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Luminaries Will Light Up Raleigh To Highlight Our Jobs Crisis

Jeremy Sprinkle
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NC State AFL-CIO,PO Box 10805,Raleigh,NC27605

Press Advisory for October 10, 2011

Contact: Jeremy Sprinkle, Communications Director, 919-833-6678, [email protected];

LUMINARIES WILL LIGHT UP RALEIGH TO HIGHLIGHT OUR JOBS CRISIS

Shining a light on the plight of North Carolina's 1.2 million jobless and low-wage workers with a vigil beginning at 6:30pm Monday, October 10, 2011

Raleigh, N.C. – Working families and community members will hold a vigil for good jobs on Monday, October 10.  Luminaries around Bicentennial Mall and along Edenton and Jones Streets will bring to light North Carolina's 1.2 million jobless and low-wage workers whose struggle goes largely unnoticed by our politicians. Two Raleigh unemployed workers will testify about their experiences on the front lines of our jobs crisis.  Speakers at the event, including Rev. Nancy Petty, pastor of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, and Alexandra Sirota, director of the N.C. Budget and Tax Center, will highlight the desperate need for current proposals, like President Obama’s jobs plan, and other initiatives necessary to create an economy that works for more than just the top 1% of Americans.

Columbus Day is the start of “America Wants to Work”, a nationwide week of action to urge members of Congress and our state legislature to quit playing defense for those who don’t need defending and start working for the other 99% of us by adopting bold solutions that will put Americans back to work rebuilding our state and our country.

Occupy Wall Street and the growing Occupy Together movement is evidence that Americans have had enough of bailouts for Wall Street, tax cuts for the top 1%, and sacrifice for everyone else.  We need our politicians to wake up to the fact that our jobs crisis is urgent and demands action now.

What:Luminaries for Workers vigil and press conference with choral performance

When: Monday, Oct. 10, 2011 from sunset to 8:00pm. Press conference begins at 6:30pm.

Where: Bicentennial Mall in Downtown Raleigh, 2 E. Jones St (between the museums)

Why: This will be a solemn observance on Columbus Day of the difficult new world in which today’s North Carolina workers and college graduates find themselves.

Who: AFL-CIO, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, N.C. Justice Center, and others.

In the event of rain, the vigil and press conference will be held at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church on Hillsborough Street in Raleigh, and the luminary display will be postponed.

To schedule an interview with a worker or small business owner affected by our jobs crisis or an officer of the NC State AFL-CIO or for more information about this action, call Jeremy Sprinkle at 336-255-2711.

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