In the debate over health care reform, those on the frontlines of this crisis - namely, our nation's nurses - provide valuable insight. President Obama, who remarked this year at a townhall, "I just love nurses," has publicly addressed the importance of RNs as frontline caregivers, noting that in some rural areas, nurses are a community's only provider of health care. He's also pointed out that it's often nurses, not doctors, who make critical health care decisions for patients.

So when a registered nurse of 25 years - SEIU 1991 President Martha Baker, RN - recently pens an op-ed in the Miami Heraldon fixing our health care system, it's worth considering as part of our national debate. Says Baker:

Our system -- which brings the uninsured to our emergency-room doors at the point when they must receive the most expensive form of care at the most advanced stages of illness -- is broken. Our patients who can pay end up paying more than they can afford because an easily treatable condition has escalated to a crisis. More than the financial care, the suffering of patients and the risk of mortality or permanent disability increases when chronic conditions are allowed to develop untreated....

Today's health system, which leaves more than 47 million Americans -- more than 600,000 of them in South Florida -- with no healthcare coverage at all, drastically distorts the entire system and adds enormously to the cost of healthcare for everyone else. As the costs in the system rise, more people are pushed into the ranks of the uninsured, which forces them to go without the primary care that in most cases would keep them healthy.

Those of us who are fortunate enough to be covered by insurance plans still know they can be expensive, complicated and loaded with trap doors. A recent report by the American Medical Association has documented that fully 60 percent of Americans who declare bankruptcy are forced to do so by healthcare costs. A public health-insurance plan is necessary to ensure adequate coverage, foster choice and competition and bring down costs.

Fortunately there is a way out of this vicious cycle. With a healthcare-reform package that ensures affordable coverage, includes a strong public health-insurance option and requires employers to share in the responsibility of covering workers, we can avoid an even more disastrous future.

Now is the time to get healthcare reform right and actually produce workable choices for all, including a public health-insurance option.

As a registered nurse, Baker speaks directly from personal experience, and bears witness to the challenges Floridians encounter with our health care system every day. As a union leader, she understands the financial burdens inflicted on working Floridians by an inefficient, badly broken system.

As the battle for health care reform comes down to the wire doctors and nurses represent an invaluable voice in this debate. And with this week's endorsement of the health care reform bills before Congress by the American Medical Association, it's clear that nurses and doctor's alike agree that we cannot afford to wait.

Change that Works Arkansas released the findings of their Value of Health Care Reform report this week at the site of the historic Central High School in Little Rock. The struggle that the Little Rock Nine endured at Central High gave way to school desegregation and forever represents that good works will prevail. CTW Arkansas imbued that spirit as organizers, activists, workers, families and health professionals rallied together for health care reform now.

On Wednesday, you saw Sen. Kent Conrad sit down with Andy Stern & others to discuss health care reform. Yesterday, SEIU released a report (PDF) on rising health care costs and the value of reform in North Dakota. These are the facts behind our argument.

The facts speak for themselves - in a state like North Dakota, health care reform is not just about improving the health and safety of Americans, it's also a bottom-line, balance sheet issue. The rising cost of health care is precisely why we need a public option for health care.

Government, families and businesses large & small stand to save trillions from fixing health care. It will strengthen North Dakota's businesses, help us retain jobs, and provide greater access and choices to citizens in need of care, especially if a public option is present.

Here are some highlights from the report:

On cost & savings: A reformed system will save people over $7,000 in premium & out-of-pocket expenses over the next decade.

• In North Dakota, health insurance premiums grew by 74.3%, while median earnings only grew by 26.4%.
• The median yearly wage for North Dakota in 2007 was only $24,255, but the average health care premium was $10,674. By this metric, premiums grew nearly 2.8 times faster than wages.
• This year, 90% of North Dakotans with health insurance are projected to spend over 10% of their pre-tax income on health care costs.
  

If this keeps up, by 2016, North Dakota's families will be paying around $20,000 each year - the cost of a new family car. It would mean that 41% of the median household income in North Dakota would go towards health care costs.

On the uninsured: There are over 47 million uninsured Americans. Each day, another 14,000 people join their ranks. Because of that, we pay a hidden tax on our insurance premiums of 8% - coming from a failure to cover all Americans. In North Dakota, that means that families with insurance pay over $1,000 a year extra on their insurance premiums to help cover the cost of the uninsured.

