For Immediate Release
Thursday, January 17, 2008
AFL-CIO MLK Holiday Press Conference
Remarks Delivered by AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee to a Memphis, Tenn. Press Conference.
Good morning! It’s great to see everyone – especially these beautiful children. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. than being here today with the boys and girls who are the doctors, lawyers, teachers and Head Start workers of tomorrow. And maybe even the Presidents, too!
At AFSCME, we understand that our nation has a vested interest in the future of these kids. We have a vested interest in how well-prepared they are to learn and to lead.
But we also believe that we have a moral obligation to do everything we can for them – because they are truly OUR children. We’ve been entrusted with their care and we must treat them as the national treasure that they are.
So we are pleased to announce today our donation of clothing, toys and educational items totaling $15,000 to this Head Start center and the Bickford and Gaston centers. We are making this contribution in memory of Dr. King and in honor of the sacrifice he made 40 years ago for the sanitation workers of AFSCME Local 1733. In fact, our union and the entire AFL-CIO will be honoring the 33 surviving sanitation workers Sunday night as part of our celebration of Dr. King’s life and work.
Dr. King came to this city on behalf of the sanitation workers because he was a champion for workers’ rights as well as civil rights. He understood the nobility of their cause, and sadly, it was in this city that he was killed.
But his legacy lives on. We’re here today because AFSCME is still fighting for better lives for the working families of Memphis and we are still committed to Dr. King’s dream for our nation and the world.
AFSCME Local 1733, 40 years after Dr. King’s intervention, remains dedicated to quality public services for working people and their children. As the union representing Head Start workers, AFSCME is proud to play a role in preparing children for the future and supporting their families.
And let me just say how very proud I am personally of the 317 workers of the Shelby County Head Start program. Most of these workers have been with Head Start for 20 years or more, and most started out as parent volunteers. Each and every one of them makes a meaningful contribution to the success of Head Start. As Dr. King said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” These workers are answering that question every day by making a difference for these children. Let’s give them a hand.
And now, it’s my pleasure to introduce a man who has spent his life making a difference for working people and their families…the President of the AFL-CIO, a great leader of the labor movement and my very good friend, John Sweeney.
