“Don’t give in, don’t retreat. Public option’s what we need!”

Unionists showed their support for health care reform, and specifically for the “public option,” government-run alternative to the health insurance companies that the legislation would create, in demonstrations in D.C. and Florida earlier this week.

The Del Ray, Fla. Rally drew 700 people inside a hall and another 700 outside, according to the AFL-CIO. The D.C. rally drew hundreds more and all but a few were unionists. They lined the sidewalks near Democratic National Committee headquarters on Capitol Hill with signs and several chants promoting a public option.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama mobilized religious leaders and members of his massive presidential campaign e-mail list all for health care reform in successive huge conference calls on August 19-20.

Obama told the religious leaders in the first conference call that health insurance reform -- he recently switched from calling it “health care reform” -- “is part of our moral and ethical obligation to look out for one another.”

“I want everyone to know what is involved,” he added. The religious leaders are on a 40-day campaign to promote health care reform.

The key issue for the D.C. health care demonstrators, and for unionists, is the “public option,” the government-run alternative to the health insurance companies and their price gouging, statewide monopolies and oligopolies, high premiums and co-pays, denial of care and resulting deaths.

The public option has also drawn the most fire from the insurers, business and the GOP. Top Senate negotiators appear to be on the verge of dumping it, and even Obama has said his goals for health care reform are universality and cost controls and that he isn’t wedded to specific ways of getting to them.

The D.C. demonstrators made it clear with their chants and signs that they would not stand for the exclusion of a public option plan. Other chants, in addition to the one at the start of this article were general: “What do we want? Health care! When do we want it? Now!” and similar statements. But several at the end had subtle warnings for politicians: “1, 2, 3, 4, This is what we voted for! 5, 6, 7, 8, Health care reform cannot wait!”

And, finally, “Barack Obama, take a stand! Public option, yes we can!”

Similar chants were heard at the Health Care for America Now! rally held on June 25 where TWU members joined thousands of other unionists to make our message clear: no taxation of health care benefits. The TWU is working hard to ensure the reformed health care plan incorporates working families’ best interests, and “this will certainly be a main topic of discussion for the delegates at the 23rd Constitutional Convention this September,” said TWU Int’l President James C. Little.

You can read more about the HCAN! rally and TWU’s position on health care reform in the next issue of the TWU Express.