• Each day, 10 North Dakotans lose their insurance;
• As of 2007, North Dakota had over 14,000 uninsured children, and 150,000 non-elderly adult North Dakotans had no health insurance. Of that number, 85% were employed, but either they couldn't afford their employer's health insurance plan, or their employer simply didn't offer coverage of any kind.
• Over 19,000 of the uninsured adults were between the ages of 50-64, meaning that over 7% of North Dakota's aging adults are uninsured.

On fixing the economy:

We cannot fix the economy without fixing health care. The cost of health care is out of control, and we can do better. We need affordable health care we can count on, and federal action is essential to helping Nebraska cope with soaring health care costs.

• In 2007, North Dakota's economy lost as much as $269 million because of the poor health & shorter lifespans of the uninsured. That adds up to $4,400 for each uninsured North Dakotan.
  
• As of 2007, 14% of all state spending in North Dakota has gone to Medicaid and SCHIP. $513 million went to Medicaid alone.
• Nationally, health care spending accounts for 16% of our gross domestic product (GDP). That share is projected to nearly double in the next 25 years.

Modernizing our health care system could save us nearly $600 billion in health spending over the next decade and $9 trillion over the next quarter century.

There's more in the report, which you can download here (PDF). One thing is made clear - the American people deserve action, and action now, on creating an affordable health care system for all.

Yesterday, SEIU released a report (PDF) on rising health care costs and the value of reform in Colorado. The facts speak for themselves - in a state like Colorado, health care reform is not just about improving the health and safety of Americans, it's also a bottom-line, balance sheet issue. The rising cost of health care is precisely why we need a public option for health care.

Government, families and businesses large & small stand to save trillions from fixing health care. It will strengthen Colorado's businesses, help us retain jobs, and provide greater access and choices to citizens in need of care, especially if a public option is present.

Here are some highlights from the report:

On cost & savings: A reformed system will save people over $7,000 in premium & out-of-pocket expenses over the next decade.

• In Colorado, health insurance premiums grew by 74.8%, while median earnings only grew by 15.5%.
• The median yearly wage for Colorado in 2007 was only $30,476, but the average health care premium was $11,878. By this metric, premiums grew nearly 5 times faster than wages.
• This year, 83.3% of Coloradans with health insurance are projected to spend over 10% of their pre-tax income on health care costs.
  

If this keeps up, by 2016, Colorado's families will be paying around $25,000 each year - the cost of a new family car. It would mean that 40% of the median household income in Colorado would go towards health care costs.

On the uninsured: There are over 47 million uninsured Americans. Each day, another 14,000 people join their ranks. Because of that, we pay a hidden tax on our insurance premiums of 8% - coming from a failure to cover all Americans. In Colorado, that means that families with insurance pay over $1,000 a year extra on their insurance premiums to help cover the cost of the uninsured.

• Each day, 100 Coloradans lose their insurance;
• As of 2007, Colorado had nearly 175,000 uninsured children, and nearly 1.5 million non-elderly adult Coloradans had no health insurance. Of that number, 83.7% were employed, but either they couldn't afford their employer's health insurance plan, or their employer simply didn't offer coverage of any kind.
• Nearly 90,000 of the uninsured adults were between the ages of 50-64, meaning that nearly 10% of Colorado's aging adults are uninsured.

On fixing the economy:

We cannot fix the economy without fixing health care. The cost of health care is out of control, and we can do better. We need affordable health care we can count on, and federal action is essential to helping Colorado cope with soaring health care costs.

• In 2007, Colorado's economy lost as much as $3.9 billion because of the poor health & shorter lifespans of the uninsured. That adds up to $4,825 for each uninsured Coloradan.
• This year, Colorado faces a state budget deficit of $859 million, or 11%. Because of this, the state has imposed a hiring freeze.
• As of 2007, 17% of all state spending in Colorado has gone to Medicaid and SCHIP. $2.6 billion went to Medicaid alone.
• Nationally, health care spending accounts for 16% of our gross domestic product (GDP). That share is projected to nearly double in the next 25 years.

Modernizing our health care system could save us nearly $600 billion in health spending over the next decade and $9 trillion over the next quarter century.

There's more in the report, which you can download here (PDF). One thing is made clear - the American people deserve action, and action now, on creating an affordable health care system for all.

