Labor Day Statement from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union

[Omaha Steve]

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=71665

Labor Day Statement from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union

9/2/2006 4:42:00 PM

To: National Desk

Contact: Jim Papian of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, 202-466-1564 or [e-mail]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is a Labor Day statement from Joe Hansen, international president, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union:

On this Labor Day, American workers will be praised as the most productive, disciplined, and industrious workforce in the world—the backbone of our economy. But lip service is of little value for working people whose economic outlook is growing dimmer. While prosperity reigns in corporate America, in working America real wages are down and the lack of affordable health care coverage is threatening an already tenuous grip on the middle class.

Working people produce more, work longer and give up family time for their jobs, only to be compensated with choices like whether they can afford both the house and medical coverage or whether they should drop coverage for a year to save enough to qualify for a mortgage.

Five years into an economic recovery, American workers are doing more and getting less—especially health care which is more expensive, less accessible, and less dependable.

Despite the fact that we spend more than double what other industrialized countries spend on health care, the number of workers and their families without health insurance keeps increasing, our life expectancy is lower, and the infant mortality rate higher than the countries we outspend.

I am a member of the congressionally mandated Citizens' Health Care Working Group. It's a panel charged with making recommendations to Congress and the President on how to solve our health care crisis. For nearly two years, the Working Group has held nationwide community meetings and events, conducted surveys, and reviewed all the major polling on health care. Twenty-three thousand Americans have participated in Working Group meetings and surveys, expressing their concerns and views on our health care system.

FULL story at link above.

[MADem]

1. Look at that fantastic second paragraph packaging!!!!

Who could NOT hear this message?

...lip service is of little value ... outlook is growing dimmer ...real wages are down ...lack of affordable health care ...tenuous grip on the middle class...

Bang. Smack. Slap. Punch.