The
New York Times' Steven Greenhouse reports on
how the exchange of ideas and energy and resources is developing between unions and Occupy Wall Street. Unions are in some cases turning to more aggressive tactics, whether it's the individual union members who were recently arrested for civil disobedience at Sotheby's where Teamsters who work as art handlers are currently locked out of their jobs or union public relations departments learning from Occupy Wall Street's use of social media. Not only that, they're embracing the new movement's message:
A memo that the A.F.L.-C.I.O. sent out last week recommended that unions use the Occupy message about inequality and the 99 percent far more in their communications with members, employers and voters. [...]
“We think the Occupy movement has given voice to something very basic about what’s going on in our country right now,” said Damon Silvers, the A.F.L.-C.I.O.’s policy director. “The fact that they’ve figured out certain concepts and language for doing that, we think is really important and positive.”
At the same time, unions continue to provide material resources—not just cash but the use of showers in union buildings, first aid help and an added voice to discourage politicians from trying to shut down protests. Local union campaigns in cities across the country are an opportunity for Occupy Wall Street protesters to join ongoing struggles, to connect with allies and to demonstrate how pervasive the divide between the 99 percent and the 1 percent is in this country.
What's so spectacular about this collaboration is that there doesn't seem to be an attempt to impose a one-size-fits-all model onto the relationship. The interactions vary from place to place, guided both by the differences in local outposts of the Occupy movement and by the union presence and campaigns ongoing in different locations, preserving not only the independence of Occupy Wall Street, but the potential for creativity and flexibility on all sides. It's just so exciting to watch where this is going.