micmac99Michael Sheldon Reed by OccupyHouston
Bus drivers join #OccupyHouston protests | http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Bus-drivers-join-Occupy-Houston-protests-2212852.php #ows #occupy
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Article below the jump.
Bun B joins Occupy Houston protests
By ROBERT STANTON, HOUSTON CHRONICLE Updated 02:39 p.m., Tuesday, October 11, 2011
courtesy of the Houston Chronicle. No copyright infringement intended.
Original story link here: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Bus-drivers-join-Occupy-Houston-protests-2212852.php
Bun B with Occupy Houston protester Scott Gregory at City Hall Tuesday, Oct. 11. 2011.
Bun B with Occupy Houston protester Scott Gregory at City Hall…
- Carlos Villalobos holds a sign along with other protesters in front of the Metro building Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, in Houston. Metro mechanics, bus drivers and rail drivers rallied along with activists with the Occupy Houston protest. Photo: Cody Duty / © 2011 Houston ChronicleCarlos Villalobos holds a sign along with other protesters in front…
- Tandy Johnson holds a sign along with other protesters in front of the Metro building Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, in Houston. Photo: Cody Duty / © 2011 Houston ChronicleTandy Johnson holds a sign along with other protesters in front of…
- Tandy Johnson holds a sign along with other protestors in front of the Metro building Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, in Houston. Photo: Cody Duty / © 2011 Houston ChronicleTandy Johnson holds a sign along with other protestors in front of…
- Lawrence Taylor holds a sign along with other protestors in front of the Metro building Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, in Houston. Photo: Cody Duty / © 2011 Houston ChronicleLawrence Taylor holds a sign along with other protestors in front…
- Protester D.J. Johnson stands outside of the Metro building Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, in Houston. Metro mechanics, bus drivers and rail drivers rallied along with activists with the Occupy Houston protest. Photo: Cody Duty / © 2011 Houston ChronicleProtester D.J. Johnson stands outside of the Metro building…
- Protesters stand outside of the Metro building Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, in Houston. (Cody Duty / Houston Chronicle) Photo: Cody Duty / © 2011 Houston ChronicleProtesters stand outside of the Metro building Tuesday, Oct. 11,…
- An Occupy Wall Street protester holds a sign at Eleanor Tinsley Park Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, in Houston. Photo: Cody Duty / © 2011 Houston ChronicleAn Occupy Wall Street protester holds a sign at Eleanor Tinsley…
- Occupy Wall Street protesters Carlos Villalobos (center) and Adrian Bardt (right) hold signs at Eleanor Tinsley Park Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, in Houston. Photo: Cody Duty / © 2011 Houston ChronicleOccupy Wall Street protesters Carlos Villalobos (center) and Adrian…
- An Occupy Wall Street protester sleeps at Eleanor Tinsley Park Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, in Houston. Photo: Cody Duty / © 2011 Houston ChronicleAn Occupy Wall Street protester sleeps at Eleanor Tinsley Park…
- Occupy Wall Street protester Janie Maynez sleeps as traffic passes at Eleanor Tinsley Park Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, in Houston. Photo: Cody Duty / © 2011 Houston ChronicleOccupy Wall Street protester Janie Maynez sleeps as traffic passes…
- Occupy Wall Street protester Brent Fairley drinks a cup of coffee as he and Janie Maynez (right) wake up at Eleanor Tinsley Park Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, in Houston. Photo: Cody Duty / © 2011 Houston ChronicleOccupy Wall Street protester Brent Fairley drinks a cup of coffee…
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FontHouston hip-hop legend Bun B lent his face to the Occupy Houston movement today, joining protesters at city hall.
“This is something that I think everybody at some point and time should be concerned about as a resident of Houston and as a citizen of the world,” said the UGK rapper, who joined sign-carrying activists this morning.
The Occupy Houston movement is an outgrowth of Occupy Wall Street, a New York protest targeting social and economic inequality and corporate greed.
“We have multi-billion-dollar corporations making decisions for people, and we don’t have any say-so in these decisions, simply because they have more money and more power,” Bun B said.
The rapper, who arrived in Houston on Sunday on the heels of concerts in Boston and Washington, D.C., said it’s important for people to speak out against injustice.
Earlier today, Occupy Houston protesters joined with Metro mechanics, bus drivers and rail drivers for a rally downtown.
About 70 members of Transport Workers Union Local 260 converged on METRO headquarters this morning at 1900 Main, joined by about 30 Occupy Houston protesters.
Wayne Jackson, interim transportation grievance representative of TWU Local 260, said he welcomed the support. He said his members simply want fairness at the negotiating table.
“We want a fair contract, something that’s suitable to make a decent living,” Jackson said. “Everything has gone up out there and in all actuality, without a wage increase of some kind, we are actually losing. We just can’t keep up with inflation.”
The mechanics, bus drivers and rail drivers carried signs that read, “The New Metro: Your Lies Are Expected But Not Acceptable,” and “Don’t ‘X’ Out Public Transit.”
They chanted, “Who Moves Metro? We do,” and “New Metro – Same Bad Habits.”
Many of the signs were aimed at METRO President and CEO George Greanias, who issued this statement:
“Our operators and mechanics, along with our entire bargaining unit workforce, are critical to the success of METRO and we appreciate all that they do. We have been working for three months to reach an agreement with the union, and we will not negotiate in the press. However, we are committed to reaching an agreement that is fair to everyone involved.”
Meanwhile, Bun B took to social media to spread his message of self-empowerment.
“If you’re unemployed and not job hunting today, join us if you can,” he said on his Twitter page around noon, urging Houstonians to stand up against “corporate irresponsibility and unfair political, social and economical influence.”
“Don’t just tweet about it. Be about it. Come on down,” he told his 300,443 Twitter followers.
Bun B’s surprise visit at city hall energized Occupy Houston protestors like Scott Gregory.
“It means that we’ve got a voice that people are used to listening to,” Gregory said. “I talk a lot and some people listen, but Bun B’s got a lot of people who listen to him. His voice is one that is going to make a big difference.”
Thinkwing Radio with Mike Honig 