Posted on 02/08/2007 5:07:34 AM PST by A. Pole
Edited on 02/08/2007 6:52:46 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
Usually antagonists, they are working together to end the nation's reliance on employer-backed insurance.
WASHINGTON — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Lee Scott joined one of his toughest critics, labor leader Andrew Stern, on Wednesday to unveil a political campaign to promote universal health care coverage.
The two longtime antagonists are helping lead a coalition of labor and business leaders urging Congress to end the nation's reliance on employer-backed health insurance and develop a system for providing universal low-cost coverage within five years.
"What unites us here today is our shared belief that it will be a far greater America when we get affordable health care for all Americans," Stern, president of the Service Employees International Union, said at a news conference at a Capitol Hill hotel.
The coalition, calling its effort "Better Health Care Together," did not propose specific government policies, nor did it commit to spending more private funds for insurance.
Scott and Stern were the event's star attractions because of their contentious history. Stern's union finances a nonprofit group, Wal-Mart Watch, that tries to pressure the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer to change its business practices.
Wal-Mart is the largest private U.S. employer, with about 1.3 million workers. It has no unions in this country and provides health care benefits to fewer than half of its employees.
Stern said he realizes there is "a risk" in being seen as Scott's partner but insists the insurance deficit is so serious that labor and business leaders must try unorthodox approaches to force change.
Scott agreed that "we put aside disagreements to drive this debate forward."
Most Americans rely on employers for health care coverage. But because other countries typically don't place that financial burden on corporations, U.S. companies are at a competitive disadvantage, Stern said. Meanwhile, an estimated one American in six has no health insurance.
"This is not just a moral problem, but a major drag on American business competitiveness and job creation," Stern said.
Scott and Stern were joined by representatives of AT&T Inc., Kelly Services Inc. and Intel Corp., as well as by the Communications Workers of America, which has organized about 700,000 workers in the telecommunications industry.
Democrat John Podesta, a former chief of staff for President Clinton, and Republican Howard Baker, former chief of staff for President Reagan, introduced the speakers.
"I believe we have virtual unanimity that health care reform is an issue whose time has come," Baker said.
The coalition promised to recruit more members and convene a national health care summit by the end of May.
Stern said he initiated face-to-face meetings with Scott after writing an op-ed article in The Wall Street Journal in July, encouraging corporations to work with unions to seek alternatives to the employer-based health coverage system. Stern mailed the article to hundreds of chief executives and recently announced a partnership with the Business Roundtable, a group of the nation's top CEOs.
He said he would continue to try to build alliances, even though he would not give photographers the pose they wanted: Stern and Scott shaking hands. The men sat on opposite sides of the podium.
Even that distance was not enough for the United Food and Commercial Workers union, which funds WakeUp WalMart.com, another group dedicated to calling attention to what it regards as the retailer's failings.
Paul Blank, executive director of WakeUpWalMart .com, attended the news conference to denounce Wal-Mart's participation. He called Scott a "hypocrite" for refusing to pledge not to financially support political candidates opposed to universal health care.
After Stern's appearance, Blank issued a statement saying Wal-Mart had "played everyone on that stage as a fool."
But Stern said his efforts to work with Wal-Mart on health care issues would ultimately unite people. "This will not split the labor movement," he said.
So long as it is not moral but profitable it is good for Free Market.
I've ALWAYS detested Walmart for their chinese made crap and the hordes of fat ladies in stretchy pants blocking the aisles.
Now, they are certified socialists too. I don't give them any business to withdraw, but I sure as hell hope other conservatives quit supporting these imbeciles.
One day Walmart will look at back at their new "friendship" with the union with dismay. The next step will be for the union to insist on all the money Walmart used to use to pay for insurance be diverted into COLA's to offset the higher costs to the employees.
Another Lee Scott liberal move designed to take the heat off.
Sam Walton was Main Street America.
Lee Scott is Corporate Liberal America.
I hope they go belly up.
Good bye Wal Mart hello Costco - for now.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: We'll get Unversal Healthcare when Big Business demands, and benefits from, it.
It's time to threaten another boycott of Wal-Mart!
Unfortunately, all the FR Populists/Leftists will be gritching and moaning and backing the dems and the union as alternative methods are considered.
The free market is our god and trumps morality.
That doesn't make sense.
I go to neither. FoodTown for food, Sears for hardware, and the Internet for everything else - except shoes gotta go to the shoe store for shoes.
Looks like Free Market Fundies are about waging class warfare against working class at any cost, even if it would damage their profits. Why do they hate workers so much?
I use for food Whole Foods and Market Basket, for hardware I use Sears too etc . But if this Wal-Mart health care scheme wins, I will shop at Wal-Mart as well.
Sadly, for many in this nation, it's true.
I think I figured it out. Wal-Mart, has a low-end business. They have no manufacturing - it's all a service. If the govt. provides health care they don't have to. Big corporations with thousands of employees will use the govt. health care plan as an excuse to move offshore. Thus they can keep their upper management here and not have to pay the high taxes to support the plan.
It's all about getting someone else to pay for the plan. Anyone but corporations.
I don't agree with it. Eventually the taxes will consume all earnings by people and then we will truly be forced into a govt. controlled country.
Here in CT yesterday our "republican" governor announced the biggest spending spree in the history of the state. Including health care. A lot of it going to illegals. It's only a matter of time before there is a revolution or the nation collapses under its own spending weight.
Whole foods is good but for canned stuff and general everyday things we use Foodtown. They seem to be subsidized for the poorer neighborhoods because their pricing is way lower than the Kroger's down the street for the same products. They have some pretty good produce for the price. Whole foods is more of a premium level store, and with two kids a wife and one salary it's a little out of our league.
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