The St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, is the latest labor federation to endorse HR 676, Congressman John Conyers’ single payer healthcare bill.

Robert “Bobby” Kasper, President of the St Paul Federation, reports that delegates unanimously endorsed the Conyers bill at their regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday May 9th. The resolution to support HR 676 was brought to the Federation by Mike Madden, Chair of the Chisago Labor Assembly, AFL-CIO, and a representative of IAMAW Local Lodge 112.

The Federation represents 117 local unions with over 50,000 members in Chisago, Southern Dakota, Ramsey, and Washington counties of Minnesota.

The St. Paul Federation is the 141st Central Labor Council/Area Labor Federation and the 592nd union organization to endorse Conyers’ “Expanded and Improved Medicare for All” legislation.

The full text of the adopted resolution follows.

SAINT PAUL REGIONAL LABOR FEDERATION, AFL-CIO RESOLUTION SUPPORTING EXPANDED AND IMPROVED MEDICARE FOR ALL WHEREAS: More than 50 million people in the U. S. are currently without health insurance, More than 75 million people went without health insurance for some length of time during the past two years Millions more have inadequate coverage or are at risk of losing coverage Every year 45,000 people die in the U. S. because they had no health insurance, and WHEREAS: The U.S. health system continues to treat health care as a commodity distributed according to the ability to pay, rather than as a social service to be distributed according to human need , and Insurance companies and HMO's compete not by increasing quality or lowering costs, but by avoiding covering those whose needs are greatest, WHEREAS: A single-payer program as provided by HR 676 is the only affordable option for universal, comprehensive health care coverage, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, wholeheartedly endorses HR 676 "Expanded and Improved Medicare for ALL"; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO will work with other unions and community groups to build support and action for a single-payer universal health care and HR 676 until we make what is morally right for our nation into what is also politically possible. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, AFL-CIO will forward this resolution to the Minnesota AFL_CIO requesting support of a similar resolution; notify the St. Paul delegation of our support of HR 676 and encourage the representatives to co-sponsor HR 676 and ask senators to introduce a companion bill in the senate. UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED BY THE ST. PAUL REGIONAL LABOR FEDERATION, AFL-CIO, MAY 9, 2012