Food and Commercial Workers Endorse John Kerry for President

[Feanorcurufinwe]

Kerry's Health Care Position Wins Support of Nation's Largest Private Sector Union

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today announced its support of Senator John Kerry for President. The endorsement is based on Senator Kerry's commitment to provide every American with affordable health care.

For over four months, 70,000 UFCW members have been on strike or locked out in a fight to save affordable health benefits at work. The striking UFCW members are real American heroes fighting back against billion-dollar corporations who are attempting to destroy health benefits for workers and their families. Over the past year alone, over 85,000 UFCW members have been forced to the streets in a national battle to protect health care -- a battle that is spreading across the country, to every industry.

"Working families should not be forced into the streets to save their health benefits. Health care is a right. That's what John Kerry believes and that is why we are going to mobilize working families for his campaign," said Doug Dority, UFCW International President.

The UFCW's endorsement is based on Senator Kerry's "Real Deal" commitment which places health care reform, job creation, living wages, retirement security and dignity for workers as top legislative priorities. Kerry has long been a fighter for working men and women while serving in the Senate, and will continue to battle special interests to guarantee health care as a right, and not a privilege.

Protecting health benefits is a top priority for UFCW members across the country and deciding factor for workers when they go to the polls. A survey by the Wilson Center for Public Research of UFCW members, conducted in early October 2003, showed that UFCW feel the government should take action to deal with:

* Rapidly rising health costs (94%)
* 44 million Americans without health insurance (91%)
* Employer demands for cuts in medical benefits (87%)


Also, 97% of those polled felt that the candidate's position on protecting health care at work was important -- 75% said it was crucial -- to making a decision about their choice for President in 2004.

The views and opinions of UFCW are a snapshot into minds of millions of working people because the UFCW membership mirrors the general workforce population in every category -- gender, race, age, marital status. UFCW members -- cashier moms -- will be the defining voting block in November and they will turn out and vote to protect health care for their families.

"Affordable health care is a moral issue," explains Dority. "No working family should be forced into going without medical care. Without real reform, special interests will continue to overrun the health care system at the expense of workers."

Under the Bush Administration, there has been an unrelenting attack on workers.

* 3 million jobs lost;
* Over 2 million added to the ranks of the uninsured;
* Gutting of overtime laws to exclude over 8 million hourly workers from
earning overtime pay;
* Killing the ergonomics standard that could have prevented 600,000
needless workplace injuries each year.

Kerry represents a better tomorrow for working families.


The United Food and Commercial Workers Union is America's neighborhood union. UFCW men and women work in grocery stores, meat packing, poultry and food processing industries, health care, and public service. They, along with workers in countless other industries, face a growing threat to health benefits, and have made health care a top concern when going into the voting booth.
(press release, no copyright) http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/040213/dcf033_1.html

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[aldian159]

2. could be, never thought of it

but i was under the impression that this union is much more massive than one corporation.

[Johnyawl]

3. What Heinz connection?