'Occupy Wall Street' Protest: NY Bus Drivers File Restraining Order Against NYPD

By Katherine Weber , Christian Post Reporter

October 5, 2011|5:53 pm

The Transport Workers Union Local 100 has joined “Occupy Wall Street” protestors in their fight to save middle class jobs and would be participating in the Union March scheduled for this afternoon in Lower Manhattan.

The TWU Local 100 board of directors voted unanimously to support Wall Street protestors. The majority of the group’s 38,000 members work in the New York Transit system.

Friction between TWU Local 100 and the NYPD erupted Saturday, when the NYPD commandeered four local buses to help transport protestors – 700 of which were arrested after blocking traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge.

TWU Local took the NYPD to court Monday, requesting the order that police officers cannot use local buses to transport arrested protestors.

According to TWU Local 100, the police violated the constitutional right of unlawful search and seizure when they forced drivers to carry those arrested. An order that is not listed in driver employment contracts.

Although a judge denied their plea for a restraining order against the NYPD, he did predict that the NYPD would refrain from using local buses again.

According to TWU Local 100 Director of Publications Alan Saly, the union has been in support of the protest’s values since the beginning.

“We need to level the playing field so working people and working families get more of the wealth in this country,” Saly told The Christian Post.

News sources such as CNN are beginning to ask what the main motive was behind the leaderless Occupy Protest, which has now entered its third consecutive week.

Although he could not speak for all unions, Saly argued that the purpose of the protest is to “see the Millionaire’s Tax reinstated.”

The Millionaire’s Tax, proposed by President Barack Obama, seeks to close the deficit by increasing the taxes of those who make over $1 million a year.

The TWU Local 100 will be one of more than 30 unions joining the Union March this afternoon. The march is expected to draw 3,000 to 5,000 people, making it the largest turnout for the protest since it began nearly three weeks ago.