Orlando, Florida. The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), at its 17th National membership Convention Aug. 4-8, endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

Founded in 1973, LCLAA is the main national Latino organization representing the interests of over 1.7 million Latino trade unionists. LCLAA is a constituency group representing Latino workers in both the AFL-CIO and Change to Win labor federations. Its headquarters are in the AFL-CIO building in Washington, DC.

The LCLAA resolution for HR 676 notes that premiums for employer sponsored health insurance have been rising five times faster that workers’ salaries, and that of the 47 million Americans without health insurance 15 million are Hispanic and 9 million are children.

The resolution endorsing HR 676 was presented by Sonia Ivany, President of the New York LCLAA chapter. Dr. Jaime Torres a New York physician and Chair of Latinos for National Health Insurance said after learning that LCLAA had endorsed HR 676:

“We congratulate the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement for unanimously passing a resolution endorsing HR 676 at their national convention in Orlando. We want to honor Sonia Ivany, President of the New York LCLAA chapter, for her passionate work on behalf of equitable healthcare for all, and for spearheading this resolution at the convention.”