There’s been a bit of “Thanks, but no thanks!” going on between the #OWS movement and unions (primarily, the ILWU) over the last couple of weeks. The issue has been whether or not the port shut down that took place on Monday was helpful or hurtful to “the 99%.”
In a December 6, open letter, ILWU Robert McEllrath wrote that “there is a real danger that forces outside of the ILWU will attempt to adopt our struggle as their own.” And, that is what the #OWS organizers have tried to do on Monday.
To union members who missed a day’s worth of wages, the shut down appears to have caused more harm than good, which apparently prompted the ILWU in Portland to ask the #Occupiers to leave last night.
After an appeal by union leaders tonight, Occupy Portland protesters agreed to end their picket outside a Schnitzer Steel plant in North Portland.
Officials from the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 8 explained to protesters that union workers in the plant wouldn’t get paid if the protest continued.
“We support the Occupy” movement, said Michael Gardner of the union’s labor relations committee. “We just don’t necessarily agree with shutting down the docks.”
[snip]
Gardner estimated that about 300 people from the union didn’t work and didn’t get paid as a result of Monday’s protests.
In case you haven’t seen Neil Cavuto’s “interview” of #Occupy organizer Kari Koch (apparently, no relation to the Koch brothers), you’ll want to watch this. It is a perfect example of the idiocy (and ideology) that drives the #OWS Neo-Coms.
HT RS McCain:
Despite the fact that union bosses have hijacked the #OWS from the top, on the bottom rungs of the rank-and-file ladder, union members may be finally catching on to the fact that the #OccupyMovement is not about helping them:
The #OWS movement has really become nothing more than a 21st-Century Marxist Revolution, coordinated by Left-wing operatives and populated by their useful idiots.
Related:
- Occupiers’ port protest not appreciated by labour movement
- Collateral Damage: #OccupyPorts Protesters Hurt the 99%, Costing Longshoremen Wages
- Oakland port workers stay home as protesters rally
- Opposition grows to Occupy’s port shutdown plan
- Van Jones Tweets Support For #Occupy Movement To Shut Down Ports
- Schnitzers Among Those Giving Money to Occupy Portland?
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“Socialism has no place in the hearts of those who would secure the fight for freedom and preserve democracy.” Samuel Gompers, 1918
The occupy movement does support the unions. They’ve built this country’s middle-class. Unions have been under attack this past year and done their own occupying. What are they supposed to do? How do we have our voices heard that we want money out of politics and we want our government stop giving special privilege to the top 1%?
unions have NOT built the middle class, quit smokin your union hashish already.
those who had the foresight, and DRIVE to take an IDEA, MAKE a product/service, and putting EVERYTHING they had INTO making that product/service that others wanted, creating a NEED for MORE whereby humans were HIRED and PAID to do a job: THAT is what built a middle class in this country. unions do nothing but stand around, threaten, bully, harass and put their disgusting hands into the pockets of the workers and than say: it’s because of us you have this job.. no. sorry. no one with the intelligence of at least a gnat will buy unions provide for anyone. they are called ticks for a reason. the word ‘teamsters’ brings up a mental image of slime and corruption, and it doesnt get any better for any other union name. WE – the real workers – want the 1% to get a life and get out of the USofA – go to a country, like North Korea, where ya’ll will fit in with the extorting workers idea of life.
As for the article: spot on! the leftists started the crap movement and the unions have all jumped on board from day one! they send them $$ to support them in food, and other necessities as they are useful tools .. UNTIL they heard from the WORKERS who are NOT getting paid.. than they called them off.