As the White House hosted their much anticipated jobs summit to discuss the unemployment crisis, more than a hundred community leaders, many unemployed, gathered just beyond the White House gates with ‘pink slips’ in an unemployment line. The Virginia Organizing Project brought community leaders to Washington to express concerns about the need to provide a quick influx of community jobs.
Scharn Kissee made the trip from Martinsville to attend the rally. “I came today because there is an obvious shortage of jobs in the area due to downsizing. I have been unemployed since February and have had a hard time finding a job. I wanted to come here today to try to make things better for my area.”
The Center for Community Change organized the national event and enlisted groups from all over the country to attend the rally and represent the millions of Americans who are unemployed and need jobs.
“In Martinsville, things are getting worse,” said Roger Tettry. “A lot of local companies have shut down, especially factories and a lot of people’s jobs depend on that. The government should do more to provide jobs for people. They need to do more.”
Mary Anne Conmy of Richmond is currently unemployed and attended the rally because she would like to see the creation of more community jobs. “There are highly qualified people out there who want to work. The stimulus should be used for government programs that employ people, creating jobs while improving our communities and infrastructure. A community jobs program would give people confidence and pride. People are eager to work. These people are not looking for charity or handouts. Let’s create jobs and improve our community at the same time. It is a no-brainer.”
Larry Mishel, President of the Economic Policy Institute, stopped by the employment line to listen to the concerns of workers and carry their message into the summit. Those gathered also delivered a letter to the White House asking for a meeting on a community jobs program.
The White House employment line is one of several events happening on December 3 across the country during the jobs summit. In California, for example, People Organized to Win Employee Rights is delivering postcards to Speaker Pelosi’s District office. Immediately following the gathering outside the White House jobs summit, the workers who represent the Philadelphia Unemployment Project, Virginia Organizing Project, Community Voices Heard of NY and Northeast Ohio Alliance for Hope, took their message to Congress on Capitol Hill.
Lillie Branch-Kennedy of the Resource Health Information for the Disadvantaged (RHID) made the trip from Richmond to represent the community members her organization serves. “I am here to support those who are at a disadvantage due to the economy. I have worked with many individuals who cannot find work at all. I worked with a man who works for McDonalds in Richmond one day a week because that is the only work available. He is educated, has skills and cannot find more work. He is homeless and walks three hours from his job to get to the shelter. This is the reality of our economy,” said Branch-Kennedy.
“The government bailed out the banks, now is the time to support ordinary people who want to work. People want to earn a paycheck so that they can take care of their families. We bailed out the banks, now let’s bail out the people.”