Union Members in Maine and Across the Country Earn Significantly More Than Non-Union Workers. Over the four-year period between 2004 and 2007, unionized workers' wages in Maine were on average 8.6 percent higher than non-union workers with similar characteristics. That means that, all else equal, Maine workers that join a union will earn 8.6 percent more--or $1.54 more per hour in 2008 dollars--than their otherwise identical non-union counterparts. [Unions are Good for Maine's Economy, 2/18/09]

• Higher Wages & Benefits Help U.S. Economy by Giving Workers the Ability to Purchase More Goods & Services: According to the Center for American Progress Action Fund report, unionization is good for the economy overall and "putting more money in workers' pockets would provide a needed boost for the U.S. economy." Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich stated that higher wages and higher benefits would give workers the purchasing power they need to buy more of the goods and services that this economy produces. [Center for American Progress Action Fund, "Unions Are Good for Workers and the Economy," 2/18/09]

Management at the Panolam plant intimidated workers in lead-up to election; Teamsters filed a complaint with the NLRB. In March 2008, the Sun Journal reported that Local 340 of the Teamsters filed an unfair labor practices charge with the National Labor Relations Board against the Panolam plant in Auburn. The vote to certify the union, originally scheduled for March 14, was postponed pending the NLRB investigation. The complaint "specifically states that since on or about Feb. 14 the employer has been engaging in unfair labor practices by: indicating that if the union were certified, the plant might close; spying on employees to determine their support of the union; and other allegations." [Lewiston Sun Journal, 3/5/08]

• Workers hoped to receive increases in wages and health benefits by joining the Teamsters Union. Workers at the Panolam plant wanted to join the union because "the manufacturing workers are hoping union affiliation will produce a wage hike of about $3 per hour and require the company to pay the full amount of medical insurance premiums, among other improvements." [Lewiston Sun Journal, 3/5/08]
• In August 2008, Workers at Panolam voted to join the Teamsters. In August 2008, the Sun Journal reported, "After a 10-month campaign, workers at the Panolam plant agreed to join Local 340 of the Teamsters union by a vote of 163- 109 on Friday, according to Local President Jim Carson... He said the vote was delayed when the union complained to the National Labor Relations Board in March about Panolam's tactics to dissuade workers from joining the union. Carson said the NLRB found in the Teamsters favor and reached a settlement with Panolam." [Lewiston Sun Journal, 8/3/08]

Knight-Celotex Challenged Workers' Vote to Unionize, But NLRB Ruled in Favor of the Workers. In April 2008, workers at Knight-Celotex in Lisbon voted to join the International Association of Machinists, but the company challenged a number of the votes on the basis of worker eligibility. The company "also filed an objection with the NLRB regarding union conduct in advance of the vote." The NLRB ruled in favor of the union and workers in June. [Sun Journal, 6/6/08, 8/2/08]

• Workers Were Inspired to Unionize After Seeing Better Wages, Health Care and Benefits at Bath Iron Works. A union spokesman "said workers at the Lisbon Falls plant were inspired by the contract that machinists negotiated at Bath Iron Works. Workers represented by S6 of the IAM's northeast district were able to get 3.5 to 4 percent wage increases yearly for four years and increased pension contributions without increasing employee percentages for medical insurance." [Sun Journal, 6/6/08]

NLRB Forced Retroactive Pay Raises After Red Cross Staff in Maine Went Over a Year Without a First Contract. In September 2000, the Bangor Daily News reported, "The American Red Cross has agreed to give employees who are members of the Teamsters union a pay increase retroactive to July 1, 2000, it was announced Tuesday. The action came after the National Labor Relations Board upheld charges filed by the Teamsters Local 340 on behalf of 43 people employed in Portland and Bangor facilities... The union charged that Red Cross nonunion workers were offered a
3.5 to 5 percent raise while Teamsters were offered a 2.5 percent wage increase earlier this year... Technicians, mobile unit assistants, nurses and support staff voted to join the union in June and have been trying for more than a year to get their first contract, according to James Carson, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local340." [Bangor Daily News, 9/27/00]

Bangor City Nursing Home Employees Waited Nearly Three Years for a First Contract. In 1996, the Bangor Daily News reported, "A nearly three-year effort to craft a first labor contract for 55 health professionals at the Bangor City Nursing Facility is expected to wrap up Monday evening when the contract finally comes before the City Council... The full- and part-time employees voted to unionize in December
1992, and negotiations with the city began in the spring of 1993. Writing the 39-page first contract involved more than 40 meetings and included outside assistance from a Maine Labor Relations Board mediator and a fact-finding panel... As negotiations dragged on, members of Local 5093 held two demonstrations last summer -- one in front of the nursing facility and one in front of City Hall. They protested the lack of a contract and spoke out about the lack of benefits for part-timers, some of whom work 32 or more hours a week." [Bangor Daily News, 2/24/96]

Today, SEIU's Change that Works campaign released a report on rising health care costs and the value of reform in Pennsylvania. The facts speak for themselves - in a state like Pennsylvania, health care reform is not just about improving the health and safety of Americans, it's also a bottom-line, balance sheet issue. Government, families and businesses large & small stand to save trillions from fixing health care. It will strengthen Pennsylvania's businesses, help us retain jobs, and provide greater access and choices to citizens in need of care. Below are highlights from the report:

• In 2007, Pennsylvania's economy lost as much as $5 billion because of the poor health and shorter lifespan of the uninsured. That equates to $4,200 per uninsured Pennsylvania resident. This year, Pennsylvania faces a $1.9 billion projected state budget deficit. This represents 7% of state spending.

