Houston, Texas. IAMAW Local Lodge 2339H in Houston, representing 5,000 flight attendants at Continental and Express Jet Airlines, is the 500th union organization to endorse HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

Christine Diaz, the Local’s Legislative Committee Chairperson, said: “It was important for our local to stand in solidarity with the hundreds of other labor organizations who have already endorsed HR 676. We are going to win this fight at the grass roots level, and it is going to take educating not only our members, but the general public, on the truth about single payer health care.”

Rosalie Canton, President of Local Lodge 2339H, said: “When our membership has to stop work for whatever reason, it is not uncommon to hear, ‘Well, I will just have to risk not having health insurance for three months. I cannot afford to pay for COBRA.’ The system must change so that your health insurance is not tied to your employer. It just doesn’t work anymore.”

The Legislative Committee has met with Rep. Gene Green but has not yet secured his agreement to sign on as a co-sponsor of HR 676.