NEW YORK - Shortly before the massive "Occupy Wall Street" protest kicked off in lower Manhattan Wednesday afternoon, CBS News caught up with Transport Workers Union President John Samuelsen, whose union was among those that had decided to join the cause. Samuelsen, who can be seen in the video at left, was adamant that there wasn't a culture clash between union members and the mostly younger, more culturally liberal demonstrators who initiated the protests.
"The media might want to portray it as a different culture but it's not a different culture, we're all working people, and we're all not the wealthiest people in this country that are really getting a break right now," he said, adding: "There's a pervasive sense of abandonment of working families and working people in this country, these protests are all about that, that's why organized labor has joined in, because that voice is our voice."
Yet once the speeches kicked off, one could have been forgiven for thinking that two different protests happened to be going on at the same time. In the front, union members in matching t-shirts listened to a string of speakers urging corporations to "get their hands out of our pocket." In the back, a drum circle had sprung up; pierced protesters danced and bobbed to the music, ignoring the words coming over the loudspeaker.
To be clear, a wide variety of people gathered in Downtown Manhattan's Foley Square on Wednesday. There was diversity both within the ranks of the union members and within the ranks of the protesters who had been with the movement from the start - not to mention the thousands of unaffiliated people who showed up simply to vent their frustration with an economic system they see as unfair. But there was no denying that the protest marked the uneasy coming together of two different cultures for a common cause - the top-down unions, which tend to operate within the political system, and the bottom-up, leaderless so-called "other 99 percenters" who tend to fully reject it.
For the unions, the success of Occupy Wall Street has been somewhat bittersweet: A bunch of (mostly) kids without a shred of political influence had managed to focus the nation's attention on the very concerns that the unions have long sought to bring to the forefront, with little success. (And they did it in a little more than two weeks, no less.) But the unions that joined up were willing to put that aside if it meant potentially helping jumpstart a real left-wing movement.
Indeed, Samuelsen appeared willing to essentially throw out the union playbook. He described Occupy Wall Street as "a spark that has ignited organized labor to finally bring this fight to the streets -- get it out of the corridors in Albany and the corridors in Washington, D.C., and on to the streets."
"When working families start clogging Broadway, and start clogging the other financial districts in the cities around this country, then the decision makers in this country will finally start to listen," he added.
But that's easier said than done. The Occupy Wall Street protesters proudly proclaim their lack of clear objectives, and protesters have advocated everything from campaign finance reform to an end to fracking to Palestinian statehood; for a labor movement that has long pragmatically pursued concrete goals, integration with that ethos is a significant challenge. If they try to impose top-down messaging on the emerging movement, union leaders realize, they risk destroying or delegitimizing it; if they don't, they fear, their best chance at progress could be lost amid a tidal wave of competing agendas.
In Zuccotti Park, the heart of Occupy Wall Street, many of the protesters acknowledge that their movement is going to have to adopt some sort of structure in order to endure beyond the start of winter, when the cold weather will keep all but the heartiest from continuing their "occupation" of the park. But, understandably, none of them seems to want to be the first to try to impose one, for fear of seeming exclusionary or worse. Instead, they say, they're willing to simply see how it all plays out. For longtime union activists with concrete goals they want desperately to achieve (a tax increase for high-earners, new contracts for transit workers and other union members), that's an enormously frustrating approach, particularly considering how much traction the movement has gained in such a short time. But for now, at least, they're willing to go along for the ride.
These protesters have a right to protest, but they are misguided and misinformed. Their protests should be taking place outside the White House. The high-ranking Wall Street fellows these protesters detest are in bed with Mr. Obama. http://www.opensecrets.org/pres08/contrib.php?cid=N00009638
Shout out to protesters: Life in not fair. Go back to work. If you don't have a job, get a job. Wall Street is not responsible for your misery. You are. When your pity party is over, you will still be jobless and life will still not be fair.
Can't wait until it the cold rain and snow comes and washes and chases away these leftwing idiots who should really be in DC protesting Obama who help bail them out and then took campaign donations from them a couple of months ago.
This has more to do with distracting the voters away from Obama's role in this economic mess and using the phony communist mantra's they have been crying.
