New Jersey CWAers Fight to Protect Healthcare

CWA members and health care advocates are standing up for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by taking the fight to save health care to the district offices of Republican Members of Congress across New Jersey. Every Wednesday, CWA, along with partner organizations in the NJ for Health Care coalition, are gathering outside the district offices of New Jersey’s five Republican Congressmen to generate grassroots pressure on them to oppose the repeal of the ACA without replacement.

The protests have grown week to week, with nearly 2,000 people joining the demonstrations across New Jersey to date.

Members of Locals 1014, 1032, 1033, 1036, 1037, 1038, 1040, 1077, 1080, 1082, 1085, have picketed Congressmen Lance, Freylinghuysen, McArthur, Smith and LoBiondo every Wednesday for the past 6 weeks. "A repeal would cause more than 51,000 adults in the 2nd District to lose health care coverage", said Mike Blaszczyk, President of CWA Local 1085. "Repealing without a replacement would be devastating."

Letters from the NJ for Health Care coalition were also delivered to each of the Congressmen expressing concern about the rollback of the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid. Health care advocates are also calling for town hall meetings with residents to be convened in every district.

A report by NJ Policy Perspective shows outright repeal would take away health care coverage for nearly 800,000 New Jerseyans, and cause millions more to lose important protections that help them maintain their coverage and their health. Repealing the Medicaid expansion as part of rolling back the ACA would cause about 528,000 adult New Jerseyans to lose their health coverage. Many of the protections afforded under the ACA – including free preventive care including contraceptives, coverage for kids through age 26, no lifetime limits on insurance, and protections for those with pre-existing conditions – all are under threat.

Learn more about how ACA repeal would affect Americans here.

CWA members from Locals 1032 and 1033 stand up for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at the district office of Rep. Chris Smith (R) in Hamilton, NJ.