Altoona, PA
The Blair-Bedford Central Labor Council in Altoona, PA has endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI). The Blair-Bedford Labor Council is the 128 central labor council to endorse HR 676.
The official silence on Capitol Hill on single payer — at least in the House — is ending.
Thanks to the ongoing pressure and dedication of single payer activists across the country, who the Washington Post noted this past weekend, “have spent months hounding Democratic lawmakers and organizing demonstrations, including one that resulted in 13 arrests at a Senate hearing last month,” a Congressional committee will for the first time in the current proceedings on healthcare reform, hold a public hearing on single payer Wednesday.
Continue reading Congressional Hearing to Consider Single-Payer Healthcare
PA AFL-CIO Working Families Network Call for Rally for Employee Free Choice Act
Speakers: Fred Redmond, Int’l. Vice President USW
William George, President PA AFL-CIO
Eileen Connelly, Executive Director SEIU PA StateCouncil
Please join us for a Rally in Support of the Employee Free Choice Act! On June 6th the Pennsylvania State Democratic Committee is meeting in Pittsburgh, and Senator Specter will be attending for the first time as a Democrat.
Many of our Democratic representatives have already taken strong stands for working families this year. But there is one more thing we need them, including Senator Specter to do: Pass the Employee Free Choice Act.
The Employee Free Choice Act will let workers form a union without harassment or intimidation; hold CEO’s and executives accountable when they break the law; and help workers and employers reach a fair first contract in a reasonable amount of time using mediation and arbitration.
When workers have a voice at work through a union, they are able to bargain for better wages and benefits, including affordable health care and secure retirements. Giving workers the free choice to form a union will help grow our economy from the bottom up and rebuild our middle class.
Come show your support! It’s important that our representatives in Washington see just how important this legislation is to Organized Labor. Lets build the crowd!
NATIONAL DAYS OF ACTION
HEALTHCARE–YES!
INSURANCE COMPANIES–NO!
PLEASE JOIN US IN PITTSBURGH FRI, MAY 29
SINGLE-PAYER RALLIES
11:30 am – 12:15 pm: Rally in front of Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield headquarters, corner of Liberty and Fifth Aves., downtown
12:15 pm – 12:30 pm: Group Walk to UPMC headquarters, Grant St., downtown
12:30 pm – 1:15 pm: Rally in front of UPMC headquarters, Grant St.
Pittsburgh is joining close to 50 other cities across the country this week and next to speak out for single-payer healthcare. A majority of Americans want single-payer; a majority of physicians want single-payer. The only think missing is the political will in Washington for sane and humane healthcare reform.
WE NEED OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE, NOT THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY
PUT PATIENTS FIRST:
Support H.R. 676 The National Health Care Act, aka “Expanded and Improved Medicare for All” and S.703 American Health Security Act
sponsored by WPA Coalition for Single Payer Healthcare
The 2008 election results in Pennsylvania saw a stronger shift of the electorate to the left across the whole political spectrum. In 2008 first-term Democratic Congressmen like Joe Sestak and Jason Altmire strengthened their positions while Kathy Dahlkemper defeated 3rd CD Republican Phil English to gain another Democratic seat in Congress for Pennsylvania.
Barack Obama won Pennsylvania with the help of central rural counties in Pennsylvania shifting to the Democratic column for the first time in decades while the suburban counties around Philadelphia accelerated their shift to the Democratic column. Even though the rust belt along the Ohio River lost Democratic votes, the margin was small. Beaver and surrounding counties voted about 48% for Democrat Barack Obama.
Perhaps more importantly for the 2010 race for U.S. Senator, over 22,000 Pennsylvania Republicans changed their registration to Democrat.
The upshot of these developments is the uneasy alliance between the Heinz-Hillman financial oligarchy and the far-right Mellon-Scaife group has collapsed. The Hillman strategy has been to control Pennsylvania politics by funding conservatives in the Democratic Party primaries and centrists in the Republican primaries. Sen. Arlen Specter has been one of their best investments. He has been able to maneuver for 16 years to prevent labor and progressive forces from gaining a political voice in Washington.
Continue reading Update on 2010 Pennsylvania Race for Arlen Specter’s US Senate Seat
Beaver County Blue: Voice of the 17th CD of Progressive Democrats of America 