Vendaval
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"Unions move toward health-care reform deal"
Sun Jun 24, 2007 10:57AM EDT
" Health-care costs have eroded profits to the point where many major U.S. companies -- such as General Electric Co. and AT&T Inc. -- have spoken out on the U.S. health-care crisis, saying reform is urgently needed.
Soaring costs have also hurt workers. JoAnn Volk, a health-care lobbyist for the AFL-CIO trade union organization, said many low-paid workers have "health-insurance policies in name only, which do not cover most services."
Also, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, some 45 million Americans have no health insurance coverage at all.
And with American labor unions suffering declining membership -- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed 12.5 percent of Americans belonged to a union in 2005, down from 20.1 percent in 1983 -- this audience with little or no health coverage is seen as ripe territory for union recruitment, as the unions argue they backed reform on behalf of all Americans.
Health care is now a major issue for U.S. trade unions, particularly in sectors like the domestic automobile industry, which faces vast retiree health-benefit costs.
Ford Motor Co. officials say health care adds $1,200 to a vehicle's cost, about $600 more than that of its foreign competitors.
"Health insurance is a crucial issue in every contract we negotiate," said United Steelworkers' spokeswoman Barbara White Stack.
The AFL-CIO's Volk said that "providing universal coverage for all Americans is a top priority for us." "
(Long article, click here to read all 3 pages)
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSN2422486520070624?pageNumber=1
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