Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In a wide ranging speech to the annual Netroots Nation Convention, Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer, said, “My preference, and the feeling of many in the labor movement, is that we should have a single payer health care system.” Netroots Nation is the largest annual assembly of progressive bloggers and web journalists.

Trumka’s speech followed an impassioned appeal for single payer by Pennsylvania State Senator Jim Ferlo who presented the Paul Wellstone Award to Congressman Eric Massa (D-NY). Massa is a co-sponsor and one of the most outspoken supporters of HR 676, single payer healthcare legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers (D-MI).

Trumka will return to Pittsburgh in mid September for the AFL-CIO Convention where he is expected to be elected President. More than fifty resolutions calling for the endorsement of HR 676 have been submitted to the convention.

Trumka’s remarks can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnNolT275Yw

or here in the video section of this site