It's all been one big Anti-American joke from the losers, moochers and societal misfits who contribute nothing to this country but whine and complain and but are all about handouts.
[I've reposted this as it SEEMS it was removed...what's the matter CB Ass did I strike a nerve?} @Brian ...the reporter. Man, what a piece of journalistic b.s. and you know it. This attempt of yours to divide the people by drawing boxes around them and then painting them different colours is an old, old ploy...how dare you. HOW DARE YOU! Calling the Union as "Top Down...." is collusion with with corporate interests to bust the unions...they represent a lot more than the 1% you identify them with. To call the movement a mass of young people with no clear goal that reject the political system [we reject the economic system and the the manner in which it has invaded the Political system ] is an attempt to deride this, allude to it being a rabble of anarchists and dissuade others from supporting it and especially from joining it...there are a great deal of us older folks that would be there to but we have to go to work every day and a lot of us would be there if we could...and many of us are sending our kids the money to be there as our proxy and especially for themselves. To call this a 'Left Wing' movement is again an attempt to smear workers unions and also to dissuade all others that still have a reactionary affect from hearing those words that are old enough to remember the 'Cold War'...and as far as 'Left Wing' and 'Right Wing' means any more..well, those terms apply to a Democracy...which this country doesn't have any more...it's an Oligarchy. Years ago CBS stood for something as a news source one could believe in...but Walter Cronkite and those days are long gone...as public needs as to the media are changing...and with displays such as this..it won't be long before you, Brian, will be looking for a 'real job'...good luck with that...as the ditch diggers are mostly unionized too...but you can get 'scab' ditch digging jobs for 10 or 12 bucks an hour...no medical...no dental...no paid holidays...and pension...? ...you'll find that word in the dictionary between 'Pap' and 'Pity'.
Who, if any one here, actually benefited from the bailouts and corporate tax loopholes? Did anyone receive employment from Mobile Exxon? Or are the prices at the pump affordable? I can not recall any one in my area that has. Bank of America receiving $50 billion (half BoA and half Merrill Lynch), Were you offered jobs from either, or receive a bailout of your own from them? I sure as hell didn't. But now they want to tack on another $5 for using your debit. Are they just that greedy? Are these banks wanting to lose customers, so that they may tack on more fees or apply for more bailouts. Have you cancelled your BoA account? I did. These are just a few examples to let some of you here see what this is actually about. Fairness!!!
Notice I didn't say Bush, Obama, Left, Conservative, Right, like some folks here like to make as though that is what the story is about. Keep it on the political pages. This is not about politics, it's about Greed.
The 99% people are just tired of paying the bills while the 1% is off crying in tears of laughter that they got a million dollar bonus or more. These people have no clue to even the meaning of charity.
I would join the people in New York, why? because I'm sick of paying my bills and the governments.
Thank you for listening (reading).
Oh, one thing, no reply will be accepted containing any of the political words mentioned above, lol.
Protesters think like Karl Marx -- there is a fixed quantity of wealth and a zero sum game. Take from Rich, give to others, etc.
What they don't understand is that wealth can be created, increased, and everyone benefits. Apple Computer is a good example -- the market for i-products was created by Apple, and has added to the wealth of the USA. He didn't take wealth from others, he created it for many who program, develop, design, merchandise, train, use and benefit from the products and services he created.
Capitalism works because individuals risk their own wealth to create more wealth, these people think capitalism is bad, and think government can make better decisions about wealth creation.
They really need an education, but Obama is the source of all the misinformation with his constant campaigning and class warfare rhetoric.
Have you ever picked tomatoes you moron? Go visit a migrant workers camp - because if you are unwilling to stand up and protect the middleclass and stop disbursment of wealth to the top one percent. That is your future.
Get past this political liberal vs conservative bull-sh*t it is not what these people are demonstrating for.
miaimi yeah I have and apples too baled hay for 3 cents a bale and who are you too call anybody a moron get back on your corner throwing rock for obozo.
Sure, college graduates with multiple degrees and student loans would rather get welfare than work? Of course a one track teabagging mind like yours does acknowledge the fact that employers are not hiring. Is stupid comments like yours that reveal the stupidity of the teabagging thought process or lack thereof which makes your ilk so dangerous to the country.
