Don’t think standing together as a union for affordable health care matters, consider this....
From the United States Supreme Court in Washington, DC, to the Freedom Foundation in this state, powerful special interests want to take away our ability to negotiate better wages and benefits to sustain our families and provide quality public services.
The aim of these “right-to-work” and other attacks is to cripple this movement and undo the progress we’ve made.
It’s not theoretical. We see examples of what might be if those special interests get their way.
Take House Bill 2869 that was introduced in our state House of Representatives earlier this month.
- HB 2869 would make an end-run around our bargaining rights and impose higher health care costs.
- HB 2869 would increase our health care premiums by a third, from the current 15 percent share to 20 percent.
The bill was introduced by three Republican representatives. It was sent to the House Appropriations Committee. No hearings have been scheduled. It likely is not going anywhere beyond the printed page because it would have to have a hearing and a committee vote by Feb. 6.
But it tipped the hand of what those special interests have in store for you if they cripple us as the union of 44,000 dedicated public servants.
Remember: Joining together, working people like us gain strength in numbers so we can create a voice at work about what we care about.
