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Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State ·800 Troy-Schenectady Road · Latham, NY · 12110 · www.labor-religion.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 29, 2008 Domestic workers and farm workers, for the first time, will join together with leaders of the Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State to announce the opening of the Coalition’s 13 th annual “40 Hour FAST.” The news conference will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 4, 2008 at the Cathedral of All Saints, at the corner of S. Swan and Elk in Albany. Under the umbrella of the fast’s “Welcome the Stranger” theme, immigrant speakers will be featured, joined by Labor-Religion Coalition Co-Chairs, Bishop Howard Hubbard of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and Richard Iannuzzi, president of New York State United Teachers as well as the Rev. Denise L. Stringer who serves a congregation from several continents speaking many languages. She is pastor of Emmaus United Methodist Church in Albany. "We are asking New Yorkers to fast so that all immigrants in the state, whether documented or undocumented, are respected as sons and daughters of the one God,” said Brian O’Shaughnessy, New York State Labor-Religion Coalition Executive Director. “Farm workers and domestic workers, who contribute positively to the state’s economy, are long overdue for fair treatment.” New York state’s 200,000 domestic workers and 70,000 farm workers are largely denied basic labor protections. In an appeal to end these exclusions, Bishop Hubbard, Mr. Iannuzzi and Rev. Stringer will lead a procession along Swan St. to West Capitol Park. There, domestic workers, farm workers and their allies will hold an interfaith vigil in support of fair labor standards. The procession will leave the Cathedral of All Saints directly following the news conference. The FAST, a statewide event, invites all New Yorkers to go without solid food for all or part of the 40 hours that begin at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4 and end at noon on Thursday, March 6. During their fasting, participants are encouraged to “hunger for justice,” with a special focus on the plight of immigrants. Local labor-religion coalitions and individual congregations are organizing immigration-related events during the 40 hours. These include a program supporting a living wage for over 600 hotel workers in Tompkins County, an interfaith service honoring the foods touched by the hands of migrant workers in Central New York and a preview of a “Truth about Immigrants” dialogue in Albany. Visit www.labor-religion.org for information about these and other fast-related activities.
-30- Last Updated:03/03/2008 |
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