New Yorkers Protest For Wisconsin

Heather Pusser

February 23, 2011

New Yorkers Protest for Wisconsin

Protestors gathered outside the Manhattan City Hall in support of the labor unions in Wisconsin, yesterday morning, as Jack Ahearn, president of the NYC Central Labor Council, held a press conference outside of Manhattan City Hall.

Due to Wisconsin’s Governor Scott Walker, labor unions from all over the city gathered in an effort to stunt the slashing of collective bargaining. Protestors included a number of members from the Screen Actors Guild and a number of small labor unions located in Manhattan.

Mike Lafferty, a 63 –year-old Transportation Officer expressed his need for action outside the press conference. “We need to take action!” Lafferty exclaimed, “Think about it: if all of the labor unions in Manhattan, including the bus drivers, truckers, and MTA Staff, the entire city would be shut down. Even teachers could refuse to work, and then maybe they’ll listen.”

Jack Ahearn reinforced Lafferty’s strong desire to take a stand during his press conference speech. “We are confronting an assault on labor that is so corrosive, so sweeping and so destructive that if allowed to succeed, it will rock back nearly a century of American Reforms in the work place.” Ahearn continued to describe the nation’s public employees and union members a “scapegoat for our country’s economic problems,” voicing the fears many protestors themselves felt.

Robert Foreman, a 49-year-old member of the Screen Actors Guild was disappointed by the turn out. “I came here because I needed to stand up for the rest of America. People on salaries don’t understand that without us, they have nothing. People should be here. EVERYONE should be here.” Foreman later continued to explain that a slashing in collective bargaining would hurt every American, not just those in labor unions.

Once again Jack Ahearn expresses these same concerns in his speech. “Lets be clear. Attacking workers’ rights anywhere is a step backwards for everyone. Attacking public employees is an assault on the fabric of our society.” Ahearn believes that go after labor unions “demands the very principle which our nation was founded.”

“People asked why we weren’t going to Wisconsin and we said why?” Ina and Eric Madison claimed, “If this happens in Wisconsin it is going to happen everywhere. The unions have to stick together, and we can show our support from here.” The Madison’s are 76-years-old and are members of the Screen Actors Guild, “There are a lot of us here, and it’s good to know.”

Mike Lafferty, age 63, stands in line to express his freedoms.