'Occupy Wall Street' Protest Joined by Dozens of US Unions
The “Occupy Wall Street” protest has confirmed its solidarity with various national unions Wednesday at the Union March Protest in Lower Manhattan, which is expected to attract 3,000 to 5,000 participants.
Over thirty unions, including the United Federation of Teachers, Communications Workers of America, and National Nurses United have joined the protest in their fight to end corporate greed and minimize the gap between the rich and poor.
The Union March was slated to start Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Protestors originally intended to march from their residential Zuccotti Square to City Hall, but the new route has the march ending at Foley Square.
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The “Occupy Wall Street” protest hit some snags last weekend when 700 of its protestors were arrested for blocking traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge.
Occupy spokespeople promised this march would be different. According to CNN, the leaderless cause has accessed a permit for the Union March.
Since its birth, the protest has earned over $30,000 in donations – attracting prominent star power such as Susan Sarandon and Michael Moore.
The protest is not interested in monetary gain, but rather manpower, CNN wrote.
“[The protest] is a good way to heighten the voice of the left which has been uncomfortably quiet during current political affairs,” Stanford graduate Josh Freedman told The Christian Post. Freedman visited the protest for the first time this morning.
The Transport Workers Local 100 Union (TWU) has 38,000 members and the executive board of directors unanimously voted to join the protest.
They were present, along with over 30 other unions, at today's march.
College students in New York are also urged to take part in a 'walk out' at 2 p.m. Wednesday and make their way to the financial district to join the march.
The large numbers predicted for the Union march would make this the most populated day at the protest so far.
TWU Local 100 Director of Publications Alan Saly told CP that the “Occupy Wall Street” protest has coincided with union beliefs from the beginning.
“There’s too much inequality in society, and not enough investment in America. Not enough support for infrastructure or mass transit,” said Saly.
“We think people deserve access to mass transit,” he added.
Although the protest’s definitive goal has yet to be defined, those marching share the common desire to provide more money and jobs to America’s working class.
