Wal-Mart, union call for universal health care

Wal-Mart and one of its most vocal labor foes joined forces on Wednesday to call for universal health-care coverage for all Americans by 2012, but offered no specific proposals.

"The current health-care system doesn't work for many Americans ... We need to change the current system and we need to start now," said Lee Scott, chief executive of Wal-Mart, the largest U.S. private-sector employer and the world's biggest retailer.

Scott appeared on a stage with Andrew Stern, president of the 1.8-million-member Service Employees International Union (SEIU), to launch a "Better Health Care Together" campaign.

The effort so far is short on details and endorses only broad principles -- health insurance for everyone, individual health responsibility, better cost efficiency and involvement of business, government and individuals in health care.

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