[GPSCC-chat] Occupy movement: 12/12 West Coast Port Blockade

[Wes Rolley]

While I generally agree with the objectives here, I have some concern 
about the fact that the unions seem to be attempting to claim the mantle 
of the 99% and the Occupy Movement and then to retreat to the safety of 
the political power of the Democratic Party.  If you don't believe that 
this is what is happening, then watch the Ed Show on MSNBC for a couple 
of evenings.

It is my experience that Unions use the rhetoric of the 99% while they 
will support anything or any politicians when they think it means a 
bigger membership.  I note the building trade unions who support the 
worst excesses of expanding suburbia or the fact that Unite Here 
supported Republican Richard Pombo for Congress because he wanted to 
privatize our National Parks (more union jobs) or that the Teamsters 
support oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve.

If the Occupy movement can help build toward worker owned enterprises, 
or community based economics, then they will do us all a favor.

If unions support the Ponzi Scheme called economic growth on a finite 
planet, then life on this planet may not be sustainable.

Greens need to be clear that we are adamantly against economic 
exploitation, to oppose it in any way we can, whether that be on the 
basis of wealth, gender, age, etc.  We also need to be clear about what 
the science of ecology tells us will be our future.

On 12/6/2011 8:41 AM, Rob Means wrote:
> As of November 27, 2011, the Occupy movement in every major West Coast 
> port city has joined Occupy Oakland in calling for and organizing a 
> coordinated West Coast Port Blockade and Shutdown on December 12, 
> 2011.  Here is the six-minute video:
> http://www.occupyoakland.org/
>
> "We're shutting down these ports because of the union busting and 
> attacks on the working class by the 1%: the firing of Port truckers 
> organizing at SSA terminals in LA; the attempt to rupture ILWU union 
> jurisdiction in Longview, WA by EGT.  ..."
>
> "We are also striking back against the nationally coordinated attack 
> on the Occupy movement. In response to the police violence and camp 
> evictions against the Occupy movement- This is our coordinated 
> response against the 1%. On December 12th we will show are collective 
> power through pinpointed economic blockade of the 1%."
>
> Each Occupy is organizing plans for a mass mobilization and community 
> pickets to shut down their local Port. The mobilization of over 60,000 
> people that shut down the Port of Oakland during the general strike on 
> November 2, 2011 is the model for the West Coast efforts. Organizers 
> state that a police attempt to disrupt the port blockade or police 
> violence against any city participating will extend duration of the 
> blockade on the entire coast.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.cagreens.org/pipermail/sosfbay-discuss_lists.cagreens.org/attachments/20111206/374e928e/attachment.html>