The Occupations, Public Workers and the General Strike Movement

PANEL DISCUSSION & ORGANIZING MEETING TO BUILD FOR OAKLAND PORT SHUTDOWN 12/12/11

The growing Occupation movement expresses the anger of millions of working people,unemployed and the homeless, youth, students and retirees. It has been built as a democratic vehicle where people can speak out at daily assemblies. The call for a general strike in Oakland and the shutdown on the docks show that direct action has power and the 30,000 people who marched saw their power on the docks.

There are 1.5 million public workers in California from many unions and all are under attack from their working conditions, wages, healthcare and benefits as well as assaults on retirees. Additionally senior workers are being targeted for discharge and transit workers and other workers who speak out for health and safety are being retaliated against and discharged. An epidemic of privatization of public services and education is gaining momentum supported by the politicians that our unions have supported. We need to unite all 1.5 million and take collective action as workers in Europe and around the world have done to defend their rights.

The concession bargaining and give-backs along with reliance on Democratic politicians from Ed Lee, Jean Quan, Jerry Brown and Obama has been a disaster. It is time to unite all public workers and work with the ILWU rank and file and other trade unionists to build a movement for a general strike statewide and nationally along with the formation of a democratic workers party with a real program to deal with this crisis. We need to act and organize now to unite with the Occupy movement and build a democratic labor movement that will fight for all working people.

Sponsored By
United Public Workers For Action UPWA
http://www.upwa.info
(415)867-0628 (510)510-233-5820