USW Urges Service for MLK Day

CONTACT: Amanda Green Hawkins, (412) 562- 2398
 
This statement was jointly released today by USW International President Leo W. Gerard and International Vice President Fred Redmond:
 
(Pittsburgh) — We will celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on January 21, 2013 by not forgetting his legacy.  It is well-known that Dr. King worked tirelessly and heroically for dignity and respect for Black people in the workplace, and for their right to vote and for equality in all areas of life. 
 
We must also remember that his quest of equality for all people was demonstrated by his Poor People’s Campaign, which led him to Memphis and ultimately to his assassination there in 1968.
 
In honor of Dr. King, President Obama and Vice-President Biden have called for a National Day of Service on Saturday, January 19, to empower people, strengthen communities, bridge barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and move closer to Dr. King’s vision of a united community.
 
The USW encourages everyone to participate in the National Day of Service and is proud to have a delegation at the AFL-CIO’s Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance, which is taking place in Philadelphia where all of the delegates will participate in the National Day of Service. (Click Here for more information of on the AFL-CIO’s Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance.) 
 
The right-wing voter suppression efforts that were aimed at preventing President Obama from being re-elected in 2012 should remind us that Dr. King’s gains in the fight for equality can be undermined if we are not vigilant.  Thus, to truly honor Dr. King, we must be bold and unafraid to challenge those who would infringe on people’s rights, and to continue to fight and work for equality.
 
The USW represents about 850,000 workers in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean in a wide variety of industries, ranging from glassmaking to mining, paper, steel, tire and rubber to the public sector, service and health care industries.

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