WSLC Convention Continues

Kent Wong, Director of UCLA Labor Center joined us today to celebrate the increasing diversity we are seeing in government today: the election of President Obama, Hilda Solis as Labor Secretary and now Sonia Sotomayer confirmed as Supreme Court Justice. He encouraged unions to continue to challenge and defeat racism in this country. The labor movement has played a significant role and must continue to work for social justice for working people. “We must forge real multi-racial unity in this country.”

Kelli Zimmerman, Assistant to the Self-Insured Ombudsman and member of Local 443 at LNI did a presentation on the changes in the law that creates worker advocacy as the mission and goal. Injured workers who work for self-insured employers now have an advocate to help them get through this complex system.

Bill Daley, Health Care Policy Expert with Washington /Community Action Network, spoke on the discussions occurring around National Health Care Reform. He detailed the public option piece, expected to cost less than the insurance company offerings. Keeping people from using emergency rooms and EMTs for issues that could be resolved by primary care physicians should generate significant savings. The Senate Finance committee remains an obstacle to success and it is unknown what will occur there. The House bill is the one that contains most of what we need. There is a well-financed attack on health care reform that is vicious and has at times become violent. Please attend the town hall meetings and encourage your representatives to support a good health care reform bill. Legislators are facing these hostile attacks rather than being able to explain and discuss the issues with their constituents. We cannot allow health care reform to be destroyed by those who profit from the suffering and the financial ruin that the current system allows. This issue comes down to “What will happen to me?” We must answer that question with a determined fight for real healthcare reform with a public option. The list of town hall meetings is on the Washington State Labor Council website on Today’s Events.

Congressman Jay Inslee Joined us today and gave a great speech that aligned with the theme of the convention, “Bring Change Home”. He spoke to these priorities:

1) Grow a new clean energy economy, using American companies with American labor and developing American trechnology
2) Healthcare Reform
3) Employee Free Choice Act

“Each of us are players on this stage. Please stand up and do your part. Join the President and join me ,” said Inslee.