200 protesting construction workers burst into private mortgage bankers conference. The bankers fled

[Better Believe It]

Union Members Disrupt Mortgage Banksters Meeting in DC (VIDEO)
By: Michael Whitney
January 19, 2011

Awesome activism from members of the Sheetmetal Workers union (SMWIA), 200 of whom burst into a private meeting of mortgage bankers to protest layoffs by a homebuilding company that got a $900 million in federal funds intended for job creation. The banksters fled the scene, though one said he would have engaged the workers if they had “worn a suit.”

The protest — aimed at the Pulte Group, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders — quickly turned into a scrum as workers wearing hardhats and shouting through bullhorns overwhelmed the security staff at the JW Marriott, bursting into a crowded conference room before a stunned crowd of bankers.

Shouting “Where are the jobs?” and “Where is the money?” the protesters from the Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association and the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, many in overalls and helmets, said taxpayers have provided $900 million in tax breaks to Pulte with the aim of creating jobs. They said they haven’t seen the results they were promised.

Hilariously, the banksters fled. Scared of the little people, obviously.

http://workinprogress.firedoglake.com/2011/01/19/union-members-disrupt-mortgage-banksters-meeting-in-dc-video/






This Is What It Looks Like When We Fight Back!
by PaulVA
January 19, 2011

Earlier today, about 200 union members from the Sheet Metal Workers International Association and International Union of Painters and Allied Trades broke into a conference held by the Mortgage Bankers' Association to ask what was done with a little known taxpayer financed giveaway that homebuilders like PulteGroup, for example, used to spend $900 million to acquire land rather than create jobs. As you can see from the video below, the mortgage brokers and executives seemed to be SHOCKED that a group of people would even dare break into their conference.

View video of protest here (via CNBC):
http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232/?video=1752104686&play=1

In 2009, PulteGroup and other homebuilders lobbied for new legislation that would allow an extension of the net operating loss (NOL) carry back. In November 2009, their lobbying efforts paid off.

.... in 2009, an investment analyst from Barclays Capital asked Pulte's CEO what the company's priorities were for allocating their cash, which after the tax refund would be close to $3 billion in cash. In his response, CFO Roger Cregg mentioned land, land acquisition, and debt restructuring - but not job creation.

On November 3, 2010, Putle's CEO announced "approximately $7 million for employee severance and related cost, associated with organizational changes and operations realignment implemented during the quarter." Just recently, Pulte laid off another 350 workers at a plant in Phoenix, AZ.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2011/1/19/937376/-This-Is-What-It-Looks-Like-When-We-Fight-Back!

Workers demanding justice from Pulte, Del Webb, and Divosta construction subcontractors were shocked when the well-know homebuilder began directing its water truck drivers to repeatedly douse workers with high-pressure water. Workers, with dripping clothes and soggy shoes, maintained their calm and continued their peaceful demonstration even as they counted up to 16 separate water assaults in one day.

Video of Workers Getting Doused by Water Trucks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml00gVWhSGY

[Hannah Bell]

1. good for them.

Tucked within the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009 (WHBA) was a tax carry-back provision.

It allows homebuilders to count the losses of 2008 and 2009 against taxes paid up to 5 years ago—during their peak profit years.

In short, the act allowed for a big tax refund pay-off for big builders, particularly the biggest of them all, PulteGroup.

During PulteGroup’s fourth quarter 2009 earnings call, the company announced that it expected a tax refund of approximately $955 million, $917 million of which would come from the tax loss carry back .

Several months later, PulteGroup received $880 million in tax refunds for 2009 thanks to the net operating loss (NOL) tax carry back provision of the Act.

The WHBA Act was intended by Congress and President Obama as a job creation measure.

The fact sheet on the legislation stated, “Today President Obama signed legislation to help create jobs by providing tax cuts for homebuyers and businesses, while providing much-needed support for workers who are still struggling to find jobs.”

Later in 2009, an investment analyst from Barclays Capital asked Pulte’s CEO what the company’s priorities were for allocating their cash, which after the tax refund would be close to $3 billion in cash. In his response, CFO Roger Cregg mentioned land, land acquisition, and debt restructuring – but not job creation.

[BobbyBoring]

54. This needs to happen every day

Only when these people start fearing for their lives and safety will things change. A tip of the hard hat to these guys.

We have ALL BEEN ROBBED! We have lost nearly $500,000 in equity in the past 2 years. Hyper inflation is starting to rear its ugly head. Services are being cut in every sector. It's time to start making people afraid, very afraid~

[Lorien]

75. "Them" needs to be "Us"

Let's stop waiting for "others" to take action!

