OCCUPY WALL STREET

[atomiczombie]

[ruffryder]

12/12 West Coast port shutdown.. from CA to WA.

Protesting “Wall Street on the Waterfront.”

Organizers say the shutdown will focus public attention on how the 1% use the ports, international trade, and even the spirit of Christmas to profit off the 99%.

“One way that the 1% amasses wealth is through the ports.
“Shut Down Wall Street on the Waterfront is a coordinated effort from the occupy movement to target the corporations that contribute to the vast inequality of wealth and power in our economic system.”

“The rank and file of the labor movement not only supports the occupy movement, but are a part of the occupy movement. Organized and unorganized working people are struggling to keep their homes and their jobs, while the 1% reaps record profits,” says Kathryn Cates, one of the organizers, “Because the holiday season has been exploited by the 1% to make money off working people, December is a peak business time for the ports and the wealthiest corporations. On December 12 we will show that the holidays are about family & community not profits and exploitation.”

The longshoreman’s union, representing many port workers, has historically not crossed picket lines, community or otherwise.

As of December 5th, nine West Coast occupations have responded to the call to shut down Wall Street on the Waterfront, including Occupy LA/Long Beach, Occupy San Diego, Occupy Tacoma, Occupy Seattle, Occupy Anchorage and Occupy Oakland.

West Coast Shutdown info can be found at shutdowntheport.com.

This action was approved by the Occupy Portland General Assembly on November 26, 2011

[ruffryder]

looks like progress in FL..

ORLANDO -- Hundreds of people, from 16 different cities, were in Orlando this weekend for the first state-wide Occupy Wall Street event.

For months they've occupied city parks across the state.

However, protesters with the Occupy movement have grown tired of just sitting around.

"It resolves nothing to just protest,” says protester, Valerie Cepero. “If you don't have a goal, then how do you know you've made any progress?"

This weekend, protesters worked to develop a list of objectives they hope can pass as legislation. They divided up into small groups and made a list of issues that are important to them.

"We demand our state legislator to pass a non-binding resolution to support the overturning of Citizens United VIPC,” said the moderator of one of the groups.

The issues ranged from insurance, to foreclosures, to elections. One proposal asks that elections be held during the weekend.

"I don't think there's any good reason why an election needs to be on a week day when the people that are most affected by this legislation are not going to be able to take off of work," Cepero said.

Once the groups finished listing their proposals, they presented them to the general assembly. By a show of hands, the group voted for or against each item.

"About five or six items will go on our final list of objectives," Cepero said.

That final list will be delivered to state legislators in Tallahassee January 10.

Members of Occupy Orlando said the gathering would also help to pull the attention away from recent incidents involving law enforcement at Beth Johnson Park near lake Ivanhoe.

Earlier this week, five protesters were arrested charged for trespassing and resisting arrest after code enforcement officers handed out warnings asking demonstrators to take their belongings out of the park and sidewalk. In total at least 45 demonstrators have been arrested since the Occupy Orlando movement began.

Sunday afternoon, protesters told News 13 they would be evicted from the park at midnight. Orlando Police denied the allegations.

http://www.cfnews13.com/

[Corkey]

Well I hate to tell them but employers are required to give employees time off to vote if their work day is between pole hours. Otherwise it can be done before or after work. Weekend elections are a really bad idea if one wants people to actually get to the poles.

[MsMerrick]

Originally Posted by Corkey

Well I hate to tell them but employers are required to give employees time off to vote if their work day is between pole hours. Otherwise it can be done before or after work. Weekend elections are a really bad idea if one wants people to actually get to the poles.

Sure and how many people risk their boss's ire, to ask for that time off? In these times when you can easily lose your job ? How easy is it to vote before or after work when you work a long day and live someplace where the lines are long to vote? Election Day use to be a day off or a half day off, now it isn't. I think the point is to encourage people to vote not to make it harder... Personally I wouldn't mind if we had Australia's system, where you are required to vote, or you get fined.... And there already are places you can vote early.. which Florida did away with, so you cna vote the weekend before, why isn't that a great idea? Cuts down on lines the actual day and..whats wrong with it ? Whats the down side of more people voting? Well except for the Republicans, who win less elections, when more people vote...

[Corkey]

Originally Posted by MsMerrick

Sure and how many people risk their boss's ire, to ask for that time off? In these times when you can easily lose your job ? How easy is it to vote before or after work when you work a long day and live someplace where the lines are long to vote? Election Day use to be a day off or a half day off, now it isn't. I think the point is to encourage people to vote not to make it harder... Personally I wouldn't mind if we had Australia's system, where you are required to vote, or you get fined.... And there already are places you can vote early.. which Florida did away with, so you cna vote the weekend before, why isn't that a great idea? Cuts down on lines the actual day and..whats wrong with it ? Whats the down side of more people voting? Well except for the Republicans, who win less elections, when more people vote...

It's the law, they have to let one vote if they are working during voting hours. Granted not that many work 12 hour shifts except nurses, EMT's, police and Fire, military, but it is the law and one can not be fired.

[ruffryder]

Originally Posted by Corkey

It's the law, they have to let one vote if they are working during voting hours. Granted not that many work 12 hour shifts except nurses, EMT's, police and Fire, military, but it is the law and one can not be fired.

There's a lot of laws regarding employer/employee but a lot of people still do not want to speak up about their rights and what is the law at work for fear of being reprimanded and/or fired. People get fired for shit all the time that employers shouldn't fire people for and they say it's something else for the reason. This is what some Occupy protestors are trying to change with this law on voting, so it's not directed around or by work and they have the freedom to vote when they want to at their leisure and at peace.