Rian Van Leuven, President of the Idaho State AFL-CIO, announced that on June 12, 2013, the delegates to the 55th Annual Idaho State AFL-CIO Convention passed a resolution to publicly endorse and support H.R. 676, Single Payer Healthcare.

Further the resolution states “That the Idaho State AFL-CIO will develop working relationships with community organizations in Idaho which advocate for single-payer healthcare and Medicaid expansion.”

Louis Schlickman, MD, an Idaho physician who practices in Meridian and is Co Chair of the Physicians for a National Health Program state chapter, showed the movie Escape Fire and made a single payer presentation to the convention prior to the passage of the resolution.

After the resolution for HR 676 was passed by the Idaho State AFL-CIO Convention, Dr. Schlickman stated that, “Collectively we are all realizing that unions in general can play a huge role in helping others, not just union workers, see the merit in a single payer financing system of care.”

Dr. Schlickman observed that union members “have seen how one unexpected illness or injury leads to significant catastrophes of health and income status. And most important, they understand the issue of solidarity.”

Idaho is the 43rd State AFL-CIO Federation to endorse HR 676, which was introduced into the 113th Congress by Representative John Conyers (D MI). The bill is subtitled Expanded and Improved Medicare for All.