When Occupy Wall Street camps first captured the imagination of our country, many of our union sisters and brothers were caught up in the excitement. Many of us camped, visited, joined an occupation’s labor working group, sent food, provided medical assistance or gave first aid training.
Still more of us followed the news about these peaceful demonstrations and saw a moment being created where the problems facing our communities were finally being seriously discussed.
You probably know many of the facts yourself:
One in five children will go to bed hungry tonight. Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other essential public services for working families and retirees are under constant attack. Over 13 million Americans are officially unemployed with millions more underemployed. For young African American men joblessness is an intolerable nearly 40 percent. Our bridges and roads crumble while we wait for out-of-work citizens to be hired to fix them. Immigrant workers live in fear and are too often exploited. No one has gone to jail for the fraud perpetrated on homeowners and the American public.
We regularly speak out about these inequalities and injustices, as have many other concerned Americans who care about the fate of working families. This message hadn’t been getting through.
Occupiers found a way to say the right thing, at the right time, and many more people started tuning in. We’re so glad that you did.
While many union members regularly work on elections as a vehicle to create change in our country, your work proves that change can happen in many different ways and that elections aren’t the only way to change our political system or expand the horizon of what’s possible. And we all know that the issues faced by our families, friends and communities don’t just appear at the start of election season or disappear on Election Day.
The education and organizing done by, and in solidarity with, Occupy Wall Street has made a clear difference.
The participants in your leaderful movement have shone a bright light on the one percent that holds itself above paying their fair share for the society that’s been so good to them. Thank you.
You’ve kindled a fire in people’s hearts for democracy, whether it’s democracy in government or democracy in the workplace. Thank you.
You’ve kindled a fire in people’s hearts for equality, whether it’s equality under the law or equality of opportunity. Thank you.
You’ve inspired us. Thank you.
It’s common for any statement about Occupy Wall Street to end with advice about how to improve. We don’t have any.
You’re innovating constantly. You’re working to bridge hurtful divides among members of the 99 percent. You’ve remained committed to non-violence in trying circumstances.
That’s unstoppable.
That’s why we’re glad to see our union sisters and brothers working with their nearby General Assemblies in support of locally decided needs and goals. Your spirit of independence, participatory democracy and self-determination sets an example for us all.
It will take many hands, many voices and many types of work to build a just world and get America working for everyone’s families.
We look forward to seeing what participants in the Occupy Wall Street movement will contribute to that effort next.
Mary Kay Henry
President, Service Employees International Union