Thousands of Jobs to Be Lost in Philadelphia on September 30 With the End of the Way to Work Program

Rally - Thursday, Sept. 2, 11 AM, Super Fresh Supermarket- Progress Plaza 1501 N. Broad St.

PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The federal TANF Emergency Fund is scheduled to end on September 30, 2010.  It is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and has created nearly 240,000 jobs across the country.  In Pennsylvania it funds the Way to Work program which employees up to 12,000 persons, including over 2,700 in Philadelphia.  These people face lay offs with the program's end.  4,200 Pennsylvania employers have taken on workers under the program with all wages covered by Way to Work.

A coalition of employers and employees has come together to press the Congress to extend the program.  They will be holding a rally on Thursday, September 2 at the Super Fresh Supermarket at Progress Plaza, 1501 N. Broad St. (Super Fresh employs Way to Work participants).  Participating employers and Way to Work employees will speak about the value of the program and the need to extend it.

Secretary of Labor and Industry Sandi Vito will attend the rally.  She was a prime mover behind setting up the state program.  

A survey of the impact of the program across the nation published by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities will be released on Thursday also.

All participants will be available for interviews.

CONTACT: John Dodds, +1-215-557-0822 ext. 102, or Ahnivah Williams +1-215-557-0822 ext. 108

SOURCE Philadelphia Unemployment Project