[Catherina]

2. Good for them. We need more of this.

:rofl:

[Scruffy1]

3. You can't make this stuff up.

They will only listen if you are wearing a suit and have a bag of money. Funny how the money only flows one way.

[Starry Messenger]

8. omfg.

You can practically hear the guy polishing his monocle. Is there any wonder why they are called the "ruling class", lol.

[maryf]

88. Idiots rule!

will make it easier for us! ;)

[drm604]

4. Maybe 200 of them should show up in suits.

Then we'll see whether or not that banker keeps his word or runs away again.

[Better Believe It]

6. Unless they are tailor made suits they will run away!

[chill_wind]

29. +1

[pacalo]

5. Way to go, guys!

:toast:

[Canuckistanian]

7. Hey, banksters!

There's more of us than there are of you.

Just sayin'

[jwirr]

36. And banks are very visible. I admire these workers and what they

did. Old time activism. However, remember the Pinkerton's. I suspect the armed guards will be told to use force the next time. We must fight back especially when they take our tax money and do not use it for what it is meant for. That is theft and the law is doing nothing about it.

[cornflake_31]

45. Been sayin the same thing

It starts with water trucks. The armed guards are next.

[Le Taz Hot]

86. In the Age of Instant Information,

THAT would be a PR nightmare. They used to be able to get away with shit like that. At the most there MAY have been a newspaper photog there. Was true as "recently" as Kent State. Only stills.

[rhett o rick]

9. Now we are talking. nm

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. And so it begins...slowly

But it does

[socialist_n_TN]

13. So you noticed the headline nadin?............

"This Is What It Looks Like When We Fight Back" We're seeing some things that some of us have said on DU for a while now. Class consciousness baby!

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. History has definite echoes

In a nation that looks forwards well they're louder.

And yes, we've said it.

[CanonRay]

22. But, but, this is class war!

because we're fighting back for a change. :toast:

[socialist_n_TN]

24. Yep, it's the BEGINNINGS of class war...........

At least it's not an overwhelming class massacre when things like this can happen. :)

[socialist_n_TN]

11. This is about the third time I've seen this subject............

posted. And I'm happy to kick it EVERY FUCKING TIME! :)

And that was an unbelievable comment about the "showing up in suits". These dicks wouldn't know REAL work if it kicked them in the ass,

[jwirr]

37. "Oh, dear bankster, I need a loan." "What for?" "I need to buy a

suit, so I can talk to you."

There is only two men in my entire family who even own a suit. This was the biggest insult of all. That banker was a fool.

[handmade34]

76. "...wouldn't know REAL work if it kicked them in the ass..,"

Yah! time for thes people to actual work for a living... not make money from money

[SalviaBlue]

12. This is encouraging.

[Odin2005]

14. WOOOOOT!!!

:woohoo:

[Raksha]

15. We need more of this...a LOT more!!! K & R

[saras]

17. A suit, huh? That's all it takes?

Get your suits here

http://www.afmo.com/

[handmade34]

77. nah... we will fight them smart, not violently

maybe...

http://beesuitscheap.com/?gclid=CLbKqPGyyqYCFQTNKgod1G0AJA

[Agony]

18. CNBC "Really had nothing to do with the mortgage bankers" ... What were YOU thinking?

There's our liberal media for ya'

[jotsy]

34. That line got my attention too.

So I spent a spell tracking a few peripherals.

The list of officers on the 'investor relations' page at Pulte Group's website.
<http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=77968&p=irol-govBoard>

And their Mortgage Banker's Association counterparts.
<http://www.mbaa.org/AboutMBA/GovernanceandManagement/Officers>

Big names on both lists. Click back to the homepage of the second link if time provides. They've got other events coming up and there is an archive of dialog regarding this mess they helped to make, which include advising the Obama administration initial months.

A rec for the OP.

[onethatcares]

53. I heard that part too, like the mortgage bankers were the good guys

in this depression and were trying to find jobs for those workers.

I have nothing but admiration for these men.

[Warren DeMontague]

19. Because it's not "real work" if you don't wear a suit to do it.

Probably good for those dudes to see how the other half -sorry, 99.998%- lives.

[skepticscott]

58. There are far more people who have the opposite opinion,

that if you wear a suit to do something, it's not "real work"

[Warren DeMontague]

70. That was kind of my point. nt

[bread_and_roses]

20. YES! Go go go! More of this!

I missed other postings of this mentioned above - happy to K&R and keep it up - and I hope this is a sign of more to come and not just an outburst!

[malaise]

21. That's coming for all of them across the globe

Working people will not tolerate this exploitation and theft.

