Maryland, DC AFL-CIO Urge Unions to Treat Occupy DC as Picket Line

From an article in The Washington Post:

At its 28th biannual convention on Saturday, the Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO approved a resolution calling on its members to treat Occupy encampments in the District and Baltimore as they would a formal picket line.

The resolution states the AFL-CIO will support any "unionized or non-unionized worker who refuses to break up, raid or confiscate the belongings of protesters."

It also calls "on unions representing public workers and public safety workers to not participate in such activity as to deny the rights of occupiers."

"Protest movements, like strike lines and organizing campaigns do not have curfews and are not 9 to 5 activities," the resolution states. "And in doing so, we recognize and will work to protect the right for occupiers to protest 24 hours a day, on-site, with proper protection, including food, medical supplies, water and tents."

Despite police raids on numerous Occupy Wall Street encampments around the country, protesters in Baltimore and the District have so far been allowed to pitch tents in high-profile locations, including McPherson Square on K Street Downtown. Though local unions have already been supporting the protesters, including offering them jackets and access to showers, the new AFL-CIO resolution could make it more difficult for local elected leaders to push to break up the camps.

Fred Mason, president of the Maryland State and D.C. AFL-CIO, called it is the "height of hypocrisy" for some business and community leaders to complain about sanitation at the camps when they had previously remained quiet about the conditions facing the homeless.

"We see these trends developing across the country," Mason said. "We see what's happening in New York and California, and all of these things don't happen at once.We want to provide every kind of support we can so they can continue."

The AFL-CIO also voted to give $3,000 each to Occupy DC and Occupy Baltimore.