Portland, Oregon. Teamster Local 206, which represents workers in a variety of occupations through out the state of Oregon, has endorsed HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

Tom Leedham, Local 206 Secretary-Treasurer said: “Members of our union are very involved in health care and have studied a number of proposals for reform both at the state and national levels. Health care and health care issues are often the subject of discussion at our general and contract ratification meetings. Because we enjoy a high quality schedule of benefits we are not inclined to support a proposal that would be a reduction in benefits or an increase in costs for 206 Teamsters. A national single payer plan like HR 676 is the only program we see that meets our quality and cost criteria. HR 676, like no other, is consistent with our union’s overall philosophy: ‘everybody in, nobody out’.