By Jesse Russell

Workers at a Mott’s apple juice and apple sauce plant in Western New York are on strike. The plant is owned by the Dr Pepper Snapple Group and the workers walked off the job when an agreement couldn’t be reached concerning a management proposal of slashing wages by $1.50. The company has said it wants to reduce wages at the plant so they are more in line with what other plants pay in the region. 

[Gordon]: We’re here because the people bailed out the banks and now it is time for the banks to bail out the people. 

State workers in New Jersey are currently sorting through a number of proposals introduced by Governor Chris Christie this week. One bill of particular concern to workers would end cost-of-living adjustments in state pensions while increasing the amount of money workers need to contribute to those pensions. It would also see the retirement age in the Garden State increase from 62 to 65. Additionally, under the new plan retired employees will be required to continue contributing to health care. 

 Pfizer, Inc. announced plans this week to lay off or relocate up to 1,400 workers in New York City. The move would cut the company’s city staff by nearly a quarter. Pfizer’s world headquarters has been based in New York for more than 150 years. While it plans to continue operating out of a building on 42^nd Street an office building on Third Avenue has been put up for sale. According to the New York Times the company has already cut more than 2000 jobs in the city since June 2005.

While Thursday’s March on Wall Street was organized by labor unions not everyone in the movement thinks attacking Wall Street is in the best interest of progress. Ironworkers Local 46 Business Manager Robert Ledwith:

[Ledwith]: They should be prosecuted, but we depend so much on Wall Street economy if we continue to press too hard on matters that are outside of our jurisdiction, if you will, I think we're going to hurt ourselves and consequently all working people will suffer.