Slog
News & ArtsThursday, October 13, 2011
Occupy Labor Leaders, Rallying at Westlake, Urge Unity with Occupy Seattle (And a No Vote on I-1125)
Posted by Eli Sanders on Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 1:10 PM
![Karrsen Brannon-Young: We want as much help as [labor] can give us.](http://www.thestranger.com/images/blogimages/2011/10/13/1318534620-karrsen.jpg "Karrsen Brannon-Young: We want as much help as [labor] can give us.")
- E.S.
- Karrsen Brannon-Young: "We want as much help as [labor] can give us."
"Now you know how we feel," said Jeff Johnson, president of the Washington State Labor Council, telling the few Occupy Wall Street protesters at Westlake this morning that labor, just like them, has been alternately demonized and shrugged off by the powers that be for a long, long time.
He thanked them for focusing Americans on the country's growing wealth gap, and received thanks from the protesters in return.
Karrsen Brannon-Young, elected by the protesters to speak for them at today's union-backed "Rally for Good Jobs," said union support gives the Occupy movement "more legitimacy," and he welcomed the roughly 200 union folks who'd shown up for the sunny mid-morning rally. "We want as much help as they can give us," Brannon-Young, who said he's been at Westlake for five days, told me later. "As much help as anyone can give us."
Brannon-Young said protest leaders would be meeting with union leaders later today to discuss next steps, but that everyone's now looking ahead to the next rally, the National Day of Action on Saturday, at noon, at Westlake. "We're gaining momentum," Brannon-Young said. "Our next goal is to figure out how to appeal to the broader public."
King County Executive Dow Constantine also addressed the crowd, recounting his own family's working class Seattle roots and recalling a time when living wage union jobs were abundant. "A small group of powerful people, public and private, has worked aggressively to steal that dream," Constantine said.
- E.S.
- King County Councilman Larry Phillips, left, with rallying workers.
The crowd cheered: "What do we want? Jobs! When do we want 'em? Now!"
This rally was much more focused on connecting economic frustration to targeted political action than others I've been to at Westalke recently, with speakers repeatedly calling on the crowd to vote against Initiative 1125, which is being bankrolled by wealthy developer and Bellevue Square owner Kemper Freeman. It could delay major state road building projects while also derailing plans for light rail to Bellevue.
Lee Newgent, executive secretary of the Seattle/King County Building & Construction Trades Council, noted that there are more and more working class people in Freeman's Bellevue these days. "How are they getting to Seattle right now?" he asked. "They're taking the bus. How should they be getting to Seattle? They should be taking light rail."
Alluding to Freeman's financial backing of the initiative, and Freeman's longstanding preference for highway construction over light rail construction, Newgent said: "I do not need this Bellevue Mall initiative that, the whole idea behind it is you should be able to drive your car to the mall and load it up with packages and drive it back."
In conclusion, Newgent told the crowd: "Don't just vote No. Vote Hell No!"
David Frieboth, executive secretary of the King County Labor Council, urged everyone—protesters and labor—to stick together going forward. "They're trying to divide us," Frieboth said. "They're trying to get us looking at each other and wondering what the problem is."
There's no time for division, Frieboth said. "Now let's go kick some ass."
- E.S.
- E.S.
- E.S.
- Sara Franklin, of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587.
2
Big Labor and its bosses are part of the 1%. Not the 99%.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44872639/ns/…
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44872639/ns/…
4
Kemper's Bellevue Square has been a strong partner with the building unions. Bellevue Square is a union shop and always has been. Millions of construction dollars and many jobs (all at union wages) are created every day as tenant's come and go and build out their stores at Bellevue Square.
Lincoln Square, Bellevue Place, the Hyatt Regency, The Westin Bellevue are all Kemper Development projects that were built proudly for Kemper by union laborers making good union wages.
Lincoln Square, Bellevue Place, the Hyatt Regency, The Westin Bellevue are all Kemper Development projects that were built proudly for Kemper by union laborers making good union wages.
5
A small group of powerful people, public and private, has worked aggressively to steal that dream...
Holy fucking crap.
The County Executive said that?
I haven't heard a highly paid elected leader say that since...Never.
Dow Constantine moves up a notch (even if he funds charging stations...yuk).
6
If I were an unemployed and struggling under the weight of crushing student loan debt or medical bills, I-1125 would be pretty low on my list of concerns right now.
