(WASHINGTON, D.C.)—Hundreds of AFGE members in Seattle will be marching and rallying against President Bush’s privatization plan on Wednesday, February 26. The plan will affect 1-in-3 non-postal federal workers in Washington State.
The march and rally has been called to educate Seattle residents about Bush’s plan to privatize 15,958 non-postal federal jobs (approximately 35 percent) in the state and one million nationwide. The following events will take place in Seattle on Feb. 26:
3:00 p.m. participants will assemble at the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building (2nd Ave. and Marion St.)
4:00 p.m. march from Federal Building to Westlake Center
5:00 p.m. rally will begin at Westlake Center (4th Ave. and Pine St.)
Some affected in Washington State include EPA and National Park Service workers who protect the environmental and VA workers who care for veterans.
The privatization of federal jobs in every agency will effect democratic accountability of federal programs and will impact the quality of services taxpayers have come to rely upon. History has shown that privatization does not save money and does not make government more efficient.
The following organizations will be joining AFGE Locals 1502, 2723 and 3899 on Feb. 26: American Postal Workers' Union (Greater Seattle Area Local); SPEEA/IFPTE Local 2001; AFSCME Local 304; ATU Local 587; ILWU Local 52; IBEW Local 46; WashTech/CWA Local 37083; Jobs with Justice, Seattle; King County Labor Council; Pierce County Labor Council; Kitsap Central Labor Council; Alliance of Retired Americans, Seattle; IATSE Local 15 -Stage Technicians and Projectionists; Washington State Labor Council; PEPS/IFPTE Local 6; IFPTE Local 12; UFCW Local 381; Puget Sound Coalition of Labor Union Women; and IAM 751.
Log onto www.afge.org/SeattleRally for more event information, including a map. AFGE is the largest federal workers union in the U.S.