Tent City in Pittsburgh

While capitalist world leaders attending the G-20 Summit in Pittsburgh slept in luxury hotels, unemployed, poor and working people from across the U.S. gathered at the Bail Out the Jobless Tent City next to the Monumental Baptist Church in the Hill District in the heart of the city’s Black community for six days and nights from Sept. 20-25.

From this historic location, an important March for Jobs of more than 1,000 on the first day drove home the message that working and unemployed people will make their voices heard during the global economic summit.

Sharon Eolis and Barbara Gaston serve a meal to Tent City residents. WW photos: Sharon Black

Bail Out the People Movement national labor coordinator Sharon Black noted: “When we first began our organizing effort in Pittsburgh, a general sense of skepticism and fear had been spread in the community about outsiders disrupting the neighborhood. By the day of the March for Jobs, that fear had melted away.

“Not only did neighborhood residents join the march, but the outpouring of support from workers both on the Hill and in greater Pittsburgh was absolutely stunning. Many workers came straight from their jobs to the Tent City with gifts of water and food. The extent to which this happened proved that when given the opportunity, workers will rise to the occasion and act in solidarity, dispelling the capitalist myth that everyone should just be out for themselves.”

“When the working class movement looks back,” Black continued, “it will see this gathering as an important beginning for this period. We learned what worked and what didn’t, and we are now poised to grow this movement nationally.

Pittsburgh Hill residents visit Tent City.

“A fighting movement for jobs along with stopping foreclosures, evictions and utility shut-offs and winning health care and defending working-class rights is what is needed. Uniting trade unionists with the community and students is key. Making sure that fighting racism is front and center will ensure our victory.”

Besides providing a safe refuge for G-20 protesters during the week, the Tent City served as a center for a number of events. On Sept. 21 workshops took place there on Global Solidarity: Unions, Communities and Movements Working Together; Connecting the Issues: Housing Is a Right; and a student and youth discussion.

Shown later that night was a documentary about political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal called “In Prison My Whole Life.” Pam Africa from International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal updated the audience on his case.

USW Int’l President Leo Gerard at Tent City, Sept. 23.

The next day a discussion at the Tent City focused on fulfilling Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream of the right to a job for all amid the global jobless crisis. Following this discussion, BOPM and the Rev. Tom Smith, pastor of Monumental Baptist Church, initiated a demonstration targeting the Mellon headquarters and demanding a national moratorium on foreclosures and evictions.

Later in the evening, a discussion organized by Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty was held in the church on the case of Georgia prisoner Troy Davis.

Attracting youth, labor

By mid-week the Tent City was clearly growing. More tents had been pitched and the number of camp participants exceeded 100 people, mostly youth upset and angry about the G-20 policies.

While Tent City organizers oriented newcomers to the history of the Tent City and the importance of respect for the surrounding neighborhood, community support continued to grow. People in cars dropped off donations of water and food, and residents came on foot to check out what was happening.

On Sept. 23 close to 500 people packed the church sanctuary for the “People’s Voices” forum organized by the United Electrical Workers and Grassroots Global Justice.

The program included Leo Gerard, international president of the United Steelworkers union; Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate economist; Emira Woods, Institute for Policy Studies; and others.

The Honduran coup’s closure of airports prevented resistance leader Miriam Miranda from attending.

Gerard struck a note with the crowd when he proclaimed that the time is now for a movement for jobs. Before speaking at the forum, Gerard toured the Tent City of unemployed workers and their supporters.

Later that day, forum participants were given a briefing by Rev. Lucius Walker Jr. from Pastors for Peace on the critical situation in Honduras. Tent City residents pledged to oppose any attempt by the coup government to move against ousted President Mel Zelaya and his supporters.

Tent City residents took part in student and youth protests on Sept. 24, as well as the permitted People’s March on G-20 the next day that attracted an estimated 10,000, largely young people. The BOPM contingent and its banner—“Message to G-20: WE NEED JOBS NOW” with photos of Dr. King—led the second leg of the march at the request of march organizers.

BOPM national leader Larry Holmes spoke at the People’s March rally. The largely young crowd cheered loudly when Holmes, referring to the large unpermitted demonstrations during the week, said, “Whatever our views are about tactics, we must stand with the young people who are confronting globalism and capitalism, and we must defend them against repression.”

Cheryl LaBash, BOPM organizer from Detroit who spent more than three months in Pittsburgh, summed up her experiences in building for Sept. 20-25: “Whether it was chopping vegetables in the kitchen, washing dishes, organizing access to the showers, disposing garbage, keeping things clean and orderly, or staffing the 24-hour greeting and security desk, volunteers stepped up to do whatever the community needed.

“The warm welcome from Monumental Baptist Church pastor Rev. Thomas Smith, the local labor movement and the Hill District community, combined with the participation of young activists from across the country, showed the kind of collaboration that really can revive Dr. King’s movement for the right to a job or income for all.”