Obama to Address AFL-CIO Convention

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2009/09/01/obama-to-address-afl-cio-convention/

by James Parks, Sep 1, 2009



President Barack Obama will address our AFL-CIO Convention in Pittsburgh on Sept. 15, marking a major shift in the relationship between the union movement and the White House. For the past eight years, the Bush administration waged war on America’s workers, and union members took a big step toward taking back America by playing a major role in electing Obama and a Democrat-controlled Congress.

Obama will address a convention that will make history by electing a new leadership team. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney is retiring after 14 years at the helm.

Along with Obama, the Sept. 13-17 convention will hear from many prominent political and union leaders, including Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Caroline Kennedy and NAACP President Benjamin Jealous.

Pelosi and Reid will speak via satellite on the first day of the gathering. Football Hall of Famer Franco Harris, who joined with the United Steelworkers (USW) during the 2008 election to get out the vote, will address the gathering on Sept. 13. Sweeney also will deliver his last keynote address that day.

Solis will address the convention on Sept. 14, the first labor secretary to speak at the gathering in more than eight years. In what should be an emotional moment, the delegates will hear from Caroline Kennedy, the niece of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy on Sept. 14. Caroline Kennedy will be the featured speaker on a day that the convention focuses on organizing and building political strength. Her uncle introduced the Employee Free Choice Act in the Senate and was a lifelong champion of working people. Sen. Robert Casey Jr. (D-Pa.) also will address delegates that day.

The ability of the union movement to reach out to all generations will be highlighted Sept. 14 as Barbara Easterling, president of the Alliance for Retired Americans, speaks to the convention along with Luke Ravenstahl, the 29-year-old mayor of Pittsburgh. Other speakers that day include Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), the newest member of Congress, Jim Wasser of the Unions Veteran Council and Pablo Alvarado of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

FULL story at link.

[demosincebirth]

1. I wish I could be there!