Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2011)
...’Occupy’ demonstrations get support from labor at all levels (From Page 1) as 200 spent the night in Zucotti Park and Occupy Wall Street was born. Their slogan, “We are the 99 percent” is meant to draw attention to the great di- vide between the wealthiest and the rest. At first, the camp got little attention, but on Sept. 24, police arrested 80 pro- testers. Video footage of police pepper- spraying a group of women demonstra- tors went viral online, sparking public outrage and media coverage. On Sept. 28, 700 members of the Air Line Pilots Association, in their Continental and United Airlines uni- forms, marched in support of the Oc- cupy Wall Street protesters. That night, 38,000-member Transport Workers Union Local 100, representing New Corn Nuts PAGE 4 York City’s public transit workers, voted to support Occupy Wall Street, and called for an Oct. 5 rally and march to Foley Square. At that point, union support grew daily. The National Nurses Union, Communications Workers of America, United Food and Commercial Workers, the United Auto Workers, and 1199 Hospital and Health Care Workers/ SEIU joined the Transport Workers for the Oct. 5 mass march, which drew 15,000 people. Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) President Larry Hanley urged 200 local presidents in a confer- ence call to get their members out into the streets for Occupy demonstrations. United Auto Workers (UAW) President Bob King committed people and money for supplies. Within a week, there were Occupy events in dozens of other cities. On Oct. 15, 951 actions took place in 82 coun- tries. Occupy has also spread to other lo- cations in Oregon and Southwest Washington, and Facebook groups has formed even for Occupy Cottage Grove. Oregon has seen demonstrations with union involvement in Bend, Ash- land, Salem, Eugene, Roseburg, and Corvallis, as well as in Vancouver, Washington. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka announced that the labor fed- eration stands with Occupy Wall Street: “Participants in Occupy Wall Street are … declaring that ‘We are the 99 per- cent’ because our system is desperately, decisively out of whack. The top 1 per- cent is pocketing massive profits and dominating our politics while everyone else struggles to make ends meet.” “The brave students, workers, and unemployed Americans occupying Wall Street have shaken the con- science of our nation,” said Service Employees Interna- tional Union (SEIU) Presi- dent Mary Kay Henry Oct. 5, pledging that her union would join protesters in the streets. “The crowds and demonstrations will only get larger and louder as more Americans find the courage inside themselves to stand up and demand Wall Street CEOs and millionaires pay their fair share to create good Though they expressed it in different ways, jobs now.” protesters’ message is clear: Wall Street is So when New York Mayor making life worse for the 99 percent of Michael Bloomberg moved to Americans who aren’t part of the economic oust Occupy Wall Street from elite. the park, several hundred thousand people signed on- line petitions — including over 20,000 handed out breakfast foods the follow- collected in just two hours by the AFL- ing morning. As the encampment continued, CIO. Bloomberg backed down, and Oc- SEIU donated port-a-potties, and cupy Wall Street continues. In Portland, the Occupy Wall Street brought food, canopies and supplies. AFSCME Locals 189, 88, and 328 movement arrived Oct. 6. Protesters gathered at noon at Waterfront Park, passed resolutions encouraging mem- marched through downtown chanting, bers to participate, and pledged $1,000 “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out.” donations. ATU Local 757 endorsed Occupy They rallied 10,000-strong in Pioneer Courthouse Square, filling the massive Portland and sent the Oregon AFL-CIO plaza elbow-to-elbow. They then $1,000 to help feed the protest site. “Occupy folks all over the country marched to Lownsdale and Chapman parks, where an overnight encampment are delivering the message that Wall Street and the corporate elite have was set up. Joining the Oct. 6 march were mem- caused this recession and are doing bers of Laborers Local 483, the Inter- nothing to help us get out of it,” said national Longshore and Warehouse Ken Allen, Oregon AFSCME executive Union, IBEW, Roofers, Carpenters, director. Oregon AFSCME and the Oregon Painters, International Alliance of The- atrical Stage Employees, SEIU, Team- AFL-CIO are working on a labor sters and other unions. An 11-member march for Wednesday, Oct. 26. crew from Laborers Local 483 handed Marchers will gather at 5 p.m. at Direc- out snacks to the protesters, and a crew tor Park and march to the protest camp from Laborers Local 296 and 483 at about 5:30. See’s Candies NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS OCTOBER 21, 2011
