Health Caregivers and Allies to Rally 5 p.m. Weds. ...( FREMONT Calif. July 8 -- Health care...),Health

FREMONT, Calif., July 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Health caregivers at Washington Hospital in Fremont will rally at 5 p.m. Wednesday to urge the hospital to negotiate and settle their contract. Many of the 450 workers at the public hospital are facing economic hardships as they pass the one-year mark without a contract. Added stress affecting them and their families has the potential to undermine the high-quality care they reliably provide.

"I put food on the table every day for patients. But without a contract, I worry about being able to put food on the table for my family," says Jocelyn Mendoza, a grill cook and SEIU UHW bargaining team member at Washington Hospital. "Institutions talk about financial difficulties. But it's really workers who feel them."

On Monday, California Congressman Pete Stark, who represents Fremont, wrote Washington Hospital board members urging them to bargain in good faith with Mendoza and her co-workers. "I am bringing this urgent matter to your attention and urging Washington Hospital management to negotiate in good faith with SEIU UHW West," Stark wrote.

Clergy and community allies are also expressing support for SEIU UHW members at Washington Hospital. "Caregivers at Washington Hospital strengthen our bodies and spirits and help hold our community together," says Rev. TC Wilson of True Vine Ministries and a prominent voice for Alameda County workers. "They give respect everyday. But they are not getting respect from the hospital. Any further delay by the hospital injures the conscience of our community."

What: Rally by healthcare workers and allies at Washington Hospital

Where: 2500 Mowry Ave., Fremont

When: 5 p.m. on Weds., July 8

Visual: Health caregivers and allies speaking out on economic hardships facing workers' families and ongoi
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