The Wisconsin Professional Employee Council (WPEC) found a way to fight back against Governor Scott Walker’s effort to turn Wisconsinites against public employees’ health benefits. The union endorsed HR 676, Improved Medicare for All, the national single payer legislation introduced by Congressman John Conyers.

“We believe public workers should help extend health care to all working people,” said Barbara Smith, Steward for WPEC.

WPEC, Local 4848 of AFT-Wisconsin, endorsed HR 676 at its convention on Saturday, April 28, 2012. The union represents about 5,000 white collar state employees.

The local is among the many unions in Wisconsin struggling to defeat the unconscionable attacks on their rights and benefits by Governor Scott Walker.

Barbara Smith submitted the resolution that passed without opposition.

The resolution is below:

Support for Single Payer Health Care

Because of the continuing assault on the idea of providing affordable health insurance to all Americans, some politicians are using that to build resentment among the public towards the health insurance benefits that public employees of Wisconsin have, therefore that we as a union strive to provide that all citizens have access.

RESOLVED, that WPEC supports the idea of single-payer healthcare, also known as enhanced “Medicare for All,” as expressed in proposals such as John Conyers’ HR 676.