NgoJanuwari uMongameli uTrump wethula isithembiso sakhe sokunciphisa uhulumeni wobumbano: wamemezela ukuthi kuzomiswa ukuqashwa, naphezu kwezinkulungwane zezikhala zemisebenzi yenhlangano.
Njengomuntu ongenele ukhetho, uTrump ukhankase njengomngane omkhulu wamakadebona. Uthembise ukwenza intuthuko enkulu ku-Veterans Health Administration (VHA), ingalo ye-Veterans Administration (VA) esebenza uhlelo lokunakekelwa kwezempilo olukhulu kunazo zonke ezweni.
Kepha ukuqashwa kukaTrump kweqhwa kwajulisa inkinga evele ikhona yabasebenzi ezibhedlela nasemitholampilo ye-VHA kulo lonke elase-US, lapho kunezikhala ezingenamuntu ezingama-49,000.
Izishoshovu zezinyunyana zikholelwa ukuthi ukuntuleka kwabasebenzi okuholelayo kuklanyelwe ukudala izikhalazo zesiguli kanye nokwaziswa okungekuhle okuzokwenza omakadebona kanye nemindeni yabo balahlekelwe ukholo ekunakekelweni okunikezwa yi-VA.
"Abanye kuCongress bafuna ukuxhasa ngemali i-VA ukuze bathi uhulumeni akasebenzi," kusho uDusten Retcher, umakadebona we-Air Force oneminyaka engu-29, ocubungula izicelo zokuhlomula komakadebona eMinneapolis. "Bese befuna ukuyidlulisela emakethe yangasese."
UMUTHI WOKUPHAKATHI
I-VHA ifaka omakadebona abayizigidi eziyisishiyagalolunye abafaneleka ngokusekelwe emalini yabo ephansi noma, njengo-Retcher, abanesimo sezempilo esihlobene nesevisi. Ngokungafani nohlelo lomkhokhi oyedwa wase-Canada noma i-Medicare e-US, ayisebenzi ngokuyinhloko njengomshwalense, ivele ibuyisele izibhedlela ezizimele, odokotela, noma amakhemisi.
Esikhundleni salokho, njengoMnyango Wezempilo Kazwelonke waseBrithani, i-VHA ihlinzeka ngokunakekelwa okuqondile komakadebona, kusetshenziswa izisebenzi eziholayo ezingakhokhelwa ngemali yokusebenzela. Njengenethiwekhi yokunakekelwa kwezempilo enkulu kunazo zonke esizweni esikhulu kunazo zonke, edidiyelwe ngokugcwele, iyimodeli yemithi yokuxhumana nabantu efinyelela kude kunezinhlelo zomkhokhi oyedwa ezihlongozwe nguCongressman John Conyers kanye noSenator Bernie Sanders (ophinde abe ngumvikeli oholayo we-VHA).
Sekukonke, i-VHA iqashe abantu abayizi-300,000, ingxenye yesithathu yabo engomakadebona. Ngenxa yokuthi abanakekeli bayahola, abanaso isisusa esincane sokwelapha iziguli ngokweqile. Futhi, njengesikhungo esikhulu sikahulumeni, i-VHA ingaxoxisana nezinkampani ezenza imithi nemishini yezokwelapha ukuze zivikele amanani aphansi kunalawo atholwa yizibhedlela ezizimele.
Le nhlanganisela "yemithi yezenhlalo," izintengo okuxoxiswene ngazo, kanye nabasebenzi abaholayo abamelwe kakhulu yi-American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) ayidumile ku-Republican Congress noma e-Trump White House.
Ngasekuqaleni kwaleli hlobo, bobabili bahlasele amalungelo enqubo efanele yamalungu e-AFGE ngokuphasisa โUmthetho Wokuziphendulela we-VA.โ Njengoba i-AFL-CIO iphawula, lesi sinyathelo esinzima, esisekelwa amanye amaDemocrats, sisusa "noma yisiphi isiqinisekiso sokuthi abasebenzi bazozizwa bephephile ukukhuluma ngokumelene nokuphathwa kabi noma ukuvikela ukuphepha kwesiguli." Ngokusho komfelandawonye, โโ"ibhidliza izinqubo zokukhononda eziye zasetshenziswa ngempumelelo kuwo wonke uhulumeni wobumbano ukunikeza isivikelo ekuphathweni ngokungafanele."
