Local 1776 Rallies for Workers' Bill of Rights with Crowd Estimated at 40,000

(Philadelphia, PA, August 11) -- Members of UFCW Local 1776 were front and center on Philadelphia's sun-drenched Benjamin Franklin Parkway today as a crowd estimated as high as 40,000 working men and women rallied in support of the Workers Bill of Rights.  Representing the entire spectrum of the labor movement, the crowd heard from U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), and ALF-CIO President Rich Trumpka.

It  also listened as U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman (D-CA), U.S. Rep. Bob Brady (D-PA) and others joined Trumpka and Casey in urging a huge turnout on Nov. 6 to reelect President Obama and Vice President Biden.

All of the speakers condemned the voter supression impact of PA's voter ID law -- a law that State Rep. Mike Turzai admits was designed "to help Mitt Romney win Pennsylvania."   They law is now being challenged in court.  They also cited attacks being made all across the country to restrict or eliminate workers' rights to organize.

The speakers pointed to Mitt Romney'sselection of U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate as evidence that the Republican Party has completed its swing to the extreme right -- citing Ryan's efforts in Congress to destroy Medicare and radically turn back the clock on womens' rights.

For the full story as reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer, visit here.   And for the WPVI-TV Channel 6 video coverage, including an appearance by 1776 Executive Board member Helen Theys (Rite Aid), visit here.

Above, 1776 President Wendell W. Young, IV talks with Rick Bloomingdale, President of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, during a break in the rally.

 View the entire Workers' Rally album 

Local 1776 Executive Board member Helen Theys (Rite Aid) is intereviewed by WPVI-TV Channel 6 ABC-TV at the rally.  Visit here for the video aired by WPVI-TV.

Above, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey addresses the crowd, and below, AFL-CIO President Rich Trumpka delivers his remarks.