7
I like what Dow has to say when he makes his monthly visit to kuow. It's like he went into public service to serve the public or something.
8
How many African Americans are in the 99%?
It looks like a pretty white homogenous crowd.
Is the 99% a Racist organization?
It looks like a pretty white homogenous crowd.
Is the 99% a Racist organization?
9
Sean P. @6:
At the state and local level, there's no fight more strongly aligned with the Occupy Wall Street movement and its frustrations than defeating Tim Eyman's I-1125. Along with globalization, the primary reason so many Americans are struggling with student loan debt and medical bills is that we've become an every man for himself society that's incapable of taking collective action for the common good. We wouldn't need an Occupy Wall Street movement now if it weren't be decades of Kemper Freeman zombie economic policies where we try to spite our economic self-interest in the name of economic selfishness.
The sad reality is that the so-called 1%'s biggest enablers over the last few decades have been the so-called 99%. Too many of us would rather be poor and jobless than pay a little more for government or sacrifice a contrived libertarian vision of liberty. Or at least the Kemper Freemans of America are hoping we're too stupid to see that connection.
If I were an unemployed and struggling under the weight of crushing student loan debt or medical bills, I-1125 would be pretty low on my list of concerns right now.
At the state and local level, there's no fight more strongly aligned with the Occupy Wall Street movement and its frustrations than defeating Tim Eyman's I-1125. Along with globalization, the primary reason so many Americans are struggling with student loan debt and medical bills is that we've become an every man for himself society that's incapable of taking collective action for the common good. We wouldn't need an Occupy Wall Street movement now if it weren't be decades of Kemper Freeman zombie economic policies where we try to spite our economic self-interest in the name of economic selfishness.
The sad reality is that the so-called 1%'s biggest enablers over the last few decades have been the so-called 99%. Too many of us would rather be poor and jobless than pay a little more for government or sacrifice a contrived libertarian vision of liberty. Or at least the Kemper Freemans of America are hoping we're too stupid to see that connection.
10
@1&2, agree with 3.
Yeah, you cite these two labor leaders as being among the 1%, but they may not be the same 1% destroying the country. They just fall based on their pension plan within the lable of 1%. not all 1%ers destroy, and not two of 14million union members are the same. So appreciate it if union workers are all not painted with the same brush. 1% vs 99% is a rallying cry, don't confuse the message and target goal of others please.
Yeah, you cite these two labor leaders as being among the 1%, but they may not be the same 1% destroying the country. They just fall based on their pension plan within the lable of 1%. not all 1%ers destroy, and not two of 14million union members are the same. So appreciate it if union workers are all not painted with the same brush. 1% vs 99% is a rallying cry, don't confuse the message and target goal of others please.
11
@1&2, agree with 3.
Yeah, you cite these two labor leaders as being among the 1%, but they may not be the same 1% destroying the country. They just fall based on their pension plan within the lable of 1%. not all 1%ers destroy, and not two of 14million union members are the same. So appreciate it if union workers are all not painted with the same brush. 1% vs 99% is a rallying cry, don't confuse the message and target goal of others please.
Yeah, you cite these two labor leaders as being among the 1%, but they may not be the same 1% destroying the country. They just fall based on their pension plan within the lable of 1%. not all 1%ers destroy, and not two of 14million union members are the same. So appreciate it if union workers are all not painted with the same brush. 1% vs 99% is a rallying cry, don't confuse the message and target goal of others please.
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
SL Letter of the Day: The Tell-Tale Handjob by Dan Savage
-
Foie Gras Tastes Like Cat Food by Callan Berry
-
Cap Hill Is Becoming a Little Like What? by Charles Mudede
-
Pizza Update: Breaking the 5-Minute Barrier by Goldy
-
President Obama Says NSA Spying Is "Transparent" by Paul Constant
-
Slog Bible Study: Leviticus 20:9 by Goldy
-
SL Letter of the Day: Let Me Think... by Dan Savage
-
In Which Peter Steinbrueck Peforms in Blackvoice by Goldy
-
The Daily Show on Poor, Bullied Christians by Paul Constant
-
Egyptian Theatre to Close at the End of This Month by Paul Constant
Stranger Personals
The Stranger
RSSSeattle Art & Performance Quarterly
A complete guide to Seattle's current art, film, dance, and theater season.
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (11) RSS