ATU JOINS THE ‘OCCUPY WALL STREET,’ HANLEY URGES MEMBERS TO JOIN LOCAL ‘OCCUPY’ PROTESTS
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new progressive grassroots movement, “Occupy Wall Street,” protesting the plundering of our economies by the richest one percent of their citizens, has been gaining momentum and headlines across the continent. International President Larry Hanley joined thousands of mostly young protesters at a massive rally in New York City, October 5, where Occupy Wall Street took root. National Greyhound Local President Bruce Hamilton, 1700; Local President Angelo Tanzi, 726-Staten Island, NY; Local President Michael Cordiello, 1181-New York, NY; and many other ATU members also participated in the protest which brought together a diverse crowd demanding that the richest one percent stop robbing the wealth of the dwindling middle class. ATU was among the earliest national unions to endorse the Occupy movement. This issue of the growing gap between the rich and the poor and the importance of building coalitions to win this fight have been the cornerstone of ATU’s trainings this year. As the Occupy movement continues to ramp up, ATU locals in the U.S. and Canada will participate in similar Occupy activities across their countries. International
President Hanley is urging all ATU members to support and join any Occupy protests in their area.
The ‘Occupation’ of Wall Street In a live interview on MSNBC’s “Ed Show” during the October 5 Wall Street protest, Hanley asserted, “…I think that [young people have] come here and they’ve stood up, and that they’re ready to sacrifice and be out here tells us that they know just how deep the problems are in America and they understand that the rich have made it happen.” In the same interview, when asked what union involvement would mean to the Occupy movement, Hamilton countered, “…unions have always been in the fight. And we’re extremely happy to see that young people and others have come together and started this action….”
‘Our Members Are Suffering’ Hanley summed up the feelings of many in the Union, explaining, “Our members are suffering all over the U.S.
IN TRANSIT
| September/October 2011
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