Wal-Mart and labor unions are on the opposite side of most issues but recently the two antagonists have found some common ground. First, the retailer and organized labor lobbied separately for an increase in the national minimum wage.
In an even more remarkable event that took place yesterday, Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott, and Andrew Stern, the head of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), took part in the announcement of a new coalition called "Better Health Care Together." The initiative counts universal healthcare coverage for all Americans by 2012 as one of its goals.
"Wal-Mart is committed to high quality, affordable and accessible healthcare. But our current system hurts America's competitiveness and leaves too many people uninsured," said Mr. Scott during the press conference.
"Government alone won't and can't solve this crisis," he said. "We have to work together - business, labor, government and our communities. We also need to empower people to take more responsibility and more control over their own healthcare.
SEIU's Stern said he is willing to work with Mr. Scott and Wal-Mart.
"Healthcare is no longer just a moral crisis. It has become an economic crisis as well. More people went to work today in retail than in manufacturing. It is time to admit that the employer-based healthcare system is dead. It is a relic of the industrial economy," he said.
"American business by 2008 will pay more for healthcare than they will make in profits. That is untenable," Mr. Stern added.
The "Better Health Care Together" coalition has called for "quality, affordable health insurance coverage" for all, with business, government, and individuals contributing to managing and paying for "a new American healthcare system."
Discussion Question: Is the "Better Health Care Together" coalition the beginning of a truly new approach to healthcare in the U.S.?