Umthetho onjalo obhidliza izinyunyana-futhi okumanje usacutshungulwa yiCongress-bekuyinhloso yesikhathi eside yamaRiphabhlikhi aphiko lwesokudla kanye "namaVeterans akhathazekile aseMelika." I-CVA yiqembu le-astro-turf, elixhaswe ngabazalwane bakwa-Koch, elithole ithonya lokwenza inqubomgomo ngaphakathi kwe-VA kusukela okhethweni lukaTrump. Nakuba i-CVA inamalungu angempela ambalwa, ibe yimpumelelo enkulu ekukhuthazeni ukusakazwa okungekuhle kwe-VHA kwabezindaba, okuhlanganisa ne-New York Times kanye ne-NPR.
Ngokungafani nezinhlangano zomakadebona bendabuko (i-American Legion, VFW, Disabled American Veterans), i-CVA iyayizonda i-VHA futhi ingathanda ukuyibona iyimfihlo ngokuphelele.
Ukumelana nalolu songo lokukhishwa kwemisebenzi, amalungu enyunyana ye-VHA kanye nabalingani bawo basungule umkhankaso ohlanganisa izinto eziningi. Babambe inqwaba yemihlangano yamahholo edolobha, imibuthano yasendaweni ethi โSave the VAโ, kanye nemibhikisho nezinhlangano zabasebenzi nomakadebona eCalifornia, Arkansas, Indiana, Illinois, New Mexico, Tennessee, Montana, Ohio, naseColorado. Eminye imibhikisho ihlelelwe u-Okthoba. Umsebenzi onjalo, kuwo wonke uhulumeni wobumbano, usize i-AFGE ukuthi ibhalisele amalungu amasha angu-5,000 kusukela ngoJanuwari.
Izishoshovu ze-Bay Area AFGE zijoyine abanye abasebenzi be-VHA, iziguli zabo, nabanye omakadebona abathintekayo enkulumweni ebiseSan Francisco ebihanjelwe umholi weqembu elincane leNdlu uNancy Pelosi. UMichael Blecker, umholi weSwords to Plowshares okhonze eVietnam, uxwayise ngokuthi izinhlelo zasendaweni zokunciphisa ukungabi namakhaya komakadebona zisengcupheni yokuncishiswa.
U-Pelosi waphikisa ngokuthi abagxeki be-GOP abanandaba kangako nokuthuthukisa izinsiza ze-VHA noma ukwehlisa izindleko zabo. โAbantu abafuna ukwenza i-VA ibe yimfihlo abafuni ukuyenza ibe ngcono,โ kusho yena. "Bafuna ukwenza imali."
Ekuhlaziyeni kwayo ukugcinwa kwangasese, i-Fighting for Veterans Healthcare, ithimba labameli elizinze e-San Francisco, iphawula ukuthi isabelomali sesibhedlela i-VHA sesivele seluliwe ngenxa yoxhaso olungapheli. Njengoba umthwalo wezezimali wokukhokhela ukunakekelwa kwangasese okumba eqolo ukhula, leli qembu liyaphikisana, ukushoda kwezisebenzi zasendlini kuzoba kubi kakhulu, kuzonqanyulwa izinhlelo ezikhethekile zocwaningo nezokwelapha, izisebenzi eziphelelwe amandla zizohamba, futhi โi-VA izoba igobolondo layo. โ
Esikhungweni sezokwelapha sase-Denver VA, lapho abasebenzi babhikishela ukugcinwa kwangasese ngo-Agasti 23, uMongameli we-AFGE Local 2241 uBernard Humbles uthi ukukhungatheka kwabasebenzi kuyanda. โNgike ngaba namalungu avele athi, โsengiqedile,โ ashiye ngenxa yomsebenzi omningi,โ usho kanje. "Kumele sigcwalise lezi zikhundla."
