November 04, 2005

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Classifieds

Palo Alto Online

News Digest

About 200 Stanford Hospital workers held a lively and noisy rally and march at the hospital and parts of the nearby campus late Wednesday afternoon, briefly blocking traffic at Campus and Palm drives. No arrests were made.

The workers were members of Service Employees International Union, Local 715, representing about 1,200 food and service workers at Stanford and Lucile Packard Children's hospitals.

The SEIU contract with the hospitals expires on Friday, and the union has been holding demonstrations to try to put pressure on hospital negotiators. Gayle Tiller, SEIU communications director, said the two sides are far apart on issues such as wages and health-care benefits.

Negotiating sessions have been scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

-- Don Kazak

Plea made for quake-relief effort

A Pakistani man living in Campbell who lost 52 members of his extended family in the recent Pakistan earthquake made a tearful plea in Palo Alto Thursday for humanitarian aid for survivors in the Kashmir region.

"The problem is no roads" are open to the stricken area, Mohammed Shafir said of his family members still trapped there. "They need food, blankets and tents (because) the snow is coming. It's very difficult."

Shafir spoke at a press conference at the First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto sponsored by several local groups, including Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice and American Muslim Voice.

"We could save the second wave of people who will die because they don't have food, water or shelter," said Samina Faheem Sundas of Palo Alto, the executive director of American Muslim Voice.

The death toll of the Pakistan earthquake stands at 73,276 as of Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

People wishing to donate to the earthquake relief can see additional details at www.amuslimvoice.org or call American Muslim Voice at (650) 387-1994.

-- Don Kazak

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