Labor Community Advocacy Network

to Rebuild New York

For Immediate Release:                         

July 10, 2003                                                Contact:           Joanne Derwin,             917/749-0682

Bettina Damiani,           347/432-0315

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Labor UNIONS, BUSINESS LEADERS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS

CALL FOR THE RELEASE OF $ 1 BILLION BY

THE LOWER MANHATTAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR JOB CREATION FOR UNEMPLOYED NEW YORKERS

Coalition Seeks the Adoption of the "Liberty Jobs Plan" Which Would Put  60,000 New Yorkers Unemployed Since 9/11 Back to Work

New York, NY.  Early this morning, the labor and business community, along with organizations representing unemployed and jobless New Yorkers came together outside of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation's (LMDC) Monthly Board Meeting to demand that $ 1 billion in federal funds be used for public and private sector job creation. 

Labor and community organizations, under the umbrella Labor Community Advocacy Network (LCAN), a coalition of over 50 organizations representing tens of thousands of New Yorkers, are seeking to get the LMDC to use $ 1 billion for the "Liberty Jobs Plan" which would put 60,000 unemployed New Yorkers to work performing critical city services and working for private businesses.  Leaders of the organizations involved in the coalition called on the LMDC to use the federal monies that are now available to create these jobs ASAP.

"The New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO is pleased to be part of this coalition fighting to address the most critical ingredient in the City's dismal financial climate: unemployment," said Council

President Brian McLaughlin.  "We stand united, to call on the Mayor and Governor to work together and use unallocated LMDC funding to create a Liberty Jobs Program which will generate and retain jobs, giving the dismal economy the lift it clearly needs."

According to the Fiscal Policy Institute, an advocacy organization, 50 percent of workers who lost their jobs in the past two and a half years can trace their unemployment to the effects of September 11, 2001. New York City has lost 225,000 jobs since the beginning of the economic downturn in 2001. According to a recent New York Times poll, the number one issue city residents want the mayor to concentrate on is unemployment--rating above education, the budget, and crime. 

"I want to work! I want to work!" protested Zoila Almonte, a member of Community Voices Heard, a membership organization of unemployed people.  Ms. Almonte, an unemployed worker and former welfare recipient who worked in the NYC Parks Department before being let go earlier this year added, " The Lower

Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) has over $1 billion dollars to put people back to work. There are thousands of people just like me who want to work and contribute to our community. We are here to tell LMDC, create Liberty Jobs!"

A common theme that arose out of this mornings event were the need for elected officials and government to assist with creating new and replacing lost jobs in lower Manhattan. Joining community and labor leaders were representatives of the business community at this morning press conference. Jan Fried co-owner of Steamers Landing & also a Director of From the Ground Up, a group set up after 9/11 to help small businesses in lower Manhattan said, "Government said they would stand behind us but they have turned their backs on us.  A job creation program like Liberty Jobs is critical to the recovery of New York City."

In addition, many of the speakers called on Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki to meet with community members at a Town Hall meeting that is being held on July 28th.  According to representatives from LCAN, the group has invited the Mayor to the Town Hall Meeting to hear from New Yorkers, but he has so far failed to say whether he will attend the event.

For additional information and a copy of the plan please see our web-site www.lcan.org.