UBernie Sanders, owayengusihlalo weKomidi Lezindaba Zezilwane eSenate kanye nomvikeli we-VHA isikhathi eside, wethule umthetho wokunciphisa ukushoda kwabasebenzi ngokubeka amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-5 ekuqashweni okusha. Kodwa uNobhala Wezindaba Zomakadebona uDkt. David Shulkin, osebenze ekuphathweni kuka-Obama, ungaphansi kwe-White House kanye nengcindezi yeCongressional yokwandisa uhlelo olubizwa ngokuthi "Choice" esikhundleni salokho.
Idalwe yiCongress ngo-2014, i-Choice ivumela omakadebona okufanele bahambe amamayela angu-40 noma ngaphezulu ukuya endaweni eseduze ye-VHA, noma ababhekene nokulibaziseka kwe-aphoyintimenti okungaphezu kwezinsuku ezingu-30, ukusebenzisa abahlinzeki abazimele esikhundleni salokho. Ukubuyiselwa kwemali okukahulumeni kwalezi zibhedlela ezizimele kanye nodokotela sekuvele kukhiphe izigidigidi ku-VHA. Umbiko wakamuva wangaphakathi uveze iphethini yokukhokha ngokweqile kwa-TriWest kanye ne-Health Net, izinkampani zomshwalensi ezimbili ezizimele eziqashwe ukusungula amanethiwekhi abahlinzeki bangaphandle futhi zicubungule izimangalo zembuyiselo yohlelo lwe-Choice.
Khonamanjalo, njengocwaningo lwe-Rand Corporation olutholwe ngo-2015, izikhathi zangempela zokulinda e-VHA zifushane kunezimboni ezizimele, futhi izinga lokunakekelwa komakadebona liyalingana noma liphakeme kunalelo elitholwe iziguli zasesibhedlela ezizimele.
IMINA YEGOLIDE EPHUMAYO
Noma kunjalo, amaRiphabhulikhi afuna ukunwetshwa kwe-VHA outsourcing, ukuze bakhe imayini yegolide embonini yokunakekelwa kwezempilo. Umgomo wabo uwukuqondisa omakadebona abaningi kubahlinzeki abangeyona i-VHA, okuhlanganisa amafemu enza inzuzo angagcwalisa imiyalelo, asingathe ukuvakasha okuvamile, noma ahlinzeke ngezinsizakalo zeziguli ezingaphandle njenge-audiology kanye ne-optometry.
Impi yokuvikela ukunakekelwa kwekhwalithi komakadebona ihlanganisa abanakekeli kubasebenzi be-VHA, iziguli zabo, abanye omakadebona, kanye namalungu omphakathi akhathazekile. Le mpi iphinde isize ekudaluleni igebe elilokhu likhula njalo phakathi kwezinkulumo zikaMongameli uTrump nomthelela wangempela wezinqubomgomo zakhe kubantu besigaba sabasebenzi abake basebenza empini futhi, kwezinye izimo, bamvotela ngekwindla edlule.
Ngasekupheleni kukaSepthemba umbhikisho e-VA Medical Center eMinneapolis, abaqoki be-AFGE bajoyinwa ezinye izinyunyana, okuhlanganisa nomakadebona weNavy uTom Edwards, owayephethe uphawu oluthi, "No Vet Should Wait in Line." Isisebenzi saseposini esesathatha umhlalaphansi, u-Edwards utshele i-Workday Minnesota ukuthi uzwa izinkulumo eziningi mayelana "nokweseka amasosha ethu." Kodwa uma befika ekhaya futhi bedinga ukufinyelela ekunakekelweni okunekhono, okukhethekile njengoba kuhlinzekwa yi-VHA, enye indaba. โOkwenzeka kuleli zwe kuwububi,โ esho.
USuzanne Gordon uyilungu le-CWA/NewsGuild nombhali we I-Battle for Veterans' Healthcare: Ukuthunyelwa kwe-Front Lines Yokwenza Inqubomgomo kanye Nokunakekelwa Kwesiguli. U-Ian Hoffmann ungumhleli wezomthetho nezepolitiki one-AFGE, ozinze enyakatho yeCalifornia. Ukuze uthole okwengeziwe mayelana nokulwa nokwenziwa kwangasese kwe-VHA, bheka ffvhc.org.
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