Nation's Largest Union: Change Health Care Bill Or Else

Richard Trumka, president of the 11-million member AFL-CIO, has said the public option is a non-negotiable element of health reform.

From Raw Story:

The head of the massive AFL-CIO union took one step farther in labor's disenchantment with President Obama's and the Senate Democrats' healthcare bill -- and he promised the bill would die in the House of Representatives if it isn't changed.

Trumka told reporter Sam Stein in little-highlighted comments Thursday that he's "extremely disappointed" with the current state of the Senate healthcare bill, which at this point has lost both a public healthcare option and the option for those over 55 to buy into Medicare.

"If the Senate bill in its current form went to the House it would go down," Trumka told Stein. "I can tell you this. The plan as it currently is would not get much support from the American worker unless it is improved."

President Richard Trumka says the current bill is "inadequate," is funded "the wrong way," and stops short of outright opposing the whole package for now.

In a statement released by the Afo-Cio he added:

 "Because it bends toward the insurance industry, the Senate bill will not check costs in the short term, and its financing asks working people and the country to pay the price, even as benefits are cut.

      That's why we are championing a public health insurance option: It is the way to break the stranglehold of the insurance industry over consumers that has led to double digit premium increases virtually every year.

The labor movement has been fighting for health care for nearly 100 years and we are not about to stop fighting now, when it really matters. But for this health care bill to be worthy of the support of working men and women, substantial changes must be made. The AFL-CIO intends to fight on behalf of all working families to make those changes and win health care reform that is deserving of the name.

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