By Dr. Dennis Nave, Sept 2

On Sept. 3, the Greater Syracuse labor Council with join the rest of the labor community in America to celebrate its working men and women this Labor Day. We will recognize the hard work and sacrifices they make to keep America great. We will recognize the rich history of labor in America during struggles for equality for every member of society.

While it would seem we should all be thankful for low unemployment, our struggle does not end there. Real wages in the second quarter dropped 1.4 percent year over year, the largest drop in five years. More and more workers are being priced out of affordable healthcare, with increasing deductibles and increased pharmaceutical costs, while their real wages are decreasing. Over the past century, labor has fought to correct discrimination in the workplace.

We have another type of discrimination in America: healthcare availability. Physicians and other healthcare workers and affiliates are often frustrated in the delivery of healthcare that is based on the type of insurance coverage a patient has instead of on their medical needs. It is time for provider groups, labor, government, insurance carriers and pharmaceutical companies to come together and devise a true universal care system that treats all of America's workers the same. This is how America remains competitive in a world economy, by ensuring the proper healthcare delivery that treats all Americans equally, not the patchwork system we have today. This is how we keep America great moving forward, treating our workers with respect and giving them the benefits they have already earned.

Continue reading ...