Rally at Sacramento Wal-Mart to Demand Accountability in Health Care.

Date:     Friday, July 1, 2005

Time:     11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Place:    Wal-Mart
          3640 El Camino Ave., Sacramento

A Wal-Mart store in Sacramento will be the site of a Rally for Health Care Accountability sponsored by UFCW 588-Northern California. Also attending will be members of the Communication Workers of America (CWA), the International Longshore Workers Union (ILWU) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Jacques S. Loveall, President of UFCW 588 and Vice President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, will address the rally.

"We want to hold Wal-Mart accountable for its failure to provide affordable health insurance to its poorly-paid workers," Loveall said. "Many of those workers have to rely on public health services that cost taxpayers millions of dollars every year."

"Wal-Mart is the biggest abuser of taxpayer subsidized health care," Loveall continued. "The public system is designed for the needy, not employees of the largest, richest company in the country.

"Health care accountability requires large employers, like Wal-Mart, to report the number of employees who receive benefits through tax-funded agencies. Fifteen states currently require such disclosure.

"The bottom line is Wal-Mart cost too much, and the UFCW will be letting Californians know that," Loveall said.