I think it is important to carefully decide who one is getting tough and aggressive against, with a view to who will be alienated, and who will become supportive.
Politicians react to the mood of the public. The laws enacted by the politicians, and the degree of enforcement of those laws, will be directly related to whether the general public is supportive of street people, or has been alienated by street people.
The general public do not like bad cops. The copwatch program, if it were combined with successful prosecutions (private prosecutions if necessary), could lead to bad cops being brought into the light of day, and garner pubic support.
The general public do not like being blocked from entering or exiting a mall. Blocking them will alienate them.
The general public do not like the busses in which they are travelling being blocked. Blocking them will alienate them.
The general public do not like retail districts being disrupted. Such disruption will alienate them.
The general public do not like to be misled. Skewing the facts or omitting relevant facts will alienate them.
The OPU should chose a path that would garner support form the general public, rather than chose a path that alienates the general public, however, for the most part it appears that the OPU has chosen to alienate the general public. Pity.
In my town, Thunder Bay, there was the “Karelia Fever”. The Finn population here was heavily socialist. Their labour temple (where I had breakfast on Monday) was the Canadian headquarters of the I.W.W., and many of them were instrumental in the formation of other socialist organizations, such as the Communist Party of Canada.
Labour relations here were extremely poor, such that in 1929 a couple of workers were murdered, probably by employer hired thugs. When the Soviets came recruiting 1931 and 1932, approximately 2,800 Finns left for Karelia. At first it seemed like a good thing, but things went downhill, and eventually those who did not get out in time ended up being purged.
They were promised a better life by a personality cult leader, and died for their dedication. Here’s an interesting documentary: “Letters from Karelia.”
And this was what I was trying to say. I realize this isn’t a “traditional union” – but the purpose of organizing ANY group, by ANY name, would be to leverage political power towards a goal. And I just don’t see how the homeless have any political power to leverage. That might sound dismissive, but I mean it in a very literal sense – they don’t (broadly) equate to a group that wields economic power (meaning they can’t boycott), they don’t provide goods or services (so they can’t strike), and if I may be a bit broad, most don’t vote (so their vote isn’t likely to be catered to).
It was mentioned that they can “agitate”, and this is true, but what would this accomplish? Plenty of people have negative opinions of the homeless as it is, and they’re often in a shaky legal situation – for them to get together and agitate would almost certainly turn people against them, not help them. As panhandlers are, by nature, dependant on the will of others, it seems like a poor strategy to risk their good will by appearing (pick a term) “unruly”, “demanding”, or even “dangerous”.
From your very first question here, you have been insulting and accusatory. As it happens, I have been talking to some members of the local IWW GMB and trying to encourage them to come and answer some of these questions regarding the IWW as a whole rather than the OPU. In other words, the slight delay in answering your pejorative “questions” is a result of trying to actually get them answered instead of just declaring them out of bounds for the OPU and moving on.
I’ve said all along I will answer all respectful questions posed to me.
I don’t see it. Social justice as far as a labor union is concerned doesn’t mean helping freeloaders, it means getting labor as big a slice of the pie as possible.
Well, indeed, I don;t like your politics or the idea of this “Union”. Now, I think you are sincere and you may actually think you are helping these people. But you are not. In other words, I am not insulting you personally, just your dangerous and harmful political ideas.
Nor do we have to be respectful of crazy-talk politics.
In his province people who are unable to work due to disability get full medical, dental and drug coverage, and people who are able to work but are not able to find work get full medical, dental and drug coverage. People who work get full medical coverage, but not dental and not drug coverage. Transients slip through the cracks by nature of their being transient.
I’m not avoiding or dodging anyone’s questions. I’m in the middle of trying to convince some local Wobblies to assist me in answering the questions. It’s only been a couple of days, and these people have lives. I’m asking them to donate a hefty portion of time to an exercise (replying to a handful of openly hostile posters on an obscure message board) they see as at best a waste of their effort, so you can see why they haven’t leaped instantly at the opportunity.
I’d like to first commend you on both your courage and your fortitude!
Can anyone join the OPU (I live out of province and am not a street-person anymore) and if so how? I ask because, if it is possible, I’d like to become a dues paying member.