Democratic Debate Includes Prescription Drug Focus

The just-held Democratic Presidential Debate included questions about addressing the high cost of Prescription Drugs in the United States. Hillary Clinton said she supports capping Out-of-Pocket Prescription Drug Costs at $250 per month and that she wants Medicare to be able to negotiate lower prices for Seniors. Americans pay the highest prescription drug prices in the industrialized world, and last year drug prices went up by 13%. U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders stated at the debate that he went over the Canadian Border to show how much more affordable some Cancer Drugs are in other countries, compared to the U.S. Sanders also supports allowing Medicare to negotiate better prices on behalf of Seniors. “I ‘did not hear similar talk’ about Prescription Drug Costs being ‘too high at any’ of the Republican Debates,” Alliance For Retired Americans President Robert Roach, Jr. said. “It ‘doesn’t seem’ to be an ‘issue’ that is ‘high on the GOP agenda.’” 

Six Days A Week Postal Delivery - It’s Possible With Postal Banking

From 1911 until 1967, the United States Postal Service (USPS) provided safe and convenient banking services for Working Class Americans. Reinstituting Postal Banking now would allow the USPS to maintain Local Branches in many rural areas, as well as a six-day Home Delivery Service that would be vital for many Seniors’ to receive their medication. With your help we can urge Postmaster General Brennan to reinstitute Postal Banking. Unfortunately, nearly 28% of American Households are being underserved by traditional Banking Institutions, spending almost 10% of their income on fees and services at Payday Lenders, Check Cashing Services and various other predatory Financial Services. This is a $103 billion dollar industry making its profits by preying on the Working and Retired Class. “Postal Banking will ‘strengthen’ the United States Postal Service so that it can ‘provide’ services like six-day medicine delivery to Retirees who ‘desperately need it,’” said Alliance Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Peters, Jr. said. “This issue is ‘important for all seniors’ – particularly those who live in rural areas.”

Alliance Signs Legal Brief In Support Of Public Sector Collective Bargaining Rights

The Alliance signed onto a friend of the court brief that was filed on November 13th by the National Women’s Law Center and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights in support of Public Sector Collective Bargaining Rights. The case is Friedrichs v. CTA (California Teachers Association), in which the U.S. Supreme Court will rule on whether public employers can collect Fair Share Fees from Bargaining Unit Members.  It’s been the law for several decades that they can. It’s expected that the Court will hear arguments in January with a decision in the Spring or early Summer.  The summary of the Alliance argument is on pages two to four of the brief.  The Alliance and the 70 organizations supporting Public Sector Bargaining are listed beginning on Page 26.

Unions Fight General Electric’s Assault On Retiree Health Care

General Electric (GE) has announced that effective January 1st, 2016, it will be terminating its Post-65 Retiree Medical Plans. This is Medical Coverage that was promised in Workers’ Contracts and that Retirees worked for decades to earn. GE has plans to offer Retirees the opportunity to purchase coverage through a private Broker Exchange. Unfortunately, this will leave thousands of Retirees (particularly those on life saving drugs) to face much higher drug costs than their current budgets are designed to accommodate. The International Union of Electricians (IUE)-Communications Workers of America (CWA) is leading a coalition of Labor Unions, including the United Electrical Workers (UEWQ), United Auto Workers (UAW), the International Association of Machinists (IAM), the United Steelworkers (USW), the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), the Teamsters and the Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (FPTE), that has filed a lawsuit charging that GE is violating Federal Labor Law and the Employer Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). “It’s a ‘sad day’ when a ‘highly profitable’ corporation like GE decides to ‘turn its back’ on their Retirees who gave them ‘years’ of loyalty and dedication at a time when ‘they need them most,’” Alliance Executive Director Richard Fiesta said. “It’s ‘despicable,’ really.”