U.S. Congressman John Conyers (D MI), chief sponsor of HR 676, was honored
at a December 6th Labor Breakfast co-hosted by the New York City Central
Labor Council and the Progressive Democrats of America in celebration of
the endorsement by the 1.3 million member NYC CLC of HR 676, Expanded and
Improved Medicare for All.

Congressman Conyers told of the energy that the endorsement of HR 676 by
the NYC CLC brings to the movement of healthcare for all, reports Robert
Score, Recording-Corresponding Secretary of IATSE Local One. Score has
played a leadership role in advancing HR 676 within New York labor and in
union locals across the country.

NYC CLC President Vincent Alvarez, a member of IBEW Local 3, delivered the
opening remarks. He said that the forces within the industrial-insurance
complex, although powerful, must be confronted before the working class
families of our country are completely decimated by the ever increasing
costs of health care. He spoke of the necessity for all working people,
union and non-union, to have proper healthcare.

Stephen Shaff spoke on behalf of PDA, and special guest television
broadcaster Phil Donohue, introduced Congressman John Conyers who has
sponsored HR 676 in every Congress since 2003. The legislation currently
has a total of 54 co-sponsors, the most recent being Rep. Betty McCollum
of Minnesota who has signed on for the first time even though she is in
her 4th term.

Conyers noted that four days after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was
assassinated in 1968, he introduced a bill to make King’s birthday a
national holiday.

“It took 15 years before Congress joined with me to make Dr. King’s
birthday a national legal holiday. So I’m in this for the long run,” said
Congressman Conyers.

HR 676 would institute a single payer health care system by expanding a
greatly improved Medicare to everyone residing in the U. S.

HR 676 would cover every person for all necessary medical care including
prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and
preventive care, emergency services, dental (including oral surgery,
periodontics, endodontics), mental health, home health, physical therapy,
rehabilitation (including for substance abuse), vision care and
correction, hearing services including hearing aids, chiropractic, durable
medical equipment, palliative care, podiatric care, and long term care.

HR 676 ends deductibles and co-payments. HR 676 would save hundreds of
billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the
private health insurance industry and HMOs.

In the current Congress, HR 676 has 54 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers.

HR 676 has been endorsed by 609 union organizations including 146 Central
Labor Councils/Area Labor Federations and 44 state AFL-CIO’s (KY, PA, CT,
OH, DE, ND, WA, SC, WY, VT, FL, WI, WV, SD, NC, MO, MN, ME, AR, MD-DC, TX,
IA, AZ, TN, OR, GA, OK, KS, CO, IN, AL, CA, AK, MI, MT, NE, NJ, NY, NV,
MA, RI, NH, ID & NM).

For further information, a list of union endorsers, or a sample
endorsement resolution, contact:

Kay Tillow
All Unions Committee for Single Payer Health Care–HR 676
c/o Nurses Professional Organization (NPO)
1169 Eastern Parkway, Suite 2218
Louisville, KY 40217
(502) 636 1551

Email: nursenpo@aol.com
http://unionsforsinglepayer.org

12/16/13