Cal Labor Fed Says Goodbye to a Leader, Kicks off Campaign to Preserve Health Insurance at Biennial Convention

The 2004 Biennial California Labor Federation Convention marked the end of one era and the beginning of a campaign to protect health insurance for working families. The gathering was held from July 13-14 at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in San Diego.

President Tom Rankin stepped down from his post as the head of the California Labor Federation after nearly forty years of service in the labor movement. Connie Leyva, the current president of UFCW Local 1428 in Los Angeles, was elected to fill the vacancy. The 500 union delegates to the convention also voted to change the position of president from full-time to part-time. For a complete biography of the new president, click here (86Kb PDF).

The Convention also kicked off the “YES on Prop 72!” campaign. Proposition 72 will save the Health Insurance Act (SB 2) that was signed last year by Governor Davis. The new measure requires businesses with over 200 employees to offer health coverage to employees and their families and businesses with over 50 employees to offer insurance to employees. Big business is trying to stop the measure from becoming law. For a complete listing of legislative decisions, click here.

For coverage of all resolutions and decisions made at the convention complete with photographs, please visit the California Labor Federation webpage at http://www.calaborfed.org/events/events_2004/Biennial_Convention2004.html.