Good Jobs Now Rally/March

On April 29th, in conjunction with the AFL-CIO's Good Jobs Now campaign, over 10,000 union members and community allies rallied at City Hall and marched down Broadway and through the Financial District.  AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka, led the rally where we called for the recovery to make its way to working people on Main Street.  We need to make sure that the economic bailout does more than just protect CEO bonuses, that it helps to bring back the 10 million jobs lost since 2007.

As NYC Central Labor Council President Jack Ahern said, "Working people are losing their jobs, homes, life savings, retirement, and dignity.  Americans are counting pennies, while bankers are counting billions.  This is just not right.  Main St. needs jobs, consumer protections and trust in our financial institutions.  So, it cannot be back to business as usual for Wall Street...  It is time to put people over profits!"

We showed that when workng men and women speak with one voice, they are heard loud and clear.  This AFL-CIO Good Jobs Now campaign is our call for action.  Taxpayers bailed out the big banks, now we need to make sure that working men and women have the same opportunity to get back on their feet.

No one needs to tell America’s families that unemployment and underemployment are at crisis levels. We need jobs—and we need them now.

Wall Street has gotten its bailouts. Now it’s time for Main Street to get some immediate help.

The AFL-CIO is calling on Congress and the Obama administration to take five steps now to care for jobless workers and put America back to work.

1. Extend the lifeline for jobless workers.

2. Rebuild America’s schools, roads and energy systems.

3. Increase aid to state and local governments to maintain vital services.

4. Put people to work doing work that needs to be done. 

5. Put Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP)  funds to work for Main St.

America’s jobs situation would be even more dire without the economic stimulus program President Obama and Congress enacted, which has saved or created 1 million jobs. But the depth of this crisis demands that we do more—and that we do it now, before more people lose their jobs, their homes, their health care and their hope.