THIS IS HUGE! AFL is urging members to support and JOIN Occupy Wall Street!

[kpete]

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands...

FRI OCT 28, 2011 AT 11:34 PM PDT
THIS IS HUGE! AFL is urging members to support and JOIN Occupy Wall Street!
byLefty CoasterFollow

How serious are the leaders of my union about supporting Occupy Wall Street? I found the emphatic answer was in my inbox:

Occupy Wall Street protests continue to spread across the country. Outrage against an economy stacked against the 99% is growing. And the media is paying attention. Finally, our national debate has shifted from austerity and cuts to jobs, inequality and our broken economic system.

But Congress still isn’t listening to the 99%. Policies continue to fail the 99% and reward the rich at the expense of the rest of us.

Last Thursday, it happened again: Senate Republicans once again blocked progress for workers with a political maneuver, filibustering the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act. It didn’t get a vote at all. Justice for the 99% once again was delayed.

If Congress won’t represent the 99%, then we clearly need to put our anger into action and stand together. Let’s build a movement that is strong enough that our elected officials will have no choice but to start addressing the needs of the 99%.

.............

It’s even better if you can join an Occupy event yourself. Since the protests are a truly organic movement, and aren’t organized by the AFL-CIO, we can’t tell you exactly what will be happening when you arrive. But what we can tell you is this: The more people who can stand in solidarity, the better. Once you join your local protest, you can find ways to get involved. Check out this map of protests.
http://www.meetup.com/occupytogether/


......................

In Solidarity,

Manny Herrmann
Online Mobilization Coordinator, AFL-CIO
http://act.aflcio.org/c/18/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=3044

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/10/29/1031160/-THIS-IS-HUGE!-AFL-is-urging-members-to-support-and-JOIN-Occupy-Wall-Street!?via=siderec

[Autumn]

1. K/R

If our government won't do it our Unions will.

[qb]

2. A re-vitalized union movement will carry us out of this mess.

K&R

[TBF]

3. Solidarity with my union sisters and brothers. K&R nt

[Sanity Claws]

4. It's been so long since I've seen the ALF-CIO in the news that

at first I thought AFL stood for the American Football League.
I hope to see the AFL-CIO and other unions more in the news.

[Lucky Luciano]

32. Haha same here. AFL means Aflac to me! nt

[undeterred]

44. That's what I thought too. What does it mean?

[socialist_n_TN]

46. American Federation of Labor *hyphen*

Congress of Industrial Organizations. It was a merger between two union umbrella groups from the 30s. The CIO was always more militant than the AFL before the merger. The merger gave the AFL more street cred and the CIO more of an in with the owners.

[pscot]

48. American Federation of Labor

CIO is Comgress of Industrial Organizations. The 2 merged in the late 40's.

[AsahinaKimi]

5. K&R

eom.

[xchrom]

6. recommend

[Generic Other]

7. My union rocks but need to catch up! LOL

I have been occupying for the past two weeks. Hahaha.

[coalition_unwilling]

8. Thank you for posting this. Agree that this is a major step in

building the Movement.

[bahrbearian]

9. Now if we can get the MBA and Baseball Players to join, that would be Great

[redqueen]

10. Nice.

Here we go. I expect the pushback to go up a notch after this.

[socialist_n_TN]

11. Meh, not really that impressed...........

It's really not much more than what they've said in the past about the Occupy movement.

I'll be impressed when the AFL-CIO sets up a committee for a organizing a general strike. Or AT LEAST a committee for educating their member unions ON a general strike. Then we might be starting to get a plan of action for winning this class war.

[white_wolf]

12. Doesn't the ALC-CIO follow the "business union" philosophy of unionism,

As in try to work with the bosses as much possible and rarely every strike?

[socialist_n_TN]

13. Yep. NOT a militant union org........

Unless they're pushed by their membership of course.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

36. Count me as another that's not impressed

Many unions abandoned their members years ago.

Until and unless the large unions actually do something - like a general strike as you suggest - they're doing nothing more than paying lip service to the movement.

[socialist_n_TN]

45. Shoot I'd be happy right now with an "educational"

strike committee for training the unions on a general strike. That could actually LEAD to something. This is just a small step up from the earlier endorsement of the Occupy movement.

[Jackpine Radical]

59. I was gonna post about the same thing if nobody else had gotten around to it.

We'll see what they're made of one of these days.

