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Press Release
August 27, 2004
Reverend Jesse Jackson and Willie Nelson Headline Labor Day Rally and Concert in Charleston, West Virginia
Event Will Focus Attention on the Issues that Most Affect Working Men and Women: Jobs, Healthcare and Education
Judy Collins, Asleep at the Wheel, Indigo Girls, Nanci Griffith and Others Will Also Perform and National Labor Leaders Will Speak
Rev. Jesse Jackson’s "Reinvest In America: Put America Back To Work!" campaign has put together a Labor Day rally and concert that the state of West Virginia won’t soon forget. Jackson has assembled a cast of musicians and speakers who will gather in Charleston, WV on September 6 to present a day-long program that will celebrate the contributions of working men and women to American life and focus attention on what matters most to American families and communities: well-paying jobs, affordable healthcare and quality education.
The event will combine the music of some legendary performers with messages from national labor leaders and others who are concerned about the direction national policy is taking on the basic issues of jobs, healthcare and education. Willie Nelson will headline the entertainment with an evening performance, and Judy Collins, Asleep at the Wheel, the Indigo Girls and Nanci Griffith will also perform, lending their voices and support to the cause. Rev. Jackson will speak along with a number of union leaders including Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA); Gerald McEntee, President of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); and Leo Gerard, President of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA). Working men and women who face the daily challenges of these
hard economic times will also share their feelings. The 11-hour event will conclude with a fireworks display over the Kanawha River. (Additional speakers and performers will
be announced as they are confirmed. Updates at: www.reinvest-in-america.org).
“West Virginia is a battleground state and these are battleground issues. We’re
here to bring them to the forefront in this election campaign…to make a strong statement to republicans and democrats alike,” said Jackson. "We cannot be silent as the lives of America’s working men and women are devastated by bad government policy and corporate greed. The well-paying jobs that built the American middle class are being outsourced to cheap foreign labor markets. Affordable healthcare is now out of reach for millions of Americans as corporations cut benefits and the federal government neglects its responsibility to ensure a healthy future for all citizens. The cost of higher education is soaring while funding for primary and secondary schools plummets. It's time to reinvest in America. It’s time for the voices of working men and women to be heard, and they will be heard this Labor Day in Charleston, WV.”
The free, all day event on the riverfront in downtown Charleston is cosponsored by the Reinvest In America: Put America Back to Work! campaign and the local Kanawha Valley Labor Council. Earlier in the summer, Jackson’s "Reinvest in America" bus tour stopped in 9 cities and towns in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio where it was greeted by enthusiastic crowds.
Charleston, located in the heartland of Appalachia, was chosen for the event because the region continues to suffer under current economic and social policy. Statistics for the region paint a disturbing picture. Under the current Administration, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have lost a combined total of 334,000 manufacturing jobs. In West Virginia, 14% of the population lacks health insurance; 12% in Ohio; and 10% in Pennsylvania.
"This will be a day to remind working people about the issues that are truly important in the upcoming election, like jobs, healthcare, education and trade," said UMWA President Cecil Roberts. "But it will also be a day of relaxation, great music and fun."
The "Reinvest in America: Put America Back to Work!" campaign represents a coalition of organizations that are joining together in this election year to focus attention on those issues that most affect working men and women: the need for well-paying jobs, affordable healthcare, and quality education. Campaign sponsors include: the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); United Mine Workers of America (UMWA); United Steelworkers of America (USWA); AFL-CIO and others.
“AFSCME is once again pleased to join with the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition’s “Reinvest in America: Put America Back to Work!” campaign for the Labor Day event in Charleston, WV,” said AFSCME International President Gerald W. McEntee. “This event will give the city of Charleston and the country an opportunity to see the significant contribution of the labor movement to the city, as well as the importance of good jobs, quality health care and a strong education system. AFSCME members in West Virginia and across the country stand ready to support candidates that value and work to improve the lives of working families.”
AFSCME, a key sponsor of the event, is one of the nation's largest and fastest growing public service employees unions with 1.4 million members. It organizes for social and economic justice in the workplace and through political action and legislative advocacy. AFSCME represents approximately 4000 state, county & municipal employees and retirees in West Virginia.
For more information on the Reinvest In America: Put America Back To Work! Labor Day Rally, c.
Contact: George Korn 740-953-1130
Rally/Concert details and directions
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