Labor unions to join Occupy Wall Street

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
10/5/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

The popular protests is gaining followers and momentum despite its lack of leadership.

Multiple labor unions have endorsed the two-week old Occupy Wall Street movement and plan to join the protesters in New York on Wednesday.

Occupy Wall Street is gaining sympathy and popularity across the nation.

Facebook Delicous MySpace

Twitter Stumble Digg

More Destinations

NEW YORK, NY (Catholic Online) - Larry Hanley, international president of the Amalgamated Transit Union told reporters, "it's really simple. These young people on Wall Street are giving voice to many of the problems that working people in America have been confronting over the last several years." Hanley's union has over 20,000 members in the New York area.

He continued, "These young people are speaking for the vast majority of Americans who are frustrated by the bankers and brokers who have profited on the backs of hard-working people. While we battle it out day after day, month after month, the millionaires and billionaires on Wall Street sit by -- untouched -- and lecture us on the level of our sacrifice."

Jim Gannon, spokesman for the Transport Workers Union Local 100 told reporters that he believed the Occupy Wall Street movement which protests the social inequities in the financial system draws its inspiration from the Arab Spring revolutions in Africa and the middle east. He explained that the protest advances issues that unions typically support.

"Their goals are our goals. They brought a spotlight on issues that we believed in for quite some time now. Wall Street cause the implosion in the first place and is getting away scott-free while workers, transit workers, everybody, is forced to pay for their excesses. These young folks have brought a pretty bright spotlight; it's kind of a natural alliance."

Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, said that he was proud to support the demonstrators. "The way our society is now headed it does not work for 99 percent of people, so what occupy Wall Street started they kept to it and they've been able to create a national conversation that we think should have been going on for years," Mulgrew said.

It is unknown at this time how many union members will take work off Wednesday to join the protests. The demonstrators have been camping in a park in the heart of New York's financial district and they have been calling for people to flood the area for several weeks.

Occupy Wall Street is a large movement made mostly of young Americans in their 20's who experts say are feeling the full brunt of the recession. They are having a difficult time finding work, getting insurance, and generally making ends meet.

The movement shows no signs of abating and in fact, is starting to spread. Supportive demonstrations have already begun in major cities across the United States. While the group has no demands and no leadership, it appears to be very popular, and growing.

What do you think about Occupy Wall Street? Is this a movement the faithful should support, or is it liberalism run amok? Add your comments below.

� 2011, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

- - -

Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Occupy Wall Street, labor unions, protests, popular, Arab Spring

NEWSLETTERS »

Rate This Article

Was this helpful to you? Very Helpful Somewhat Helpful Not Helpful at All

Would you be interested in more articles like this? Yes, I am Interested No, I am not Interested

Rate Article

1 - 10 of 17 Comments

Kevin
1 year ago
The occupy movement may have been hijacked. I am not sure the OM has ever branded themselves, and must admit that i am not fully informed.

This Catholic Online article is disappointing to me due to it 'one-sided' tone. First, I tend to blame all involved in this greed party known as the 'bubble.' To single-out only the bad-actors on Wall Street is unfair. To use the labor union spokespeople discredits the article's author as these folks certainly have some bad-actors and culpability in the cause of the 2008 burst.

What I have learned about the burst is upsetting. I wish to focus on how we as a Church, communuty, County, and human race can move forward for the benefit of future generations. I would be interested in learing if a true Catholic-based organized labor union could exist to compete with the past and current failed models. Our responsibility is to the individual, dignified and free to work, with the caveat that with no work there shall be no water, food, clothing, or shelter,

