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to rally for health care, job benefits
Rev. Jesse Jackson expected to speak
BY NIRAJ WARIKOO
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

October 21, 2006

About 2,000 immigrants and other metro Detroiters plan to rally Sunday for universal health care, more job training, and workers' compensation benefits for undocumented employees.

Organized by the Detroit-based coalition group, Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength , the gathering will be from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Fellowship Chapel, 7707 W. Outer Dr., in Detroit.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson will be a featured speaker.

Members of the faith-based organization are concerned about what they say is a lack of opportunities for Michigan's minorities and the poor.

"I am coming to support people who are not being heard by our elected officials," said the Rev. Tom Sepulveda, pastor of Ste. Anne de Detroit Catholic Church, who will talk about the rights of immigrant workers at the rally.

Many of Sepulveda's parishioners are Latino immigrants, and are concerned about affordable health care and job training. Another concern, he said, is workers compensation benefits.

Right now, undocumented workers injured on the job in Michigan are not eligible for workers' compensation benefits even though they pay into the system , said Juan Escareno, an immigrant organizer with MOSES.

At the forum, State Sen. Hansen Clark, D-Detroit, will discuss plans to introduce a state Senate bill to allow undocumented immigrants to receive workers' compensation benefits if they are injured on the job.