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James Haslam, Director/Lead Organizer

Vermont Workers’ Center

Thousands of Healthcare Is a Human Right Supporters to Converge on Montpelier May 1st

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Major statewide rally on May 1st will call for adoption of strongest possible final version of H. 202

Montpelier, VT — Statehouse — Thousands of Vermonters supporting the Healthcare Is A Human Right Campaign will converge on Montpelier for a march and rally this Sunday, May 1st at 11am. The event will highlight the achievements of the Campaign, which started three years ago to change what was considered politically possible for healthcare reform in Vermont. The Campaign is pushing to strengthen the final version of the health reform bill, H. 202, to ensure the bill meets its original goal of guaranteeing universal healthcare for everyone in Vermont.

Last Tuesday (April 26) the Vermont Senate passed (21-9) H. 202, largely as a result of thousands of Vermonters speaking out and demanding that healthcare be treated as a human right and provided as a public good. Unfortunately, the Senate version of the bill was weakened by a last-minute amendment that excludes some of the most vulnerable Vermonters from the new, supposedly universal, health care system. In coalition with ally organizations, the Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign will be demanding the removal of this harmful amendment which targets undocumented dairy farmworkers. The campaign will continue to fight for healthcare to be a public good for all.

“We see this bill as a major step forward in the fight for our human right to healthcare. We’ve come this far because Vermonters have come together to demand a universal healthcare system that puts people before profits,” said Peg Franzen, the President of the Vermont Workers’ Center. “In our struggle we’ve shown how putting profits above people has created a real human rights crisis. But we have a long way to go shut the door on insurance industry profiteering, we will continue our fight for healthcare as a public good for all Vermonters.”

The Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign is grounded in the human rights principles of universality, equity, accountability, transparency and participation. The Campaign will push to strengthen the bill based on these principles, with a particular focus on ensuring universality.

The Healthcare Is a Human Right March and Rally on Sunday May 1st will begin at 11am at Montpelier City Hall, and march to the Statehouse for the rally.

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A 4 minute video update from the campaign can be viewed at www.workerscenter.org/peoplesstruggle

Healthcare Is a Human Right Campaign leaders are available all across the state for interview or comment.