Anti-Union Raid Hits Portland
Think right-wing anti-union raids are past? Not so, even in progressive Portland, Ore. The Northwest Labor Press reported vandals trashed the city’s office of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), an independent union known for its recent organizing wins in Portland and the Twin Cities among fast-food workers.
Vandals smashed a window that sported a Black Lives Matter sign and spray-painted slogans on the IWW office walls, including “Smash Communism.” The vandalism during the night of Jan. 23-24 came four days after local “Patriot Prayer’ members tried to break up a meeting at a nearby restaurant with anti-Muslim taunts and confrontations with pedestrians.
Politically and financially, the vandalism backfired. IWW member Effie Baum told the paper neighbors and backers dropped by with food, flowers and donations. Painters and Glazers unionists repaired the damage. The Northwest Oregon Labor Council condemned the raid as “an attack on all unions.” A go-fund-me page to pay for the repairs raised $5,666, far above its $2,000 target. The extra cash will pay for enhanced security and a wheelchair ramp.
