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 4

1,100 Alabama Mineworkers have been on strike since April 1st; the bosses have put them through hell, but they’re not backing down. Join these brave workers as they bring the fight to BlackRock’s front door!

Oct 22, 2021 | News Story

New York oil workers fired by John Catsimatidis in retaliation for their strike for equal pay rallied Tuesday alongside local elected officials, Teamsters, and other union supporters outside the billionaire’s Midtown office. Workers from the Catsimatidis-owned United Metro Energy Corp.

Oct 22, 2021 | News Story

A supermajority of eligible employees at INCLUDEnyc have announced their intention to form a union with the Office and Professional Employees Union (OPEIU) Local 153.

Oct 22, 2021 | News Story

The Legal Services Staff Association, NOLSW/UAW 2320 (LSSA), has settled its union contract with employer Legal Services NYC (LSNYC). With 90% of members participating, the contract was ratified by 80% voting yes.

Oct 15, 2021 | News Story

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees International President Matthew Loeb announced this week that unless an agreement is reached, union members will begin a nationwide strike against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on Monday, October 18 at 12:01 a.

Oct 15, 2021 | News Story

On Tuesday, October 12, Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer joined home care members and advocates in the Manhattan headquarters of 1199SEIU to urge Congress to pass President Biden’s Better Care Better Jobs Act.

Oct 15, 2021 | News Story

More than 10,000 UAW John Deere members struck at midnight on Thursday after the company failed to present an agreement that met members’ demands and needs, in what's currently the largest private sector strike in the U.S. in two years.

Oct 8, 2021 | News Story

On September 27, the New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) certified Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW as the union to represent twelve agricultural workers employed at Pindar Vineyards in Peconic, New York.

Oct 8, 2021 | News Story

At midnight on Oct. 5, 1,400 workers at four Kellogg's Co. plants in Battle Creek, Michigan; Omaha, Nebraska; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and Memphis, Tennessee went on strike against the company.

Oct 1, 2021 | News Story

New York State has added additional funding for a COBRA subsidy in the most recent state budget. This program provides assistance equal to 50% of COBRA/continuation premiums. Many of Equity members are still out of work, and as such have lost access to their union health insurance.