WASHINGTON - January 26 - In preparation for the President’s State of the Union, the AFL-CIO will host 11 roundtable discussions around the country featuring diverse groups of local workers. The groups will meet with reporters over breakfast and lunch where workers will discuss the top issues and concerns that they would like for President Bush to address in his State of the Union Speech. The Bush speech is scheduled for Tuesday, January 31, 2006.

The workers will include people from all walks of life and from diverse work backgrounds - from a nurse and a laid-off manufacturing worker to a young temporary worker, a construction worker and a host of other working class Americans. Some are union members, and some are not.

These working Americans will discuss the issues that are most pressing in their lives and which they would like Bush to address in his speech, including the need for good jobs and affordable, quality health care, retirement security, education affordability, jobs and wages and overtime pay.

“Our nation needs to hear from the hard working men and women who are struggling each day with attacks on their jobs, pensions and health care” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. “Our nation is headed in the wrong direction, and it’s time we take direction from the men and women who make it run, day in and day out.”

Roundtables:
Iowa: January 25, Des Moines, IA
Pennsylvania: January 30, Harrisburg, PA
Colorado: January 30, Denver, CO
Maryland: February 1, Hagerstown, MD
Wisconsin: January 30, TBD
Florida: January 30, Tampa, FL
Ohio: January 30, Cincinnati & Columbus, OH
Minnesota: January 31, TBD
Missouri: January 30, St Louis, MO
Montana: January 30, TBD

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