Mary Shesgreen, a member of the steering committee of Northern Illinois
Jobs with Justice, reports that her organization has made a “wholehearted
endorsement” of HR 676, Rep. John Conyers’ national single payer health
care legislation. Shesgreen said that most of the members of the steering
committee have long supported HR 676.

“A single payer program as provided by HR 676 is the only affordable
option for universal, comprehensive coverage,” states the resolution
passed.

Hale Landes, a member of IBEW Local Union 134 in Chicago who is also on
the Jobs with Justice steering committee, said that the resolution for HR
676 was unanimously adopted at a retreat on June 27. Landes is also on
the Labor Outreach Committee of the Illinois Campaign for Single Payer.

“We support single payer for all because it is the right thing to do. We
at Northern Illinois Jobs with Justice believe that healthcare is a human
right,” said a release on behalf of the organization.

Northern Illinois JwJ is the 606th labor organization to endorse HR 676.

In other news, on July 30, 2013, three additional congresspersons signed
on to HR 676, bringing the total of co-sponsors in the House to 48. The
news ones are Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney (NY- 12), Robert A. Brady (PA-1),
and Jose E. Serrano (NY-15).

Your can check the list of HR 676 cosponsors here:
http://unionsforsinglepayer.org/ Click on 113th Congress in the left
column.
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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 48 co-sponsors in addition to Conyers.

HR 676 has been endorsed by 606 union organizations including 146 Central
Labor Councils/Area Labor Federations and 43 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).

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
8/22/13