Walkout Jun2010

Urban Youth Collaborative
ACTION ALERT:

Friday, June 11th
NYC Wide Student Walkout
& March over Brooklyn Bridge
to Save Student MetroCards!

ACT NOW TO HELP SAVE STUDENT METRO CARDS!
STUDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO A FREE EDUCATION, AND IT IS THE STATE AND THE CITY’S RESPONSIBILITY TO GET THEM TO SCHOOL!

How You Can Support the Students:

Join us at a 1pm Rally at City Hall Park &
2pm March over Brooklyn Bridge to MTA

2) Join a CALL-IN DAY to State Senate & Assembly members:

The State Senate has done the right thing and allocated $65 million for the student metro card program in their budget.

Call your state Senator and tell them:
"Thank you for your leadership.  Stay strong and firm in the last days of budget negotiations and vote NO on any budget that includes less than $65 million for metro cards."
To find out who represents you in the senate, call 518-455-2800 to be connected to your Senator.

The State Assembly has only allocated $35 million for metro cards--$10 million less per year than they paid in 1994.

Call your state Assembly member and tell them:
"$35 million for metro cards is not enough.  Fight for the students of NYC and vote for a budget that allocates $65 million for metro cards."
To find out who represents you in the Assembly, call 518-455-4218 to be connected to your Assembly member

Organized by Urban Youth Collaborative:
DRUM-Desis Rising Up & Moving
Future of Tomorrow
Make the Road NY
Sistas and Brothas United
Youth on the Move

For more info:
Email: email@urbanyouthcollaborative.org
Phone: 212.328.9264
http://www.urbanyouthcollaborative.org/
_____________________________________________________________

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Caitlin Ervin, (646) 379-2204

2,400 Students to Walk Out of NYC High Schools
for Organizing Campaign to Save Student MetroCards

Twenty-four-hundred students will walk out of 23 high schools in Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens on Friday as part of a student-led campaign by the Urban Youth Collaborative (UYC) to save the student MetroCard program from budget cuts.

Legal observers, lawyers, and organizers will meet students at the targeted schools and support them in traveling to a 1,500-student rally at City Hall Park.  Students chose the date for the walk out — 6/11 — in part because 611 is the number to call for problems with public transportation.

The MTA is threatening to take away the MetroCards of 600,000 students who rely on free rides to get to school.  With less than a month until the City budget is due, and the State nearing a budget resolution, Bloomberg’s administration has not said if it will act to save the program.

The cost of the student MetroCard program has historically been shared among the City, State, and MTA—with the City and State paying $45M each annually since 1994.  This year, the MTA has said it doesn’t have the funds to foot its share, and the Assembly and Senate are split on how much the State can spend.  The City has not come forward with a concrete commitment for funding the program.

After successfully organizing to delay an MTA vote to cut student MetroCards, UYC members are now focusing on the City and State leadership as they complete their respective budgets.  According to advocates, both the State and City have to allocate $65M to save the program—an amount only the Senate has so far budgeted for.

WHEN/WHERE: Friday, June 11
12:00pm: Walk-outs at 23 schools (list of schools can be provided upon request)
1:00-2:00pm: City Hall Park Rally & Press Conference
2:00-3:00pm:  March across Brooklyn Bridge to Transit Building (Jay & Willoughby St.)
3:00-3:30pm: Rally at Transit Building

WHO:   High school students, parents and allies organized by the Urban Youth Collaborative.  Members of the Transit Workers Union and parent leaders from the NYC coalition for Educational Justice will speak in support of students at the rally.

Urban Youth Collaborative is:  DRUM-Desis Rising Up & Moving, Future of Tomorrow, Make the Road NY, Sistas and Brothas United, and Youth on the Move