CFT Backs Occupy Wall Street

4 n PERSPECTIVE November 2011 MOVEMENTS CFT backs Occupy Wall Street or several years the CFT has been championing progres- calling for people to show up LONIDIER FRED sive tax policies to address state revenue shortfalls. We have on Wall Street and occupy it announced our intent to go to the state ballot box with a near the end of summer. Oddly F enough, that’s what happened. proposal to boost income tax rates on the rich in November 2012 P to fund public education and services. We have been gaining trac- Not an occupation of the HOTO magnitude of Tahrir Square, tion with our membership, the public, and a growing list of coalition or in the streets of Madison, partners, who recognize that the growing gap between the very rich Wisconsin, earlier this year, al- and the rest of us has been unbalancing our society. though the lessons of both those events clearly played a role in But the attention paid to table conversations, and even setting up what quickly spread these issues due to CFT efforts politicians. from New York to cities across was nothing like what is now the United States. happening in the wake of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Modest credit Occupy Wall Street is thus After thirty years in which the A modest amount of credit can far a rather limited example of public political narrative has be given to Barack Obama, for direct action, if compared with been dominated by anti-tax, coming back around to a 2008 historical precedents like the anti-government, anti-union campaign theme he pushed brief- wave of factory occupations in messages, the game is changing. ly in late 2010 but then let lie the United States in 1937 fol- For weeks it has been difficult to dormant until a couple months lowing the seizure by automo- open a daily newspaper or turn ago: his call to boost tax rates on bile workers of the GM Fisher on the ten o’clock news or go millionaires and billionaires in Body Plant in Flint, Michigan— to your favorite news website order to fund public services. the event that led to unioniza- Jim Miller of San Diego City College, AFT Local 1931, participates in without finding a story or seeing tion of the auto industry. But Occupy San Diego. a picture about “the 1%” and But that wasn’t the game Occupy Wall Street has en- “the 99%.” For the first time changer. Of far greater conse- dured, with hundreds of people in decades, income and wealth quence was a message sent out organizing themselves to sleep, inequality is a major concern by an obscure Canadian media- eat, debate, demonstrate, and Occupy Wall Street has changed what we talk about, of the news media, of kitchen critique magazine, Adbusters, learn together outside in a quasi- public space, Zuccotti Park, in frightened bankers, stockbrokers and hedge fund managers, New York for six weeks as of and reinvigorated labor and community activists hungry California Federation of this writing. The numbers have swelled to for good news in a recession that should have created a Teachers endorses a movement thousands for demonstrations and to defend the square against progressive movement but hadn’t until now. a threatened eviction, much like “The California Federation of Teachers endorses the ‘Occupy the flexible size of CFT’s March Wall Street’ movement. Occupy Wall Street, and its local varia- for California’s Future last year are clear that teachers and other Los Angeles, Oakland, and San tions, represent the legitimate response of the 99% of us as it snaked through the cen- public employees did not crash Francisco. During the recent adversely affected by growing wealth and income inequality tral valley from Bakersfield to the economy with their salaries CFT Council of Classified in America. One percent of the population now owns close to Sacramento over 48 days. More or work rules or pensions—Wall Employees conference, a dozen Street did, with its toxic finan- members accompanied San 40% of the country’s wealth. Each year, the richest one percent importantly, Occupy Wall Street sparked similar occupa- cial derivatives and predatory Diego City College profes- of the population takes in a quarter of the nation’s income, rep- tions/demonstrations through- loan practices. They are clear sor Jim Miller to Occupy San resenting a doubling of the one percent’s share over the past out the United States. Better that as income and wealth has Diego. They presented the oc- twenty years. During this time the wealthy received massive tax than one hundred fifty ongoing accumulated in the top 1% over cupiers with a donation of sev- cuts, both in California and at the federal level, a major cause of occupations have sprung up and the past few decades, and tax eral hundred dollars collected at public budget shortfalls that hurt students, make our streets less kept going. rates have been reduced on that the conference, and Miller read same tiny slice of the popula- the CFT endorsement statement safe, and harm the health of children and seniors. In the process, Occupy Wall tion, our schools, transportation to an enthusiastic reception by Street has changed what we and public health systems, and the crowd. “Instead of investing its newfound wealth in productive enter- talk about, frightened bankers, public safety agencies have been prises in the United States, the top 1% moved it offshore or into stockbrokers and hedge fund pushed into steep decline. Occupiers have reciprocated, financial speculation, which ultimately crashed the economy. managers, and reinvigorated coming out, for instance, to The 1% also took large amounts of this money and poured it labor and community activists The Occupy movement has support San Francisco educators into a public relations effort to blame teachers and other public hungry for good news in a re- projected those ideas into public protesting an education “re- discussion in a big way. As CFT form” conference headlined by servants for the economic problems the 1% created. cession that should have created a progressive movement but president Josh Pechthalt ob- Jeb Bush and Rupert Murdoch served, “The women and men on October 13. “Occupy Wall Street redirects the attention of the public to hadn’t until now. who are participating in Occupy the actual causes of the economic crash and recession and to Wall Street have given voice It remains to be seen where the parties responsible. The California Federation of Teachers What do they want? to the suffering and economic the Occupy movement will go. embraces the call of Occupy Wall Street to raise taxes on the CFT endorsed Occupy Wall uncertainty felt by millions of But even if it goes no further rich, to reregulate the banks, and to enact a financial specula- Street, as have many labor or- Americans. Educators are proud than where it is, it will have tion tax. We encourage our members to participate in the OWS ganizations. That’s because the to stand in solidarity with these made an historic contribution occupiers, of varying opinions principles and this important to raising consciousness about actions in their cities. These actions will help restore public bud- on some issues, are nonethe- movement.” the real problems facing this gets for schools and other vital services, and set our state and less clear that the economy and country. our country back on a road to democracy and prosperity.” the government have not been Over the past few weeks CFT working for you and me—the members have joined in the October 14, 2011 99%—for some time now. They Occupy events in San Diego, By Fred Glass.

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