Over 100 Buffalo, NY 1199 Members And Community Activists Get Trained to Fight For A Fair Economy

October 14, 2011

On October 12, over 100 1199ers and community activists in the Buffalo area gathered for the Fight for a Fair Economy Training. Participants included, 1199SEIU delegates, Citizen Action, VOICE-Buffalo, PUSH Buffalo, NOAH, Coalition for Economic Justice, NAACP and numerous other unions.



The goal of the training is to build T.E.A.M.’s. T=Transform individuals in the way they think about tax policy and fairness in New York State. E=We do this through education. A=Agitate, remind workers that we are struggling every day to pay our bills and our family and friends can’t find jobs, but the wealthiest New Yorkers will get a tax break on December 31 of this year! That ain’t right! M=Mobilize people to act through this training.



Each participant left the training with the information and tools to hold small trainings with their families, friends and coworkers. Also, our newly trained T.E.A.M. activists have pledged Me Plus Three; committing to attend labor walks, rallies public meetings and town halls in the next few months and bringing three other people along!



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“To me, the best part of the training was the ice breaker activity. We were given a bag of 10 candy bars, and it was 10 people at the table,” said Charlene Joyner 1199 Delegate at Absolut Orchard Park. “Then the one person that represented the rich person took seven candy bars. The rest of us were left to figure out how to make the remaining three work



“While it was a fun activity to see how people respond, in reality this is what is happening in our community. The rich get everything and the rest of us are left to fight for what’s left. Healthcare fights education, non-union fights union. We need to stick together and fight for more resources.”



The next activities for our TEAM activists are as follows.



VOICE Buffalo-Public Meeting:

Sunday, October 23. 3:30pm - 5:00pm

Westminster Presbyterian Church

724 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY



NOAH- Public Meeting:

Sunday, October 23. 3:30-5:00pm

3:30pm

First Presbyterian Niagara Falls

311 First Street, Niagara Falls, New York 14303



1199SEIU- Labor Walk:

Saturday, November 5. 9:30am-noon

2421 Main St. Buffalo, NY



PUSH Buffalo-Fair Share Fight Rally

Wednesday, November 16. 10:00am

Corner of Main St & Mohawk (Downtown Buffalo) H.E.A.P. Office



You don’t have to have attended the training to attend these events. It is important to support these events to show the community supports extending the Tax on Millionaires. Other trainings will be scheduled in the coming months. Stay tuned for time, date and locations.