FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:rnrnOctober 27, 2008rnrnContact: Ruth Castel-Branco, 202.489.2273rnrnWASHINGTON, DC—As DC Councilmembers prepare to host a hearing on the Verizon Cable Franchise Agreement this Friday, October 31st, labor and community activists will gather in front of the Wilson Building at 9:00am to demand that the city hold Verizon to account and guarantee good jobs for DC residents. The Verizon Cable Franchise will grant Verizon the right to provide cable TV in exchange for building a Fiber Optic Service (FiOS) network in the District. While activists are glad to see Verizon finally invest in the District they argue that the agreement needs to be stronger so as to ensure that all DC residents benefit. rnrn“FiOS is a huge economic development opportunity with the potential to bring hundreds of good jobs to the city, and to link all DC residents to the newest technology,†said Ruth Castel-Branco of the Connect-DC coalition, a project of DC Jobs with Justice, the Metropolitan AFL-CIO and the Communications Workers of America. “But right now, many of the city’s neighborhoods have been left out of the plan entirely and Verizon has not made firm commitments about the number of jobs the project will create for DC residents. We need good jobs, 100% FiOS buildout, and a career development program to prepare DC residents for these jobs.†rnrnTo see which neighborhoods have been slated for FiOS and which have been left out visit https://www.dcjwj.org/files/map%202.pdf. rnrnWHAT: Rally, street theater and picket.rnWHEN: Friday, October 31st at 9:00amrnWHERE: City Council Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW.rnrnThis action is an excellent photo opportunity.rnrn###rn
