Actions part of national "Healthcare Independence Day" events in advance of the July 4 holiday in support of President Barack Obama's national reform efforts

STAMFORD – On Thursday, public service, healthcare, and property service workers will join with community advocates to thank US House Representative Jim Himes for his leadership in Congress to fix the nation's broken healthcare system. Participants will gather at the Stamford Government Center to share their personal stories and sign the "Declaration for Affordable Healthcare" beginning at 12:00 PM.

Members of the 55,000-strong Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Connecticut State Council are organizing the action, which is one of dozens of nationwide events coinciding with the July 4 Independence Day holiday. The purpose is to call on Congress to make healthcare more affordable, give people the freedom to choose their coverage, and offer working people the same quality healthcare that members of Congress receive.

"It's time to declare independence from a healthcare system that too many working people can't count on" said Mabel Mills a member of New England Healthcare Employees Union, District 1199/SEIU who works at the Marathon of Norwalk nursing home. "We need to fix our healthcare system so that every working American has the freedom to choose affordable care."

WHAT: Healthcare Independence Day Rally and Signing of "Declaration for Affordable Healthcare"

WHO: Members of SEIU, other healthcare supporters, and US House Representative Jim Himes (D-4).

WHERE: City of Stamford Government Center, 888 Washington Blvd., Stamford, CT.

WHEN: 12:00 PM -- Thursday, July 2, 2009.

For more information on "Healthcare Independence Day" actions happening across the country, please visit www.seiu.org.

With 2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers—not just corporations and CEO—benefit from today's global economy.