Making Big Companies Pay Their Fair Share

Why should Wal-Mart and other hugely profitable companies be able to foist health care costs for employees onto taxpayers?

The AFL-CIO says it shouldn't, and recently Maryland lawmakers agreed. They not only passed the first "Fair Share" legislation to force large companies to pay for some benefits, they had enough votes to override their Republican governor's veto.

Supported by CWA and other unions, Fair Share campaigns are underway in 33 states. In general, the legislation requires large companies to spend a percentage of their payroll to provide health benefits for employees or to pay into a state Fair Share Health Care Fund.

"A problem this big deserves a national solution, but the Washington of Tom DeLay and Bill Frist isn't listening to working people, so we're going to take it on state by state — much like we've done in trying to raise the minimum wage," AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said.

In addition to the Maryland victory, Fair Share legislation has been introduced in Florida, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Wisconsin in the 2006 session and is in the pipeline in more than 20 other states. On Jan. 23, the Oregon AFL-CIO filed a ballot initiative to put Fair Share Health Care on November's ballot.

For a full list of states, Fair Share background and updates, check the federation's website at www.aflcio.org.