6/19 - March with Gallo workers as they join thousands to Bridge the Gap in Healthcare

On Saturday, June 19th, thousands of union and non-union members alike will act to bridge the gap in health care in historic bridge walks across the Golden Gate and Brooklyn Bridge, and marches and rallies in more than 100 other cities.

In San Francisco, a delegation of Gallo of Sonoma Farm workers will join the bridge walks and asks you to walk with them. These Gallo of Sonoma vineyard workers have been working without a United Farm Workers contract for eight months. The hold up is over the refusal by Matt and Gina Gallo and Gallo of Sonoma to provide health and other basic benefits to the 75% of their work force supplied by farm labor contractors.

The San Francisco Bridge Walk begins at Crissy Field at 7:00 a.m.--at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge. You can meet up with the Gallo of Sonoma worker delegation at the UFW tent. Please wear your UFW t-shirt of a red t-shirt so our delegation can stand out. If you are going to march with the Gallo of Sonoma workers please RSVP to: rpinal [at] ufwmail.com.

Parking is extremely limited. If you can, please take public transportation (there will be a shuttle from the BART stop). You can find detailed information of the San Francisco logistics at: http://www.bridgingthegapforhealthcare.org/index.php?module=viewAction&aID=32

Quality, affordable health care that once seemed reliable is quickly being priced out of reach for millions of hardworking, taxpaying Americans. The crisis has reached record proportions: In the time it will take you to read this email, five more people will lose their health care coverage. In the next week, nearly 50,000 mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and grandparents will lose access to affordable, quality health care.

We must demand that our elected officials find a solution to this crisis. Millions of lives depend on it, and the longer we wait, the worse the problem is going to get.

Events will be occurring in San Francisco, Seattle, New York, or Boston and many other locations. You can find an event near you by going to:

http://www.bridgingthegapforhealthcare.org/?rID=16

If you have not yet done so, please sign the "Gallo Unfair" petition. It's critical to demonstrate support for the workers at Gallo of Sonoma before the next negotiation meeting on August 4. Our goal is for 25,000 people to sign the "Gallo Unfair" petition. Please sign the petition by going to: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/GalloPetition.

Please forward this email along to friends, family, and co-workers urging them to join this national movement for quality, affordable health care for all.