Press Release
August 2, 2004

Reverend Jesse Jackson Announces Labor Day Rally in Charleston, West Virginia to Focus the Region's Attention on the Issues that Most Affect Working Men and Women: Jobs, Healthcare and Education

Willie Nelson, Judy Collins, Asleep At The Wheel, Indigo Girls, Nanci Griffith and Others to Perform

Rev. Jesse Jackson announced today that the "Reinvest In America: Put America Back To Work!" campaign will return to Appalachia for a Labor Day rally in Charleston, West Virginia. The rally will celebrate the contributions of working men and women to American life and focus the region's attention on what matters most to American families and communities: well-paying jobs, affordable healthcare and quality education.

"We cannot be silent as the lives of America’s working men and women are devastated by bad government policy and corporate greed," said Jackson.
"The well-paying jobs that built the American middle class are being outsourced to cheap foreign labor markets. Affordable healthcare is now out of reach for millions of Americans as corporations cut benefits and the federal government neglects its responsibility to ensure a healthy future for all citizens. The cost of higher education is soaring while funding for primary and secondary schools plummets. It's time to reinvest in America. It’s time for the voices of working men and women to be heard, and they will be heard this Labor Day in Charleston, WV.”

The free, all day event on the riverfront in downtown Charleston is cosponsored by the Reinvest In America campaign and the local Kanawha Valley Labor Council. It will feature performances by Willie Nelson, Judy Collins, Asleep at the Wheel, Indigo Girls, Nanci Griffith, Carpenter Ants, and others. Speakers will include Rev. Jackson, President of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), and many others. Working men and women who face the daily challenges of these hard economic times will also share their feelings. (Additional speakers and performers will be announced as they are confirmed. Updates can be found at www.reinvest-in-america.org).

"This event will honor working men and women. It will be a day of relaxation and fun,” said UMWA President Cecil Roberts. “But we will also remind people about the marked loss of jobs in this region since the year 2000, including 4,000 coal mining jobs. This will be a day to remind working people about the issues that are truly important in the upcoming election, like jobs, healthcare, education and trade.”

Statistics for the region paint a disturbing picture. Under the current Administration, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have lost a combined total of 334,000 manufacturing jobs. In West Virginia, 14% of the population lacks health insurance; 12% in Ohio; and 10% in Pennsylvania.

The "Reinvest in America: Put America Back to Work!" campaign represents a coalition of organizations that are joining together in this election year to focus attention on those issues that most affect working men and women: the need for well-paying jobs, affordable healthcare, and quality education. Campaign sponsors include: the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); United Mine Workers of America (UMWA); United Steelworkers of America (USW); AFL-CIO and others.

“AFSCME is once again pleased to join with the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition’s “Reinvest in America: Put America Back to Work!” campaign for the Labor Day event in Charleston, WV. This event will give the city of Charleston and the country an opportunity to see the significant contribution of the labor movement to the city, as well as the importance of good jobs, quality health care and a strong education system. AFSCME members in West Virginia and across the country stand ready to support candidates that value and work to improve the lives of working families,” said AFSCME International President Gerald W. McEntee.

AFSCME, a key sponsor of the event, is one of the nation's largest and fastest growing public service employees unions with 1.4 million members. It organizes for social and economic justice in the workplace and through political action and legislative advocacy. AFSCME represents approximately 4000 state, county & municipal employees and retirees in West Virginia.

“We are looking forward to a great day in Charleston and urge everyone to join us for this extraordinary celebration of labor,” said Jackson.

For information on the Reinvest In America: Put America Back To Work! Labor Day Rally, visit www.reinvest-in-america.org.

Contact: George Korn 740-953-1130

Details on the Rally/Concert