Make America Happen: Economic Recovery Through Union Strength and Reforming Washington's Broken Health Care System

MakeAmericaHappen.
com
Make America Happen

Economic recovery through Union strength and reforming
Washington’s broken health care system
MakeAmericaHappen.com
Raise your hand!

• How many of you are facing cutbacks,
furloughs or layoffs on the job?
• How many of you have been under the
threat of privatization?
• How many of you have seen your health
care costs increase in the last 5 years?
America is in the worst economic crisis

since the Great Depression
• Unemployment rate in
Washington is 9.2%
• Health care costs eat
up 1/6 of the
entire economy.
We need a bold new plan to create jobs

and grow the economy
• Investment in public
services
• Health care reform
including a strong public
option and no taxes
on benefits
• The Employee Free
Choice Act
Strengthening AFSCME means

growing the middle class
• Restores the freedom to join a union
– the ticket to the middle class.
• Increases penalties for employers
who harass or fire
pro-union workers.
• Sets hard deadlines for
contract negotiation.
Fixing the economy means

fixing health care
• WA wages rose 16% between
2000 and 2007.
• WA health insurance
premiums rose 87% during
the same period – 5.3 times
faster than wages.
• In WA, 741,450 people are
uninsured, or 11.3%
WFSE members are facing huge

health care cost increases in 2010
• Out-of-pocket costs
increasing 33% to 250%
• Office visit
co-pays increasing
• Prescription drugs are
more expensive
Health care costs are skyrocketing

because there is no competition.
• Premera Blue Cross

controls 38% of the
WA market.
• PBC and Regence
BlueShield control 61%
of state market.
Uniquely American health care reform

is real choices and real competition
• If you like your health
care, you should be
able to keep it.
• If you don’t, you should
have options, including
a public health
insurance plan.
Some might say “I don’t want to pay for

someone else’s health care!”
• FACT: You already are!
• Caring for the uninsured
increases health care
premiums by
$1,100/year.
Competition from a public plan option means

lower costs and guaranteed coverage.
• Similar to Medicare,
but with benefits for a
younger population
• Lower administration
costs mean private
companies will have
to compete
• Peace of mind
How does competition lower costs?

• Lower passed on costs
• Public plans are much cheaper to
administer – only 2 to 3% of
total costs
• Insurance corporations incur
administrative costs of 10 -20%
• To compete, corporations must
focus on health care instead of
CEO and investor profits
Employers must do their fair share.

• Employers who don’t
provide health insurance
unfairly jack up the costs
for responsible employers
who do.
• Caring for the uninsured
increases health care
premiums by $1,100/year.
Bottom line for public employees

• Less money
committed to health
care costs in
negotiations means
more money in your
pocket, more jobs,
and better benefits
Taxing benefits as income will make

the problem worse, not better.
• Taxing benefits would raise
the cost of health care, not
lower it.
• Tax-free benefits are a big
reason why many employers
provide coverage to 60% of
Americans under 65.
Timing is critical
• The next two to four
weeks will determine
the outcome of health
care reform in the
United States
• Lots of voices, we
need to make ours
heard
Senator Maria Cantwell is the key

• Our voice on health care
reform as a member of
the Senate
Finance Committee.
• Committee scheduled to
have a bill ready as soon
as next week.
• Help by providing cover
and encouragement
What is AFSCME doing to make our

voice heard?
• Increased earned media
• Send more letters to offices
• Make more calls into offices
• Set-up and execute more
member visits
How can I help?

• Talk to and recruit your
members to help
• Set-up captains for each
activity
Letter captains
Phone call captains
Visit captains
LTE captains
• REPORT YOUR RESULTS
So how do we make it happen?
• Use your cell phone

to text the word
“happen” to 69866
right now!
LETTERS: They’re fast, easy,

and effective!!
• Dear Senator Cantwell,
• I work for local XX in XX, Washington
• I support:
– Health care reform with a public option
– No taxes on my benefits
• Please join me in support of this issue.
• Name, address, email.
Addresses
• Senator Maria Cantwell
• 915 Second Avenue, Suite 3206
• Seattle, Washington 98174
For more information and resources:
• Contact April Sims

•360-352-7603
•aprils@wfse.org
www.MakeAmericaHappen
.com

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MakeAmericaHappen.

Make America Happen

Raise your hand!

America is in the worst economic crisis

We need a bold new plan to create jobs

Strengthening AFSCME means

Fixing the economy means

WFSE members are facing huge

Health care costs are skyrocketing

• Premera Blue Cross

Uniquely American health care reform

Some might say “I don’t want to pay for

Competition from a public plan option means

How does competition lower costs?

Employers must do their fair share.

Bottom line for public employees

Taxing benefits as income will make

Senator Maria Cantwell is the key

What is AFSCME doing to make our

How can I help?

So how do we make it happen?

• Use your cell phone

LETTERS: They’re fast, easy,

For more information and resources:

• Contact April Sims

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