Health Care

Health care is a basic human right.  America’s labor movement has worked for more than a century for guaranteed high-quality health care for everyone.  The Affordable Care Act is a historic milestone on this journey, but we still have a long way to go.

America must continue moving forward toward a more equitable and cost-effective health care system. Moving forward means working with employers to demand health care payment and delivery reforms to control costs, allowing people of all ages to buy into the equivalent of Medicare through a public plan option and allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices.  Of course, the most cost-effective and equitable way to provide quality health care is through the social insurance model (“Medicare for All”), as other industrialized countries have shown. 

The worst thing we could do is move backward by repealing the Affordable Care Act or its key provisions; privatizing Medicare or turning it into a voucher program; raising the Medicare eligibility age; increasing Medicare co-pays and deductibles or otherwise cutting Medicare benefits; or taxing employment-based health care benefits. 

More about this issue:

Nov 10

Join workers from across the Labor Movement, activists, and allies calling for a raise for millions of low-wage workers.

Go to FightFor15.org to sign-up for updates.

Oct 23

What do fast food workers, construction workers, new media, entertainment workers, teachers, transportation workers, and retail workers have in common?

They are all fighting for change by putting workers' voices & faces front and center in their fights!

Oct 1, 2015 | Press Release

New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO President Vincent Alvarez today released the following statement regarding Congress' failure to reauthorize the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which provides continued funding for health care programs designed to treat those affected b

Sep 16

Join

Jon Stewart

to support the extension of the

James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Jul 25

Verizon workers are fighting for good jobs building and servicing FiOS, and properly serving copper network customers.

Jun 4, 2015 | Press Release

New York, NY – New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO President Vincent Alvarez today released the following statement, congratulating staff at Gawker, who voted yesterday to join the Writers Guild of America East, AFL-CIO:

Mar 6, 2015 | Press Release

New York, NY - President Vincent Alvarez of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, today released the following statement regarding NYU's refusal to reach a fair contract for graduate student researchers and instructors:

Mar 6, 2015 | News Story

The UAW represents over 1200 graduate workers at New York University and have been in negotiations for a contract for over one year.

Feb 23, 2015 | News Story

On February 24, MFY union members (LSSA - NOLSW/UAW Local 2320) voted to ratify the agreement met with MFY management.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 3, 2015 | Press Release

New York, NY - New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO President Vincent Alvarez today released the following statement, regarding initiatives outlined in Mayor de Blasio's State of the City Address: