Thursday, April 20, 2006

Prayer Service Tomorrow, Friday, with Andy Stern and Eliseo Medina

The following is adapted from an SEIU media advisory:

At a Friday night prayer service for the men and women on their 17th day of a hunger strike, the president of America’s largest union, Andrew L Stern, as well as SEIU Vice President Eliseo Medina will join striking janitors, UM faculty, students, and community members for a prayer service.

Father Rich Mullen of St. Augustine’s Catholic Church and Student Center, the same church attended by UM President Donna Shalala, will lead the service. Father Mullen and SEIU’s Stern and Medina will honor the janitors for their ongoing sacrifices in their campaign to build a better life.

WHAT: Prayer Service with janitors fasting to protest civil rights abuses
WHEN: 4PM, Friday, April 21
WHERE: Freedom City, Stanford Drive between Ponce de Leon & US1
WHO: University of Miami janitors, Andrew Stern, SEIU International President, Eliseo Medina, SEIU Executive Vice President, Fr. Rich Mullen, St. Augustine’s Catholic Church and Student Center, University of Miami students, faculty, other clergy, community leaders

As part of statewide actions planned for next week, Change to Win labor federation unions in Florida will focus on the critical situation with UNICCO janitors at the University of Miami. National union leaders are expected to be in Miami to take part in the week’s events. Change to Win unions include SEIU, UNITE HERE, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, Laborers’ International Union of North America, and United Farm Workers of America.

The prayer service follows on the heels of an appeal by representatives of the more than 150 political, religious and community leaders supporting janitors’ efforts to step down and permit the community to take up the fast in their name.

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