Amalgamated Transit Union International President Larry Hanley issued the following statement to mark Independence Day in the United States:
“This July 4, Americans will once again gather with families and friends to attend parades, watch fireworks, and wave old glory to celebrate the signing of one of the most important documents in history.
“The ‘Declaration of Independence’ proclaimed America’s freedom from tyranny, independence from Britain, and established the principle that all persons are created equal.
"If our forefathers were alive today would they would find a country that is still committed to that vision?
“Sadly, we have become a nation of “haves” – the uber wealthy, Wall Streeters, bankers, and CEOs – and “have-nots” – bus drivers, restaurant workers, teachers, telecom workers, firefighters, and many more working hard just to get by in the richest country on earth.
“And, that inequality will continue to grow if President Trump and the Republican Congress are allowed to rip away health care, gut public transit, and tear apart the laws that safeguard workers’ right to collective bargaining.
“As citizens like Thomas Paine, Mother Jones, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and countless other heroes of democracy have shown, everyday Americans must rise up and demand equality in healthcare, education, voting rights, public transit, and access to good jobs – in short we must demand economic opportunity for all.
“As we celebrate the birth of this great nation, let us pledge to fight back against the well-funded forces that seek to undermine the Constitution and the civil liberties it guarantees, and restore the principles our nation was founded on 241 years ago.”