Posted on 07/17/2013 11:31:05 AM PDT by grundle
The Affordable Care Act now has a formidable opponent in U.S. labor unions. The unions were a key ally in the law’s passage: They spent a large sum of money on the congressional campaigns of Democrats in 2006 and 2008, and union leaders lobbied in favor of health care reform in 2009 and 2010. But with growing worries that the legislation will disrupt the health benefits of its members, America’s largest unions are asking Congress to step in. Save Time Make Money! A new stock idea each week for less than the cost of a trade. CLICK HERE for your Weekly Stock Cheat Sheets NOW!
Representatives of three of the nation’s largest unions sent a letter to Democratic Sens. Harry Reid of Nevada and Nancy Pelosi of California on Thursday.
“When you and the President sought our support for the Affordable Care Act, you pledged that if we liked the health plans we have now, we could keep them. Sadly, that promise is under threat,” letter said. “Right now, unless you and the Obama Administration enact an equitable fix, the ACA will shatter not only our hard-earned health benefits, but destroy the foundation of the 40 hour workweek that is the backbone of the American middle class.”
The letter was written by James P. Hoffa, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Joseph Hansen, international president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union; and Donald Taylor, the president of Unite-Here, a union representing hotel, airport, food service, gaming, and textile workers. Save Time Make Money! A new stock idea each week for less than the cost of a trade. CLICK HERE for your Weekly Stock Cheat Sheets NOW!
Their letter noted that their respective unions have long been supporters of the idea that all Americans should have access to quality, affordable health care. “We have also been strong supporters of you,” the three union presidents wrote. “In campaign after campaign we have put boots on the ground, gone door-to-door to get out the vote, run phone banks and raised money to secure this vision.”
But the problem is that “this vision has come back to haunt us.”
The union leadership is seeking “reasonable regulatory interpretations” to the Affordable Care Act that would help prevent the destruction of nonprofit health plans. However, according to the letter, earlier requests for government action have been “disregarded and met with a stone wall by the White House and the pertinent agencies.” In their opinion, this disregard compares unfavorably with how the administration responded to requests made by other so-called stakeholders, citing the government’s decision to make a “huge accommodation” for the employer community by extending the deadline for the employer mandate and penalties.
“Time is running out: Congress wrote this law; we voted for you. We have a problem; you need to fix it,” wrote the union leaders. “The unintended consequences of the ACA are severe. Perverse incentives are already creating nightmare scenarios.” Save Time Make Money! A new stock idea each week for less than the cost of a trade. CLICK HERE for your Weekly Stock Cheat Sheets NOW!
The letter lists three complaints. First, that the law creates an incentive for employers to keep workers’ hours below 30 hours per week. Second, that millions of Americans, including a great majority of union members, are covered by nonprofit health insurance plans. But with the implementation of Obamacare, union workers will be “treated differently and not be eligible for subsidies afforded other citizens.” Finally, the letter argued that while union, nonprofit plans will not receive the same subsidies, they will be taxed to pay for those subsidies.
Hoffa, Hansen, and Taylor believe that there are “common-sense” fixes that can be made to the legislation that will allow union members to keep their current plans and benefits as Congress and President Barack Obama promised. Unless the changes are made, they said that pledge is hollow.
“We continue to stand behind real health care reform, but the law as it stands will hurt millions of Americans including the members of our respective unions,” the letter concluded.
The private sector unions made a huge mistake, maybe sold their souls to the devil, when they allied themselves with government employee unions. Their interests are not the same, and maybe even opposed to each other.
NSS!
If you lay down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.......
Real health care reform is getting the government out of health care!
%#*+!&@>^# Congress!
If this was anything more than a PR stunt these thugs/thug-enablers would step up and announce that until Obamacare is repealed they’re going to throw the full weight of their organizations behind candidates who will vote to do so.
IIRC the Teamsters endorsed Reagan in 1980, after the impacts of Carter’s policy on their members. Time for them to step up and do it again.
The unions were beating up old ladies at town hall meetings.
Now they can enjoy Marxism as it collapses their standard of living.
Cue the unicorns!
I would be furious with my union for spending my dues electing snake politicians.
If they stayed the hell out of politics and were banned from representing public service employees, I would have no problem at all with unions.
Moral: Be careful of what you ask for and ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
Elect a racist, Muslim, Marxist, non-American Keynesian to office and that is precisely what you get!!!
Just wait until the flood of illegals undercuts their salaries.
Yep they want to spread the money that belongs to everyone else but don’t want anyone to touch their own .
If I owned a big company not one person that was not a personal friend or family would get a work week that was more than 25 hours . I would also refuse to hire any woman that was of reproductive age (make me have to pay for abortions and watch me refuse to hire those that can have them)
WE has met the enemy .. and they be Union leaders.
Stuff that up yur nose, Trumka.
In September 2011, Hoffa introduced the President at a rally and when referencing the Tea Partiers Hoffa called on workers to “take these son-of-a-bitches out”
This is what happens when you are only interested in power (tyranny) over individual liberty. You support policies that end up causing you harm....idiots.
maybe next time people should vote for the party that accurately predicted what a disaster this bill was going to be
meanwhile, screw em
give em what they campaigned for
obamacare
This has already been fixed. Sunday night, September 1 the HHS will make the regulatory change that exempts the unions from this.
What a way for the unions to celebrate Labor Day. Meanwhile the masses will be at the beach, not knowing or caring what just took place while the politicians will slap each others back, once again getting over on their constituents.
Welcome to Amerika
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