10 THINGS EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HEALTH CARE REFORM

1. Once reform is fully implemented, over 95% of Americans will have health insurance coverage, including 32 million who are currently uninsured.2

2. Health insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny people coverage because of preexisting conditions—or to drop coverage when people become sick.3

3. Just like members of Congress, individuals and small businesses who can't afford to purchase insurance on their own will be able to pool together and choose from a variety of competing plans with lower premiums.4

4. Reform will cut the federal budget deficit by $138 billion over the next ten years, and a whopping $1.2 trillion in the following ten years.5

5. Health care will be more affordable for families and small businesses thanks to new tax credits, subsidies, and other assistance—paid for largely by taxing insurance companies, drug companies, and the very wealthiest Americans.6

6. Seniors on Medicare will pay less for their prescription drugs because the legislation closes the "donut hole" gap in existing coverage.7

7. By reducing health care costs for employers, reform will create or save more than 2.5 million jobs over the next decade.8

8. Medicaid will be expanded to offer health insurance coverage to an additional 16 million low-income people.9

9. Instead of losing coverage after they leave home or graduate from college, young adults will be able to remain on their families' insurance plans until age 26.10

10. Community health centers would receive an additional $11 billion, doubling the number of patients who can be treated regardless of their insurance or ability to pay.11

Sources:

1. Final vote results on motion to concur in Senate amendments to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, March 21, 2010
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2010/roll165.xml

2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 11. "Affordable Health Care for America: Summary," House Energy and Commerce Committee, March 18, 2010 http://wwwd.house.gov/akamaidocs/energycommerce/SUMMARY.pdf

4. "Insurance Companies Prosper, Families Suffer: Our Broken Health Insurance System," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Accessed March 22, 2010
http://healthreform.gov/reports/insuranceprospers/index.html

5. "Affordable Health Care for America: Health Insurance Reform at a Glance: Revenue Provisions," House Energy and Commerce Committee, March 18, 2010
http://wwwd.house.gov/akamaidocs/energycommerce/REVENUE.pdf

8. "New Jobs Through Better Health Care," Center for American Progress, January 8, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87402&id=19504-15415391-Rxxc3.x&t=2

9, 10. "Proposed Changes in the Final Health Care Bill," The New York Times, March 22, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87403&id=19504-15415391-Rxxc3.x&t=3

11. "Affordable Health Care for America: Health Insurance Reform at a Glance: Addressing Health and Health Care Disparities," House Energy and Commerce Committee, March 20, 2010
http://docs.house.gov/energycommerce/DISPARITIES.pdf

Wisconsin Working Families Applaud Reps. Baldwin, Kind, Moore, Obey and Kagen for Supporting Historic Health Care Reform

[WI, March 22, 2010] – Working family activists in Wisconsin hailed the “courageous” vote by Reps. Baldwin, Kind, Moore, Obey and Kagen to pass landmark health care legislation this weekend.

“Facing down an onslaught of lies and cynical moves to derail this landmark legislation, these five Representatives stood with Wisconsin working families, not greedy insurance companies, and we applaud their courageous action,” said David Newby, Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President. “This vote is a momentous step toward comprehensive health care reform; Wisconsin small businesses, employees and seniors can take comfort that we are on the path to long-term health security.”

The legislation stops insurance companies from denying health care due to consumers’ pre-existing health conditions and dropping coverage for people who get sick. It stops the relentless rise in health care costs and expands coverage for 32 million Americans. The legislation also makes prescription drugs more affordable for seniors and helps small businesses struggling with skyrocketing costs. It is projected to reduce the federal budget deficit by $1.3 trillion over the next two decades.

A determined effort by working people in Wisconsin to pass the bill was mirrored by working families across the country. Over the past year, union members nationwide made over 4 million phone calls. In addition, Working America, the AFL-CIO community affiliate, talked to more than 210,000 people at their front doors, generating 30,000 health care petitions, 31,000 phone calls, 40,000 e-mails and 75,000 letters urging lawmakers to pass reform.

The final improvements in the legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives must still be approved by the U.S. Senate. Said Newby, “We urge Senators Feingold and Kohl to work to pass this legislation speedily and get it to the President’s desk to be signed.”

APWU Urges Members To Support Six-Day Mail Delivery

APWU Web News Article 019-2010, March 8, 2010

The APWU is asking union members to contact their U.S. Representatives and encourage them to co-sponsor House Resolution 173, which urges the Postal Service to continue to provide mail delivery six days per week.

The resolution, which was introduced by Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), expresses the “sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Postal Service should take all appropriate m

easures to ensure the continuation of its six-day mail delivery service.” The Postal Service is asking Congress to reduce the number of mail delivery days required by law from six days per week to five.

