To working families, it’s just plain common sense: Shifting the cost of health benefits to employees is making healthcare increasingly unaffordable.

A recent study on workers with rheumatoid arthritis shows what we’ve known all of the time: In the face of skyrocketing out-of-pocket expenses, many employees forgo vital medication. Not only that, but according to this article from The New York Times, lost productivity causes employers to spend more, too.

If companies aren’t persuaded by the notion that it’s a matter of simple justice for every American to be able to go to the doctor when they need to without going broke, then maybe employers’ own self interest will make them accept that affordable healthcare is good business.

It’s clear that our current system poses a grave threat to the economic security of workers. That’s why AFSCME is helping to lead the fight to address this crisis. Affordable, quality health care for all – regardless of job, income or zip code – is a basic human right that must be achieved.

When it comes to the families of union activists, the fruit doesn’t often fall far from the tree. That’s especially true of Davida Russell, a bus driver and president of Local 744 of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE)/AFSCME Local 4. In the 1970’s Russell’s mom was a bus driver, too.

Last year, Russell enrolled at the George Meany Center’s National Labor College to pursue a bachelor’s degree, which she received this summer. As she learned more about the labor movement and how unions have made a difference in people’s lives, she recalled her own childhood experiences riding her mom’s bus through Cleveland, attending union meetings and watching her mom lead the fight when her co-workers at the Cuyahoga County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities got tired of being mistreated and decided to form a union.

Russell’s memories became the foundation for a book – “The Birth of a Union: The Legacy of Noridean McDonald” – which is scheduled for publication in July. Russell considers the work a tribute to her mom. We consider it one more example of the deep roots that support all working families.

A new Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report shows the number of Americans without health insurance jumped 6 percent in 2006 from the previous year. Particularly alarming is that the increase was in the non-elderly adult population. According to news reports, this is because of diminishing employer coverage and pricier private insurance. The number of children without health insurance also increased to 6.8 million.

Abomination. Shameful. Outrageous. Take your pick.

One other note: President Bush’s home state of TX had the highest rate of uninsured (23.8%).

Tick-tock. Tick-tock. Do you hear it? It’s the sound of time running out for the folks who want to trample on workers’ rights. Today, 51 Senators stood for the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), an initiative that would allow workers to join unions – either by ballot elections or majority sign-up – without employer interference.

Although maneuvering from a minority of anti-union legislators prevented a vote on the bill, the message was clear: Workers’ rights will be restored sooner rather than later. If not now, then as soon as working families lead the battle to recapture the White House in ’08 and elect a President who will sign EFCA into law.

More and more people are joining the fight for workers’ rights. It was only a week ago that AFSCME members defied 95-degree temperatures to rally in favor of the measure. They endured the heat in order to protect workers who feel it from employers who don’t want their employees to form unions.

AFSCME Pres. Gerald W. McEntee said it best during the event, which was attended by a 6,000-strong crowd: “The most dangerous thing a worker can do today is form a union.” His thoughts were echoed in The Washington Post, where it was pointed out that “beginning in the 1970s, employers have preferred to violate the law – the penalties are negligible – rather than have their workers unionize.”

The only way the law will regain its teeth and back employees who want to gain a voice at work is through passage of this vital piece of legislation. Our fight has just begun!

posted by Richard Acevedo, Unit President 7567,
Port Washington School District
CSEA, AFSCME Local 1000

The Leadership Conference is a critical step in AFSCME’s preparation to elect a working family candidate to the White House. Yesterday, I participated in two workshops, one on organizing and the other on the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), an initiative that will make it easier for workers to gain union representation.

Today, coming into the Presidential Forum, I was very interested in seeing what the different candidates’ plans were, especially when it came to affordable health care and the labor movement. I wanted to see candidates who realize that once they are elected, AFSCME will hold them accountable. I believe I saw just that.

Now I’m heading for the EFCA rally on Capitol Hill. Today’s temperature is supposed to be higher than 90 degrees but this fight is worth it. In this election, working families will pave the way to change. We will make our voices heard at the rally and the remainder of the Leadership Conference. After that, we are on our way to the White House!

