Occupy Wall Street Wins Labor's Love

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.truth-out.org/occupy-wall-street-wins-labors-love/1318528004

Thursday 13 October 2011
by: Michael Winship, Truthout | Op-Ed

Early last Friday morning, as the Occupy Wall Street protesters were just uncurling from their sleeping bags, I went downtown for a walkthrough of their campsite at Zuccotti Park, now also known as Liberty Plaza. I met up there with AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka and New York City Central Labor Council President Vincent Alvarez. (I'm president of an AFL-CIO affiliated union.)


AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka visits Occupy Wall Street protesters in Manhattan's financial district accompanied by Writers Guild East President Michael Winship (left). (Photo: Pat Ivers)

There were just a few of us in our group, and as the sun burned through the dawn's chill, not much attention was paid as we took the tour. We kept our voices low and walked carefully, doing our best to keep from tripping over and waking those who were still asleep

One or two reporters hooked up with us, not including the kid you may have seen with the fake cardboard Fox News camera and microphone, who tossed out questions as he walked along behind us. That was the extent of the media coverage.

Every once in a while someone would ask who Trumka was and he would stop and chat. At the end of our visit, he sat with a group at the west end of the park, across from ground zero, and quietly offered encouragement, discussing strategy, goals and on a practical level, the essentials needed to keep the protest going.

FULL story at link.

[roguevalley]

1. awesome