In a message to legislative activists, Legislative and Political Director Myke Reid warns that, if accepted by Congress, five-day delivery would begin a “death spiral” for the USPS. “In addition to the thousands of jobs lost, there will undoubtedly be an erosion of confidence in the Postal Service’s ability to provide the services the public relies on.”

“Mail delivery is not only a vital part of the national economy, but also provides the timely delivery of needed goods and services to all segments of society,” the message notes.

“People currently depend on the Postal Service to provide those services, and if we don’t, they will find someone else who will,” Reid cautions.

Thanks to NEWAL member: Steve Fostner

EMPLOYEE GENEROSITY CONTINUED IN 2009

Postal Service employees surpassed the goal for the 2009 Combined Federal Campaign of Greater Wisconsin by donating more than $335,000. Considering the reduction in staffing the Postal Service experienced and the struggling economy, Postal Service employees again stepped up to help meet the needs of their communities by supporting a myriad of causes through contributions to the campaign.

This amount is a direct reflection of the caring attitude and generosity of Postal Service employees in each of the 46 counties of the Combined Federal Campaign during the toughest economic times in recent memory.

Each of us should take pride in reflecting that we have achieved over 100% of our goal with individual gifts from the hearts of 1,600 co-workers.

Denise Daugherty, 2009 United States Postal Service CFC Coordinator, said, “Congratulations and a BIG THANK YOU to everyone that helped to brighten someone's life. These donations will have an effect on the comfort, well-being, security and essential interests of humanity. As mentioned in this year’s theme— Your Hands Can Shape the World!”

--USPS Release

APWU of Wisconsin State Convention

April 29 - May 1, 2010

Radisson Paper Valley Hotel
333 W. College Ave
Appleton WI, 54911

• Hotel Registration
• Single Rate……..$81
• Double Rate……$108
• Phone…………... 920-733-8000
• Toll Free…………800-333-3333
• When registering be sure to reference APWU Convention
• Registration Cut-off…….March 31, 2010

Training will begin at 9:00 am on April 29, 2010 (Info available soon)

Bay View Tragedy event set for Sunday, May 2, 2010

The 124th Annual Commemoration of the Bay View Tragedy is scheduled to be held at 3 p.m., Sunday, May 2, 2010 at the State Historical marker site at S. Superior St. and E. Russell Ave., on Milwaukee’s lakefront.

David Newby, president of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, will speak. Also on the program will be Larry Penn, folksinger and retired Teamster; Frank Mulvey, of the Bay View Historical Society, and others.

Since 1986, members of the Wisconsin Labor History Society, the Bay View Historical Society and others have been holding this commemoration to honor the seven persons killed by the State Militia that had fired upon a crowd of workers marching on behalf of the eight-hour day. The incident was Wisconsin’s most dramatic labor event, and was important in the struggle of workers and their unions to gain decent wages, hours and conditions.

29th Annual WLHS Conference to discuss Wisconsin’s new labor history in schools bill

Wisconsin’s historic law making the teaching of labor history part of the state’s educational standards forms the basis for the 29th Annual Wisconsin Labor History Society conference, scheduled to be held from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, April 17, 2010, at the IBEW Joint Apprenticeship Training Center in Wauwatosa.

The conference is entitled, “Linking Students to Labor’s History,” and is to address how to best encourage teachers and students to become engaged in learning about labor history. The discussion will center on exploring ways to effectively implement the nation’s first ‘Labor History in the Schools’ law passed in 2009. Unionists, educators, and others are welcome to attend this historic conference

Andrew Kersten, of the history department at the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, will open the conference with a keynote address on the critical need to teach labor history.
A panel discussion will follow on the topic of “Linking Teachers and Students with Labor History,” including discussions by representatives of the state Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin Historical Society, as well as classroom teachers.

An afternoon discussion on the topic of “Making the Labor History in the Schools Law Work,” will place a focus on how labor history education can help build the labor movement. Among those participating in a panel discussion will be David Newby, Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President; Hedy Eischeid, President, Fond du Lac Educ. Assn. and Director, National Education Assn.; Bryan Kennedy, President, AFT-Wisconsin and Jim Cavanaugh, President, South Central Federation of Labor.

The conference will include the annual awards ceremony, including awards to those high school students who won the annual essay contest, the Zeidler Awards for graduate and undergraduate college students for papers on Wisconsin labor history, and the Lifetime Achievement award.

Lunch will be provided. The conference fee is $25, which includes lunch, or $10 for students or unemployed persons.

Information and registration forms available at http://wisconsinlaborhistory.org. Further information may be had by contacting the society at 414-771-0700 x20.