10,000 Rally: Against Wall Street Greed!

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (center) and New York City Central Labor Council President John Ahearn (3rd from right) lead protesters down Broadway from City Hall Park to the Merrill Lynch bull in Bowling Green. Protesters were demonstrating against Wall Street’s greed and the need to assist Main Street during the so-far jobless recovery from the economic crisis.

Thousands of workers and union leaders marched on Wall Street on Thursday, April 29th to express their anger over lost jobs, the taxpayer-funded bailout of financial institutions and questionable lending practices by big banks.
The rally was organized by the AFL-CIO and an association of community groups. Thousands of Local 3 members participated in the protest which included a diverse mixture of union workers, activists, the unemployed and homeowners threatened by foreclosure.
The protesters, carrying signs saying “Wall Street Overdrafted Our Economy” and “Reclaim America,” rallied at City Hall Park, then marched down to the Merrill Lynch bull statue demanding good jobs and accountability from banks.
Local 3’s contingent was led by Business Manager Christopher Erikson and President John E. Marchell. Local 3 members listened intently as AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka addressed the throng. His remarks were broadcast over a jumbo-tron that was set up at the convergence of Park Place and Broadway, the southern end of City Hall Park.
“Today we come here, sisters and brothers — 10,000 strong — to bring Main Street to Wall Street. We speak for millions more and for 13 generations of American history and for every “people’s president” – from Andrew Jackson to Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt – who spoke truth to financial power.
We’re here today for the folks who were played for suckers in the casino economy and will be silent no more. And the message we bring is this: Wall Street, fix the mess you made.
We’re here today for the family in LA thrown out of their home and onto the street. Wall Street, fix the mess you made.
We’re here for the factory workers in Indiana packing their tools away. Wall Street, fix the mess you made.
We’re here for the electrician and the carpenter on the bench here in New York. Wall Street, fix the mess you made.
We’re here for the teacher being told we can’t afford to teach our children. Wall Street, fix the mess you made.
We’re here for the cop and the firefighter being told we can’t afford to protect our communities.  Wall Street, fix the mess you made.
Wall Street, fix the mess you made.
We’re here for the young men and women who can’t afford to graduate from college. Wall Street, fix the mess you made.           
We’re here for the retiree whose pension promise was betrayed. Wall Street, fix the mess you made.
Sisters and brothers, our history and our heritage teach us that America is about more than making easy money and looking out for number one. Our lives and our livelihoods are all bound together. And we are all paying the price for those who knew no limits on their greed,” stated Trumka.

Local 3 Business Manager Christopher Erikson discusses the effect of the banking industry’s policies upon the members of Local 3, with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka.

Trumka  laid out a plan of action that needs to be implemented in order to create work opportunities for Americans. Stating “We need to get back to basics,” he emphasized creation of an economy where Wall Street is the servant and not the master of Main Street. An economy where banks help create jobs, not destroy them; an economy where Americans create products for export to other nations.
“We have three simple things to say to the big banks: first, stop fighting Wall Street reform. Take some responsibility for what you did. Second, stop speculating and start lending. We bailed you out, it’s far past time you started lending to Main Street and third, take responsibility for the clean-up of the mess you made. Pay your fair share of the cost of creating the jobs you destroyed.”
In addition to these three themes, Trumka called for extended unemployment benefits, investment in crumbling infrastructure and green technologies, as well as giving aid to state and local governments to maintain vital services and giving the left-over TARP money to local banks so they can help small businesses.