Labor’s speaking up on drug pricing

Biotech leaders, take note.

Richard Trumka, the president of the nation’s largest labor federation, the AFL-CIO, will brief reporters Thursday afternoon on a new platform supporting policies to lower the price of prescription drugs. The yet-to-be-unveiled “statement of principles for prescription drug policy” has been endorsed by The Coalition for Fair Drug Prices, an alliance of liberal groups including the AFL, the labor union SEIU, Families USA, Public Citizen, and the Center for American Progress. 

While the labor movement has dipped its toe into the debate over drug pricing in the past — the AFL endorsed a number of policies in 2016 — Thursday’s event may be the clearest sign yet that the labor movement is becoming more active on the drug-pricing issue.