[imc-st.louis] Fwd: Green Party advocates 6% raise for City workers/McCowan For Mayor

[Ben West]

---------- Forwarded message ----------

 Green Party advocates 6% raise for City workers


Green Party of St. Louis

P.O. Box 8094, St. Louis MO 63156

*314-727-8554 E-mail: joyce.mccowan at att.net www.mccowan4mayor.com*

For immediate release: March 27, 2009
Contact: Elston McCowan, 496-7861; Tim Kaminski, 795-2762

Green Party advocates 6% raise for City workers

"Yes We Can --- Do It Again!"

_March 27, 2009-- St. Louis, Missouri._ "Yes we can --- do it again!"
is the battle cry of Rev. Elston K. McCowan, Green Party Candidate for
Mayor of the City of St. Louis. The Green Party invites city workers to
a *Meet the Mayoral Candidate Town Hall Meeting*:

6:00 pm, Friday March 27, 2009

Grace of God Missionary Baptist Church, 4314 N.
Newstead [at Carter[

McCowan promises a 6% pay raise for all city workers. He reminds critics
that giving city workers a pay raise is a matter of political will. "If
an incompetent mayor like Slay has the political will to give his
cronies jobs paying hundreds of thousands of dollars, a competent mayor
can give a 6% pay raise to all city workers." He added that when Freeman
Bosley, Jr. was Mayor, workers received decent pay raises up to 6%, even
without federal stimulus funds being available.

During the *Meet the Mayoral Candidate Town Hall Meeting* city workers
and others will hear more of McCowan and the Green Party's Platform on
their "City Works Initiative." McCowan, the only candidate with a
detailed platform, proposes to create thousands of jobs by retooling
abandoned plants throughout the city to build wind mills, solar panels,
energy efficient prefabricated houses and other green industry jobs. He
plans to put hundreds of citizens to work by hiring them to work for the
city. Residents from low income neighborhoods and those with part time
and seasonal work will be hired first.

With the advent of the Missouri Supreme Court Ruling that public
employees are not excluded from collective bargaining, McCowan, who is
Public Services Director for SEIU Local 2000, will sign collective
bargaining agreements with police officers, fire fighters and other city
employees. "As Mayor I will recognize their right to organize and form
unions and to collectively bargain for wages, benefits and working
conditions," says McCowan.

Tim Kaminski, a retired UAW auto worker, says, " I support Rev. McCowan
and the Green Party because the plan is doable. Instead of giving tax
breaks for the rich, we will have a moratorium on foreclosures,
evictions and utility shut offs until a payment plan can be worked out."
Kaminski goes on to say, "We will put solar panels on seniors and
disabled home owner houses, which will reduce energy costs." Kaminski is
a candidate for 7th Ward Alderman on the Green Party Ticket.

McCowan emphasizes that voting on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 will bring a
new day for all of St. Louis. "Yes We Can --- Do It Again!" says McCowan.

-30-

_Schedule for Rev. Elston K. McCowan, Green Party Candidate for Mayor of
St. Louis_

March 27, Friday, 9 am, Metro Board meets at 707 N. 1st Street, Rally
outside to Keep the Buses Rolling! Stop the Layoffs! Expand Don't Cut
Bus Routes! Reduce Fares! The $ Are There!

March 27, Friday, 6 pm, City workers meet Elston McCowan, Grace of God
Missionary Baptist Church, 4314 N. Newstead [at Carter]

March 29, Sunday, 3pm, Metropolitan Congregations United candidates'
forum, 2nd Presbyterian Church, Westminster & Taylor.

March 30, Monday, 7-8:30 pm, League of Women Voters candidates' forum,
Central Library, 1301 Olive.

FOR UPDATES OR TO VOLUNTEER VISIT WWW.MCCOWAN4MAYOR.COM




-- 
Ben West
westbywest at gmail.com