Tracy Postert, Occupy Wall Street Protester, Takes Job On Wall Street

An Occupy Wall Street protester has ditched her tent in Zuccotti Park in favor of a position at one of Wall Street's financial institutions.

It all started when Wayne Kaufman, chief market analyst for John Thomas, saw Tracy Postert's placard that read: "PhD Biomedical Scientist Seeking Full Time Employment", according to the New York Post.

Grabbing a copy of her CV, Kaufman decided she might be a good fit for a junior analyst position.

"I thought, 'Maybe this is a person who could help us understand these early-stage biotech companies that financial people just don't always understand,'" Kaufman told ABC News.

By then, Postert had already spent 15 days at the Occupy encampment where she touted anti-capitalist messages with signs that read: "Reagan Sucks" and "I'll vote after the revolution," according to the Telegraph.

"I had been unemployed for so long, I thought why not?" Postert told the New York Post.

Now she's worked at the financial firm for three weeks and is in the midst of studying for her financial analyst exams.

CEO Thomas Belesis believes this is one win against the Occupy movement.

"She was ranting about Wall Street, and now she's working on Wall Street. Banks are not so bad. I hope we have opened her eyes," Belesis told the New York Post.

It's unlikely Postert's story could have happened at Goldman Sachs. Early on in the Occupy Wall Street protests, the investment bank reportedly instructed employees not to walk near Zuccotti Park. "The firm," as it's known by its workers, was later criticized for backing out of a fundraiser in which Occupy Wall Street had been listed as an honoree.

The relationship between Wall Street and the movement attempting to occupy it has been rocky at best. In early November it was reported that dozens of McDonald's job applications had been thrown out a window of the Chicago Board of Trade and onto Occupy Chicago protesters.

Later that month, a financial lobbying firm was found to have proposed a $850,000 plan to tackle the Occupy Wall Street protests head on.

Yet on Twitter, it isn't bankers or Wall Street that are most commonly mentioned alongside the Occupy protests at all. That honor goes to tax increases for millionaires, regardless of occupation.

 

Comments

[tundramonkey]

10:13 PM on 02/21/2012

Just another five million more and we can can declare progress.

[cseper]

04:07 PM on 02/21/2012

American financier Jay Gould. After hiring strikebreakers, he said "I can hire one-half of the working class to kill the other half."

Bingo!

[QunorW]

08:39 PM on 12/09/2011

You cannot try to undermine an entire movement like Occupy based on one person (who admittedly didn't have any real attachment to the cause) that did what any person would do - took a chance at a decent living while unemployed.

This is not a "win" for anybody. You can't placate 99% (roughly) of the population by giving a job to one person and making yourself out to be the good guy. This is a publicity stunt by Kaufman, trying to make hypocrites out of the protesters to further suppress their message.

Disgusting.

[davekyte]

01:42 PM on 12/08/2011

Did you know she is a 9/11 truther? And not just an ordinary truthers loon but one who thinks the WTC were turned to dust by a space weapon!

[Andrew Nutra]

01:26 PM on 12/08/2011

I bet she didn't ask the interviewer how much their CEO makes.

[CaptObvious StrikesAgain]

11:44 AM on 12/08/2011

What do you people expect? for her to stay jobless?

Plus I didn't see OWS people protesting when things were good.

[Sam D man]

08:54 AM on 12/08/2011

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. I'm goin to protest with a big banner of my resume in hopes I can find a job.

[Captain Archer]

06:43 AM on 12/08/2011

Now they can protest her

[joeisright]

06:38 AM on 12/08/2011

She could have had a job sooner if she looked hard enough.

[rjzii]

08:44 AM on 12/08/2011

Most PhD holders generally only look for jobs in their own field and there aren't as many PhD level jobs out there as you might think. The person hiring her really stuck their neck out for her since she likely doesn't have any background as a financial analyst so looking harder would not have necessarily landed her this position.

Once you hit a certain level career-wise, you are more likely to get a job through social networks than you are though sending out CVs.

[loki]

04:55 AM on 12/08/2011

this is why protest dont work anymore. The Ruling Class with their puppet politicians are breaking up OWS into smaller groups. Once the size is reduced, by tossing them off public ground, or using ordnances or just illegal force to disbursed them, the small groups are not a threat, or even news worthy. Protest are a thing of the past now that no one of any importance listens to the people anymore. The politicians only listen to the Ruling Class rich. So , we are so over protest. Its time to do what our ancestors did, and fight for our rights. When will be grow a pair? Soon I hope. If one does it, he will be called a loon. It 20 do it, it will be rebels, it 1 million do it, its a revolution. and thats what we need. we need to remove the Ruling Class, and then the puppet politicians will fall quickly. Then we can be a great country once again.

