AFT online activists help thwart healthcare attacks
E-Activists clobber powerful D.C. lobbyists in health benefits fight

When the Senate votes were counted, it was Wallace and the other AFT e-Activists who carried the day. They generated more than 6,000 letters urging their senators to turn back the attack on health coverage. Thanks to the grass-roots momentum, the bill was defeated on a 55-43 procedural vote, and Republican leaders—who had been touting this corporate windfall as part of a “Health Week” legislative push in Congress last May—were forced to pull the bill.

“Typically, I’m not a really political person, but I think the [e-Activist network] is great,” says Wallace, who notes that the escalating crisis in the healthcare system is putting huge financial strains on her school district and others.

The e-Activist network, which is available through the AFT Web site, gives members a timely, concise analysis of important legislation pending on Capitol Hill, quick and easy ways to contact senators and representatives, and follow-up reporting on how each particular lawmaker voted. It’s a manageable investment of time for busy professionals, and “you can make a difference in a short period of time,” Wallace says.

And what a difference.

The bill under consideration would have taken away state authority to require health insurance providers to cover cancer screening, prenatal and well-baby care, diabetes supplies and maternity care. Also in jeopardy were state-issued requirements for mammography coverage, mental health care, prostate and colorectal screenings, and post-mastectomy hospital stays. These attacks might have succeeded without a strong voice from the field by e-Activists and other working Americans.

“There’s no doubt that AFT e-Activists are making their presence felt on Capitol Hill,” says AFT legislation director Tor Cowan.

To date, the e-Activist program has generated more than 50,000 letters to Congress and played a role in key congressional votes on the federal budget and healthcare. The quickly growing ranks of e-Activists “are a testament to members’ desire to participate in the political process,” Cowan told AFT leaders at a recent meeting of the union’s executive council.

Members can join the growing ranks of the AFT e-Activist network by visiting www.aft.org/e-activist.