April 2009 - Posts

• Health-care battle nears

  Insurers now back covering all, but oppose Democrats' call for competing fed plan Columbus Dispatch April 20, 2009 WASHINGTON -- When it comes to the U.S. health-care system, just about everyone seems to agree on two things: It costs too much, and too many people lack coverage. The nation is expected to spend $2.5 trillion on health care this year. That works out to $8,160 per person, or more than four times the per-person figure of $1,952 in 1970, adjusted for inflation. The current figure is 17 percent of the gross domestic product, up from 7 percent in 1970, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Nearly 50 million Americans lack health insurance, a number that might rise as recession-battered companies shed jobs and employee health policies. Continue. posted Apr 20 2009, 02:17 PM by jwilkinson with no comments

• Unions 1, Pirates 0: Seafarers Thank their Union in Fighting Pirates

  In the battle of union members versus pirates, chalk one up for the union members. One of the crew members of the ship that fought off Somali pirates said it was because of the crew's union membership that they won. Watch the video and pass it on. When working people have the choice to form unions, they can ensure that they receive the proper training to keep the safe on the job. The American crew members of the Maersk Alabama - a ship recently hijacked by Somali pirates - regained control of the ship.  The seamen specifically cite their union membership as a reason for how they were able to beat the pirates. In an interview with NBC, the ship's Third Engineer, John Cronan, said this about their efforts: "We are American seamen.  We are union members.  We stuck together, we did our jobs.  And that's how we did it." posted Apr 20 2009, 02:13 PM by jwilkinson with no comments

• SEIU Calls On Financial Firms To Probe $5 Billion In Executive Pay

  Dow Jones Newswires April 20, 2009 One of the nation's largest unions is calling for 29 financial-services companies to investigate more than $5 billion in pay given to the firms' five highest-paid executives. The pension funds of the Service Employees International Union wants the companies' boards to review whether the compensation was "tied to derivatives and other questionable instruments that are now worthless." The union said in a statement that if the pay - including cash, equity and options - "are shown to be based on false economic metrics, they may be subject to clawbacks under U.S. securities laws." The pension funds also wants incentive pay to be done away with. Continue. posted Apr 20 2009, 02:12 PM by jwilkinson with no comments

• U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown promotes health-care reform at Cleveland Heights gathering

  Plain Dealer April 18, 2009 U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown stumped for national health-care reform at a Cleveland Heights church Friday morning, bringing with him local perspective and urgency. "We together are going to see this Congress pass national health-care reform by the end of the year," the Ohio Democrat told a crowd of about 500 community organizers and activists packed into the sanctuary at Forest Hill Presbyterian Church. Many held up an array of signs, such as "Fix it now" and "Caution: Pre-existing condition." President Barack Obama has called health-care reform a top priority, proposing a national system that would include both private and public insurance options for all Americans. Brown said he expects lawmakers to begin writing legislation soon. Continue. posted Apr 20 2009, 02:07 PM by jwilkinson with no comments

• Study: Let elderly choose care

  by Chau Nguyen, Enquirer April 12, 2009 Elderly people tend to be more satisfied with their care when they play a role in controlling it, such as helping hire and supervise the health aides who work in their homes. And in many cases, the care costs less, too. So finds a survey of home-service clients in Ohio recently produced by Miami University's Scripps Gerontology Center. Continue. posted Apr 16 2009, 10:47 AM by jwilkinson with no comments

• Rescare Workers at Three More WV Counties Join 1199

  ResCare workers at three more counties in West Virginia have joined SEIU District 1199 this year so far. Nursing assistants and LPNs from Grant, Lewis, and Marion counties opted into the master contract through a majority sign-up process. They join Rescare workers who are organized in SEIU across an overwleming majority of counties throughout the state. A warm welcome to our newest members! posted Apr 08 2009, 03:16 PM by jwilkinson with no comments