Public Health Workers Turn Up Heat vs. Bosses’ Racist ‘Care’

WASHINGTON,D.C., October 31 — Almost 200 public health workers, Occupy D.C. activists, and District of Columbia workers rallied and marched, attacking capitalism and racism and demanding jobs and health care for everyone now.  After leaving the American Public Health Association (APHA) meeting of more than 12,000 public health members, these workers surged onto the streets of Washington chanting, “Out of our silos, into the streets! Public health workers turn up the heat!”

They marched to the Verizon Center sports arena, where a Verizon worker attacked the company’s attempts to strip retiree health benefits from the contract and lay off thousands of workers as their CEO enjoyed record-breaking pay.  Stopping at the Clark construction site for the new City Center luxury development, a community activist blasted Clark for denying jobs to D.C. workers and called for unity among all workers to oppose capitalism.

This march attracted people out of a bold and growing anger at capitalism among public health workers. Speakers at today’s rally exposed the system’s racism, calling for a health care system that provided quality care for everyone regardless of immigration status. (Undocumented immigrants are not even allowed to buy health insurance from the new health insurance exchanges.)   Speakers attacked capitalism and racism, decrying both Obama and the Republican Party sideshow.  A Progressive Labor Party doctor called for the overthrow of capitalism and urged people to make revolution possible, saying, “You know you want it!”  PLPers distributed over 50 Challenge-Desafios. 

The rally was organized by the Health Disparities Committee of the Metropolitan Washington Public Health Association (MWPHA), with more than a dozen people planning its messages, speakers, and chants.  The committee called on public health workers to return to their roots of building a social movement to ensure healthy conditions for all.  It urged them to “reject capitalists and their politicians, who use cutbacks and racism to strengthen their profitability and competitive edge.  Build a worker-student-professional movement for change.”

PLers have been active in this group for seven years, battling local government around the HIV/AIDS epidemic and organizing for jobs, housing, and health care for the most oppressed groups in the city.  The march represented a significant effort to increase our militancy and connect with workers’ struggles around jobs and health.

Several people new to the revolutionary movement joined others the next day at the annual “Troublemakers’ Breakfast.” We discussed APHA policies and PL’s Haiti and Israel/Palestine summer projects, and planned for ongoing public health struggles within APHA and against capitalism around the country.

Inspired by international rebellions and the Occupy movements, there was more discussion at this year’s meeting about fighting back.  After a session on the uprisings in Egypt and Wisconsin and by the Occupy movements, 60 people left the session and marched to the Occupy D.C. site with a message of solidarity and $300 for its first-aid work.  These activities inspired many to continue organizing within APHA to raise anti-racist policies and communist ideas that could lead to a real revolution — one that brings the working class to state power.

PL Organizing Efforts at APHA

PL members also organized within APHA to pass anti-racist policies.  We initiated a resolution condemning the Secure Communities policy, which the Obama administration mandated for all states.  Secure Communities requires local police departments to turn over the records of everyone arrested for anything to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE), which then processes undocumented immigrants for deportation.  MWPHA activists took the lead in preserving references to racism in the interim resolution, which passed with overwhelming support.  At one meeting on immigrant healthcare, a PL speaker was applauded when she said that she approached anti-racism from a communist perspective.

APHA members also presented resolutions to support the Occupy Wall Street movements and to condemn the closing of health centers performing abortions.

PL members attended two sessions on Palestine where the main speakers were doctors from Palestine, Israel, and the U.S. we had met on our trips to the area. It was wonderful to renew these warm friendships and to arrange to see them again on our upcoming visit. After the talks, we were able to raise our advocacy of a single communist state in the region, pointing out the need for workers from Palestine and Israel to unite and overcome nationalism. In another session, we heard a speaker from Egypt point out that Mubarak’s downfall did nothing to change who holds power there.

While APHA sponsors inspiring and thought-provoking sessions, its leadership doesn’t fight for its principles.  Its an organization that talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk.  Its president gave a stirring speech at the opening session, calling for everyone to attend our rally, but never showed up or sent anyone from APHA’s leadership.  Like most professional organizations, APHA is tied closely to the political system, especially the Democratic Party, and has no intention of rocking the capitalist boat in any way.

It’s up to us to organize a revolutionary movement among its members.