By Ben Velderman
EAGnews.org
    
CHICAGO – A group of union activists who are intent on nationalizing the American health care system say last fall’s Chicago teachers’ strike gave them a blueprint for accomplishing their goal.
    
PeoplesWorld.org reports that “some 200 union advocates of single-payer government-run health care met in Chicago in mid-January to plan their next moves.” Fifty  different unions were represented at the meeting.
    
The group, which operates under the website UnionsForSinglePayer.com, says President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act doesn’t go nearly far enough.  
    
During the group’s meeting, “Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis drew parallels between the struggles for quality public education and quality universal health care,” reports PeoplesWorld.org.
    
The single-payer activists were apparently moved by Lewis’ remarks and were inspired by the CTU’s seven-day teachers’ strike that occurred last September.
    
The group praised the teachers union for confronting “an arrogant and entrenched political machine headed by (Chicago Mayor) Rahm Emanuel.”
    
Conference delegates declared that CTU’s “victory was a model of community outreach and member-driven activism. These are the organizing principles that labor must adopt if we are to lead the way to winning single-payer, Medicare for All for everyone in America,” according to the PeoplesWorld.org.
    
Building on the “organizing” pattern established by the CTU, the single-payer activists agreed to focus on building coalitions with medical providers, community groups and the disabled.