"Labor Leaders, Rallying at Westlake, Urge Unity with Occupy Seattle (And a No Vote on I-1125) "

Eli Sanders (SLOG):

"Now you know how we feel," said Jeff Johnson, president of the Washington State Labor Council, telling the few Occupy Wall Street protesters at Westlake this morning that labor, just like them, has been alternately demonized and shrugged off by the powers that be for a long, long time.

He thanked them for focusing Americans on the country's growing wealth gap, and received thanks from the protesters in return.

Karrsen Brannon-Young, elected by the protesters to speak for them at today's union-backed "Rally for Good Jobs," said union support gives the Occupy movement "more legitimacy," and he welcomed the roughly 200 union folks who'd shown up for the sunny mid-morning rally. "We want as much help as they can give us," Brannon-Young, who said he's been at Westlake for five days, told me later. "As much help as anyone can give us." MORE...