There’s been a bit of “Thanks, but no thanks!” going on between the #OWS movement and unions (primarily, the ILWU) over the last couple of weeks. The issue has been whether or not the port shut down that took place on Monday would be helpful or hurtful to “the 99%.”

In a December 6, open letter, ILWU Robert McEllrath wrote that “there is a real danger that forces outside of the ILWU will attempt to adopt our struggle as their own.” And, that is exactly what the #OWS organizers tried to do on Monday.

To union members who missed a day’s worth of wages, the shut down appears to have caused more harm than good, which apparently prompted the ILWU in Portland to ask the #Occupiers to leave last night.

After an appeal by union leaders tonight, Occupy Portland protesters agreed to end their picket outside a Schnitzer Steel plant in North Portland.

Officials from the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 8 explained to protesters that union workers in the plant wouldn’t get paid if the protest continued.

“We support the Occupy” movement, said Michael Gardner of the union’s labor relations committee. “We just don’t necessarily agree with shutting down the docks.”

[snip]

Gardner estimated that about 300 people from the union didn’t work and didn’t get paid as a result of Monday’s protests.

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There’s been a bit of “Thanks, but no thanks!” going on between the #OWS movement and unions (primarily, the ILWU) over the last couple of weeks. The issue has been whether or not the port shut down that took place on Monday would be helpful or hurtful to “the 99%.”

In a December 6, open letter, ILWU Robert McEllrath wrote that “there is a real danger that forces outside of the ILWU will attempt to adopt our struggle as their own.” And, that is exactly what the #OWS organizers tried to do on Monday.

To union members who missed a day’s worth of wages, the shut down appears to have caused more harm than good, which apparently prompted the ILWU in Portland to ask the #Occupiers to leave last night.

After an appeal by union leaders tonight, Occupy Portland protesters agreed to end their picket outside a Schnitzer Steel plant in North Portland.

Officials from the International Longshore & Warehouse Union Local 8 explained to protesters that union workers in the plant wouldn’t get paid if the protest continued.

“We support the Occupy” movement, said Michael Gardner of the union’s labor relations committee. “We just don’t necessarily agree with shutting down the docks.”

[snip]

Gardner estimated that about 300 people from the union didn’t work and didn’t get paid as a result of Monday’s protests.

Read More →