In Divide Over Health Care Overhaul, 2 Major Unions Withdraw From a Coalition

From the NY Times:

Two labor unions have pulled out of a broad coalition seeking agreement on major changes in the health care system. The action, by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the Service Employees International Union, shows the seeds of discord behind the optimistic talk at a White House conference on health care this week.

It also illustrates the difficulty of reaching agreement on two of the knottiest issues in the health care debate: whether to offer a new government-sponsored insurance option, and whether to require employers to help pay for employee health benefits.

Labor unions and leading Democrats in Congress support both ideas. But insurers and many employers oppose them.