"How are you going to keep the insurance companies honest?"

That was the question posed by Mike Goebel of CWA at Rep. Paul Ryan's recent Racine listening session.

The goal of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO is to win secure, high-quality health care for all. We’ll do that by mobilizing and educating our members, as well as building key alliances with businesses and progressive groups.

We are fighting for a unique American plan for health insurance reform that:

• Builds on what’s best about American health care.

• Controls rising and irrational costs.

• Makes sure everyone gets high-quality health care as good or better than they have now.

• Covers preventive care.

• Lets people choose their own doctors and other providers.

• Government is watchdog on costs, quality and fairness and offers the choice of a public alternative to private insurance.

• Divides responsibility among employers, government and individuals.

This is a campaign of education, outreach and mobilization. We will help to arm working people with the knowledge they need to make informed choices about health care reform. We also will help our members make their voices heard in the health care debate. In addition to talking to our members, this campaign will be talking to allies, including not only other progressive organizations but also, crucially, employers. Our employers that have been providing good health benefits have a real stake in reforming health care and must be part of the debate and the solution.

Wisconsin union members have already been extraordinarily vocal at town hall meetings and rallies across the state.

AFSCME set a particularly strong example by busing their members to listening sessions within their districts.

During the month of August and the first week of September at least 2411 union members participated in 47 different listening sessions and health care rallies.  Members of AFSCME, AFT, APWU, ARA, ATU, BAC, BMWE, CWA, DALU, IAFF, IAMAW, IBB, IBEW, IBT, IRON, IUOE, IUPAT, LIUNA, NALC, NEA, OPEIU, ROOFERS, SEIU, SMWIA, UFCW, UA, UAW and other unions all turned out at health care events.

As this fight continues, it will be up to you to keep the pressure on so that Congress passes meaningful reform which includes a strong public option.   

(Top Photo: On July 20th, members of the Fond Du Lac County Labor Council participated in a rally for Health Insurance reform, marching to the office of Rep. Tom Petri to express their views.  Photo Credit: Greg Hinds. Middle Left Photo: Mike Goebel of CWA stands outside of the session with Kenosha AFL-CIO Council President Ron Fredrick and Secretary Treasurer Judy Jensen. Photo Credit: Justin Geiger.  Middle Right Photo: AFSCME members listen at Rep. Gwen Moore's Health Care Town Hall in Milwaukee. Photo Credit: Justin Geiger.  Bottom Photo: The South Central Federation of Labor educated fellow union members and the general public about health insurance reform at the Dodge County Fair on July 21.  Photo Credit: Randy Frey.)