Everyone who cares about America’s working families owes a debt of gratitude to the 70,000 union brothers and sisters from the United Food and Commercial Workers who recently approved a new contract after more than five months on the picket lines.
The union members’ courage and determination in the fight to maintain good, affordable health care benefits is admirable by itself. But the fact is those members were laying it on the line for all workers, not just themselves. They made a stand that had to be made, and while they may not have gotten everything they wanted, I believe they won.
Unfortunately, nationwide, the health care crisis isn’t going away. In fact, it’s getting worse. And we as a nation must solve it.
You’ve probably heard the saying that there are three types of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics. But when it comes to health care, the numbers are frighteningly true.
Today, the average family health premium is more than $9,000 a year. When you consider that the national median household income is a little more than $42,000, it’s obvious the cost of health care is out of control.
We’re all aware that the price of health benefits normally only goes one direction—up. But did you know that more and more steadily employed workers are losing their coverage, either because their employers take it away or because they simply can’t afford the premiums?
For example, the news media recently reported that a new survey by the state of South Carolina revealed that 19 percent of its citizens didn’t have health coverage the previous two years. Well over half of those uninsured people were employed.
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney recently reminded us of a bigger, even more disturbing number. Namely, 44 million people in the U.S. don’t have health coverage. “The damage being done to their families is matched perhaps only by the damage being done to union members, union employers and our ability to compete in the world economy,” Sweeney said at last month’s meeting of the Maritime Trades Department executive board. “Who do you think picks up the tab for those uninsured workers—6 million of whom are fully employed? Our union employers do, and we as union members do, through higher premiums and lower benefits and through the taxes we pay.”
Look beyond the statistics and you see the real costs of this crisis. Seniors who can’t afford their prescriptions. Parents who agonize over whether they’ll have enough money to maintain their family’s coverage and still save for their children’s education. Hard-working individuals who literally must choose between keeping their insurance and paying other bills. American citizens of all ages who let treatable conditions go unchecked because they don’t have the funds for health coverage.
This is a national disgrace. It simply shouldn’t happen in the United States—or anywhere else.
America’s unions are leading the fight to ensure good, affordable health insurance for every man, woman and child across the country. But we obviously can’t do it alone. A challenge this big demands full national debate and complete cooperation among labor, government and business. It’s a puzzle that’s long overdue for a solution.
I’m proud of the way the SIU supported our UFCW brothers and sisters during the recent strike and lockout. Seafarers marched with them in California, New York and Missouri, and we also donated food and money to help them through a tremendously difficult time.
But what I really look forward to is the day when health care is a given for everyone. In working toward that goal—in fighting for our very well-being—America should spare no resource.
Printer Friendly Page