LABOR, COMMUNITY LEADERS TO RE-LAUNCH
DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING’S “POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN”

New Coalition Seeks to Lift Out of Poverty Those Without Adequate Employment, Healthcare and Housing, In Part Due to Post-9/11 Economic Fallout

A broad coalition of community, labor and civil rights groups join with Service Employees International Union Local 434B long term care workers to announce the kickoff of the Poor People’s Campaign to bring attention to poverty and injustices of underdeveloped neighborhoods of L.A.

The goal of the Poor Peoples Campaign is to eradicate poverty in underserved Los Angeles communities by empowering workers and community activists through civic participation in politics and in policy development. Emphasis will be made on voter registration, job creations, church involvement, and stopping violence in our communities.

Since 9/11, economic conditions for America’s poor have deteriorated. More than three million workers have lost their jobs and security. As the economic situation in America worsens, so does the plight of the unseen poor in this country.

Los Angeles has one of the greatest disparities between the haves and have-nots. Despite this city’s enormous wealth, hundreds of thousands of this city’s residents live in poverty. The Poor People’s Campaign is committed to changing that by fighting for better jobs, livable wages, health care, education opportunities, housing, and human decency.

The Poor People’s Campaign is a continuation of the work of late civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who gave his life to make his vision of eliminating poverty a reality. Today, labor union leaders – together with civil rights, community, clergy, and business leaders – join together under the moral obligation to once again become champions of those less fortunate.

WHAT: A press conference to announce the revival of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s historic Poor People’s Campaign, a united effort to fight poverty in Los Angeles.

WHEN: 10:30 am—11:15 am, Thursday, September 11, 2003.

WHERE: SEIU Local 434B, 2515 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, 213-368-0688

WHO: Tyrone Freeman, president of SEIU Local 434B – The Long Term Care Union; Rev. Norman Johnson of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; Danny Bakewell, president of Brotherhood Crusade; Workers trying to lift themselves out of poverty, leaders and members of local religious congregations, unions, community groups, representatives of the Poor People’s Campaign.

WHY: “The poor of Los Angeles have been silenced for too long,” said Freeman. “With the Poor People’s Campaign, our call for economic justice will finally be heard. Poor people will have a voice to move Los Angeles in a new direction, based on basic human rights to food, clothing, housing, a living wage, healthcare and education.”

VISUALS: Banners, signs, workers in poverty waving small American flags, prayer and moment of silence in rememberance of 9/11 victims

SEIU LOCAL 434B is the largest union of long-term care workers in the state, and second largest local in the nation. We represent over 103,000 home care and nursing home workers who provide vital care services to more than 120,000 seniors and persons with disabilities in Southern California.