CWA's Strategic Health Care Campaign Underway

At a meeting in Philadelphia, CWA experts, legislative-political coordinators, district campaign coordinators and others met to build the union's grassroots political structure that will play a critical role in Election 2008.  The key element of this program is the strategic health care campaign which will be a baseline for all of CWA's political activity.

CWA President Larry Cohen, District 7 Vice President Annie Hill -- who heads the executive board committee on the strategic health care campaign – and Executive Vice President Jeff Rechenbach attended the meeting, with Rechenbach stating that CWA's goal for health care reform "is to take health care off the bargaining table and maintain quality care,"

The campaign will have coordinators in 118 key congressional districts, along with state and district coordinators and support from CWA's legislative-political operations to mobilize members around health care reform and make real gains in Election 2008 in the White House, Senate and House of Representatives.

The strategic campaign also will tie into CWA's efforts to make the Employee Free Choice Act the law of the land and restore bargaining and organizing rights. The measure passed the House and gained majority support in the Senate – although not the 60 votes necessary to cut off debate.