1,500 Workers to Rally on Capitol Hill Today for "Jobs, Not Cuts"

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)More than 1,500 union activists from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) will rally on Capitol Hill today at noon  to urge Congress to shield vital government programs and services from devastating budget cuts. The two largest unions representing government employees at the local, state and federal levels – along with other allies like CWA -- are organizing the lunchtime rally in Upper Senate Park (corner of Constitution Ave. and Delaware Ave. NE) to call on Congress to protect Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other government programs that are critical to the health, safety and welfare of all Americans. Among those attending will be Sen. Charles Schumer (D., NY), Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D., MD), AFSCME President Lee Saunders, AFGE President J. David Cox Sr., and AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka. AFGE members will march from the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill at 11:30a; AFSCME members are walking over from Garfield Circle; CWA will be meeting in the lobby of CWA headquarters (501 3rd St. NW) at 11:30a before walking to Upper Senate Park.