[Remember Me]

61. Here's what's huge about it -- IMO, of course

The last time we saw anything like this level of civil unrest, it was the late 1960s and early 1970s.

At THAT time, the unions were solidly against us. EVERY major organization was against us. We were "dirty hippies" and NO ONE saw things the way we did, or believed in what we were saying or doing, or supported us in any way. The best thing we had going for us, and about the only thing (well, other than our magnificent music), was that the mainstream media actually reported on what was happening in a relatively honest way. Beyond that, nada, zip, zilch.

So to have major organizations like unions coming out in support of us, to have a major U.S. Newspaper (NYT) carry an editorial in support, to have pundits from both the mainstream and non-mainstream media discussing the issues with some honesty and credibility, and so forth, is absolutely MIND BLOWING. To have contingents of veterans who are not themselves "dirty hippies" or necessarily anti-war (tho of course some of them are anti-war), is mind-blowing. To have politicians ANYwhere yield to the protests, as a few have, is mind-blowing. To have the level of public support the proteters have is mind-blowing.

This is, quite simply, a momentous time in history (the 2nd I've lived thru now), and mark my words: the world will NEVER be the same again, and thank God for that. I would implore everyone to give this nascent, growing, worldwide (and world-uniting) movement whatever is in you to contribute in support. This is our time and WE are the ones we've been waiting for.

[Kaleko]

62. Well said.

Memorable even. :)

[Remember Me]

71. Oh! how I admire your taste

in forum commentary.

One of the nicest compliments I've ever had. THANK you.

[socialist_n_TN]

65. As I said in another post (several posts in fact)

The difference between the anti Iraq war protests and even the 60s era anti Vietnam war protest and the Occupy movement is the difference between single issues and the UNDERLYING CAUSE OF THOSE SINGLE ISSUES. Even if they won't name it, the underlying cause of the war in BOTH eras was imperialism. Which is the end stage of capitalism.

And even as important as the civil rights, women's liberation, and gay rights movements were and are, at their base they STILL had an economic cause. Whether it was keeping wages low for a particular ethnic group (which economically pulled wages down for ALL workers) or dividing the working class, these issues were still basically about economics, politics, and power.

For whatever reason, and it's probably a combination of several reasons coming together at this particular time, the Occupy movement has exposed that underlying cause and more importantly, THE AVERAGE PERSON HAS BEGUN TO SEE THAT UNDERLYING CAUSE.

That's why you're seeing a more widespread movement that we had in the 60s or in the early Aughts. A sizable group of average Americans have made the same connection that Marxists have made. They might not CALL it that, but that's what's happening.

[Occupado]

14. interesting

But will they actually do anything or just use it to get some street credit?

[Starry Messenger]

15. k&r

[MissDeeds]

16. "We the people" are taking our country back

K&R!

[madrchsod]

17. afscme is all in on the support of the occupy movement.

since the attack on wisconsin`s unions the national leadership of the afscme union has gone hard left. it`s been interesting to read the news releases since wisconsin!

[WillyT]

18. HUGE K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

:bounce::woohoo::bounce:

:patriot:

:hi:

:kick:

[Zorra]

19. Solidarity, yeah! nt

[Douglas Carpenter]

20. yes this is huge and one more way in which this is nothing like the 60's

[elleng]

21. 'If Congress won't represent the 99%,

then we clearly need to put our anger into action and stand together. Let’s build a movement that is strong enough that our elected officials will have no choice but to start addressing the needs of the 99%.'

[Zorra]

22. kick

[malaise]

23. K & EffingR

Oh Yes!

[Fire Walk With Me]

24. Woohoo!

:applause:

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. They were there last night

[marias23]

26. We Must work towards a general strike.

Its the only way to get the big changes that are needed.

[ThomWV]

51. I think you have just seen the first thing that hints at that being a real possibility

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. I've been getting these emails for weeks now

This isn't a recent development.

[AntiFascist]

28. K&R n/t

[bvar22]

29. Solidarity!

Who will STAND and FIGHT for THIS American Majority?
The UNIONS WILL!!

You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their excuses.

Solidarity99!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Marazinia]

30. Excellent

Strikes will have to be part of the movement, the wealthy don't care if people with no jobs protest, or if people with jobs go protest after work and on weekends. The only way to change anything is a nationwide strike of non-essential workers. If enough American simply refuse to go to work until our demands our met, our demands will be met. Now we need a clear and concise list of demands to go with this latest development.

