This week may open a new chapter in the movement begun by Occupy Wall Street. And it may change the direction of American politics and the American economy.
The landscape of activism we’re used to involves multiple organizations working on a myriad of issues: environment, politics, health, labor, race, social justice, human rights. Now a larger movement is forming with the mission of reclaiming the economy and the environment, and it’s uniting 60 or more of the most effective activist groups in the country, from historic organizations like Julian Bond and SNCC Legacy Project to Jobs With Justice, from James Hoffa and the Teamsters Union to climate change activists like Bill McKibben and 350.org.
The movement is called 99% Spring (http://the99spring.com), and it’s tackling a knot of issues at once. That’s because, as its co-founder George Goehl recently told Bill Moyers, “people’s lives are not bifurcated between I’m an environmental person. I’m a health care person. I’m a jobs person. People’s lives are, you know, a big mix of all of that stuff. And so this spring, you’re going to see people from all these different kind of issue silos come together under one agenda. And work together, train together and act together.”
99% Spring aims to get people onto the streets, into shareholder meetings, and into all kinds of settings in which they can challenge banks, corporations, politicians. Some of its members, for example, have purchased shares in Bank of America and will push, at shareholders’ meetings, to get three demands met: to get BOA mortgages that are underwater written down to fair market value, to get BOA to pay its fair share of taxes, and to demand that it get out of the predatory payday lending business.
This week 99% Spring is holding more than 800 training sessions across the country, in homes, schools and places of worship, to train people in “nonviolent direct action.” A hundred thousand people have already signed up. Here is a list of scheduled training sessions in the Valley that had not filled up at press time:
Thursday, April 12, 6 p.m.: On the farm three-hour training, Touchstone Farm (413-527-8723). Near the corner of West Street and Glendale Road, Easthampton. Hosted by Mary Chapin (413-586-4121).
Saturday, April 14, 12 noon: Vermont Workers’ Center 99% Spring training, Vermont Interactive Technologies in Brattleboro Union High School, Brattleboro. Hosted by Sarah Weintraub (sarah@bpf.org).
Saturday, April 14, 3 p.m.: Training for 99% Springfield at 710 Main Street, Amherst. Hosted by Jenny Daniell (jennyadaniell@gmail. com).
Sunday, April 15, 9:30 a.m.: 99% Spring training, Pioneeer Valley Central Labor Council (413-827-0301), 640 Page Boulevard, Springfield (lots of on-street parking, according to organizers). Hosted by Pat Fiero, Denise Conboy, Mary Chapin, Jenny Daniell, Rana Morton, Randall Smith, Roberta Swafford and Alexander Tetrault.
