Occupy Atlanta, Unions Getting Together

by Barbara Joye

Some 30 Occupy Atlanta participants showed up on short notice in the pouring  rain at an African American church in one of Atlanta’s poorest neighborhoods on January 21 to take part in a workshop on labor unions, organized by some  of Atlanta’s progressive union activists and Jobs with Justice/DSA member Roger Sikes.

“Occupy Atlanta is usually a diverse crowd in terms of background, skin color and culture. In this case, there was also diversity in the understanding of what a union is. Folks had time to just ask questions, anything, about what this union thing is. On my way out a participant grabbed me and exclaimed: ‘I need to get in a union,’ ” said Sikes.

The latter part of the workshop was dedicated to concrete ways to unite Occupy Atlanta and labor. The announced layoff of 740 union AT&T workers
will be a test of union/Occupy/community strength. February 14th there will be a mass mobilization at an AT&T hub in Atlanta against the layoffs (for
details see http://www.atlantajwj.org/2012/01/blog-post.html)

The choice of venue was significant. Just days before, Occupy Atlanta andRainbow Push had rallied and petitioned to prevent the 108-year-old church
from being evicted by the BBT Bank. In a stunning victory, the bank not only offered a workable loan modification but also pledged to invest in the
community.(for details see <http://occupyatlanta.org/2012/01/17/victory-for-higher-ground-empowerment-center/#.Tx1OaUoZ-Fc> ) Occupy Atlanta has been holding some of its meetings at the church since then.

Atlanta Jobs with Justice members had brought a delegation of Atlanta labor union activists to visit Occupy Atlanta last fall before its eviction from a
downtown park. Since then, JwJ and Occupy activists have been meeting to discuss joint efforts, in particular around foreclosures and evictions, and
Occupy members have joined labor support picket lines.

Barbara Joye is an activist with  Atlanta Democratic Socialists of America.