Barbara Easterling
Thursday, February 19, 2009
For Immediate Release
Easterling Elected President of Alliance for Retired Americans
Washington DC -
Barbara J. Easterling was elected today as
President of the Alliance for Retired
Americans, succeeding George J. Kourpias as the
leader of the grassroots advocacy
organization. The vote took place at a
meeting of the Alliance's Executive
Committee.
Easterling, the former
Secretary-Treasurer of the Communications
Workers of America, pledged that the Alliance
will aggressively educate both retirees and
lawmakers on ways to strengthen Medicare, lower
prescription drug costs, and preserve Social
Security for future
generations.
"It is a great honor
and privilege to be elected President of the
Alliance for Retired Americans. This is a
critical time for our nation. Our economy
is in crisis, and our health care system is in
dire need of reform - it is more important
than ever that we educate and mobilize retirees
on these issues," Easterling
said.
"Barbara Easterling has
dedicated her life to the fight for social and
economic justice. She believes deeply in
the power of grassroots organizing and
collective action. She will be a great
Alliance president," said Kourpias, who had led
the Alliance since its inception in 2001.
Easterling was the first woman
ever to serve in the Communications Workers'
second highest office,
Secretary-Treasurer. She had also served
as Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO.
She has been a longtime supporter of the
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and
has served for many years on the board of
governors of the United Way of America.
She began her labor career as a telephone
operator in Akron, Ohio and a member and
officer of Communications Workers Local 4302.
The Alliance is currently holding
its 2009 Lobby Week, in which retirees have
nearly 70 meetings with their U.S.
Representatives and Senators, urging them to
lower drug costs, improve Medicare, and pass
the Employee Free Choice Act to help workers
negotiate for health care and retirement
benefits and higher wages.
For
more information on the Alliance, visit http://araorchid.orchidsuites.net/
or call 1-888/373-6497.
# # #
Contact: Marcie Kohenak, (202) 637-5178 or mkohenak@retiredamericans.org
The Alliance for Retired Americans
is a national organization that advocates for
the rights and well being of over 3.5 million
retirees and their families.