AFSCME Members to Hold Moment of Silence for George Floyd

Members at state facilities to gather in support of the Black Lives Matter movement

Trenton, NJ – On Wednesday, June 17^th at 3:30pm, AFSCME New Jersey members from Ancora Psychiatric Hospital will gather together in a moment of silence in a show of solidarity with George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.

The moment of silence will last eight minutes, 46 seconds, the same amount of time a police officer kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck until he killed him. AFSCME New Jersey stands in solidarity with its black brothers and sisters both in New Jersey, and nationally, and vows to continue to remember and honor George Floyd as they continue the fight for equality for all black and brown people.

“We condemn the systemic racism that has been present in this country for far too long,” said Ancora Local 2218 President Awol Alhassan. “We need to come together and recognize the need for change. We must not see another life lost. We must see real change.”

AFSCME members at Ann Klein Forensic Center, Greystone Psychiatric Hospital and Trenton Psychiatric Hospital are also expected to hold a moment of silence next week.

AFSCME has called upon everyone at the participating state facilities to join with its members in Wednesday’s moment of silence, including administrators, security and police.

AFSCME’s 1.6 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, child care providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families.

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