On October 17, 2013, the Executive Council of the New Mexico Federation of
Labor, AFL-CIO, endorsed HR 676, national single payer health care
legislation sponsored by Congressman John Conyers (D MI), reports Jon
Hendry, President.

New Mexico is the 44rd state AFL-CIO federation to take such action.

President Hendry stated, “We are huge believers in single payer here.
There is absolutely no dissent from this unanimous support.” He said he
was surprised to learn that formal action to support HR 676 had not been
taken earlier. “We are not late,” he said, because “we have been big
proponents of single payer for a long time.” He noted that his union,
IATSE, is a leader in single payer efforts nationally and that commitment
was reaffirmed at their recent national convention.

The New Mexico Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, is the state federation of
labor representing over 170,000 members counting the families, retirees,
and community affiliates throughout New Mexico, said Hendry.

Prior to the endorsement, James Besante, a third-year student at the
University of New Mexico School of Medicine, spoke to the council about HR
676 and single payer health care. In 2012 Besante received the Nicholas
Skala Student Activist Award from Physicians for a National Health Program
(PNHP), the 18,000-member organization of doctors that leads in research
and advocacy for single payer. www.pnhp.org

In most states PNHP is able to provide speakers to union organizations
that are interested in learning how single payer works. info@pnhp.org
(312) 782-6006.
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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 51 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

10/24/13