Three Labor Councils in Maine, Southern, Western and Central, have followed the lead of the Maine State AFL-CIO in calling on the national AFL-CIO September Convention to endorse HR 676 and educate and mobilize for its passage.

The resolution passed by the 3 councils urges that the AFL-CIO Convention: “…pursue the passage of HR 676, the ‘United States National Health Care Act’ to meet the needs of our members, our families, and all America, and not endorse or support any fallback program of mandated insurance which includes the wasteful, for-profit insurance industry….”

The resolution further calls on the AFL-CIO to “…help organize and financially support a ‘Healthcare is a Human right’ Solidarity March and Rally in Washington, DC.”

Chris Teret, President of the Southern Council said: “The Southern Maine Labor Council realizes that the fundamental principle of labor is solidarity—an injury to one is an injury to all. For that reason, the labor movement can’t support any health care system except one that includes everybody, no exceptions. We know the insurance companies are the problem and we’re ready to see them gone….”

The Troy Area Labor Council initiated the campaign to get resolutions urging support of HR 676 sent to the AFL-CIO Convention which meets in Pittsburgh September 14-17. The sample resolution and information on how to submit a resolution are at: http://pefencon.info/HR676/Resolution.htm

Convention resolutions can be submitted at [email protected]. The deadline for submitting resolutions is Aug. 14th.