Hmm.. I wonder if fair trade agreements,might help get single payer health care...

[cascadiance]

Think about it, if we have BILATERAL fair trade agreements with other European countries, etc., though we might have put in place fair trade as part of newer agreements to protect against other workers being mistreated and want equivalent treatement/pay to other workers, perhaps the Europeans will DEMAND THE SAME FROM US! In other words, they will argue that our lack of single payer health care coverage would not be "fair trade" with them when they DO have such coverage for their workers.

Just another idea on how we can push single payer health care...

[Jeep789]

1. K & R (At least I would R if I was allowed to.) nt

[Captain Hilts]

2. YES! Because some companies - auto - have moved to Canada to avoid having to pay. nt

[Oregone]

4. It costs more to make autos in Canada FYI

The workers are paid substantially more per hour (bringing their per hour cost to $77 compared to $75), and that is a figure that accounts for entitlements, health care, and pensions. The CAW is expecting that figure to rise to $80 and hour, while that UAW is trying to lower their per hour cost to $50 by 2010

There may be other reasons why companies have opened Canadian factories (but the Big 3 has been there for decades BTW), but saving money on health care doesn't seem to compensate for dealing with the CAW.

[Captain Hilts]

5. Yes, but no medical insurance and long-term healthcare costs. That's really hurting...

the Big Three right now - healthcare costs for retirees.

[Vinca]

3. I think this is a very good point. There cannot be an equal playing field

when American employers are shelling out $12,000 per employee per year for healthcare. Next trade agreement should include healthcare for Americans.

[damntexdem]

6. Maybe -- unless the U.S. tried to use trade agreements to outlaw single-payer elsewhere.

;-)

[cascadiance]

7. But that really wouldn't be the "fair trade spirit"...

I wouldn't expect Obama to do that if he's renegotiating these treaties... Unless he wants to lose a lot of capital...