Building an effective relationship between the Occupy Movement and the Labor Movement is essential for creating a vibrant progressive social movement in 2012 and beyond. Talking Union is starting a new “Labor and Occupy” page with links to Talking Union blog posts by its editors and bloggers.
We will also be citing or cross-posting the best articles we discover on other blog sites. An excellent example is an Alternet interview of Stephen Lerner by Sarah Jaffe, How We Can Mobilize to be the Greedy 1%s Worst Nightmare .
The process of building relations between Occupy and Labor Movements will not be smooth or without controversies. The different organizational structures guarantee that there will be frictions and mutual misunderstandings, as in the case of the Occupy the Ports actions on the West Coast. This is not necessarily negative. A broad and genuine social movement like that of the 99% must generate such contradictions. Talking Union hopes to make a modest contribution to maintaining open lines of communication that will help transcend these tensions.
We list below some 32 previous articles we posted over the last few months on Talking Union show how throughout the country Occupy activists are joining labor and community groups in specific militant actions in support of threatened workers and communities.
Occupy Wall Street’s Next Steps
Occupiers join Teamsters in slamming Sotheby’s lockout
Solidarity Divided: Occupy Protesters Shut Down Ports Without Union’s Support
The 99 Percent Takes Office: Lessons From a Rhode Island Special Election
Talking Turkey with Your Loved Ones: Making Sense of the 99% Movement over the Holidays
Occupy Wall Street: Seattle Redux?
International Unions Support “Occupy” Movement
Nov.17. Find a bridge near you to occupy
Sheet Metal Workers Opposes Eviction of Peaceful Protestors
Raids on Occupy Protesters “Inexcusable,”
Temple YDS Helps Shows Eric Cantor the Door
Occupy Wall Street and America’s Democratic Tradition
It’s hard to hate these occupiers
Nurses Condemn Chicago Mayor Emanuel for Arrest Of Nurses, Medical Volunteers at Occupy Chicago
Let’s Meet the 99 Percent Where They’re at
Senator Bernie Sanders on Occupy Wall Street
Labor and Occupied Wall Street
Labor Occupies Wall Street, But Democrats Go in Reverse
What Role for Labor in the Progressive Uprising? A Conversation With Stephen Lerner
Workers mobilize to demand decent jobs – Action in 60 countries
Nurses Bring Main Street Contract to Occupy Boston
Jewish Labor Committee in Support of Occupy Wall Street
Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka On Occupy Wall Street
Communications Workers of America Endorses Occupy Wall Street Movement
Next Up Summit Supports Occupy Wall Street Protests
I am VERY interested in this. I’ve been thinking about Occupy and the Labor movement a lot. My name is Jim Lair Beard. I actually sent a twitter story earlier in the day to you essentially about the privitization of the first amendment. I’ll leave my info below. Thanks.