I look forward to better articles on this site. God Bless!
christopher massey-lynch
1 year ago
I saw Jesus at the Park near Wall Street yesterday evening,but i did not get a chance to talk to him,because he was hit by a baton and thrown into a police van....which is a shame cos i really wanted to talk to him...
christopher massey-lynch
1 year ago
Your comments appear to be a bit out of date....Its the14th of October now... Is there anyone in the office now???
christopher massey-lynch
1 year ago
May i point out the well researched book by ANTHONY SUTTON called WALL STREET AND THE RISE OF HITLER.......may i remind you that Hitler,also sought out catholic priests and had them thrown into concentration camps,as well as other victims....Today in the USA we see a fascist like corporate state holding power over the United States Of America. The US Media is uniformed and corrupted by Corporate power interests...it does not inform its audience in a fair and informative way...there are some exceptions. Finally let me suggest that Jesus would be in the square in Wall Street right now.. i .have no doubt about it.
My Nguyen
1 year ago
It is so that sad...that those who claimed to be Catholics yet have a lack of sympathy or even the understanding of the core value about social justice.

What ever happen to blessed are the poor ? Apparently that has gone the wayside. The teaching of Jesus just doesn't translate to today's modern Catholics. I thought to be a Christian is to be "Christ-like" I don't recalled Jesus was ever the advocate of the rich.

The frustration of the protestors is not about that people are against corporations. Rather...the discussion of what our society should be. In many ways, tho protestors are speak out against enequally the same discussion about social justice that Jesus had always preach.

I find it sad that people on this Catholic site defending the social inequality.

Apparently,
rich marino
1 year ago
there is no doubt that these protesters and tea- baggers have alot in common.....its washington that has caused these issues...... let not leave anyone out anyone out of the greed....students dont want to pay big bucks...but they want there teachers to be paid well they want to learn in nice building/ to stroll nice landscape campuses../hello it all costs lots of money....where does it come from???? rich people foundations///not some labor unions
yes large corporations...its not your right to a college education//its a gift...
i think if you asked most of the protesters how they supported themselves...they get money from from corporations and /or government handouts

....
Andrew
1 year ago
I don't know why on earth so many Catholics support big money. It makes absolutely no sense at all. I am for the jobless and the poor.
Jacquelyn Jackson
1 year ago
Liberalism gone amok! Christians must be very discerning. This same "spirit" of rebellion who mesmerized millions in the 1960's, has again reared its head from the pit to another generation of "useful idiots".
Sara Palen
1 year ago
Ah yes, the picture-a legislator from my state too has said that Jesus is a socialist. And just how is it that health care is free? Do laborers in the health care field charge us nothing for their fruits of labor? Someone is indeed paying. Was the care Jesus provided in fact free or was it a pearl of great price? (Oh, hey, by the way, how much money is going to that big business conglomerate Planned Parenthood in this plan of socialized medicine? A plan which does not recognize the dignity in all human beings-does not recognize the face of Christ. A plan with rotten fruit on it from the beginning). Is this the plan of Jesus? There are elements in this plan that smack of the betrayer-the one who tried to put the smack-daddy on Jesus because he said he could have been helping the poor. Free choice or forced labor? and these 30 pieces of silver that we are offered (to pay for this free health care)-will it come at a pearl of great price? Just wondering, are there those at the rally that are being deceived, or those that are purposely deceiving?
John Mainhart
1 year ago
Good point , Amy. I forgot myself for a moment. We should pray for them because they may well be well intentioned. I am concerned that this labor union civil unrest is orchestrated but if you love God you will prosper in spite of what happens.

Prev12 Next

Comments submitted must be civil, remain on-topic and not violate any laws including copyright. We reserve the right to delete any comments which are abusive, inappropriate or not constructive to the discussion.

Though we invite robust discussion, we reserve the right to not publish any comment which denigrates the human person, undermines marriage and the family, or advocates for positions which openly oppose the teaching of the Catholic Church.

This is a supervised forum and the Editors of Catholic Online retain the right to direct it.

We also reserve the right to block any commenter for repeated violations. Your email address is required to post, but it will not be published on the site.

We ask that you NOT post your comment more than once. Catholic Online is growing and our ability to review all comments sometimes results in a delay in their publication.

Name *

Email *

Comment *

Send me important information from Catholic Online and it's partners. See Sample

Post Comment