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Rochester Signs On to Keep Our Veterans in Good Hands
ROCHESTER — Despite the cloudy skies and threatening rain the Canandaigua AFGE Local 3306 and it's brothers and sisters of the SEIU Local 200 could feel it's spirits soar as it waited to participate in the Rochester Labor Day Parade. It was the first time the unions, supported by some of the local veterans gathered to march with their counterparts from all over the Rochester area.
The crowd gathered to line the streets as Collen Combs participated in a Press Conference which focused the parade and it's participants on the proposed closure of the Canandaigus VAMC. Ms. Combs reviewed what the loss of services would mean to the 67,000 veterans in the Rochester area, how the lives of the 16,000 veterans who are currently served by the facility would be changed, the meaning of the hardships of that would be placed on them and their families should those services be moved to either Buffalo or Syracuse.
Then she spoke of the loss of 800 jobs and how that would impact the Greater Rochester region including Canandaigua and the surrounding towns, villages and counties. Her words were echoed by the SEIU Pressident and the Grand Marshall for the days parade.
In unison they cried for the removal of Canandaigua from the CARES Commissions plans and a re-committment by the Department of Veterans Affairs to living up to the promises made so long ago.
The parade itself got off to a magnificent start at precisely 11:00AM and traveled the parade route for over two miles comprised of over 3.000 marchers. Members of all the unions in Rochester called for Canandaigua VA to remain open as one voice that could be heard in Albany and in Washington as well.
Mark your Calanders
A community rally to oppose the closing of the VA hospital is planned for Saturday, Sept. 6, at 10 a.m. at the hospital on Fort Hill Avenue. Bikers also plan to run a convoy from Monroe County to Syracuse Friday, Sept. 19, when the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services Commission discusses VA plans.
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Last modified: August 20, 2003
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Canandaigua AFGE Local 3306