CWA: Health Care Reform is Within Reach

After years of seeming unattainable, CWA's goal of universal and affordable health care for all Americans is moving closer to reality. 

Just a short time after committing $634 billion in his first budget as a "down payment" on improving the nation's health care system, expanding health care coverage to 11 million needy children and helping jobless workers who have lost their coverage through the economy recovery plan, President Obama brought together all stakeholders to a White House summit for a national discussion on reform. The 150 participants — from unions, business groups, providers, Congress, insurers and other groups — came together to provide input and seek areas of agreement. "It's clear that we can't fix our health care system at the bargaining table," said CWA Executive Vice President Annie Hill, who represented CWA at the forum. 

CWA's Health Care-Employee Free Choice Campaign has moved into its next phase, with a focus on "standing up to the insurance companies, holding elected leaders accountable and making sure we get the real health reform we need."

Networks of activists will press elected officials to enact meaningful, comprehensive national health care reform and the Employee Free Choice Act. Union members and supporters will be generating letters and telephone calls to members of Congress and meeting with their representatives and staffs in Washington, D.C., and in home offices.   

CWA is holding new training sessions for health care activists; Dolores Gerber of Local 2222 has been named national field director. 

As part of the campaign, CWA is working with Health Care for America Now, the largest coalition of progressive organizations and labor unions working for guaranteed affordable health care for everyone. HCAN's principles are aligned with CWA's for reform: a health care system that covers everyone, controls costs, provides high quality care with a focus on prevention, and is financed fairly and broadly, with all employers paying their fair share. 

CWA also works with Better Health Care Together, a diverse coalition of unions and corporations. "We know we can't get this done alone, we need to work with others to make health care reform a reality," Hill said.

Keep up on CWA's campaign for health care reform at www.healthcarevoices.org.