SEIU Announces ‘Better Health Care Together’ Campaign

From CNNMoney.com:

In a partnership of unlikely allies, Wal-Mart’s CEO, other corporate leaders and the head of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) called Wednesday for universal health care coverage for all Americans by 2012.

During a news conference in Washington, the group announced the formation of a coalition called “Better Health Care Together” and listed several objectives. They included achieving “quality, affordable health insurance coverage” for every American and “having businesses, governments, and individuals all contribute to managing and financing a new American health care system.”

From Bloomberg News:

Members of the alliance want the current system, in which most Americans rely on their employers for health-care coverage, replaced by an undefined new system paid for by government, businesses and workers.

Group members didn’t offer specific policy proposals, while saying they plan to recruit 50 more partners, lobby lawmakers and begin a public education campaign to spur the demand for a new health-care system.

The effort was spearheaded in part by Service Employees International Union President Andrew Stern, who has long called for an end to the current health-care system.

From the Washington Post:

The next step in the campaign, dubbed “Better Health Care Together,” is to convene a national summit on health care by the end of May and recruit additional businesses, labor and political groups to join, members said. They did not endorse any specific solutions to the problem and shied away from outlining requirements for a successful proposal.

From the Financial Times via MarketWatch:

But as Mr Scott was moving at least a little away from the past, the past was busy catching up with him and his drive to improve the retailer’s battered reputation on a range of social and environmental issues.

On Tuesday, a federal appeals panel in California overturned the retailer’s bid to block a massive class action lawsuit filed on behalf of more than 1.6m past and current women employees, accusing the company of systematically discriminating against them in pay and promotions.

Posted by Russ Fagaly on Wednesday, February 07, 2007

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COMMENTS

Socialism is on it’s way, it is very strong, individual accountability is out. Let the government do it.

This is a bunch of garbage. Canada here we come.

Please think about the ramifications of this overall!!!!

knowledgeable in
Wednesday, February 07 at 07:36 PM

knowledgable,

Like I said to another poster, “Be careful what you ask for, you might just get it and end up not likeing it”!!!

Bob in
Wednesday, February 07 at 11:46 PM

“The sky is falling!” ~ Chicken Little

Ken V in Texas
Thursday, February 08 at 04:22 AM

Best thing that could ever happen to you.
]I laugh when people try to get other to think that the end is near!!!
I believe that the information on the United Nations website on each countries healthcare record speaks for itself.
(We can bring the information back up on this website)
R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse.

Alex in Ontario, Canada
Thursday, February 08 at 06:10 AM

Ken V,

““The sky is falling!” ~ Chicken Little”

Isn’t that the same thing that you guys were saying in regards to Wal-Mart? That Wal-Mart was going to destroy the world!!!

Bob in
Thursday, February 08 at 10:35 AM

Andy Stern pimping at the same podium with the Devil (Lee, trust me, Scott). Seems Stern has more fun hanging out with Scott for the lights, cameras and attention it brings rather than pressuring the Beast of Bentonville to put up first or shut up!

Dancing with the Devil always exacts a price Andy!

Walmart Watch has now been tainted by the devil himself.

John in california in
Thursday, February 08 at 10:47 AM

Take two workers. One is a middle aged man who earns $70,000 per year plus benefits as a member of the UAW working at one of the Big Three automakers. The other man is one in his early 30’s, working at Wal-Mart and trying to become a manager traineee. Now, Mr. UAW probably earns nearly 3 times what Mr. Wal-Mart earns and has better benefits but 10 years from now, Mr. Wal-Mart will be pulling down $50,000 and good benefits and Mr. UAW will be standing in the unemployment line and wondering what happened to him. Mr. Wal-Mart will have a job; Mr. UAW will not. The UAW has lost more than 100,000 jobs in the US in the last 2 years. Wal-Mart had ADDED more than 160,000 jobs in the US in the last 2 years.

What good are union wages and benefits when you don’t hav a job? And how bad are Wal-Mart wages and benefits when they come with steady employment and relative job security?

EllisW in
Thursday, February 08 at 03:35 PM

Kind of funny when one uses the word ‘JOB’ as if a Walmart job is worth the same as a tradition job and benefits.

By the way, will Mr. Walmart be still getting a wake up call at the homeless shelter when it is time for his shift to start?

R E M E M B E R
J O N Q U I E R E
Q U E B E C
Home of Walmart Worker Abuse
We will NEVER forget what you did Walmart.

Alex in Ontario, Canada
Thursday, February 08 at 06:09 PM

Ellis W: WGAF what you say or how many statistics you keep regurgitating? You are a mindless drone!

ScrewedbyWal-Mart in Anytown, America
Sunday, February 11 at 10:02 AM

After trillions spent on defense, our government allowed 911 to happen and still cannot secure our borders. Yet so much clamour about the same group of people controlling my health care. BTW, what condition are our highways, how is welfare working out and what about Social Security and public education? Remember how well they handled hurricaine Katrina? I would like this bunch running my healthcare about as much as I’d like to swallow broken glass (hopefully while I still have private insurance). Roughly 1/7 of the US economy is at stake and so many of us seem willing to gamble that our government will suddenly change the way it does business, just on this one issue, in spite of a long track record of failure. The reason America cannot compete in the world marketplace is not because we don’t have enough socialism. It is because of our poorly (government ) educated, low skilled, high priced work force who must pay for an enormous government infrastructure, military, and failed social programs. Why not try unburdening the American people from such unnecessary extortion first if, we must conduct social experiments?

Clif in Orlando
Monday, February 12 at 12:03 PM

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