Top Union Leader Urges Changes In Senate Health Care Bill, Calls Out Obama

[Better Believe It]

SEIU Urges Changes In Senate Health Care Bill, Calls Out Obama
By Sam Stein
December 17, 2009

A top labor leader urged Congress and the White House on Thursday to make major improvements to the Senate health care legislation, suggesting that the labor community could not support the current incarnation.

"I believe this is the moment when we must stand as one and say enough," Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern wrote in a letter to his fellow members.

While he stopped short of formally opposing the bill that is making its way through the Senate, he did express outrage over the concessions made to Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.). "The public option is declared impossible. Americans cannot purchase Medicare at an earlier age. The health insurance reform effort we have needed for a century is at risk," Stern wrote.

And in a significant change of tone, Stern -- who has visited the White House more than any other labor official -- called out President Barack Obama for moving away from the promises of his campaign.

The letter is a reflection of some of the tensions in the union community. Union officials, while privately angry with the White House and Democrats in Congress, still need the support of these lawmakers on other legislative priorities. Meanwhile, having poured millions into advertisement and man-hours in order to get health care passed, they have watched in horror as the principles they worked for were abandoned in a matter of days.

Read the full article at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/17/seiu-urges-changes-in-sen_n_395411.html

[Zodiak]

1. This administration and the Democrats as a whole

are anti-labor these days.

Sure, we have a few populists left, but if the unions are holding their tongues expecting some favors, they are being naive....like the voters were in 2008.

No EFCA...remember?

Obama's WH doesn't care about unions....in fact, it can be argued that they are on a union-busting trajectory in education. Why would they be nicer to the Service Workers?

Nope...time to just twist his arm rather than kiss his ass expecting a candy bar to fall out.

[Vincardog]

2. they have watched in horror as the principles they worked for were abandoned in a matter of days.

[Vidar]

3. Time for a Labor party if the Democrats contiue to whore for the corporations.