FIGHTING FOR OUR LIVES: HEALTH CARE IS AN ECONOMIC HUMAN RIGHT

Saturday, March 12

FIGHTING FOR OUR LIVES: HEALTH CARE IS AN ECONOMIC HUMAN RIGHT - San Jose

10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
UFCW Hall
200 S. Market Street

The purpose of this conference is to educate and energize our members - and
grassroots leaders of other congregations and community groups - to get involved in
this year?s battle for health care. We support the Just Health Care universal single
payer health care proposal originally developed by the Labor Party. We also support
similar single payer measures such as Sen. Sheila Kuehl?s SB 921, which will be
reintroduced into the California legislature in February.

We believe that health care is a God-given human right. However, we have always
understood that we will not win this battle without getting new people involved. We
believe we have to mobilize the full diversity of those most affected by the crisis:
the poor, the immigrants, working people, health care workers, and the uninsured and
underinsured from all economic backgrounds.

We fully support legislative lobbying, public hearings, and electoral campaigns. We
also support the nonviolent direct action tactics of Dr. Martin Luther King. One of
the purposes of this conference will be to include discussion of tactics that, as
King said, ?create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which
has consistently refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.?

We welcome your organization?s endorsement and support. We intend to ensure Spanish
translation and Spanish-speaking workshops to encourage as broad participation as
possible.

The conference has been endorsed not only by the individuals but by all our
organizations listed below.

Sincerely,

Pastor Scott Wagers, CHAM

Peg Elwell, Low-Income Self-Help Center

Greg Miller, Labor Party (San Jose)

Lynn Huidekoper, Health Care for All Californians - Silicon Valley Coalition

Louie Rocha, President, CWA Local 9423

Chava Bustamante, SEIU Local 1877

Andrea Villasenor-Perry, Executive Director, Services, Immigrant Rights and
Education Network (SIREN)

Ethel Long-Scott, California Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign

Mike Mulligan, UFCW Local 428

Jay Mendoza, FOCUS??????????