[HughBeaumont]

23. This post should get 3000 recs. And I'm not kidding.

More of this, PLEASE, American workers. It may not be long before they completely take over. The ruling class will never get the point unless they're running for their lives.

[socialist_n_TN]

25. Yep. The capitalist class is ONLY under control.............

if they're a little (or a lot) frightened. And yes, I HATE that I have to say that and yes, I realize how it looks. But I don't back off from the comment because it's the TRUTH. They've tried to massacre the middle and lower classes for 30 years BECAUSE THERE WEREN'T ANY CONSEQUENCES FOR THE DESTRUCTION. IOW, they weren't scared of us.

[HughBeaumont]

26. They have no reason to be.

Vote Republican - Corporations and the wealthy are firmly in control.
Vote Democratic - Hah! Corporations and the wealthy are STILL firmly in control. And your prices just went up! What do you think of THAT?

What I admire most about this action is that the workers DID NOT STOP for the security guards, which most protestors seem to do. People need to stop being AFRAID. More boardrooms need to be burst into and several people in the group need to videotape every second. Remember the Portland police singling out protestors in full view on camera? We need to use THEIR tactics against them.

[TBF]

78. +1 nt

[raccoon]

32. Wish I could rec YOUR post as well. nt

[chervilant]

27. OMG!

Who is Diana Olick?! Does this mealy-mouthed dissembler REALLY think that the hoi polloi, including these brave protesters, believe this "really had nothing to do with the mortgage bankers"?!

"...kind of overpowered"?!? Did she get her journalism degree from Podunk U?

Here's disaster capitalism writ large, folks. The uber wealthy get wealthier and the poor get ever poorer. For those of you unfamiliar with disaster capitalism: Uncle Miltie warned that we'd have to endure 'a little pain' in order to reap the benefits of a 'free market' society. Read Naomi Klein's Shock Doctrine to appreciate the "little pains" that disaster capitalism has inflicted on the hoi polloi around the world. Only the wealthy are reaping benefits from this ginormous ponzi scheme.

What this glib, narcissistic, persuasive little man actually unleashed on the world is radical income inequity. AND, the uber wealthy actually expect their filthy lucre to protect them from the inevitable upheaval when the hoi polloi are angry enough to rise up against them. Well, the wealth of an entire nation did not protect the French aristocracy...

[Edweird]

28. Enthusiastic K&R

[chill_wind]

30. K & R.

[decidedlyso]

31. Excellent!!!! Soon there will be no place for them to hide.

[femrap]

33. So Pulte, etc.

just pocketed the money? Where are the lawyers? Get them in court and hit them where it hurts....their pocketbooks.

eta: I really hate Banksters and Corporate boyz.

[truedelphi]

35. Someone should explain to the "wear a suit guy" - The bankers wear their suits

While they devote their lives to following odious and criminal practices. And while the top bankers -- that is, the Geithner/Bernanke Duo shovel eleven to thirty trillion dollars out the back door of the Fed to the arms of the Top Bankers.

People doing an honest day's work often don't wear the clown suits -oops, the three piece suits.

And if we were still a nation of laws that followed the wishes of Lady Justice, some of these bankers would be wearing striped suits, or orange ones!

[underseasurveyor]

38. I bet there were numerous suits being dropped off at the cleaners

the following day :evilgrin:

[Better Believe It]

39. Depends.

:)

[underseasurveyor]

42. BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

:rofl:
Laughing My ASS Off :thumbsup:

[droidamus2]

40. That's great

I was just thinking the other day that unions needed to get back to the days where they didn't take crap from anybody (1930's ?). Not that I advocate violence but there was a time in this country when crossing a union could get you hurt. I am sure they could come up with someway, like the one mentioned here, to be stridently activist without having to resort to violence.

[mistertrickster]

41. Finally, working folks are figuring out who their enemies are.

It's not latte-sipping grunge rockers. It's not Volvo-driving environmentalists.

It's the freaking RICH speculators.

[Marnie]

43. Union Prez for POTUS. Well probably not,

but I truly seriously think the nation's unions, at least the largest dozen or so, teachers, nurses, UAW, Teamsters, Dock Workers, etc., need to pick a candidate for POTUS put that candidate into the primaries and really support that candidate into and through the whole nomination process.

Don't give in don't compromise, send a strong hard message to the Democrats and the Republicans as well as big business.
America is about it's working people and their families and their futures. No nation survives with out a strong middle class, no economy can survive without a strong middle class, no war can be fought won without a strong middle class.
(Dictatorhips are an exception for a while but look where the USSR and China are today?)

[Dappleganger]

49. Great post, I agree.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Thunderstruck]

44. I am an SMWIA member...

Bravo to my fellow SMWIA brothers. You always make me proud, especially on the job site.