A snapshot of Pennsylvania's uninsured:

• 223,590 uninsured children
• 2,845,000 non-elderly citizens uninsured between 2007-2008
• 229,237 uninsured adults in Pennsylvania are between the ages of 50 and 64, meaning that more than 9.5% of Pennsylvania's aging adults lack health insurance.

On spending:

• 2,328,000 non-elderly adults in Pennsylvania spent more than 10% of their pre-tax family income on health care costs in 2009.
• Health insurance premiums rose by 86.2% from 2000 to 2007, while median earnings only increase a mere 13.4%
• In 2007, premiums grew 6.4 times faster than wages
• By 2016, projections show that Pennsylvania families will have to pay $27,000 for health care annually.
• If current trends continue, family premiums would spend over 52% of median household income. This represents a 93% increase over 2008 levels.

Download the full report here.

Today, SEIU's Change that Works campaign released a report on rising health care costs and the value of reform in Arkansas. The facts speak for themselves - in a state like Arkansas, health care reform is not just about improving the health and safety of Americans, it's also a bottom-line, balance sheet issue. Government, families and businesses large & small stand to save trillions from fixing health care. It will strengthen Arkansas's businesses, help us retain jobs, and provide greater access and choices to citizens in need of care. Below are highlights from the report:

• In 2007, Arkansas's economy lost as much as $1.53 billion because of the poor health and shorter lifespan of the uninsured. That equates to $3,400 per uninsured Arkansas resident. This year, Arkansas faces a $107 million projected state budget deficit. This represents 2.4% of state spending.

A snapshot of Arkansas's uninsured:

• 62,650 uninsured children
• 836,000 non-elderly citizens uninsured between 2007-2008
• 69,393 uninsured adults in Arkansas are between the ages of 50 and 64, meaning that more than 13% of Arkansas's aging adults lack health insurance.

On spending:

• 709,000 non-elderly adults in Arkansas spent more than 10% of their pre-tax family income on health care costs in 2009.
• Health insurance premiums rose by 65.8% from 2000 to 2007, while median earnings only increase a mere 11.6%
• In 2007, premiums grew 5.7 times faster than wages
• By 2016, projections show that Arkansas families will have to pay $21,000 for health care annually.
• If current trends continue, family premiums would spend over 48% of median household income. This represents a 87% increase over 2008 levels.

Download the full report here.

Today, SEIU's Change that Works campaign released a report on rising health care costs and the value of reform in Maine. The facts speak for themselves - in a state like Maine, health care reform is not just about improving the health and safety of Americans, it's also a bottom-line, balance sheet issue. Government, families and businesses large and small stand to save trillions from fixing health care. It will strengthen Maine's businesses, help us retain jobs, and provide greater access and choices to Mainers in need of care. Below are highlights from the report:

• In 2007, Maine's economy lost as much as $413 million because of the poor health and shorter lifespan of the uninsured. That equates to $3,600 per uninsured Maine resident. This year, Maine faces a $265 million projected state budget deficit. This represents 8.6% of state spending. As a result, Maine has already cut or frozen reimbursements to health care providers for Medicaid or SCHIP beneficiaries, and cut funding for homeless shelters.

A snapshot of Maine's uninsured:

• More than 48,000 Maine women were uninsured as of 2007.
• 16,770 uninsured children
• 280,000 non-elderly Mainers uninsured between 2007-2008
• 19.702 of the uninsured adults in Maine are between the ages of 50 and 64, meaning that more than 7% of Maine's aging adults lack health insurance.

On spending:

• 321,000 non-elderly Mainerss spend more than 10% of their pre-tax family income on health care costs in 2008.
• Health insurance premiums rose by 89.7% from 2000 to 2007, while median earnings only increase a mere 16.8%
• In 2007, premiums grew 5.4 times faster than wages
• By 2016, projections show that Maine families will have to pay $30,000 for health care annually.
• If current trends continue, family premiums would spend over 59% of median household income. This represents a 104% increase over 2008 levels.

Download the full report here: http://action.seiu.org/MaineReport