Some of the countries largest unions have joined in the support of the Occupy Wall St. and their movement. To name just a few there are the AFL-CIO, Transportation Workers Union, SEIU, CWA, NNU, United Auto Workers Union. This is actually just a handful of the actual amount of unions and organizations that are now backing Occupy Wall St.
Union leaders are saying they feel almost vindicated by the Occupy Wall St. movement and protest. These unions are trying to do all they can to keep this movement and change going and growing.
Many years before anyone even thought of the Occupy Any City movement, unions and their leaders (and members) could be heard blaming the numerous banking conglomerates for this country's economic problems. Union and Labor officials have almost always been critical of CEO's large compensation packages, they have pushed for a financial transactions tax, and have called for Wall Street bailout money to be used for small businesses.
The president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Mary Kay Henry, has said that she has found the Occupy Wall St. and the protesters to be an incredible inspiration. She goes on to say that this movement is highlighting issues like pay inequality and social injustice. Things unions have been fighting against for some time now.
Unions have been talking about the increasing inequality in this country for a long time. The Occupy movement has captured this feeling in the their saying "We are the 99%." This movement is not just for one gender, one age class, a certain service industry. This movement and the 99% encompasses everyone that is struggling. This movement is for the people that play by the rules, get their education (most by student loans), find a job in a horrible job market, and yet are still held back because of the 1% and their corporate money and legislation, according to the organizers of Occupy Wall St.
So unions have been quick to lend a hand to the protesters whenever they can. Last Friday the SEIU and its members, as well as other unions, participated in a march in Minneapolis, calling on the banks to end foreclosures. It should be noted here that when a bank forecloses on a property, it is the banks responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of those properties. These large banks often do not keep up with this and just let the properties become over grown and deteriorated. This in turn hurts property values and property owners in the area.
A week ago the president of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, was on Wall St. to speak to the protesters and offer his and the AFL-CIO's support. Lee Saunders, whom is the secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) was in attendance at a protest in Washington. Mary Kay Henry, president of the SEIU, sent out emails to all her members nationwide to encourage them to attend protests inspired by Occupy Wall St., like Occupy Corpus Christi.
Another way unions are showing their support is through donations. One of AFSCME's local unions in Wisconsin made a large donation to a pizzeria in New York, Liberatos Pizza, so the protesters on Wall St. could be fed.
Unions have been talking about the increasing disparity in income between the wealthiest and everyone else, the lack of good-paying jobs for a long, long time. Sometimes people and their cities are blinded by large corporations coming to town to open up a branch of their business. They think great we are growing, but if all the corporation or business is offering is low paying jobs with outrageously high priced health care and benefits, are they really doing the community any good? Or are they only making themselves richer off the labor of the under paid and over worked?
Unions and Labor have pitched in on the political scene as well. Last Thursday Mr. Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, released a criticizing statement of New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Mayor Bloomberg planned to clear Zuccotti Park by force. Mr. Trumka was quoted as saying "Mayor Bloomberg runs the risk of standing on the wrong side of history. It is clear that what is being threatened in Zuccotti Park is nothing but silencing the voices and stomping out the rights of Americans." Those are some pretty strong words from the president of one of the nations largest unions.
While unions and the Occupy movement may have the same messages, unions do not want to take over the movement by any means. They are not attempting to be leaders in this at all. This is a grass-roots type of movement, engineered by the people for the people. What unions want to do is mainly in the support role and efforts. Unions are focused on the improving of the economy for all Americans and feel this could be achieved through the Occupy movement. Getting better wages, more jobs, better health care, repairing our educational system, and getting this country back on top are the goals of these unions. If the Occupy movement accomplishes that then they want to help with it.
If you belong to a union or organization, the question becomes do you stand by your fellow brothers and sisters of other unions as they support the cause? Or do you stay silent and watch? The purpose of a union is to use the voices and the power of many to accomplish change for the better of people. So there I guess lies the answer.
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