[Esther21072011]

06:35 AM on 12/08/2011

OWS was small groups all on their own. The problem with your idea is that the vast majority do not support OWS - they couldn't get 1 million supporters to show up if they were giving away free weed.

[SisterAnn]

08:39 AM on 12/08/2011

Do you have a link to OWs support? It was 75% supported them.

[new beginning]

08:44 AM on 12/08/2011

Huh? They offered someone a JOB. A LUCRATIVE job.

And still you complain.... Astounding.

[alunsulen]

04:57 PM on 12/08/2011

Lib lowlives are always wallowing in misery and hatred.

[marymeade2]

11:22 PM on 12/07/2011

I hope they do a follow up on this person. Good for her, getting out there and using OWS to advertise for a job.

[inorbit]

10:48 PM on 12/07/2011

She got a job - great! Now we need campaign finance reform in order to get corporate money out of politics.

[loki]

04:56 AM on 12/08/2011

I doubt it. The ruling Class will use this 1 time incident and milk it for all they can. And , with their money and the average American mentality, it will work.

[new beginning]

08:45 AM on 12/08/2011

It worked for her. And now YOU have sour grapes....

[banana republican]

10:32 PM on 12/08/2011

Unions will never agree to campaign finance reform.

[Esther21072011]

06:36 AM on 12/08/2011

Why do folks keep harping on this? That would require politicians to write and pass a law that kills their own golden goose - never going to happen.

[Beth Alexander]

09:47 PM on 12/07/2011

So one person got a job. I'm not throwing a fit. Good for her. Now lets work on getting big corporate money out of elections and government.

[Altario]

09:45 PM on 12/07/2011

Oh, I guess I now owe an apology. I said they were all losers. Apparently I was wrong about one of them.

[loki]

04:59 AM on 12/08/2011

she is just a spy to infiltrate the wall street firm and expose them for the corruption ridden giant they are. Just wait and see......

She could be you know? Time will tell. But at least she proved that these people do want to work, just the ruling class wont allow any jobs in the US right not. Using their power and money as weapons to suppress and depress the masses. Thus, maintaining their control

[Esther21072011]

07:15 AM on 12/08/2011

One person so far.

"ruling class" "weapons" "suppress and depress the masses" "maintaining control"

Look at your micro-bio "spit on"

Seriously - do you ever read what you write? I've seen people wallow in their own victimhood - but you are going to drown in yours.

The vast majority of us are employed already - like 91% - and don't support OWS nor are we 'suppressed' or 'depressed'. The economy sucks - life is not always a bed of roses - put on your big boy/girl panties and get over it.

[new beginning]

08:48 AM on 12/08/2011

A spy to infiltrate the wall street firm?

Maybe she actually wants to - shudder - WORK - to earn her money.....

Sadly that is an outdated concept these days.

[DanSSF]

01:25 PM on 12/07/2011

Is the implication that she doesn't still believe in what she was touting as a protester? I don't see how becoming an analyst making $50k- $60k a year changes anything. She is still going to be in debt for years. She is still going to have to pay way to much for health care. Her bosses are still going to pay less as percentage for their taxes. Why would getting a job make her feel differently?

[Esther21072011]

02:12 PM on 12/07/2011

Her income will be six figures was the report. We still have the best healthcare in the world no matter how the left tries to spin it - that's why the rich and powerful come here for treatment - not England or Canada (they come here). Her bosses - the 1% - still pay in most of the money - she will be more impacted by the nearly 50% in this country that pay no fed taxes as they are 'too poor' - but suck up all the services. Why would she feel differently? Because now she's living in the real world - not partying in the park complaining.

[uomt]

07:22 PM on 12/07/2011

The only Canadians I know of going to the U.S.A. are the wealthy who are unable to buy their way to the front of the line for elective surgeries.

[inorbit]

10:49 PM on 12/07/2011

Yeah, we have the best healthcare in the world for the rich and powerful.

Too bad we don't have it for everyone.

[loki]

05:02 AM on 12/08/2011

it does if wall street and the anti OWS'ers keep saying it. It will create some doubt in some people as to the validity of the OWS protesters, and doubt , even a little, is always more than enough to destroy any movement. She was chosen to be a tool of propaganda. When this is over, she will be unemployed again. But at least she can pay her bills and get food and shelter in the meanwhile. I hope she saves a lot of her salary, cause she will need it when the can her once they have used her for all they can get out of her.

[frost2112]

04:02 PM on 01/09/2012

There are these things called "resumes." She just landed a HUGE tick in the plus column on that thing. Plus training, which the company paid for, if you were reading the article.

Her fortunes in general have increased tenfold.

The one thing I hate more than anything is an argument I agree with done poorly. You, my friend, are the worst offender I've seen this month.