Tidbits, December 27, 2011

 * Drew Brees just set the NFL record for most passing yards
   in a single season (Stewart Acuff) 
 * Re: A Tale of Two Systems (John Allison) 
 * Re: Occupy, Workers and their Unions - The Case of       Occupy 
   and the Longshoremen's Union: A Reply to Critics 
   (Henry Norr and David Jones)

 ==========

 * Drew Brees just set the NFL record for most passing yards
 in a single season

 It is important to note that Dan Marino had set the record.
 Marino was the most important player activist in the 1987
 football strike. Also importantly Brees has been a great
 advocate for the city AND the people of New Orleans in the
 wake of Katrina. As you would expect from a union activist
 Marino publicly wished Brees luck in his effort to break the
 record. Good guys don't finish last.

 Brees' postgame speech was an ode to collective action. It
 was all about we and not I.

 We are gonna have a great year for America this year.

 Stewart Acuff

 ==========

 * Re: A Tale of Two Systems

 Of course, the question begged is Why doesn't the government
 apply those same salary controls to the Banking industry, to
 the finance giants, to the insurance companies and medical
 care facilities and their staff of doctors???

 John Allison

 ==========

 * Re: Occupy, Workers and their Unions - The Case of Occupy
 and the Longshoremen's Union: A Reply to Critics

 As a participant in both of this fall's Oakland port
 shutdowns and many Occupy Oakland general assemblies, I
 agree with Winslow that there were problems in the Occupy
 movement's relationship with the longshoremen and truckers
 (and for that matter with other portions of "the 99%" who
 weren't participating actively in the encampment). I also
 agree that the use of the term "general strike, even for the
 Nov. 2 action, was problematic. In short, I think he's got
 some valid points, though I don't much like his tone.

 But whether or not one agrees with his arguments, it should
 be noted that this whole column, like the previous one,
 rests in part on an ostensibly factual premise that's
 actually pure fiction: he says that Occupy Oakland called
 for a West Coast "General Strike" on December 12, then later
 renamed the action a "blockade" and then "community
 pickets."  I'm not sure where Winslow got that idea from,
 but it couldn't have been from Occupy Oakland - the original
 resolution calling for the Dec. 12 action, which Winslow and
 everyone else can review at
 http://www.occupyoakland.org/2011/11/request-for-solidarity-with-1212-port-shutdown/,
 calls for "a coordinated West Coast Port Blockade to be
 carried out by the Occupy movement." It does NOT call for a
 "general strike." Likewise, in the Nov. 18 general assembly
 that adopted the proposal, I don't remember anyone calling
 the action a general strike. I can't say that no one
 anywhere used that term, but the organizers certainly
 didn't.

 In fact, if you're reading this, Cal Winslow, I challenge
 you to produce any instance of the action being described as
 a general strike in any of Occupy Oakland's leaflets and
 posters promoting the action, or elsewhere at
 OccupyOakland.org, or at the website set up specially for
 the Dec. 12 action -  westcoastportshutdown.org.

 Henry Norr Berkeley, CA

 ===

 What is needed is a description of the arguments within the
 union debate (assuming there was one) over whether to join
 the actions or not. What did the rank and file see as
 negative impacts? What reasons were given (other than fines)
 for not giving covert support?

 If it was a tactical decision made to advance future gains
 it would be helpful to know that argument. If it is simply
 workers believing the system is just then the action was
 exactly the kind of political education the union is not but
 should be doing.

 With or without the unions the Occupy movement has the
 momentum and the moral high ground. Workers had better think
 fast about " which side they are on."

 David Jones

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