Port Jeff Group Holds Rally For Job Relief on Labor Day

On Labor Day, the Port Jefferson Move On Council and the North Country Peace Group held a rally on Main Street and East Broadway to send a message to Washington D.C. that job relief is needed for the unemployed.

“How could we celebrate Labor Day with so much unemployment and not feeling that there will be relief?” asked Mark Kauffman, one of the rally organizers.

The protesters stood for two hours collecting over 200 signatures on a message to President Obama and Congress that “12 million unemployed need jobs now.”

“On the petition we asked if the signers had jobs,” protesters Juan C. Gallardo and Pam Burris told Patch in an email. “The match for the ‘no’ answers added up to the unemployment figure of today–nearly 10 percent.”

They also spoke with people who were frustrated and worried about the job market.

“We heard sad stories from many who are unemployed, have had their job effort reduced, are fearful of losing their job or are with marginal jobs,” they said.

The North Country Peace Group members say that they “stand for peace” at the corner of 25A and Bennett’s Road in Setauket from 11 a.m. to noon every Saturday.

The Port Jefferson Move On Council's next meeting is at 713 Main Street in Port Jefferson on Friday, Sept. 23rd at 7 p.m. For more information email: Photography@markkauffman.com.