For immediate release
Contact: Tom Webster – (661) 321-4163
Statement by SEIU Local 521 President on sequester
“These cuts will have a devastating effect on our economy, our middle class, and our most vulnerable residents, including children and seniors.”
Fresno, Calif. – The following statement was issued today by Gwyn Harshaw, President of Service Employees International Union Local 521, as Congress heads into sequestration:
“Today Congress is set to slash $85 billion in across-the-board budget cuts to vital services if it fails to reach a last-minute budget deal.”
“These cuts will have a devastating effect on our economy, our middle class, and our most vulnerable residents, including children and seniors.”
“About 8,200 kids in California will be kicked out of the Head Start program. I drive a school bus in a rural part of California. These cuts would gut the programs that serve children in my community. For many kids, this is the only lifeline they have.”
“The sequester will also result in the loss of an estimated 750,000 jobs, threatening the security of working families and potentially driving our economy down again.”
“These drastic cuts are unnecessary and harmful to working families here in California and across the nation. They will only have a negative impact on our state and local governments who provide vital services that families depend on.”
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The Service Employees International Union is an organization of 2.1 million members united by the belief in the dignity and worth of workers and the services they provide. SEIU is dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families and creating a more just and humane society. For more information, visit www.seiu521.org
