across the street from Housing Works’ annual Design on a Dime fundraiser this week, highlighting the many issues that remain unresolved in contract negotiations.

Apr 22, 2022 | News Story

On March 14th, VA Secretary Denis McDonough issued recommendations destined for review by the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission, a board created by the 2018 VA MISSION Act, a bill designed to promote vast privatization of VA healthcare. If approved, Sec.

Apr 21

Teamsters have been on strike at a Brooklyn oil terminal for one year in a fight for a first union contract.

Apr 18

Members of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2094 will unite with Rep.

Apr 8, 2022 | News Story

Over the past month, thousands of union members across NYC and the nation signed petitions, wrote letters and called our senators. And now…we celebrate!

Apr 8, 2022 | News Story

More than 50 nail salon workers, mostly immigrant women of color, gathered along with supporters in Zuccotti Park yesterday morning for a lively rally in support of the proposed New York Nail Salon Minimum Standards Council Act.

Apr 8, 2022 | News Story

By now we've all celebrated the Staten Island Amazon workers' incredible victory in their NLRB election last week, but are you sure you're read allllll the takes? To make sure you don't miss anything, here's a roundup of just some of the best for your convenience:

 

 

Apr 8, 2022 | News Story

On Thursday, graduate student workers at Fordham University won their election to become members of CWA Local 1104 by a overwhelming vote of 229 to 15.

Apr 8, 2022 | News Story

The Starbucks Reserve Roastery in NYC's Chelsea Market voted 46-36 to unionize on Friday, making history as the first flagship store to unionize with Starbucks Workers United, and the tenth unionized Starbucks store in the U.S. at the time of the vote (there are now 13!).

Apr 8, 2022 | News Story

Attorneys, Client Advocates, and support staff at the Center for Appellate Litigation (CAL) this week announced their intent to join the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys-UAW 2325 by filing an election petition with the NLRB.