Labor leaders organize anti-cliff protest at Faneuil Hall

By Glen Johnson, Globe Staff

Labor leaders today are rallying senior citizens who would be affected by federal program cuts should the government go over the “fiscal cliff.”

US Representative John Tierney, a Democrat from Salem, will be the keynote speaker at the rally, scheduled to be held at Faneuil Hall at 1 p.m.

Afterward, senior citizens, homecare workers, and other participants will link hands to conduct a silent protest.

“We want to put a face on this for the public,” said John Bennett, 82, of Agawam, in a statement distributed by organizers including the Service Employees International Union.

The country will face a group of automatic spending cuts and tax hikes on Jan. 1 if Congress and President Obama do not reach an alternate solution.