Labor unions rejected pleas for a general strike.

[Lionessa]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/01/us-usa-occupy-may-idUSBRE8400UV20120501

Other plans for May Day included a march with organized labor starting from New York City's Union Square in the afternoon. In Washington, there were plans to march to the White House.

A text message broadcast late Monday from an Occupy Wall Street address said: "All civilians stand by for GENERAL STRIKE at 08:00. No Work, School, or Shopping. All out in the streets!"

Labor unions rejected pleas for a general strike.

Police in New York declined to say if any unusual security precautions were planned but the city's financial community was making preparations. At the Deutsche Bank building in lower Manhattan, the atrium used for much of the winter as an Occupy meeting spot was closed to the public.

If unions aren't even on the side of the 99% how will this movement ever get enough participation? I'm absolutely flabbergasted with the mood in the country about the 1% that unions are not taking this opportunity to unite with the Occupy/99%ers for the sake of the survival of both groups and all individuals involved.

The bolding is my doing, but it may as well have been bolded for the way it hit me up the side of the head.

[TBF]

1. Will have to wait for some union members to weigh in -

guessing it has to do with this being an election year. Have the major unions endorsed Obama? As far as I'm concerned these are apples and oranges. Movements and electoral politics are two different animals.

[hack89]

2. Unions understand and want political power.

they are as deeply entrenched in our political system as any group can be - I am sure they view OWS as an potential threat.

[TBF]

3. I don't think that's it -

I was thinking more about whether it would be a legal strike or not. OWS is a bourgeoisie movement for the most part at this juncture and I think they've been helpful in raising some class discussion. Whether it gets to the next level and really starts impacting commerce is another matter.

Earlier today I cited this story about the FBI/NYPD questioning activists a couple days ago ---> http://www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/fbi-nypd-made-visited-occupy-activists-in-advance

Occupy has worried the ruling class enough that they are seen as a threat, but I don't know how that is viewed by the heads of the unions and also by union workers (and that answer might vary).

[joshcryer]

9. Union officials can be ousted very easily.

Members need only go to the NLRB and say they are no longer supported (a bunch of verified signatures would suffice, signed by notary) and they can set up their own representation.

The key is that the NLRA made it so that you must give an 90 day notice or something like that for when you planned to strike and that you actually had to outline your reasons, like, you can't strike simply in solidarity to show that one day of not working can send a message.

[hack89]

16. Why do you think the rank and file oppose the leadership?

I don't see a strong OWS and union link.

[doc03]

4. Unions have no strike contracts. It would be an unauthorized

work stopage and the courts would fine the union and/or jail the leaders. In otherwords the fatcat union bosses don't have the ----- to call
a strike. Remember PATCO darn near every union member would have walked out in support but the leaders wouldn't put their neck
on the line. We have been full retreat ever since. We need men like Walter Ruther again.

[2pooped2pop]

5. uAW has teamed with Occupy

a general strike is not going to happen for a long time yet. I think it is illegal for a contracted union to call any strike let alone a general strike. They would face legal problems and probably massive job losses to do so and would need membership approval for it.

they do support occupy and do sometimes march with them. But I think if you see an actual general strike occur, it will be close to the "all hell has broken lose" level and shit will be bad. The unions have a long history of striking and they know when it is feasable and will accomplish their goals and when it will not. You can't just call a general strike and expect them to jump in. They won't. Not yet anyway.

[limpyhobbler]

6. The very first thing we ought to do is repeal the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947

That's the law that makes it illegal for unions to officially participate in a general strike, political strike, or solidarity strike. That's been a price we pay for the legal protections afforded to unions under the NLRA. But there's no reason why it has to be that way.

Repealing those restrictions ought to be the very first thing we do.

[joshcryer]

8. The NLRA itself forbids wildcat strikes so you'd still need Labor Union officials to sign off on it.

And then the Norris–La Guardia Act says that there is no federal injunctive relief if you strike, so in the end, you would all get fired, and there is absolutely no judicial recourse for it.

[limpyhobbler]

10. If Taft-Hartley were repealed, then a Union could vote to join a general strike,

And union officials could sanction it. And it would be legal; the union would not be risking any kind decertification or discipline by the NLRB.

True wildcat strikes would still be unprotected as per the NLRA of 1935, but so what. Union-sanctioned political strikes would be a powerful force for change. We need it imho.

It would be a lot better than what we have now, where if a union wants to join in a general strike, current law makes it impossible for union officials to support it.

Anybody making a list of demands please make sure to add repeal the taft-hartley act to your list.

[joshcryer]

12. Don't get me wrong, I think that's a definite first step!

Just wanted to express the full picture here.

[joshcryer]

7. Wildcat strikes are illegal, unions can't protect you if you do them.

You get fired. It's a long tradition of anti-labor mechanisms the US has set up.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

11. well Fuck them then.

If they can't get beyond "I got mine", then seriously FUCK THEM. Taft-Hartley aside (which IS a genuine legal and operational concern), Occupy is not their political toy when it suits them. Occupy should Never be co-opted by 'em, but rather, if they want to support Occupy then great: but don't expect Occupy to work the same way around. Word up to the big unions: Don't look a gift horse in the mouth; by doing so you are only encouraging the age old criticisms that you have tried to disavow.

[TBF]

13. Maybe read the other comments in the thread before

spouting off.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

14. My apologies.

Sincerely. That was my opinion after 16 beers last night. I won't self delete it though because that would let me off the hook too easy.

[TBF]

15. Occupy and Unions are definitely pretty separate right now -

but that may change at some point in the future. Conditions will dictate as always ... And no worries, everyone makes mistakes - none of us are exempt from that.