CWA Activists Fight to Protect Healthcare Benefits from Tax Hike

CWA (Communications Workers of America) activists across the country have united to combat a proposed tax on health benefits, which they argue will raise healthcare costs for working families. In a Valentine's Day action, CWA members visited congressional district offices to demand that representatives pledge to stop the health benefit tax, which could force cuts across all health plans, making healthcare less affordable.

Project 2025, the House Republican Study Committee, and conservative think tanks are pushing for increased taxes on health benefits to fund tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations. According to the Congressional Budget Office, employers are expected to shift costs to their workers by increasing deductibles, co-pays, co-insurance, and maximum out-of-pocket limits. Preliminary research estimates that health benefit tax proposals could cost CWA members as much as $4,800 per year.

A previous version of this tax was signed into law in 2010 but was repealed before taking effect, thanks to the work of CWA activists. During that time, employers used the threat of the tax to demand preemptive plan cuts and other givebacks at the bargaining table.

CWA Local 9510 member Brian Bell, a single father, expressed his concerns during a visit to the offices of Rep. Young Kim. "I can't afford for my medical to go up any more than it already has," he said. "With the tax breaks that are going to be given to corporations and billionaires, the burden is going to be deferred to us as the working class. So we’re out here to stop it."

To mitigate the impact of the proposed health benefit tax, CWA activists and their allies are employing several strategies:

1. Negotiating better health plans: Unions and employers can work together to negotiate health plans that are more affordable and provide better value for workers.

2. Advocating for tax credits or subsidies: Workers and their unions can advocate for tax credits or subsidies to help offset the increased costs of healthcare.

3. Promoting transparency and accountability: Unions can work to ensure that employers and insurance companies are transparent about their costs and accountable for their actions.

4. Encouraging collective bargaining: Unions can encourage collective bargaining to ensure that workers have a voice in the negotiation of health benefits.

5. Educating members about their benefits: Unions can educate their members about their health benefits, including how to use them effectively and how to make informed decisions about their healthcare.

By working together and employing these strategies, CWA activists and their allies aim to protect healthcare benefits and ensure that healthcare remains affordable for working families.