Lexington, Kentucky.  At its February meeting the Executive Board of the
Bluegrass Central Labor Council voted to endorse HR 676, single payer
health care legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

Council President Barbara Pierce said:  “The Board of the CLC endorsed HR
676, single payer universal health care, because we firmly believe that
it’s the best plan for working families.”

The Bluegrass CLC, which represents workers in nine counties in Central
Kentucky, is the 119th CLC to endorse HR 676.   Six out of eight central
labor councils in Kentucky, in addition to the state AFL-CIO, have
endorsed HR 676.

President Pierce said that the council will send the resolution to
Representative Ben Chandler, who represents the region in the US Congress.

from New York Times

by Andrew Coates MD

COBRA is a law that allows you to keep your employer-sponsored health
insurance for 18 months if you lose or change jobs. To do so, you have to
pay 102% of the cost (the full premium plus a 2% surcharge).

The stimulus package just passed provides for laid off workers, who had
health insurance on the job, to receive a subsidy of 65% of the health
insurance premium for up to nine months.

Continue reading Subsidizing COBRA Is Not Enough–We Need HR 676: National Health Care →

A Lesson from France
“The French government said it would give 6.5 billion euros ($8.4 billion) in low interest loans to Renault SA and PSA Peugeot-Citroen in exchange for pledges that the car makers won’t close any factories or lay off any workers in France for the duration of the funding.” Wall Street Journal 2-10-09

Quel surpris! The French government bailout of France’s auto industry requires the auto companies to continue the employment of the company’s workers! In the US, on the other hand, the government urges the auto industry to “restructure” before receiving bailout funds, principally by laying off workers.

Are US auto workers any less deserving of this pledge? Does government owe them any less, in a time of global economic crisis?

But then nobody asked…

In the US, representatives of the auto workers join the CEO’s in begging for corporate bailout money while conceding that everyone must make sacrifices. It is a foregone conclusion that tens of thousands of workers will lose their jobs for the sake of “restructuring”.

France’s commitment to its auto workers certainly does not spring from any compassion on the part of its government. French President Sarkozy has dedicated his term to breaking the back of France’s unions. He is widely viewed as a French George Bush, seeking to wipeout the social gains of years of struggle in the interest of a harsh competitive regimen.

But the French working class has pushed back with militant, united street actions and strikes. They have joined students, immigrants, retirees, and professionals in resisting. Long derided by arrogant tourists for its labor militancy, France has – ironically – faired better economically than its European counterparts in the face of the world crisis.

The above commentary is from zz’s blog. Note that unemployed French auto workers also enjoy continued access to full health care benefits under France’s national single payer helathcare system.