Working Class Solidarity Flying Picket

Sounds good! I'll be there.

So the powers that be-- the establishment, the police now, the mayor and all the two-faced politicians that worship the juice ($$$)... the powers that be don't want the strikers to make LOUD noises.

Gee. Only they are LOCKED out from their work! (maybe for good some say... is that cruel?).

The workers on strike (most loyal long-time employees) have families to feed and children to get to school.

And the greedy corporations wanted to give them 20 cents, 5 cents-- and then ask the workers to pay more for their health insurance. (As if they could even afford to get sick, anyway, or take a day off like their bosses.)

So no loud noises now, huh? Beating on pots and pans is not polite?!? Don't want to >disturb< anybody, huh?

Then what about trying this tactic (strikers listen up!):

* sing---

* sing softly--

* sing with harmony--

* sing with feeling:

everytime someone goes in and out of one of these overpriced and customer gouging chain hotels--

or walks past one of the offending hotels...

>SING!<

Sing the song "PIGGIES!" Yes! Piggies by the Beatles!

(the song by George Harrison on the Beatles's White Album)

You really don't even need to sing it--

you can just hum it--

or just whistle it!

thanks to the Beatles...

the whole world knows the song Piggies and will "get" the message about CORPORATE GREED.

Here are the lyrics:

PIGGIES
by George Harrison

Have you seen the little piggies
Crawling in the dirt
And for all the little piggies
Life is getting worse
Always having dirt to play around in.

Have you seen the bigger piggies
In their starched white shirts
You will find the bigger piggies
Stirring up the dirt
Always have clean shirts to play around in.

In their styes with all their backing
They don't care what goes on around
In their eyes there's something lacking
What they need's a damn good whacking.

Everywhere there's lots of piggies
Living piggy lives
You can see them out for dinner
With their piggy wives
Clutching forks and knives to eat their bacon.

There you go! Sing!

postscript:

"When Michael Mina closed his new restaurant for the duration of picketing outside the Westin St. Francis, holders of reservations through Oct. 13 were compensated. Parties of three or fewer were sent $50 gift certifications; four or more got $100 gift certificates." -- Leah Garchik 10/07/04 in the San Francisco Chronicle

Maybe the man with "the wonderful voice" can lead the picketers in singing!

It makes a difference.

Sorry about that, it's in the evening.

I will be there and will do my best to round up a bunch of my fellow union sisters, brothers, and allies.

I would also like to point out that although I haven't been able to spend as much time as I would like on the picket lines since the strike and subsequent lockout started, but have been checking in on updates as much as possible, and it seems like solidarity is coming from many directions. Many have probably seen the pictures on this site that show folks from other unions on the picket lines(SEIU is one example), but there have also been pictures and I have seen evidence myself of students and other community folks being on the picket lines in solidarity.

As a former grocery worker myself, and UFCW organizer, I have also been paying close attention to what is going on with the struggle of grocery workers in their current fight in Northern California, which parallel the fight of the hotel workers in many ways, and was really happy to see that some of the SF UFCW folks have been joining the picket lines when they can(see http://www.bayareacoalition.org for pictures and story).

So count me and as many of my folks in as I can round up for Sunday's solidarity action, and if things are still going on by next Friday...You can definitely count on many of us from the UFCW/grocery worker solidarity rally coming over to join the hotel workers on the pickets.

Solidarity Forever - upton sinclair

ps - for info on next Fridays Grocery Worker Solidarity action see the Bay Area Coalition website or look on Indybay's calender under October 15th...

All this past week, I have been encountering the picket lines. One day I just dropped everything I was doing to walk with the hotel workers, who were very friendly. One guy in this group decided to wield this gigantic stick and bang it repeatedly against a dumpster, which was nearby. Lots of talking. When I was there, a guy who sells newspapers in the city stopped by too, and a woman who works at a coffee shop. There was spirited conversation, and that sense of the rebelliousness outgrowing its boundaries (the Union).

I will be at Union Square @ 7 p.m. this Sunday.
Sal

All this past week, I have been encountering the picket lines. One day I just dropped everything I was doing to walk with the hotel workers, who were very friendly. One guy in this group decided to wield this gigantic stick and bang it repeatedly against a dumpster, which was nearby. Lots of talking. When I was there, a guy who sells newspapers in the city stopped by too, and a woman who works at a coffee shop. There was spirited conversation, and that sense of the rebelliousness outgrowing its boundaries (the Union).

I will be at Union Square @ 7 p.m. this Sunday.

i'll be there and try to get as many others to attend as well.

I'll be there, too. And anyone able and interested in volunteering to phoneboard for Local 2 ( in order to contact customers ) should call Kelly at Local 2 @ 415.864.8770 ext. 751.

where in Union Square are people meeting up?

last night's flying picket was excellent. with very short notice, about thirty or so people mobilized and in the process i think we helped revive an important and inspiring tactic for our side against the capitaleeests. that we as a relatively small group could make as big of an impact as we did (judging from the way hotel security and the SFPD responded to our night-prowling picket) hints at the power this sort of action could have to change the dynamic of the strike if we were to multiply our numbers.

we got a really warm response from the picketers along the way. A few at first seemed a little thrown off (“who are these crazy mothafuckas?”), but once we made clear that we were there to show support for the strike, walk the picket-line, ridicule scabs, and make some noise people were really appreciative. On a bunch of occasions picketers who’d been sitting around, got up and back into the swing of things. I don’t think the importance of taking-up some slack for the strikers and showing on-the-ground support can be overstated.

for those who didn't make it, we went from Union Square to the Saint Francis Hotel across the street on Powell, then up geary, down mason and right on O'Farrel to the Hilton and toured the entire block, then went down ellis to market and made some noise at Four Seasons (between 3rd and 4th), careened down 3rd and hit the Argent, double-backed along Kearny on our to Union Square via Post, and then hit the Grand Hyatt at Stockton and Post, followed by the Crowne Royal at Powell and Sutter, and capped it off with a hike up Powell to the Mark Hopkins and the Fairmont.

let's do it again soon, only bigger.

the flying picket was great. terrific people. the drummer was key (thanks!). let's keep it going, shall we? to all who participated last night (and those who didn't), i hope we see each other soon --like tomorrow, in union square at 4:30 for the hotel worker's rally.

Let's continue with the flying pickets. I think the hotel workers would like to see something like this although their leadership would discourage them from participating - maybee some of them would anyways..I went to the local 2 rally today where thousands of the striking and locked out workers converged on union square. Jesse Jackson gave speaches about being meek.."We will suffer, we will reach agreement.." ect.. No stand up and fight, No strike action, defy the employers law ect... At one point when the strikers were converging on union square the energy of the workers was high enough that one of them got out into the street and started to block traffic. The officials pulled them away quicky so as "not to cause trouble".

We should meet again for more flying pickets.

Thanks for posting info on Indybay about the Strike. I wouldn't have any other way of getting this info. I'll be at the next flying strike, if it's posted.

Also, are people striking all night, every night?

Theyre out there ALL the time. When I've been out there after midnight, I've had long, interesting conversations with picketers. And they seem to appreciate the solidarity in the wee hours too.