#OrganizetheSouth #Medicare4All
More resources available online at http://southernworker.org/medicare4all/
Over the weekend of June 15-16, over 40 Southern workers from several unions including the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), National Nurses United, International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1422 met for a Workers School and to launch a Southern Workers Medicare for All campaign. ILA local 1422 hosted the meeting in their impressive union hall.
In the lead up to the 2020 elections, the Southern Workers Assembly is encouraging all workers organizations to raise up a workers program demanding #UnionsforAll, wages of $15 per hour for all workers, end Right-to-Work (for less) laws, and the demand for affordable healthcare, specifically for the passage of the bills in US Congress for expanded and improved Medicare for All (HR1384/S1129). Many of presidential candidates are split, or have different plans for fixing the broken US healthcare system. By having a clearly-defined, unifying demand, we can advance our struggles during this electoral period, regardless of who wins the election. The SWA believes that by building a workers-led, Southern movement for Medicare for All it can help to draw non-union workers into our movement, and build union-workplace organization across the South.
A major part of this campaign is building workplace-based committees, because inside the workplace is where we have the most power to impact society. These committees can lead the education of workers, including doing outreach to non-union workplaces with informational leaflets about the campaign, given that most all workers still primarily receive health insurance through their employer. Improved Medicare for All would reduce the reliance of workers on their employers, by providing every access to quality healthcare whether you are employed or not employed. It would also take bargaining for health care off the table, which most unions spend lots of time and clout bargaining over. Instead, this energy could be spent on bargaining members better wage increases, paid time off, safety protocols and other much needed improvements.
As part of this campaign, the SWA hopes to organize city-wide committees, lead by workplace organizations to do broader workplace and community outreach, eventually hosting public Town Hall meetings with the plan to pass resolutions in city and county councils across the South. Already at least three southern cities including St. Petersburg, FL, Durham, NC and Carrboro, NC have already passed such resolutions.
The campaign plans to have bi-weekly conference calls every other Sunday night at 6pm. If you would be interested in coordinating for your area, or joining these calls, please contact us at info@southernworker.org or 919-539-2051.
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