Jobs Emergency

MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact: Allison Fletcher Acosta allison@jwj.org (202) 393-1044 x224

47 Years After King's "March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom", Community & Labor Groups Revive the Call for "Full & Fair Employment"
Dozens of protests planned for September 15

Reviving a core demand from the August 28, 1963 "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom" a coalition of community, religious, student and labor organizations is calling for demonstrations declaring a national "jobs emergency" and calling for Full and Fair Employment. Protests are expected in dozens of cities across the country on September 15.

"It's time for corporate apologists in the Senate, who are blocking a recovery for the rest of us, to recognize what workers already know: we are in a jobs emergency that requires a bold, emergency response," said Sarita Gupta, Jobs with Justice Executive Director. "With record long-term unemployment and communities losing vital public services, it is time to put Full and Fair Employment and a massive federal works program, core demands from the 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom that Glenn Beck wants us to forget, back on the national agenda."

The core demands of the protests are full and fair employment - including passage of legislation like Local Jobs for America Act which would save or create 1 million jobs, extension of the emergency Temporary Assistance to Needy Families subsidized jobs program, and extension of emergency unemployment compensation - and passage of a Financial Speculation Tax that would rein in the more destabilizing aspects of Wall Street and generate $200-$500 billion annually.

"If Congress focuses on reducing the federal budget deficit rather than fixing the jobs deficit, millions of workers and communities will suffer," said Gupta. "When Wall Street was in crisis, Congress found hundreds of billions of dollars to bail them out. We need to respond to the jobs crisis with the same urgency."

Nationwide, the "jobs deficit" is about 11 million, with 5 job-seekers for every job opening.

"Our community has been devastated by the jobs emergency and these conservatives are actually bragging about blocking a federal job creation program while they help Wall Street and greedy corporations make record profits," said Elce Redmond of Chicago Jobs with Justice and the South Austin Coalition. "Our country needs full and fair employment. Anybody that wants to work should be able to find a job, and not just any job but a job with justice." Chicago Jobs with Justice has started one of nearly a dozen local "Unemployed Workers Councils" across the country.

"The Senate has to stop letting its vocal minority, on behalf of Wall Street and Big Business, block a recovery for the rest of us," said San Francisco Jobs with Justice coordinator Gordon Mar. "Big business is sitting on record cash reserves. Rather than put America back to work, they're spending that money opposing jobs and fair taxes."

The Wall Street Journal reported that the bailed out Wall Street banks are making 'bumper earnings" while non-financial US corporations are sitting on more than $8 Trillion in cash reserves. A mere 20% of those holdings could pay 5 million Americans $70,000/year for five years.

In addition to the September 15 Day of Action, Jobs with Justice coalitions across the country are organizing to address the jobs emergency in multiple ways, including organizing local Unemployed Workers Councils, participating in a United Autoworkers and Rainbow Push march for "Jobs, Justice and Peace" in Detroit August 28, and building for the "One Nation Working Together" march on Washington on October 2.

To learn more and for a list of local actions, visit www.jwj.org/jobs.

Jobs with Justice is a national network of 47 local coalitions that bring together more than
1,500 labor unions, faith groups, community organizations and student activists to
fight for working people.