Amidst a sea of union banners and sweltering members, national AFL-CIO President John Sweeney protested the wave of corporate criminality that has robbed the retirement savings of millions and cut into the assets of public pension plans. Standing outside the NY Stock Exchange July 30 (see photo), Sweeney set out a 5-point action plan to restore corporate accountability.

DC 37 members at the rally were angered by the high-paid criminals. Judith Arroyo, Manhattan Borough Rep for Public Health Nurses Local 436, pointed out that despite the corporate malefactors' huge paychecks, they're not doing their jobs. "They need to be held accountable!" she said.

Amalgamated Professional Employees Local 154 President Juan Fernandez said, "The same people who stole this money have wanted to put their hands on Social Security for a long time. This is a warning."

Vaino Ader, a Construction Manager in the Dept. of Design and Construction and a Local 375 member, said he backs Sweeney's action plan.

"We need to take these corporate criminals to task," he said.