"hey lg, look at the interviews"..... on the faux propaganda network.. you gotta laugh at these rightwingers, they sit in their houses going from watching faux news to making comments on here all the while huffing urine from their 12 cats. thinking they have a grasp on whats really going on in the world.
coucou, the American also suffers from unemployment and social injustice, The sit-in on Wall Street, will become a movement of protest if changes to improve the lives of American do not operate in the short term "au revoir"
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This has more to do with distracting the voters away from Obama's role in this economic mess and using the phony communist mantra's they have been crying.
It's all been one big Anti-American joke from the losers, moochers and societal misfits who contribute nothing to this country but whine and complain and but are all about handouts.
@Brian ...the reporter. Man, what a piece of journalistic b.s. and you know it. This attempt of yours to divide the people by drawing boxes around them and then painting them different colours is an old, old ploy...how dare you. HOW DARE YOU! Calling the Union as "Top Down...." is collusion with with corporate interests to bust the unions...they represent a lot more than the 1% you identify them with. To call the movement a mass of young people with no clear goal that reject the political system [we reject the economic system and the the manner in which it has invaded the Political system ] is an attempt to deride this, allude to it being a rabble of anarchists and dissuade others from supporting it and especially from joining it...there are a great deal of us older folks that would be there to but we have to go to work every day and a lot of us would be there if we could...and many of us are sending our kids the money to be there as our proxy and especially for themselves. To call this a 'Left Wing' movement is again an attempt to smear workers unions and also to dissuade all others that still have a reactionary affect from hearing those words that are old enough to remember the 'Cold War'...and as far as 'Left Wing' and 'Right Wing' means any more..well, those terms apply to a Democracy...which this country doesn't have any more...it's an Oligarchy. Years ago CBS stood for something as a news source one could believe in...but Walter Cronkite and those days are long gone...as public needs as to the media are changing...and with displays such as this..it won't be long before you, Brian, will be looking for a 'real job'...good luck with that...as the ditch diggers are mostly unionized too...but you can get 'scab' ditch digging jobs for 10 or 12 bucks an hour...no medical...no dental...no paid holidays...and pension...? ...you'll find that word in the dictionary between 'Pap' and 'Pity'.
Who, if any one here, actually benefited from the bailouts and corporate tax loopholes?
Did anyone receive employment from Mobile Exxon? Or are the prices at the pump affordable? I can not recall any one in my area that has.
Bank of America receiving $50 billion (half BoA and half Merrill Lynch), Were you offered jobs from either, or receive a bailout of your own from them? I sure as hell didn't. But now they want to tack on another $5 for using your debit. Are they just that greedy? Are these banks wanting to lose customers, so that they may tack on more fees or apply for more bailouts.
Have you cancelled your BoA account? I did.
These are just a few examples to let some of you here see what this is actually about. Fairness!!!
Notice I didn't say Bush, Obama, Left, Conservative, Right, like some folks here like to make as though that is what the story is about. Keep it on the political pages. This is not about politics, it's about Greed.
The 99% people are just tired of paying the bills while the 1% is off crying in tears of laughter that they got a million dollar bonus or more. These people have no clue to even the meaning of charity.
I would join the people in New York, why? because I'm sick of paying my bills and the governments.
Thank you for listening (reading).
Oh, one thing, no reply will be accepted containing any of the political words mentioned above, lol.
What they don't understand is that wealth can be created, increased, and everyone benefits. Apple Computer is a good example -- the market for i-products was created by Apple, and has added to the wealth of the USA. He didn't take wealth from others, he created it for many who program, develop, design, merchandise, train, use and benefit from the products and services he created.
Capitalism works because individuals risk their own wealth to create more wealth, these people think capitalism is bad, and think government can make better decisions about wealth creation.
They really need an education, but Obama is the source of all the misinformation with his constant campaigning and class warfare rhetoric.
Get past this political liberal vs conservative bull-sh*t it is not what these people are demonstrating for.
If this becomes a movement, this country is finished.
the American also suffers from unemployment and social injustice,
The sit-in on Wall Street, will become a movement of protest
if changes to improve the lives of American do not operate in the short term
"au revoir"
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