Catoosa, Oklahoma. Delegates at the Oklahoma State AFL-CIO Convention unanimously endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

Jimmy Curry, President of the Oklahoma AFL-CIO, said after the October 11th vote, “On the 50th anniversary of the merger of the AFL with the CIO and the 107th anniversary of the AFL and the 100th anniversary this week of statehood, the working men and women of Oklahoma find no other issue more important to this state, or to this country, than the health care of its citizens. In 2001 Oklahoma had 437,000 citizens without health insurance and now, just six years later, over 700,000 are without insurance. This crisis must be addressed, and we need real leaders to stand up and fix this problem and not just play politics.”