12 Oct, 2011
US Cabin Crew Union Backs Occupy Wall Street Movement, Blasts “Corporate Greed”
WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) International President Veda Shook issued the following statement after AFA leadership applauded the Occupy Wall Street movement: “As the world’s largest Flight Attendant union, we stand beside our sisters and brothers who are participating in the Occupy Wall Street movement in cities across the country on behalf of workers and middle class America.
“For years, Flight Attendants have fought against corporate greed as airline management decimated our pensions, contracts and health care for their own golden parachutes. Instead of investing in their front line workers, executives have taken millions in bonuses and compensation, and strategically used bankruptcy law loopholes to exert drastic cuts in pay and benefits from employees.
“This movement for income equality and the creation of jobs has captivated the nation and is an opportunity for the 99 percent of Americans who are working harder than ever to stand side-by-side and demand that the era of executive greed and corporate interests come to an end.
“For decades, we have advocated for workers and demanded equality and fairness on the job. We are inspired by the protestors who have taken a stand for social and economic justice, and are proud to join their movement. Today, alongside workers across the country, we will occupy our nation in support of a fair system that creates jobs, supports collective bargaining rights, and builds opportunities for all Americans.”
With a membership of 60,000 Flight Attendants at 23 airlines, the Association of Flight Attendants is the world’s largest Flight Attendant union and serves as the voice of its members to seek better wages, benefits and working conditions. The AFA is part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO.
In another development, a social media analysis by the Princeton, New Jersey-based research company ORC International, over the last 30 days of Occupy Wall Street, shows sentiment toward the movement is 39% positive, 33% negative, and 28% mixed sentiment.
According to a news release dated October 11, 2011, the global market research firm showed that while social dialog peaked on October 6 — post President Obama’s response — with an estimated one million posts, the amount of conversation occurring has since steadily dropped. The primary focus of social conversations has centered on the protesters themselves and arrests rather than specific issues on which the movement was founded.
These findings are further supported by a poll released on October 11 by ORC International** showing that about half of all US adults have heard of the Occupy Wall Street movement. While more than one-fourth agree (27%) with the movement’s position on the financial system and the need for social change, more than half (54%) express no opinion. Among those who have heard of the movement, the percentage agreeing with the Occupy Wall Street movement increases to more than four-in-ten (42%).
According to Jeffrey Resnick, Global Managing Director of Innovation and Strategy, the findings reflect the nascent nature of the movement. “If the coverage of Occupy Wall Street by the main stream media continues to increase and the crescendo of social dialog does not abate, we may be seeing the beginning of a movement that is tapping into the frustration of everyday Americans. The movement’s future is going to be highly dependent on its ability to focus its message and prove its relevance to Main Street. Failure to do so may result in a short-lived movement.”
Jenny Verbitsky, Product Manager for ORC’s Social Analytics Solutions further commented saying “our ongoing analysis of social dialog for Occupy Wall Street will be very telling. The degree to which the erratic volume of dialog becomes more consistent and overall sentiment becomes more positive will be leading indicators of the movement’s potential.”
*Social media analysis gathered using Infegy’s Social Radar listening tool
**Poll conducted using ORC International’s CARAVAN® service from October 6 – 9, 2011. The poll interviewed 1005 US Adults by telephone.
Read more:
Chris Hedges on the Movement to Take Our Country Back
“Why the Elites Are in Trouble” — The occupation movement is an effort to take our country back. This is a goal the power elite cannot comprehend. That is why they keep asking what the demands are. They don’t understand what is happening. They are deaf, dumb and blind.
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