'We've Got Your Back, We Will Join You in the Streets, and We Will Not Let Up Until We Bring Good Jobs Back to Our Communities'

Washington, D.C.--Service Employees International Union (SEIU) International President Mary Kay Henry released the following statement in support of the Americans occupying Wall Street:

The brave students, workers, and unemployed Americans occupying Wall Street have shaken the conscience of our nation. The crowds and demonstrations will only get larger and louder as more Americans find the courage inside themselves to stand up and demand Wall Street CEOs and millionaires pay their fair share to create good jobs now.

"The 2.1 million nurses, janitors, school bus drivers and other members of the Service Employees International Union have a message to those on Wall Street today--We've got your back, we will join you in the streets, and we will not let up until we bring good jobs back to our communities.

"Wall Street CEOs not only crashed our economy and demanded billions in taxpayer-bailouts--they destroyed the jobs and livelihoods and took the homes of millions of Americans. It's time to force Wall Street to pay for the jobs our country desperately needs.

"We have work that needs doing in this country and millions of Americans looking for full-time work. It's time to put the two together to make America a stronger nation. And it's time to use the money being made on Wall Street and in corporate boardrooms across the country to put America back to work.

"We can put millions of Americans back to work right now by passing the American Jobs Act. We can immediately put Americans to work rebuilding our outdated and dangerous roads and bridges and ensuring our kids have first-class schools to learn in. And we can invest in our communities to keep teachers in our classrooms, police on the beat, healthcare workers at our hospitals and clinics, and ensure that we have enough firefighters to protect our communities."

With 2.1 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy. www.seiu.org

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