[jdadd]

47. Former SMWIA member Here....

Bravo from me too.....Shut er down Brothers!!!!:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Thunderstruck]

52. Guess I'm gonna have to buy a suit, lol.

At least that way I can see what their next excuse will be.

[jdadd]

64. Better take you'r hard hat.....

In case the banksters have Goons posted at the door of their meeting.... LOL

[Jakes Progress]

46. Life from now on.

I get the feeling the banksters and wall street people know they are in for it. They know what they have been doing and fear the coming retribution. They know that riots and burning buildings seem to be in our future and that they are the ones who created this mess. Too bad our politicians are on their side.

[Dappleganger]

48. EVERY DAMN DAY...

these headlines should be up here every single damn day!!!


The American worker is tired of being thrown under the fucking bus in favor of these corpoRATS!!

[catzies]

50. WHERE was this? Pulte built my parents' condo development in JAX FL. n/t

[deutsey]

51. I've never understood the big deal some people make about suits

As if wearing one magically makes you credible or serious somehow. Watch any news program and all you'll see are people in suits (the "reporters" as well as politicians, corporate spokespeople, etc.), but very little credibility and few people worth taking seriously, as far as I can see.

What's always baffled me too are things like "power ties." WTF? It's just a damn piece of cloth tied around your neck.

But back to the whole suit thing: I remember I took a class once and one of my fellow classmates was married to a Republican representative. I'm not sure why we got on this topic, but I remember her saying she thought the loss of civility (this was back in the mid-'90s) was directly related to casual Fridays in the workplace. She felt if more people just wore suits society would be more civil.

Weird.

[mwrguy]

55. Kick their asses!!!

The banksters, that is.

[Blue Owl]

56. sweet!

Kudos to these protesters.

[earth mom]

57. I LOVE these guys!

:loveya:

[Zoeisright]

59. And so the cycle repeats. This is just what workers faced after World War II.

Threats and violence and murder from the wealthy corporations and CEOs. Nothing ever changes.

[valerief]

60. Bravo! I wonder if this will get any M$M airtime. nt

[Octafish]

61. Wear a suit to intimidate one.

Banksters are scared of something, all right.

[nilram]

62. "asked a question without making a scene"

As if they would be let in the door any other way, or given an audience if they just asked nicely. Jeeze.

[CubicleGuy]

63. Hmmm. What happens next time?

Water trucks, I presume, can always be loaded up with something slightly more caustic next time. Evidently, simple water wasn't enough to discourage those who were being doused.

It'll be interesting to see what happens next time.

[louis-t]

65. Good job, I hope they soiled their $1,000 suits.

Talk about arrogant: "I would have talked to them if they had worn suits" is just ignorant.

[ZombieHorde]

66. Awesome.nt

[mia]

67. Love it just from the title. n/t

[rasputinkhlyst]

68. MORE MORE MORE

This is the kind of activism that is needed to be showed again and again on every news channel and discussed daily until those who should create the jobs either close the deficit with the cash they are hording OR until they create the jobs to generate the taxes etc., that close the deficit. THE PARTY IS OVER!!!

[lonestarnot]

69. NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALK'N ABOUT!

SOME BALLS! :patriot:

[Beartracks]

83. Huge wrecking balls, apparently! n/t

[Toucano]

71. Please don't "make a scene" people!

That's the mortgage bankers' association's job: to leave a scene of economic ruin, destruction and poverty in their greedy and relentless pursuit of MORE!

Don't make a scene...the never of these people amazes me.

As if asking where our money has gone is "making a scene..."

Fuck them bastards.

[mdmc]

72. r

[RB TexLa]

73. Why would there be any expectation that the tax savings would be used in any specific way?

[butterfly77]

74. Kick,kick,kick &recommended!

Now that's what I'm talking about!:kick: :kick: :kick:

[TBF]

79. Solidarity. nt

[handmade34]

80. power in numbers

and committment... Want to see much more of this. I'm ready!

[lordsummerisle]

81. K&R n/t

[myrna minx]

82. K&R n/t

[midnight]

84. We need to see more of this....and not less.

These angry white, and black men have children to feed, and can't because the banks will not release the funds to keep America working....

[steve2470]

85. k and r nt

[blindpig]

87. There is the hope for our future.

Stand up, never give up an inch, the world is ours, not theirs.

Solidarity.

[maryf]

89. Kick!!

thanks for the good report.

[socialist_n_TN]

90. Another kick. I want this to stay on the front page.............

as long as possible as a shining example of REAL working class solidarity and consciousness.