BOSTON - Today is the one-year anniversary of the Bush administration's bailout of banks and insurance companies. To mark it, hundreds of workers, clergy and concerned citizens are expected to take to the streets of Boston for a march and rally.

 

Bob Haynes, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO, says the hope is to send a loud message to elected officials and corporate CEOs that it is time to think about the American worker - the middle class, not just those at the top. He says there can be no economic recovery without jobs.

 

"We're looking at job seekers outnumbering openings by about six to one in the United States. We can't have a real recovery until people are working again, providing for their families and have steady, full-time employment."

 

Richard Rogers, principle officer of the Greater Boston Labor Council, says Hyatt's recent layoff of workers, only to replace them with workers making half the original wage, is a prime example of an alarming trend. He says people are frustrated by what they see as "corporate greed," especially regarding the bailouts for banks and insurance companies.

 

"Everything's back to normal for bankers; they took their money from the government, they paid it back, but they're doing absolutely nothing to help put people back to work or loan money to businesses. We need fast action to put people back to work in this country."

 

The march is set to begin at 4:30 at the Boston Common, making stops at Verizon and Bank of America before ending with a rally at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, located at 1 Avenue de Lafayette.