For Immediate Release
Monday, June 07, 2004
Appalachian Bus Tour to Stop in Athens
Press Conference and Rally at Ohio University on June 8
ATHENS, OHIO —Hundreds of area residents and students are expected to join Rev. Jesse Jackson’s bus tour Appalachia when the "Reinvest In America: Put America Back to Work!" tour stops for a noon rally here on Tuesday, June 8.
The four-day journey, which begins in Pittsburgh on June 6, is joined by a broad coalition of labor and non-profit organizations, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The purpose is to focus attention on issues that matter most to working families: well-paying jobs, affordable healthcare and quality education.
Lee Saunders, Assistant to AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee, will be among the speakers at the rally. "Today there is a crisis in our country," Saunders said. "This Administration has failed to address the basic needs of working families. Working families, unions, retirees and students must join together to determine whether America will be a country where every family and worker can get ahead."
Prior to the rally, a press conference will be held. Among the speakers is Hoberta Roach, State Executive Board Member from the Southeast Ohio District of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE) Local 4/AFSCME. She is employed by Gallipolis City Schools in Gallia County, Ohio. "When someone losses a job in Ohio — whether it’s a mineworker or a steelworker — that job loss hurts the entire community and ultimately the educational system, social services and our entire quality of life," Roach said.
| WHO: | Hoberta Roach, State Exec. Board Member, OAPSE Local 4, AFSCME |
WHO: | Lee Saunders, Assistant to the President, AFSCME |
| WHAT: | Press Conference | WHAT: | Jobs/Healthcare/Education Rally |
| WHEN: | Tuesday, June 8, 11:00 a.m. | WHEN: | Tuesday, June 8, 12 Noon |
| WHERE: | Baker Center, 1804 Lounge Ohio University, Athens OH |
WHERE: | College Green, Ohio University South College and Union Streets |
OAPSE is Ohio's largest union representing employees of public schools, public libraries, Head Start, and Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. With more than 37,000 members in 480 Locals around the state, the Ohio Association of Public School Employees (OAPSE/AFSCME Local 4), is the most powerful voice for those who serve Ohio’s school children and citizens with special needs.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), AFL-CIO, is the nation's largest and fastest growing public service employees union with 1.4 million members. AFSCME organizes for social and economic justice in the workplace and through political action and legislative advocacy.
