Union Members Give Out Free Hugs at Carolina Fest, Invite People to “Hug-A-Union Thug”

NC State AFL-CIO, PO Box 10805, Raleigh, NC 27605

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jeremy Sprinkle, Communications Director, 336-255-2711, [email protected]

UNION MEMBERS GIVE OUT FREE HUGS AT CAROLINA FEST,
INVITE PEOPLE TO “HUG-A-UNION THUG”

Union members showed they don’t bite, share values with other working families

(CHARLOTTE, NC, Sep. 3, 2012) – Union members gave out free hugs to the public and took people’s picture as part of a “Hug-A-Thug” action during Carolina Fest. Union members also handed out “thank you” cards to workers to recognize that, no matter what they do, their work makes America strong. The hugs and cards were the main attractions at a booth hosted by the North Carolina AFL-CIO to break down stereotypes of who union members are and to showcase ways that work, union or non-union, connects us all. The booth featured videos about union members active in their communities: hosting food drives, running the Guide Dogs of America program, and union veterans who have come back from Afghanistan and are now rebuilding the Word Trade Center. During the day, activists promoted the #HugAThug hashtag, the unionhugs.com website, and an interactive online site called workconnectsusall.com. The “Hug-A-Thug” booth is part of a broad, long-term initiative by America’s unions to be a voice for all working people.

“Working people are in a profoundly unique moment – we’re having a national conversation about inequality, and it has sparked the question of what kind of country we want to be,” said state AFL-CIO President James Andrews. “We believe it’s absolutely the right moment to reintroduce people to unions and to our shared values about hard work, fairness, and equality. Through unions, working people have a say in the kind of workplaces and the kind of economy that works for all people, not just the very rich.”

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