Vermont Workers' Center
Established in 1996, the Vermont Workers' Center has been a staunch advocate for workers' rights and social justice issues.
In 2009, the VWC launched a statewide campaign to lobby our state legislature to enact healthcare reform. In May of 2009 over 1000 people demonstrated on the lawn of the statehouse in support of matching bills in the Vermont House and Senate that would declare that Healthcare Is A Human Right, something we consider the first step towards enacting healthcare legislation that would cover ALL Vermonters, and lead the nation toward a more fair, accountable and affordable system of healthcare delivery.
The VWC sponsored veteran organizer and songwriter Si Kahn's visit to Vermont in June of 2009 for workshops for artists and activists, and several fundraising concerts and events. Asked in a workshop with musicians what the best healthcare songs were, no one could name one. Typically, Si noted that a vacancy like that in the literature of labor and social activism can't be left to stand. In the parking lot, outside the meeting, he wrote 'Care For All,' which became the title cut for a benefit CD for the Healthcare Is A Human Right campaign.
Learn more about the Healthcare Is A Human Right campaign at the Vermont Workers' Center site: http://workerscenter.org.
The Workers' Center is collecting postcards to be delivered to the statehouse on opening day in January. If you haven't signed one of the yellow cards, you can now do so online! Click here to sign a postcard.