Unions condemn Occupy Wall Street eviction

[ProSense]

Unions condemn Occupy Wall Street eviction

by Laura Clawson

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has sent out a national email blast reading, in part:

They can take away the tarps and the tents. But they can’t slow down the Occupy Wall Street movement. <...>

The Occupy Wall Street movement has been committed to peaceful, nonviolent action from its inception. And it will keep spreading no matter what elected officials tell police to do. But that doesn’t mean these raids are acceptable. In fact, they are inexcusable.

As former Secretary of State Colin Powell put it, these protests are “as American as apple pie.” Americans must be allowed to speak out against pervasive inequality, even if the truth discomfits the 1%.

The AFL-CIO will do everything in our power to make sure the free speech rights of these peaceful protesters are protected.

The Communications Workers of America have also issued a statement:

"The Communications Workers of America strongly condemns the decision by Mayor Bloomberg to forcibly remove protesters from Zuccotti park. In two short months, Occupy Wall Street has focused the world's attention on the deep frustration felt by working people about an economy that no longer works for the middle class. The 99% have seen good jobs disappear while the rich get richer and the big banks make billions with impunity. Mayor Bloomberg may have cleared the park for now, but Occupy Wall Street's message cannot be silenced. No one can evict an idea whose time has come.

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[rsmith6621]

1. Screw The Unions

....They have been very much absent in this except for the free publicity they got the day they announced their SUPPORT.

I think they were looking for the movement to co-opt with them so they could have their influence. UNIONS are in part what is wrong with labor/corporate relations. The UNIONs that offered support to my city's OCCUPY offered it and vanished...they have not provided any help, walking the sidewalks or have brought any food...they are gone.

UNIONS are mostly SPINELESS.....don't trust them till they can be trusted.

[Modern_Matthew]

3. +1 When did unions become so lame? nt

[ProSense]

4. Interesting

Screw The Unions....They have been very much absent in this except for the free publicity they got the day they announced their SUPPORT.

I think they were looking for the movement to co-opt with them so they could have their influence. UNIONS are in part what is wrong with labor/corporate relations. The UNIONs that offered support to my city's OCCUPY offered it and vanished...they have not provided any help, walking the sidewalks or have brought any food...they are gone.

...that you say the unions haven't provided any support.

[rsmith6621]

5. In The Large View....

....Yes....there are some places(Oakland) where there is support but if you took the 14.6 million members(2010 census) they are very absent.

They were hoping that this would be an OWS movement brought to you by the Transportation Workers Union ect. They realized early on that they were not going to get OWS to co-opt so they left.

Even if Unions would send 1% of their rank on to the sidewalks everyday that would be an additional 146k people.


In Seattle/Tacoma I have yet to run into a Boeing IAM union worker in the 24 hours a week I walk the sidewalks, I do run into alot of ex vets and troops daily.

[PoliticAverse]

2. Someone should tell the Sanitation Workers Union and the PBA. n/t