What Occupy taught the unions

By Owen Paine on Thursday February 9, 2012 08:17 PM

http://www.salon.com/2012/02/02/occupys_challenge_to_big_labor/singleton/


"...last year, organized labor realized that its days were numbered unless it took a different approach. So it went back to basics.

"Across the country unions threw resources into community organizing, aiming to build a broad-based constituency outside of the workplace for progressive politics. In cities like Chicago, Philadelphia and Portland, Ore., newly formed community groups found ready support for organizing around issues of economic justice, but they were stymied by a national debate dominated by voices blaming government spending for an economic crisis caused by Wall Street."

"Occupy Wall Street changed that."

" It flipped the debate from austerity to inequality, uncorked a wellspring of creative energy and started taking creative risks that unions typically shun."

" Within weeks unions adopted the 99 percent versus the 1 percent and started organizing actions under the Occupy banner."

a homeric roll call of local union-occ co-labs follows

worth a speed read at least

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