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:

Dec 10, 2021 | News Story

Members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) on strike against Kellogg’s in Battle Creek, Mich., Lancaster, Pa., Omaha, Neb. and Memphis, Tenn. have overwhelmingly voted to reject the tentative agreement.

Dec 10, 2021 | News Story

Workers at billionaire John Catsimatidis's United Metro Energy Corp have been on strike since April 19th.

Dec 3, 2021 | News Story

Columbia student workers are still on strike in what is currently the largest such action in the country. Three thousand workers, including undergraduate and graduate teaching and research assistants at Columbia University, are now in the fifth week of their strike.

Nov 24, 2021 | News Story

Workers at billionaire John Catsimatidis's United Metro Energy Corp have been on strike since April 19th.

Nov 24, 2021 | News Story

Columbia student workers are still on strike in what is currently the largest such action in the country. Three thousand workers, including undergraduate and graduate teaching and research assistants at Columbia University, are now in the fourth week of their strike.

Nov 19, 2021 | News Story

Members of three New York Times bargaining units joined forces along with supporters including the NYC CLC on Tuesday to deliver a message to management: Stop union busting. Respect our union.

Nov 19, 2021 | News Story

Thousands of nursing home workers from hundreds of facilities across the state marched from Times Square to SEIU1199 headquarters on Seventh Avenue on Wednesday to tell nursing home owners that they deserve a fair contract with good wages, safe working conditions, affordable, comprehensive health

Nov 19, 2021 | News Story

With the end of the John Deere strike earlier this week, the Columbia student workers strike is now the largest strike action in the country.

Nov 19, 2021 | News Story

This week, the New York Daily News reported that billionaire John Catsimatidis is flouting labor law by underpaying oil truck drivers delivering heating oil to public schools and other city buildings, based on a compliant filed with the New York City Comptroller.

Nov 19, 2021 | News Story

This week was National Apprenticeship Week, and the labor movement has been celebrating the drive and success of thousands of union apprentices across the country.