Bus Leaves 10:00am: FIELDTRIP Saturday, Oct. 22 to Vancouver JWJ RALLY

UPDATE****Portland, October 22, 2011****
By Tomás Ward

A coalition of occupiers and trade unionists gathered today to march
across the Columbia River and join activists from Occupy Vancouver.
Labor campaign veterans from many trade unions including
communications workers, longeshoreman, and plumbers demonstrated in
solidarity with workers fighting for their rights at the Vancouver
Hilton Hotel.

About 300 people, including a school bus from Chapman Square in
downtown Portland, gathered in Jantzen Beach to begin the march. The
starting point had symbolic value and demonstrates the current
dominance of corporate culture in society, which demonstrators are
trying to resist: signs of Burger King and Office Depot blaze across
the skyline within a cluster of strip malls.

The route was also an opportunity to see how the physical landscape of
Portland-Vancouver will change if industrial development continues
unabated. From the bridge over the river one can see the proposed
marine terminal site at West Hayden Island, where currently there are
380 acres of undeveloped natural area. The bridge itself is scheduled
to be replaced by the massive Columbia River Crossing project.

Demonstrators eventually made their way to the central plaza in
downtown Vancouver where they were greeted by fellow occupiers from
that city. A number of activists addressed the assembled crowd,
including Wanda Buck, a worker at the Hilton Hotel. “City Hall and
the Hilton are a two headed beast,” she said, gesturing to the two
buildings which flank the park. Buck decried the hotel for paying
poverty wages and announced an action at City Hall on Monday, October
24th at 6:30pm.

Jobs with Justice and the Bus Project were among the demonstration’s
sponsors.

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In the spirit of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, on October 22, 2011, hundreds of people from the 99% will march and rally for Good Jobs for All and No Cuts to the public safety net. This will be the third in a series of actions organized as Portland Rising. This time Portland Rising will join with Vancouver Rising to connect struggles on the two sides of the river. 

COORDINATED BY:

Jobs With Justice (JWJ)

…standing up for our rights as working people to a decent standard of living.

…supporting the right of all workers to organize and bargain collectively

…fighting for secure family-wage jobs in the face of corporateattacks on working people and our communities

…organizing the unorganized to take aggressive action to secure a better economic future for all of us.

…mobilizing those already organized to join the fight for jobs with justice.

find out more at jwj.org

Saturday, Oct. 22 at 11 am- Rally and then march across the I-5 bridge. Meet at the field just off I-5 Exit 308 to Jantzen Beach.

Noon- Rally at Esther Short Park, West 6th and Esther Streets in Downtown Vancouver.
************
Occupy Portland Bus: We have arranged for a bus to pick folks up at the camp! 10:15am load, 10:30 sharp departure – at the corner of 4th and Madison.
************

In addition to supporting union campaigns, we will also be sending a message to Senator Patty Murray, co-chair of the Congressional “Super-Committee,” which is poised to make cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, that these programs should not be cut one cent!

The times have been changing in the last several weeks. The occupations of Wall St., Portland and hundreds of other places in the U.S. and around the world are highlighting the fact that everyday working people are fed up with policies that protect and enrich financial markets and huge multi-national corporations. We have ample resources for good jobs for all and an enhanced safety net. It is time for public policies to benefit working people and for banks and large corporations to pay the bill.

*Portland meeting place: We will meet at the field just off of Northbound I-5 Exit 308. The field is on the East side of I-5, between the highway and Taco Bell. Map here Parking is available on N. Jantzen Street. and other side streets. The #6 Tri-Met bus stops at N. Jantzen St.

*Esther Short Park is at West 6th and Esther Streets in Downtown Vancouver.

For more info call JwJ at 503-236-5573 www.jwjpdx.org

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