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.
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More than 2,200 graduate workers at New York University, members of GSOC-UAW, have been on strike since Monday. The work stoppage began after nine months of stonewalling at the bargaining table by the university administration.
On Tuesday, NYCOSH hosted a press conference with labor unions and private attorney Robert E. Grey, report author, to call for policy changes to the workers’ compensation system. The report estimated that 250,000 workers got COVID-19 on the job, but only 21,000 applied for workers’ compensation.
More than 200 faculty, staff and students marched through midtown Wednesday, April 28 with the Professional Staff Congress demanding that CUNY “Free The Funds!” and use the stimulus money Congress allocated to CUNY for pandemic relief. (Photo by Dave Sanders)
New York lawmakers this week passed legislation mandating extensive new workplace health and safety protections in response to the COVID crisis. The New York Health and Essential Rights Act, or NY HERO Act, sponsored by state Sen.
Yesterday, dozens of supporters including fellow NYC union members, elected officials and candidates stood with members of Teamsters Local 804 at the UPS facility in Springfield Gardens, supporting ten part-time workers unjustly fired by UPS, including two pregnant women who need healthcare cover
On Monday, an overwhelming majority of editorial workers at Insider, formerly known as Business Insider, announced that they have organized to join The NewsGuild of New York.
Local 1500 is proud to welcome the employees of Foragers Market to the UFCW family. On Wednesday, the employees of the DUMBO Brooklyn Foragers location did exactly what their counterparts from the Chelsea location did last week: unanimously vote in favor of being represented by Local 1500!
The re-opening of NYC live music, arts and culture is continuing as the New York Philharmonic gave its first public performance after a historic hiatus of more than 13 months. Orchestra members are covered under a union contract with Local 802.
On Wednesday, just ahead of Earth Day, the United Federation of Teachers, District Council 37, 32BJ SEIU, the New York City Building and Construction Trades Council, the New York City Central Labor Council, Climate Jobs NY and others launched the Carbon Free and Healthy Schools campaign.
On Tuesday, a majority of over 650 tech workers at The New York Times announced that they have formed a union and are seeking voluntary recognition from the company. More than 1,300 editorial and business staff at the Times are already represented by The NewsGuild of New York.