ANDERSON TOWNSHIP - When telecommunications giant WorldCom laid off thousands of workers after being accused of artificially boosting its bottom line, employees like Gina Miller and Kelly Hopkins were left with no health insurance, no savings and no answers.

        The two women are examples of how workers nationwide are being hurt by corporate scandals, according to the Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council. The AFL-CIO used its annual Labor Day picnic at Coney Island Monday as a platform for the former WorldCom workers to tell their stories.

        The event drew about 18,000 union members and their families to Coney Island to enjoy barbecued ribs and entertainment as the end of summer approaches. As is tradition, the picnic also served as a starting point for the political campaign season in Cincinnati, as signs touting local and state candidates adorned the grounds.

        Meanwhile, about 20 members of the Coalition for a Just Cincinnati - one of the groups boycotting downtown - picketed and passed out informational literature at the picnic. The group has asked the AFL-CIO to respect the boycott by holding its annual dinner outside of downtown - a request the union has rejected.

        But the main focus of the day was on the working class and protecting employees' rights.

        “Corporate greed has left working Americans without retirement or college savings, yet we are the ones to shoulder the burden,” said Dan Radford, executive secretary-treasurer for the AFL-CIO Labor Council. “The CEOs of these companies are taking care of themselves. They are making millions of dollars while others are hurting.”

        Unions were something employees at WorldCom often discussed but never acted on, Ms. Miller said. Had she known how badly things would end for her and many of her colleagues after the company filed for bankruptcy, Ms. Miller said she might have pushed for one.

        Ms. Miller, a graduate of Ohio State University, worked at WorldCom for two years as a web-marketing specialist. She was laid off in June while on leave because of surgeries and complications with Crohn's disease.

        Ms. Miller said neither WorldCom nor Aetna, the health insurance provider, has given her any information about her health insurance.

        “They will only tell me that I shouldn't worry about it,” she said.

        After surviving numerous layoffs and reorganizations at WorldCom, Ms. Hopkins became a casualty of the company's cutbacks in June. A single mother of two and breast cancer survivor, Ms. Hopkins is now struggling to find a new job as well as health insurance.

        “I've sent out 25 letters (to insurance providers) and got back 20 negative responses, so far,” Ms. Miller said. “A lot of people say they can't afford the cost of union, but I wish we would have had a union at WorldCom.”

        The AFL-CIO has called for “No More Business as Usual” in the wake of the Enron collapse and other corporate scandals. The organization has helped former Enron employees win $34 million in severance and is preparing to petition bankruptcy court to win fair severance for WorldCom workers.

        Mr. Radford said the AFL-CIO plans to push for Congress to pass legislation that increases compensation for employees of bankrupt employers and allow recovery of excessive executive compensation paid just before a company files for bankruptcy. He said the AFL-CIO also supports legislation that would give workers a voice in how their retirement funds are managed.

        “Corporations must be held accountable and working people must be put first,” Mr. Radford said.

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