On April 15, 2013, the Northeast Alabama Labor Council in Gadsden endorsed
HR 676, national single payer health care legislation sponsored by
Congressman John Conyers.

President Garry “Gabby” Frost brought the resolution before the council in
response to an appeal from the All Unions Committee for Single Payer
Health Care–HR 676 and from Pippa Abston, MD, Ph D, a board member of
Physicians for a National Health Program and a Huntsville, Alabama,
pediatrician.

“Health care is a necessity not a privilege,” said President Frost after
the adoption of the resolution for HR 676. “Everybody’s got to have it.
This is the only industrialized nation that does not have it.”

The Northeast Alabama Labor Council is the 145th Central Labor Council to
endorse HR 676. The council represents workers in nine counties, Calhoun,
Chambers, Cherokee, Cleburne, DeKalb, Etowah, Marshall, Randolph, and St.
Clair. The Southwest Alabama Labor Council in Mobile and the Alabama
State AFL-CIO had previously endorsed HR 676.

President Frost, who is the Business Manager of Local 498, United
Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, reports that Local 498 has also
endorsed HR 676. That brings the total of union organizations that have
endorsed HR 676 to 600.

Dr. Pippa Abston commented on the importance of these union endorsements
of HR 676. She said, “As an Alabama physician and Physicians for a
National Health Program board member, I am thrilled to hear this news!
Medicare for All is an achievable, practical way to address our healthcare
needs and would go a long way towards relieving our state’s constant
budget struggles. Thank you to our friends in Labor for helping bring HR
676 a step closer to success.”

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 41 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers.

HR 676 has been endorsed by 600 union organizations including 145 Central
Labor Councils/Area Labor Federations and 41 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).

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
4/21/13