Make sure Labor’s voice is at the table

The NC Democratic Party is hosting several public forums on health care in counties across North Carolina this month and next. The forums are an opportunity to discuss health care reform proposals making their way through the Congress while also talking about why reform is urgently necessary.

Many of our member unions have struggled in contract negotiations with employers over health care, often forced to bargain over holding down employee premiums instead of increasing wages. In fact, health care premiums have been rising faster than wages.

The AFL-CIO supports health care reform with these key principles:

• A public health insurance plan would make reform work. It would bring down costs and guarantee quality affordable health care for all.
• Employers would be required to pay their fair share. Doing so will prevent employers from dumping their workers into the new subsidized plans.
• Pre-Medicare retirees would be able to maintain their coverage because of cost relief.
• The costs of health reform would be borne by those who can afford it, not by taxing health benefits of hard-working families. The House bill includes a small surtax on the wealthiest 1.2% of Americans.

You can download the full chart with contact names and contact information for these forums (PDF).