Chicago Jobs with Justice

500 people turned out on November 17th to challenge the insurance industry to get out of the way of health care reform. Lead by William McNary and Lynda DeLaforgue from Citizen Action/Illinois, Roberta Lynch (AFSCME31), Tom Balanoff (SEIU1), Henry Tamarin (UNITE HERE) and Ron Honse (CWA), 400 people marched, including a busload from Wisconsin, from the Blue Cross HQ to the Renaissance Hotel, where AHIP (the insurance lobbyists) was holding their National Convention. READ MORE FOR LINKS TO NEWS COVERAGE....

Marchers joined up with folks already picketing outside the hotel, the small business folks inside the AHIP, and the media. Finally, William McNary held a rally to make sure the insurance companies heard us loud and clear.

Inside the AHIP Convention, Wendell Potter (ex-CEO from Cigna) and our small business leaders from Illinois, Indiana, New Hampshire, Louisiana, Iowa and Nebraska held a press conference calling on the insurance industry to meet with us and to get out of the way of reform. Video of press conference: http://progressillinois.com/2009/11/17/small-biz-giant-lobby

Good video of whole event:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Fkhh-rxlI&feature=autofb

Other Media:
Chicago – ABC7 News (clip ran at 4pm) “A lobbying group that represents health insurance companies is holding the fall conference here in chicago. And a group of protestors showed up with their message. Hundreds of people rallied outside the renaissance hotel at state and whacker this afternoon. And that is where the american health insurance conference is underway. That organizations website says it represents 1,300 member companies. Those protestors want to see health care reform now. And they accuse the group of trying to influence congress to kill that reform….”

Hundreds protest in support of health care reform for small business
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=147469

Small business owners crash today's insurance lobby conference in Chicago
http://www.examiner.com/x-5328-Chicago-Page-One-Examiner~y2009m11d17-Sma...

Progressives rally small business owners
http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1109/Progressives_rally_small_business...

Small Business Owners Stand Up To Giant Insurance Lobby
http://progressillinois.com/2009/11/17/small-biz-giant-lobby

Small business supporters to rallyhttp://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/nov/16/no-headline---17a08healthcare-brf/

Loaf & Ladle owner lobbies for better health care for small businesshttp://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=news11

Buzz on business: Local business owner to address insurance lobby
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20091117/NEWS01/911170312/1060

Bossier small business owner touts health insurance reform

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20091118/NEWS05/911180331/1064

Health Care Reform -- The Battle Has Just Begun
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-j-zaremski/health-care-reform----the...
Health care reform equals jobs, small business owners say
http://peoplesworld.org/health-care-reform-equals-jobs-small-business-ow...

Insurance Company Greed Kills Jobs
http://seminal.firedoglake.com/diary/15117
Insurance Industry Meet in Chicago Nov 17th to Regroup on Health Reform. HCAN, TrueMajority and Others will be there to Greet them.
http://groundupct.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/insurance-industry-meet-in-ch...

SUMMARY AND LINKS PROVIDED BY JOHN GAUDETTE OF CITIZEN ACTION-IL