Lehigh Valley union members boycott banks in solidarity with Occupy Easton protester

A handful of union members protested today outside banks in downtown Allentown, urging Bank of America and Wells Fargo customers to boycott the banks and join credit unions.

The five members of Lehigh Valley Industrial Workers of the World said they wanted to show solidarity with Occupy Easton activist David "Nature Dave" Gorczynski.

He was charged last month with attempted armed robbery after he walked into a pair of? Easton banks and displayed? two signs, one reading, "You're being robbed," the other reading, "Give a man a gun, he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, he can rob a country," authorities have said.

Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli dropped the felony attempted robbery charges, but Gorczynski still faces charges of making terroristic threats and disorderly conduct. Supporters say he was making a statement about bank fees.

Local union members think the banks could help get the remaining charges against Gorczynski dropped, protesters said.

Wells Fargo does not comment on ongoing criminal matters, said Jim Baum, Wells Fargo's communications consultant in the Northeast market.

"We respect the rights of American to peacefully assemble," Baum said, adding they welcome collaboration.

Lehigh Valley Industrial Workers of the World member Jim Brilhart, 27, of Allentown, said his union has a rich tradition of standing up for First Amendment rights and Wells Fargo also has a history of predatory lending.?

The picketers and their educational materials have been well received by customers and passersby, he said. Protesters spoke about what they called abuses by Wells Fargo and about Gorczynski's case.

"A lot of people in this neighborhood hate Wells Fargo," Brilhart said.

Davina Delor, 40, of Allentown, said he closed accounts with both banks after having many issues with them. Big banks are constantly getting bailed out, snatching up other banks and charging high fees, Delor said.

"It seems like its endless," Delor said.

The union plans to picket again 3 to 6 p.m. Sept. 14 so members with work obligations can join them, Brilhart said.

"We wish there were more unions out here," he said. "If they want to take a stance against corporate greed they should be out here with us."

The grassroots labor union was founded in 1905. In 1992, it led a strike of workers on Union Boulevard in Allentown. Local membership in the union ebbed after many victories related to the strike, but it has seen a revival in the Lehigh Valley within the past year, Brilhart said.

Source: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/allentown/index.ssf/2012/09/lehigh_valley_iww_boycotts_wel.html

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