Minnesota union members participated in a national day of action for health care reform on October 20th around the state. Actions took place at congressional offices and the message union members sent was clear: It's time to deliver health care for all.
Here are recaps of the Duluth and St. Cloud actions.
Duluth
Duluth held a rally and phone bank at the Labor Temple where union members and health care reform 
supporters gathered. NE Area Labor Council President Alan Netland welcomed the group at Wellstone Hall. Speakers included Rep. Huntley (DFL-Duluth), who was one of 30 state legislators invited to the White House July 15 to discuss health care reform. Dr. Jennifer Schultz also spoke to the group. Schultz is an economics professor at UMD, and a University Education Association (EdMN) member. She has studied the health industry for years and is optimistic about reform. Other unions represented at the event included AFSCME and UA. Participants then watched President Obama speak at 7pm for a special webcast from a NY Health care rally.
Duluth Labor World newspaper and Northland News channel covered the event. Thanks to Chad McKenna and Larry Sillanpa for contributing to the report and photos. TV coverage here:
St. Cloud
6th District constituents and union members visited Rep. Michele Bachmann's St. Cloud office Tuesday afternoon to deliver the message for health care reform. Members from AFSCME Council 5, Education Minnesota, IBEW, Sheetmetal workers, Steelworkers, and Carpenters met with a staffer for over an hour to voice their concerns. Kandice Neubert, daughter of AFSCME Council 5 organizer Beth Walters, shared her personal health care horror story with Michele Bachmann's office.
Kandice, 26, and mother of one, was on MNCare when she was working part-time. Like most people, she
took advantage of the opportunity to return to full-time work when offered, which made her eligible for health insurance through her employer. However, she was denied coverage due to her pre-existing conditions. She now has insurance through MNCHA through Medica, yet has a very high deductible. The deductible doubles with a family plan to $6000, so her seven year old daughter goes without insurance. As Kandice struggles to pay off her 2008 medical bills through collections, she worries more about how to pay for her treatments rather than how to prevent them and seek immediate medical attention when needed.
No one should have to decide between a trip to the hospital for necessary medical care or a bag of groceries. Kandice told Bachmann's staffer, "Rep. Bachmann enjoys a robust health insurance plan. Why can't everyone? Rep. Bachmann is supposed to be helping me. How can that happen when insurance companies are pulling in millions? Health care reform is definitely needed now."
Steve Rattakka, Sheetmetal worker, made the point that to stimulate the economy,
"Let's get control of big pharma and create a strong public option that will increase competition in the insurance industry." Marybeth Juetten, President of the Central Minnesota Trades and Labor Assembly, East Central Area Labor Council and AFSCME Council 5 organizer, piggybacked on what Steve said. "This isn't a business versus non-business fight; health care reform is not a one-sided coin. It is not a democrat or republican issue. A strong public option promotes competition. I expect Rep. Bachmann to be on the front line supporting the public option, not on the back line for this legislation."