Bargaining for Health Care and Retirement Security in the USA

By James B. Parks

Australian unions are campaigning to maintain a universal health care system. US unionists are bargaining over the costs of health care coverage which they must pay upfront in the privatised world of health that Australians clearly do not want.

General Electric made $US16 billion in profit last year, $US1.8 billion from their medical division. Workers see clearly that is is I Ges interests to ramp up the amount they should pay for health care. Workers are already bargaining with GE as the company demands more of their pay to go to health care, even though the workers have previously accepted lower pay rises in exchange for health benefits.

GE workers are only one group workers campaigning on this issue.

The corporate collapses that hit many US pension funds is also having an impact as workers fight to secure retirement entitlements. Fiscal crisis amongst many US state governments makes this a tough battle for public sector employees. Manufacturing workers and the Screen Actors and Television and Radio Artists are also setting strategies.

This issue also looks at other health care and organising strategies and successes.

(America@work, March 2003)