Oregon Activists Look to Grassroots Approach to Win Universal Health Care
http://labornotes.org/2012/05/oregon-activists-look-grassroots-approach-win-universal-health-care
Peter Shapiro May 14, 2012
With health care premiums rising three times faster than workers income, more and more unions have come to see the existing health care system as unsustainable, despite their best efforts at the bargaining table.
In Oregon, activists are responding by rejuvenating a dormant campaign to win a health care system that covers everyoneand pays for it by cutting out the insurance companies. The concept is called single payer.
Oregon activists are responding to relentlessly escalating health care premiums by rejuvenating a grassroots campaign to win a health care system that covers everyone. They're learning from Vermont campaigners who won landmark legislation last year. Photo: Vermont Workers Center.
This isn't the first time that Oregon activists have tried to win single payer. Ten years ago, they put an initiative on the ballot, but despite initially promising polls, the measure was trouncedvictim of a flood of insurance company money and the sharp opposition of the Oregon AFL-CIO, which called it a threat to union health plans.
Times have changed.
FULL story at link.