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Dear Working Families e-Activist:<br><br>
More than 75,000 grocery workers will spend this holiday season<br>
on the picket line. These brave workers are holding the line for<br>
health care and good jobs in the face of stubborn employer<br>
greed. They're on strike or have been locked out by their<br>
employers, including Safeway-owned Vons, Kroger-owned Ralphs and<br>
Albertsons for more than nine weeks now.<br><br>
That is a long time for these workers and their families to go<br>
without their regular paychecks or health care coverage and<br>
strike fund savings are running low. But these workers feel<br>
their struggle is essential to the well-being and future of<br>
their families. You can donate to the strike fund right now by<br>
clicking on the link below or keep reading for more information<br>
and actions.<br>
<a href="https://secure.ga3.org/08/groceryworkerholiday2/nDpq7qVp19pey" eudora="autourl">https://secure.ga3.org/08/groceryworkerholiday2/nDpq7qVp19pey</a><br><br>
Maria Lopez, a five-year Vons employee, had this to say about<br>
the strike: "I've been out there [on the picket line] for 40<br>
hours a week because I'm fighting for my health benefits. There<br>
are a lot of moms on the line. We are afraid to lose our jobs<br>
with this strike but more afraid to lose our health benefits if<br>
the company gets its way. If one of my kids gets really sick and<br>
I couldn't afford the insurance, I wouldn't know what to
do."<br><br>
Here is what you can do to help Maria and tens of thousands of<br>
workers like her.<br><br>
1. Please take just one minute today to help these workers by<br>
making a donation to the special fund supporting these workers,<br>
to help them with food and other essentials during this holiday<br>
season. All the funds go directly to strikers in need. You can<br>
make a secure and easy online donation or get mailing<br>
information by taking one minute and clicking on the link below.<br>
<a href="https://secure.ga3.org/08/groceryworkerholiday2/nDpq7qVp19pey" eudora="autourl">https://secure.ga3.org/08/groceryworkerholiday2/nDpq7qVp19pey</a><br><br>
You could ask your friends and family to donate in lieu of a<br>
holiday gift or raise funds at holiday events for these
workers.<br><br>
2. Do not shop at any Safeway stores. From San Diego to Boston<br>
and from Seattle to Miami we're asking everybody to not shop at<br>
Safeway-owned stores, including Vons, Safeway, Pavilions, Carrs,<br>
Dominick's, Randalls, Tom Thumb or Genuardi's.<br><br>
For more than nine weeks these workers have been holding the<br>
line for affordable health care at work against the Safeway-led<br>
charge to destroy health benefits for workers and their<br>
families. These workers and their families urgently need your<br>
support.<br><br>
The grocery chains are demanding the workers accept what amounts<br>
to a 75 percent cut in health coverage for new workers and a 50<br>
percent cut for current employees. Like employers across<br>
America, they are trying to boost their profits at the expense<br>
of workers and their families. If the grocery chains win, we'll<br>
all have a harder time holding on to health care benefits.<br><br>
Usually we ask for your activism to win the goals we share. But<br>
today you can really help by making a donation at the link<br>
below.<br><br>
Donate:
<a href="https://secure.ga3.org/08/groceryworkerholiday2/nDpq7qVp19pey" eudora="autourl">https://secure.ga3.org/08/groceryworkerholiday2/nDpq7qVp19pey</a><br><br>
Spread the word:
<a href="http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/6dq7qVp1v1BV/" eudora="autourl">http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/6dq7qVp1v1BV/</a><br><br>
More information:
<a href="http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/61q7qVp1v1BZ//" eudora="autourl">http://www.unionvoice.org/ct/61q7qVp1v1BZ//</a><br><br>
Thanks for all you do.<br><br>
In Solidarity,<br><br>
Working Families e-Activist Network<br>
Dec. 17, 2003<br>
</font><font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
</font><font size=3><a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">www.freedomarchives.org</a></font></body>
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