GOV. MALLOY JOINS 1199 HEALTHBRIDGE PICKET LINE

JOIN THE PICKET LINE - SEE LOCATIONS BELOW THE ARTICLE.

Gov. Dannel Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman joined the 1199 Union picked line at the Newington Health Care Center in Newington Ct.  managed by HealthBridge.  HealthBridge is a huge national organization based in New Jersey. 

Around the state, nearly 700 workers are on strike, in Newington, Milford, Danbury, Stamford and Westport.

Workers at five HealthBridge-owned nursing homes went on strike last week after the health care company declined to return to the bargaining table. Malloy said it's clear the company has taken "unfair actions" against employees, citing last week's federal complaint against the company issued by the National Labor Relations Board.

In a statement issued this morning, Malloy chided HealthBridge for its actions. "This comes at a time when many other nursing homes in Connecticut have agreed to reasonable contracts over the last year," the statement read. "HealthBridge is the exception and not in a good way. These types of tactics are unacceptable. They negatively impact the lives of the residents who live in these nursing homes and the residents' families because the continuum of care gets interrupted."

JOIN THE PICKET LINE - BELOW ARE THE FIVE LOCATIONS:

Newington Health Care Center

240 Church Street
Newington, CT 06111

West River Health Care Center

245 Orange Avenue
Milford, CT 06460

Long Ridge of Stamford

710 Long Ridge Road
Stamford, CT 06902

Danbury Health Care Center
107 Osborne Street
Danbury, CT 06810

Westport Health Care Center

1 Burr Road
Westport, CT 06880

Posted by Tom Connolly

IT IS TIME FOR A PUBLIC OPTION FOR HEALTH CARE IN CONNECTICUT

Photo: Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, chairperson of the SustinNet Cabinet committee opens the meeting to consider a public option for health care in Connecticut.

On Tuesday, June 12 members of the Interfaith Fellowship for Universal Health Care and their allies jamed the SustinNet Cabinet meeting at the Connecticut llegislative office building in Hartford, CT to demand a public option for health care.

It a prepared statement they note: "...create a state-sponsored public option for health care that pools all recipients of state health care dollars, competes of the health care exchange with private insurers, and offers affordable health insurance to small business and individuals who are left our of the current system. 

Why a public option?  We note that anytime people are left out of the health care system, service costs increase for everyone, and quality decreases for everyone.  A system that privileges some actually deprives all of us of the best care at the best price.  A public option is a well-researched solution to the problem of differential assess and skyrocketing cost..."

With hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents with no or inadequate health insurance now is the time for a public option.

Photo Above:  Part of the crowd and the June 12 meeting supporting a public option for health care in Connecticut. 

Posted by Tom Connolly



JUNE 12 - HEALTH CARE 4 ALL

BE THERE:  Tuesday, June 12 -- 8:30 – 11:00 a.m SustiNet Healthcare Cabinet Legislative Office Building, Room IB -- 300 Capitol Ave, Hartford


On Tuesday June 12, Connecticut can take a big step toward new non-profit health coverage. You can help. Decisions by for-profit insurance companies cause many of the problems in our broken health system.

When for-profit insurers give their CEOs outrageous pay instead of holding down insurance costs, when they reap record profits instead of approving the treatments doctors order, we all pay the price. We'll never have quality affordable health care for everyone, as long as for-profit insurers are in charge. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Across the country, non-profit insurance plans are pioneering ways to hold down costs and deliver better care. The difference: health is their bottom line. On Tuesday, the SustiNet Healthcare Cabinet’s working group on non-profit and public alternatives to private, for-profit insurance will present its report.

 The 2011 law we won requires the Cabinet to make recommendations on these alternatives to Governor Malloy by October 1. We need a big turnout Tuesday! The Cabinet needs to hear, loud and clear, that Connecticut supports non-profit alternatives to the private insurers that control health care today. Join healthcare4every1 & the Interfaith Fellowship for Universal Health Care to demand action! Wear your red t-shirt!

Tuesday, June 12 -- 8:30 – 11:00 a.m SustiNet Healthcare Cabinet Legislative Office Building, Room IB -- 300 Capitol Ave, Hartford

Source:  HealthCare4All
Posted by Tom Connolly

MUST SEE FILM - Teachers are Talking, Is the National Listening?

Teachers are Talking, Is the Nation Listening? is a documentary film that features conversations about the art of teaching and learning by teachers themselves. TEACH brings an important perspective to the national education debate that is currently being dominated by a corporate led agenda to privatize education and blame teachers for everything that is wrong with education in this country.

The film will be screened Sunday, June 10, 2012, 5-8pm at the Unitarian Meetinghouse, 50 Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford.

This movie takes on many questions about No Child Left Behind, high stakes testing, unequal distribution of education resources, and schools dominated by data driven curriculum instead of providing an education that is dynamic, creative, exciting, and joyful. Every day in the media we hear from the businesses, thinktankers, politicians, and administrators, this movie is about those who don't usually get heard. Many education movies that distort the truth and promote a business view of education have millions of dollars to promote their misinformation about education i.e. Waiting for Superman.

This is the documentary that the nation is waiting for. The filmmakers of TEACH, Teachers are Talking, Is the Nation Listening are teachers in the Boston Public Schools.

The Hartford screening is co-Sponsored by AFTCT.

Free with Donations Appreciated - Pizza and Refreshments Provided - Discussion with Q and A with Filmmakers-Teachers Robert Lamothe and Yvonne Lamothe.

For More Info Contact Marge or Dave Schneider margedavidpeace@gmail.com 860-872-6899 or for more info about the film, please visit TEACH, Teachers Are Talking, Is the Nation Listening http://www.teachdocumentary.com/

Source: Hartford Central Labor Council
Posted by: Tom Connolly

Labor and Community Spring Offensive! Celebrate International Workers Day

It is very exciting that many unions, community groups and individuals are joining together this spring to organize on behalf of the 99% for the future of our country.  The deaths of Trayvon Martin and many others to racial profiling and violence highlight the urgency of economic justice, equality and peace.

 As a part of this great effort, the People's World in Connecticut is hosting its annual celebration of International Workers Day on Sunday, May 6 at 4:00 pm at the Peoples Center, 37 Howe Street, New Haven. Please mark your calendar and help make the day a big success.

 The program will include a slide show of May Day Around the World and solidarity messages from Connecticut workers resisting corporate greed on strike, in contract negotiations or organizing drives A Labor-Community Organizing panel will place experiences in the on-going struggles for jobs and union rights, ending racial profiling and attacks on women, ending the wars and taxing the 1% into the context of the 2012 elections.

Music performances will inspire and unite us. A home made buffet and a raffle will round out the family day. Tickets are $5 or what you can afford. No one will be turned away.

 The celebration /rally is a fund raiser toward the annual $10,000 People's World Connecticut fund drive goal to keep the paper's working class news and views going and growing.  Donations large and small will be welcomed and appreciated.

Don't miss Sunday, May 6 at 4 pm at 37 Howe Street in New Haven. To reserve tickets or for information e-mail: ct-pww@pobox.com or call 203-624-8664.