Labor and N.A.A.C.P. Plan October Rally By Steven Greenhouse New York Times May 10, 2010
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/labor-naacp-plan-october-rally/?scp=1&sq=1199%20demonstration%20Washingtron&st=cse Several labor unions and the N.A.A.C.P. are planning a rally in Washington this October to push for stepped-up job creation efforts and to counter what they say is a misguided perception that the Tea Party represents the views of America's working people. The rally - which is being organized by the heads of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the largest local in the Service Employees International Union - aims to create momentum for President Obama and Congress to enact more progressive- minded legislation on jobs, a financial overhaul and other matters. "It's very annoying to see the Tea Party folks on television all the time as if they're speaking for working people, while all they're doing is divide working people and push our agenda back, both racially and economically," said George Gresham, president of 1199 S.E.I.U. United Healthcare Workers East, which is based in New York and with 300,000 members is the service employees' largest local. "It is annoying that some people treat the Tea Party as the only voice out there trying to speak out about the economic downturn." Mr. Gresham and the N.A.A.C.P. have proposed scheduling the rally and march on Saturday, Oct. 10, and he is calling the event 10-10-10. Mr. Gresham and Benjamin T. Jealous, the N.A.A.C.P.'s president, are planning a meeting in June designed to attract additional groups and to finalize a name and themes for the event. Mr. Gresham has approached the A.F.L.-C.I.O. and other labor and liberal groups about sponsoring the rally. Mr. Gresham, who came up with the idea for the rally, said he saw it as a way to counter conservative pressures against Mr. Obama and Congressional Democrats. "I always thought we just can't put President Obama into office, but we have to be constantly out there to support the change we believe in," he said. "I remember what Franklin Delano Roosevelt told the labor movement about reforms: `Go out and make me do it.' " Mr. Gresham said, "While I was watching the health care reform effort, which so many people supported, one somehow got the impression that people didn't want health care reform. That was wrong." Some Democrats have questioned the timing of the rally, asserting it would distract labor and liberal groups at an important moment during the fall campaign when their energy and resources might be better used knocking on doors and making campaign phone calls instead of converging on Washington. But Mr. Gresham insisted that the rally would strengthen the Democratic campaign efforts. "We're building up the kind of momentum that we think we need for a major march," he said. "That could help in November. It will get people to follow up by taking assignments and fighting for the change they believe in." _______________________________________________ pen-l mailing list [email protected] https://lists.csuchico.edu/mailman/listinfo/pen-l
