CWAers Visiting Hill Tell Lawmakers: Drop the Tax on our Health Care

Two dozen CWA local union health care coordinators met with their senators and representatives to reinforce strong opposition to the Senate bill's tax on health benefits. Some joined Pres. Cohen at a Capitol Hill news conference. From left, Dan Frazier, Local 4322; Ron Gay, Local 4300; Cohen, Valerie Castle-Stanley, Local 2204; Ravin St. Julien, Local 3827, and Erika White, Local 4319.

CWA legislative and political activists from nine states delivered a strong message to Capitol Hill this week, telling Democrat senators that the proposed excise tax on health care benefits is CWA's line in the sand.

Heading to the Hill for meetings with senators, representatives and staff were 25 CWA activists from Arkansas, California, Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio and Virginia. They told members of Congress how the excise tax will lead to cuts in benefits and higher costs for millions of American families.

Although the excise tax is now part of the Senate bill, the CWA delegation also met with House Democrats who will vote on the final legislation to express strong support for the House bill, which finances health care reform by making most employers pay toward workers' health care coverage and restoring a surtax on the wealthiest Americans, among other measures.

In addition to the lobbying and other actions that are focusing attention on the devastating impact of the tax on middle income and working families, CWA has launched new online ads that reinforce that message. The banner ads will run for two weeks and feature CWA Local 2204 member Valerie Castle Stanley. You'll see the ads on websites including the Hill newspaper, the Washington Post, Huffington Post and Facebook, and you can click on the ads to sign a petition opposing the tax. Video ads are appearing on Hulu. Watch the ads at www.healthcarevoices.org/excisetaxads.