[Enthusiast]

31. Kicked and recommended! nt

[Jakes Progress]

33. Will the revolution be union made?

It seems the 99% got the unions leaders fired up. Now to crack the really hard cases - the politicians that are addicted to Corporate Crack.

[sandyj999]

34. K&R

[loyalsister]

35. OWS would be wise to try to recruit Union leaders

as advisors. They have history behind them and they know what they are doing.

[Raksha]

37. K & R

[Douglas Carpenter]

38. knr

[RufusTFirefly]

39. Somewhere between 6 million and 30 million people took to the streets to oppose the Iraq invasion

The New York Times famously referred this gigantic demonstration of public opinion as the "second superpower."

As someone who took part in that demonstration (and numerous others), I can tell you that it included a great deal of union representation.

And yet ultimately it did nothing to halt the rich and powerful from carrying out their plans.

Just sayin'


P.S. Sorry to be a killjoy. I hope I'm wrong this time.

[socialist_n_TN]

47. Two MAJOR differences between the two IMO

One, it was a single issue demonstration(s). The Occupy is protesting a SYSTEMIC problem that covers a lot of ECONOMIC ground. The economy affects EVERYBODY. And secondly, the unions are more militant now. The attacks on the union's ability to organize workers has awakened them. They STILL need to realize they will need more militant action (strikes), but at least that's on the table now. During the anti Iraq war demos, that wasn't even mentioned as I recall.

[RufusTFirefly]

49. Good points. Thanks

Frankly, there was nothing especially threatening about our marches back in 2003. Plus, they had clear beginnings and ends.
We marched and went home with no real action plan other than lobbying our corrupt Congress.
The much-maligned indefinite nature of the current movement is very frightening to the PTB. And that's a good thing.

[Marnie]

40. I keep wondering when the cops and their own unions

will realize they are isolating themselves when the day comes in their own layoffs and contract negotiations and they have attacked the very people who might otherwise stand with them against the pols who want to take their jobs retirements.

[Bozita]

42. +1

[DeSwiss]

41. K&R n/t

[Omaha Steve]

43. Proud to be UNION!!!

K&R!

[ThomWV]

50. Hot dam, I am Pleased!

[louslobbs]

52. K&R n/t

Lou

[louslobbs]

53. K&R n/t

Lou

[paulrfrank]

54. Yay!

Yay!

[Yavapai]

55. I wish the teamsters would join up! Occupy america's freeway system!

Also, I would like to see a "Occupy Wallmart", where thousands would go to their local Wallmarts and happily fill up their carts
with assorted items, then push them to the checkout and then just leave. The employees would get lots of
overtime putting away these same items, making a more livable wage and it would surely piss off the Waltons!

[Systematic Chaos]

60. As long as it's not perishable goods, that's cool.

Like it or not some people are pretty much forced to shop there -- including some DU'ers -- and we don't want to give them food poisoning!

[julian09]

56. They have to change congress

publicise all the votes of congress people who vote against the 99 percenters, educate the public on their votes for the corporate culture.
Those who oppose all job creating proposals, financial reform, tax policy favoring the ninty nine percent, health insurance reform etc.
They need to replace those regardeless of party Sen Nelson Neb should be target. His only concern is his reelection not the people, he should change party.
People NEED TO KNOW how many times their senators vote against their interests, take ads in all the newspapers exposing their votes against the people and 99%.

[varelse]

57. K&R

[Sherman A1]

58. K&R

[highplainsdem]

63. K&R

[AllyCat]

64. Talked to Mary Kay Henry of SEIU this week at membership meeting and we are also on board!

I always was on board, but the whole of SEIU now supports the OWS and is planning strategy around solidarity with them.

[diane in sf]

66. AFL/CIO member here--CFT, California Teachers Union, supporting OWS

[defendandprotect]

67. What about the teachers and their union -- anything left of them?

[Firebrand Gary]

68. K&R We move FORWARD!

[blkmusclmachine]

69. Tiananmen Square time...

Stand up to the thugs!

[cui bono]

70. I was wondering where my union is... I'm going to contact them to see if they support OWS.

I have gotten emails from them in the past about solidarity with other unions and movements. This one is pretty hard to miss.