OVER 5,000 SEIU MEMBERS TO DESCEND ON NATIONAL MALL FOR “MARCH FOR AMERICA” IMMIGRATION REFORM RALLY

SEIU Members from CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, IL, MD, MA, MN, NY, NJ, NH, NV, OH, PA, RI, TX, VA and WA Kick Off Week of Immigration Action with Phone Banking and Calls to Congress

Washington, DC – On Sunday, March 21 over 5,000 SEIU members from as far as California will descend on the National Mall for “March for America: Change Takes Courage” – an historic immigration rally where tens of thousands of labor, faith, civil rights and immigrant rights activists from across the country will urge Congress to step on the gas and pass comprehensive immigration reform.

SEIU President Andy Stern will join elected leaders, immigrant rights and faith leaders to speak at the rally—one of the largest DC mobilizations in SEIU’s history and the largest ever for immigration reform.

“Last fall we went to Washington, D.C. and met with our members of Congress to urge them to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” said Julio Sotelo, a janitor who will travel over 16 hours to the Washington rally via bus from Minneapolis, MN. “We are now going back to Washington with more people to deliver our message that we cannot wait any longer; for the good of America, for our economy, for workers and for immigrants, we need Congress to step up and fix our broken immigration system once and for all.”

From a phone bank in the DC metropolitan area to participation nationwide in “Change Takes Calls” — 48 hours of calls to Congress to urge action on immigration reform – SEIU members are kicking off a week of action ahead of the Sunday rally.

Wednesday, March 17

WHAT:           Phone banking effort to drive turnout to “March For America” rally

WHO:              SEIU Members and Local leaders

WHERE:         SEIU 32BJ DC office: 1329 11th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001

WHEN:            3:30 p.m.ET

Thursday, March 18 – Friday, March 19

WHAT:           “Change Takes Calls” – 48 hours of SEIU members from across the country calling Congress to urge action of comprehensive immigration reform.

WHO:              SEIU Members and Local leaders

WHERE:         CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, IL, MD, MA, MN, NY, NJ, NH, NV, OH, PA, RI, TX, VA and WA

Saturday, March 20 – Sunday, March 21

WHAT:           Thousands of SEIU members begin journey to Washington, D.C.

WHO:              Janitors, home care providers, security officers; immigrants and native-born workers

WHERE:         CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, IL, MD, MA, MN, NY, NJ, NH, NV, OH, PA, RI, TX, VA and WA

Sunday, March 21

WHAT:           March for America: Change Takes Courage

WHO:              SEIU President Andy Stern, Over 5,000 SEIU members

WHERE:         National Mall

WHEN:           1:00 p.m. ET interfaith service; 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET Rally

RSVP:             To receive press credentials to attend the rally, please sing up at www.campaignforcommunities.org/press-room/media-registration Space on the riser is available on a first-come basis. Please email sohno@immigrationforum.org to reserve a spot.

MEDIA NOTES:

To speak directly with SEIU members and leaders as we build up to this historic mobilization, please contact Ali Jost at Ali.Jost@seiu.org or at (202) 730-7159.

SEIU’s Comprehensive Immigration Reform Principles:

SEIU believes the current immigration system is broken and must be updated and replaced by one that does a much better job of addressing the needs of U.S. and immigrant workers in the global economy of the 21st century.  As the largest union of immigrant workers, and also a union that represents more than a million workers who are not immigrants, we hope and expect that our nation’s leaders will enact workable solutions to our immigration problems and that they will recognize that punitive, anti-immigrant measures are neither realistic nor workable.  Moreover, it is not only right, but in our long-term interest, to treat immigrant workers in accord with our nation’s highest values.  Doing so will tie us closer together as a nation;  and if we can come together we will be better able to address all of the other vexing challenges that plague America’s working families.. Read more about the Change to Win and AFL-CIO’s Unified Immigration Reform Framework.

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With 2.2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas and the largest union of immigrants. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers–not just corporations and CEOs–benefit from today’s global economy.

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