PGCYD at the 2010 YDA Winter Convention

This weekend Joseph Kitchen our Executive Vice President and I ventured to New Orleans for the 2010 YDA Winter Convention. We are happy to get away from the snow piles that are currently all over Prince George’s County.

While here in New Orleans we attended the lunch with Lilly Ledbetter who is the woman the Lilly Ledbetter Act is named after. Ms. Ledbetter was an inspiring speaker about the importance of pay equality in the work place for all people. Pay equality is important not just while a person is working but later when they are receiving retirement income. A person’s retirement income is based on the income that one receives while they are working. Ms. Ledbetter is now living off of the retirement based on her salary that was much lower than her male counterparts. Her husband passed away in 2008, thus losing 50% of the household income and yet her bills have increased almost 50%. We need to address these issues and continue to fight for pay equality. Ms. Ledbetter was very gracious to us and after the lecture I had the pleasure to speak with her. I hope that we in Prince George’s County will continue to support our congressional leadership in fighting for pay equality.

Also while in New Orleans, our own Executive Vice President did a wonderful job at the Labor Caucus meeting in presenting the wonderful benefits that every receive thanks to the labor movement such as the 5 day work week, health care benefits, maternity leave and safety measures in the work place. We need to continue to remember the benefits that we receive whether we are a member of a union or not because of the labor movement. We also need to continue to fight for the Employee Free Choice Act and Health Care Reform which are supported by the labor movement and will benefit all residents across the country.

We are representing Gorgeous Prince George’s here in New Orleans. We cannot wait to bring back what we learned here to our county to help organize young people to become involved in politics and government.

Sincerely,
Nicole A. Williams
President of the
Prince George’s County Young Democrats