Unionists rally for health care reform

More than 3,000 mostly union members marched from different points in New York City and rallied in Times Square on Aug. 29 to support health care reform. The local Democratic Party and some of the unions had called the march. While the organizers supported the Obama administration’s program for reform—whatever compromise could be reached—a good section of the marchers insisted on continuing to fight for a single-payer program similar to the Medicare program that exists for people over 65 years of age. Even some of the politicians speaking, Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, for example, said that without the “public option”—a government insurance that competes with the private insurance companies—it would not be worth passing a reform bill. The overall political tone of the rally was support for President Barack Obama, for Hillary Rodham Clinton and in remembrance of Ted Kennedy, whose funeral was taking place the same day.