Kensington Welfare Rights Union

Medicaid Recipients in KWRU Join with Hospital Workers of 1199C

KWRU marched from City Hall to the Convention Center today, carrying signs that said, “MY LIFE MATTERS,” and “Medicaid Cuts = Thousands Dead.” The march, which happened during rush hour, fed into the National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees’ march and culminated with a huge rally inside. In the packed hall at the Convention Center, KWRU showed solidarity as the union unanimously voted to strike if their contract is not resolved by June 30th. The major issue in the contract is their inadequate health benefits. Henry Nicholas, President of 1199c, spoke of the special relationship between 1199c and KWRU, who share a common fight for the right to health care, living wage jobs and other basic necessities.

Cheri Honkala, founder of the KWRU, and Medicaid recipient with serious health problems, pledged before the crowd KWRU’s support of the union’s upcoming strike and their ongoing struggle for a decent life with good jobs and health care. Other speakers of the evening were Rich Trumpka, General Secretary, AFL-CIO; Donna Ford, Executive Vice President, District 1199C, leaders from the Central Labor Council, the Teachers Union, and the Transportation WorkersUunion.

Cheri shared with the crowd the PPEHRC’s national struggle against the Medicaid cuts, and spoke of KWRU members, some sitting in the audience, who suffer from serious health problems and who will lose their health insurance or have it seriously reduced.

Starting July 1st, Pennsylvania Medicaid recipients will be reduced to two hospital stays a year and 6 prescriptions each year, regardless of what kind of care they require to stay alive. People across Pennsylvania will be left to become seriously handicapped or to die as a result of these cuts. And these cuts are beginning to take place across the US.

Already, 300,000 people have lost their medical insurance in Tennessee. 400,000 others have had their coverage reduced. These cuts will serve as the national model for the elimination of the right to health ACROSS the USA. These cuts take away what little right we have to health care in this the richest country in the world, a country with the world’s best hospitals and health care facilities.

On June 14th, KWRU will join Jobs with Justice and the Transportation Workers Union in the fight for health benefits for workers. Then, on June 20th, in an emergency effort to prevent the loss of life which will result from these cuts, the KWRU and PPEHRC will send an emergency human rights brigade to Tennesee. On June 26-27th, the KWRU will send a statewide human rights brigade to the Governor’s house and to Harrisburg. And on July 4th weekend, as Cheri pledged tonight, the KWRU will be back in Philadelphia to support the hospital and health care workers of 1199c.

Tuesday at 1pm at the KWRU office, Medicaid recipients, people without health care, and others who are concerned about the right to health care in this country will gather for a planning meeting about how to fight the mediciaid cuts in PA. For those of us in this movement who depend on Medicaid to stay alive, this is an emergency meeting to save our lives.

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