COMMUNITY GROUPS TO PICKET AT CON ED’S STOCKHOLDER MEETING TO PROTEST CON ED RATE HIKE

For Immediate Release: May 18, 2007


COMMUNITY GROUPS TO PICKET AT
CON ED’S STOCKHOLDER MEETING TO
PROTEST CON ED RATE HIKE

Picketers will also demand full reimbursement of
unpaid losses and damages from July 2006 Queens power outage

WHEN: Monday, May 21, 2007
5:30 P.M. to 6:30 P.M.

WHERE: Con Ed’s Stockholder Meeting
4 Irving Place at 14th Street in Manhattan

WHAT: Picket Line to protest Con Ed’s rate hike

WHO: Women’s Fightback Network
Million Worker March (East coast)
Western Queens Power for the People Campaign

Sharon Black, an organizer with the Women’s Fightback Network, a national grassroots group that advocates for people’s rights, stated, “We will be picketing Con Ed’s stockholder’s meeting to say ‘no’ to Con Ed’s request for a 17% rate hike. Con Edison made over $12 billion dollars last year. Let them use that money to upgrade the infrastructure. Their top managers make big bucks off of our electric bills, while workers in this city and small businesses are suffering. We refuse to pay for their mismanagement and greed.”

Alice Tufel, a member of the Western Queens Power for the People Campaign, said, "The proposed rate hike is an insult to the immigrant and working class communities of Western Queens. Our communities endured a nine-day power outage last summer, and we could face another outage again this summer. Con Ed still hasn’t fully reimbursed us for losses and damages from last year's outage. We should not have to pay more to Con Ed given its negligence, especially since the PSC is still investigating the July 2006 Queens outage and whether the company prudently spent money it already had.”

Labor union activists from the Million Worker March will also participate in the protest.

-30-