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Workers Protest
Bush Bail-Out Plan

Union members joined to send Congress and the President our message

NEW YORK, N.Y., Thursday, September 25, 2008 --Earlier today, hundreds of union workers gathered on Wall Street to speak out against the proposed Bush Bailout Plan, calling on Congress to put responsible conditions in the plan to ensure government accountability and financial benefits for the American worker.

Labor leaders in New York and across the country proclaimed that "Wall Street's crisis" has become "Main Street's problem" as workers struggle to pay their bills, hold on to their jobs and keep their homes. The rally urged Congress to approve a bailout plan that includes a payback and equity investment return strategy for working people who are footing the bill and also addresses the concerns of our nation's health care, education, energy, infrastructure and jobs crisis.

AFL-CIO's John Sweeney

Speakers at the rally included New York Central Labor Council Executive Director Ed Ott, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, and AFT President Randi Weingarten among others. In attendance were Reverend Jesse Jackson, Father Brian Jordon (New York City's Labor Priest), and hundreds of members from unions such as UFCW, Transit Workers Union, DC 37, Teamsters, Machinists, and the AFT.

John Sweeney, Jesse Jackson, Ed Ott

In his remarks, Sweeney stated the proposed bailout fails to address the roots of the crisis and ignores the real problems of working families. Rather than legislation that allows a dangerous and hasty bailout, he called for tax dollars to be used for a "hand up" to the millions of American workers and not a "hand out" to a privileged band of highly paid executives.