Progressive radio host Ed Schultz is in Washington, D.C., and will be broadcasting live from the AFSCME 2007 National Leadership Conference today between 12 noon and 3:00 p.m. EST. He’ll be joined by AFSCME President Gerald McEntee to discuss today’s Presidential Forum, the Employee Free Choice Act and the issues that are important to AFSCME members in the 2008 campaign.

Find a station near you or listen online at bigeddieradio.com.

This morning the 2,000 AFSCME members from around the country who are in Washington, D.C., for the 2007 Leadership Conference listened intently as the top Democratic presidential candidates each made their case for why they should be president – and why they deserve AFSCME’s prized endorsement.

AMERICAblog’s Joe Sudbay calls AFSCME “a major union that knows how to play politics.” Check out his coverage of AFSCME’s presidential forum on AMERICAblog, and read Jonathan Singer’s live post on MyDD.com. You can also read about it on MSNBC.com’s “First Read” blog and on the New York Times political blog, which notes the importance of AFSCME’s endorsement. Speaking of which, the forum has just ended and members are now participating in a town hall forum where they’ll discuss the candidates.

UPDATE: additional coverage from around the web:

• Visit the Presidential Forum page on AFSCME.org for news coverage, video clips, photo galleries and more
• MSNBC’s “Super Tuesday” page features several video clips from the forum
• Chris Matthews blogs about the event on Hardblogger
• Workers Independent News speaks with AFSCME’s Ethan Rome (listen to the audio at this link)
• NBC’s Andrew Merten and Jenny Anzelmo check in at MSNBC’s First Read as did NBC News political director Chuck Todd
• Ana Marie Cox at Time’s Swampland blog

Nearly 2,000 AFSCME members and activists have converged on Washington, D.C., for the union’s 2007 AFSCME Leadership Conference (June 18-20), where six Presidential hopefuls will make their pitch.

Event highlights include AFSCME’s second Presidential Forum on Tuesday, moderated by “Hardball” host Chris Matthews and covered live on MSNBC. Democratic candidates U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, former U.S. Senator John Edwards, U.S. Representative Dennis Kucinich, U.S. Senator Barack Obama and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson will attend.

Popular radio show hosts Ed Shultz and Air America’s Laura Flanders will broadcast live from the forum.

Right after the event, members will have a unique chance to express their support for the Employee Free Choice Act in a massive rally on Capitol Hill. On Wednesday, attendees will hear from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Minn. Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

For more news and announcements about the event, visit AFSCME.org.

In a nutshell, this is what workers faced before there were unions. Sadly enough, big money interests are hell-bent on turning back the clock to a time when employees had no voice at their workplace.

That’s why AFSCME is calling on Congress to pass the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would not only make it easier for workers to form unions but also impose real penalties on employers who violate their legal right to organize. EFCA was already passed in the U.S. House. Now it’s the Senate’s turn. The Senate is expected to begin debate on EFCA on Monday, with a vote to come as early as Wednesday, June 20th.

AFSCME has launched a radio ad campaign urging people to tell their senators to support this important bill. And 2,000 AFSCME members who will be in Washington, DC for our Leadership Conference will be turning out in full force for a rally on Capitol Hill to make it clear that giving workers a free choice should be is a priority.

You can listen to AFSCME’s radio ad here or catch it on Air America Radio. You can also sign our online petition telling Senators to support this important legislation for workers’ rights.

Working families are struggling more than ever to make ends meet. This is your chance to do something about it.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that home care workers don’t have a right to fair treatment. Home care workers – you know, the folks who do back-breaking work – the cooking, cleaning, bathing and lifting – that allows your elderly parents or your disabled cousin to live at home with independence and dignity.

Yup. The Supreme Court ruled that these low-paid, dedicated and caring workers are not covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act and thus not entitled to minimum wage or overtime pay. In other words, we don’t need to pay a livable wage to workers who make life livable for others. Nice.

Home care jobs are stressful – mentally and physically. They are frequently filled by women and people of color, and their wages remain among the lowest in the service industry. In its statement on the Court’s ruling, the National Women’s Law Center points to research showing that median earnings for home health care workers employed on a full-time, full-year basis are below the federal poverty threshold for a family of four. Further, these workers usually lack retirement plans and other employment benefits.

In recent years, thousands of these aides across the country have been joining together with AFSCME to fight for fair pay and treatment. United, we will continue this fight for fairness.