UFCW 21 Endorses Medicare For All
/FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 30, 2020
Contact: Joe Mizrahi, jmizrahi@ufcw21.org
UFCW 21 Endorses Medicare For All
WASHINGTON— United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 21 (UFCW 21), the largest private-sector union in the state and the largest UFCW local in the country, is announcing the endorsement of a comprehensive Medicare for All health care plan. Medicare for All legislation has been introduced in the House (H.R. 1384) by U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and in the Senate (S. 1129) by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
UFCW 21 has long been at the forefront of advancing the rights and dignity of working people, and our democratically elected member executive board voted Tuesday night to make this endorsement.
“All our members and their families deserve access to high-quality comprehensive health care they can actually afford to use, said Faye Guenther, President of UFCW 21. “While we have fought hard to protect and improve our union health care plans over the years, Medicare for All would cover everyone in our communities, help address the current racial inequities in access to health care, and give our members the flexibility to bargain for other improvements to their benefits and working conditions. We are so proud that our very own Congresswoman Jayapal is leading the way on this important issue for our members.”
“As someone who works in an ER, I see the effects of our broken health care system every day, as patients skip getting the care they need because they can’t afford it, leading to worse health outcomes and higher costs for everyone. And as a union member, Medicare for All relieves us of the burden of long, drawn-out fights to maintain our health care plans, freeing working people from the crushing consequences of getting sick and opening doors for wage increases and other benefits,” said Jose Hernandez, UFCW 21 executive board member and emergency department assistant at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. “Even health care workers don’t always have good health care plans.”
This election cycle, issues and candidates on the ballot will determine the long-term health and future of the labor movement. UFCW 21 is committed to supporting candidates and policies that further strengthen workers’ voices, both at the federal level and here at home.
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ABOUT UFCW 21
UFCW 21 is working to build a powerful union that fights for economic, political and social justice in our workplaces and our communities. We represent over 46,000 workers in retail, grocery stores, health care, cannabis, and other industries in Washington State.
