Chicago PL’ers Lead Fight vs. Razing of Healthcare System

CHICAGO, February 1 — For three years now, the Cook County healthcare system — serving over 80% black, Latino and immigrant workers — is being deliberately dismantled in one of the most heinous racist attacks in recent history. Once a “safety net” for those without the ability to pay, it is becoming increasingly privatized and downsized. Besides hundreds of layoffs, the new governing board aims to shut two of three South Side hospitals which service primarily black workers segregated by the city’s racist gentrification. There are now one million uninsured workers here, more than the entire population of San Francisco!

The Chicago Tribune (12/18/09) reported a study showing the health status between black and white workers widening and being “worse in Chicago than nationwide.” It said, “The underlying issue here is racism and poverty. Black people in Chicago are forced to live in neighborhoods… [with] no stores to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, where schools are failing… [with no] parks to exercise in and where they tend to go to segregated health facilities that are poorly funded and, in different ways, failing.”

PLP has been the only force organizing against these attacks. On the job, within our unions and in our community groups we have fought to organize workers to not passively accept this assault. Union leaders sell out the workers at every step, trying to use the commissioner elections as a campaign to mislead workers, instead of fighting the layoffs.

Within the unions we’ve organized a demonstration in front of the hospital, attacking the governing board and its proposals, plus a series of town hall meetings and smaller on-the-job forums. There we explained the root causes of the cuts and their relationship to the federal war budget and Chicago’s ruling class, the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club. We’re planning future actions and a solidarity dinner for workers who may suffer layoffs.

In a difficult process, we’ve become visible leaders and fighters for the workers on the job while the union hacks visibly sell out. We’ve expanded our CHALLENGE distribution and our “County CHALLENGE,” our communist shop newsletter. More importantly, we’ve expanded our base, including recruiting two new club members. We need to remain consistent in this fight.

Currently, many workers think the layoffs have been rescinded because of their union leaders’ lies. These hacks know there’ll be layoffs but just who is unknown because of the bumping-rights and seniority fiasco. Thanks to their mis-leaders, many workers have been displaced and pitted against each other, and to date have not planned any demonstrations against the cuts and layoffs.

Facing layoffs, transit workers and schoolteachers recently started a coalition to fight them, as well as school closings proposed by Board of Education CEO Ron Huberman, former head of the transit system. We’ve joined this coalition linking public transit and public education with public health, all under fire in Obama’s Democratic backyard.

Even if the Obama healthcare bill passes, best-case scenario will leave over 20 million people uninsured. And 100% of all undocumented workers will be denied this “option.” For those of us who can afford it, it will only mean a major cost shift, saving business at workers’ expense. This “universal insurance” plan is a massive racist attack on our class. Given the nation-wide dismantling of public hospitals, this will be a death sentence for millions of workers.

Previously at public hospitals workers could essentially get “free” albeit inadequate care. Currently, private hospitals are even refusing patients with HMO’s, let alone a “public option.” As the public hospitals are either shut, privatized and/or downsized, it is these hospitals that will be “accepting” this new insurance, essentially caring for the same patient population but with less available services. This means longer lines and decreased access — and this only for those who have the ability to pay. In the current economy, this will mean more sickness and death.

This is fascist healthcare. In Chicago, the ruling class has overtly seized leadership over the County hospital. By sidelining the undisciplined self-serving commissioners to petty side deals, this new governing board directly represents the interests of the top banks and top private hospitals.

This take-over highlights the ruling class’s need to consolidate its wealth and discipline its own class. It also highlights their using the unions and mass organizations to win our class to supporting their “changes,” a hallmark of fascism.

Our Party faces such a situation, but it’s in this muck and mire where our friends and future Party leaders are, and in which we can and will build a revolutionary movement to destroy this racist profit system once and for all! Join PLP.