Stern Offers Health Care Solutions at Economic Summit with Barack Obama

SEIU International President Andy Stern joined Senator Obama and other panelists for a summit today in Pittsburgh focused on American competitiveness in a global economy.

Stern focused on how labor and business leaders can work with government to forge the broad coalition necessary to guarantee quality, affordable heath care for everyone.

"Our failed healthcare system is not just a moral problem but an economic crisis as well,"said Stern. "We can't be the only industrialized nation to put the price of health care on our products. No American should be denied access to health care and no business owner should compete at a disadvantage because they are trying to do the right thing and help cover their employees.

In his post-summit remarks, Stern also highlighted the real story of two Pennsylvanians struggling with the current health care crisis. Cathy Stoddart, a nurse in Pittsburgh, had insurance when her son had catastrophic medical needs but since it included an annual cap on benefits, she was forced to take on thousands of dollars in medical debt. She has been paying off that debt little by little for several years now, making it harder to help her son save for college and for her own retirement.

Elizabeth Kennedy from Waynesburg works full time as a home care attendant but cannot afford health insurance because her wages are low and she is an older worker. A few years ago Kennedy slipped and fell, hurting herself significantly. The first thing she said was, "please don't call an ambulance, I cannot afford the bill." Instead of seeking medical attention, she let the injury go untreated, and has lived in constant pain ever since.

Said Stern, "Senator Obama has a proven history of listening to multiple perspectives to come up with bipartisan and effective solutions. As president, we can count on him to end politics as usual to create a new American Dream, including quality affordable health care, for everyone."

Recently, SEIU announced that more than 100,000 members will be volunteering their time to elect a pro-worker majority in Congress and elect Barack Obama the next president. Stern has spearheaded new partnerships with community allies, employers, and other organizations, to find practical solutions to achieve economic opportunity and justice for workers; to ensure affordable, quality health care for all; to promote quality public services; and to guarantee that globalization benefits not just big corporations but also working people.

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