Complete SEIU Agenda Below
Note to editors and reporters: Interviews can be arranged with SEIU leaders and members at the DNC Convention as delegates or with members on the ground in Colorado, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Charlotte, NC - More than 100 members and leaders
of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) will be at the
Democratic National Convention in Charlotte this week representing the
interests and concerns of working men and women.
SEIU members are working hard to elect candidates who will support
policies that help create good jobs, invest in vital services
like healthcare and education, ensure corporations and the richest 1% pay
their
fair share and create a fair roadmap to
citizenship for every immigrant worker.
SEIU's work at the DNC is part of SEIU's broad political program, which
includes a large field campaign targeting union and non-union
members--with an emphasis on African American and Latino communities,
younger voters, union households and other working people--on an
unprecedented scale. In eight battleground states, SEIU members have
already had one-on-one conversations with 99,749 voters, identifying
58,832 supporters and registering 1,371 voters.
One of the SEIU members who will be in Charlotte will be Robert Ken
Ming Chu, a SEIU Healthcare 775NW member from Vancouver, Washington.
You can read more about why Robert is in Charlotte after the events
schedule.
SEIU'S DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION PROGRAM
(All Times Local / All Locations Charlotte)
Monday, September 3
SEIU Participates in CarolinaFest 2012: An American
Celebration at Center City
· When: 12:00 pm - 6:15 pm
· Where: Main Stage at Tryon & Trade
Wednesday, September 5
Moving America Forward: Health Care Visionaries and Voices from
the Front Lines (Joint Forum with SEIU and Families USA)
Confirmed speakers include SEIU President Mary Kay Henry, Victoria
Kennedy, U.S. House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer, U.S. Rep. John Lewis
(D-GA), and U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA). Additional speakers that
have been invited to the Wednesday, Sept. 5, event include U.S. House
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, U.S.
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), and U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN)
· When: 9:30 am - 11:30 am
· Where: NASCAR Hall of Fame Museum
400 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Thursday, September 6
SEIU President Mary Kay Henry Participates in "Envisioning
Prosperity" panel at PPL/The Big Tent
Ari Melber from The Nation moderates a panel on what an America for
the 99% would look like. Can we achieve an economy that prioritizes the
interests and financial security of working families first?
When: 9:00 am - 10:00 am
Where: PPL/The Big Tent, Packard Place
222 S. Church St
For more information on SEIU's schedule and media opportunities
please contact Mark.McCullough@seiu.org.
One of the SEIU members who will be helping SEIU in Charlotte will be
Robert Ken Ming Chu, a SEIU Healthcare 775NW member from Vancouver,
Washington.
Robert wears multiple hats for his family and his community. He is an
in-home care provider for his mother, father of a four-year-old
daughter and an extremely active member at the grassroots level in
Washington State. He is currently helping to train fellow members for
civic engagement activities.
"I really believe in grassroots participation," said Robert. "You can't
complain about the system unless you are a part of changing the system.
And, you can't change the system unless you get involved."
In addition to being active within his union, Robert is active in the
Washington State Democratic Party as committee Chair for Clark County
and Vice Chair of the 17th Legislative District. Through these
positions, he believes he can move people to 100% involvement.
Legally blind, Robert believes that the Affordable Care Act is a key
success of President Obama's first term and an important building block
to a stronger American economy.
"President Obama's policies help people. The Affordable Care Act will
help people. Families won't have to mortgage their lives. The truth is
that nobody wants handouts, but good policies are just the right thing
to do. When you're dealing with hundreds of thousands of dollars in
medical bills, you can't buy a home, you can't contribute to your local
economy, then you communities and the nation suffers," said Robert.
With 2.1 million members in Canada,
the United States and Puerto Rico,
SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. 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. www.seiu.org