Tea Party vs. Unions

Two groups, one public square.

Portland's living room—a.k.a. Pioneer Courthouse Square—hosted two very different guests last weekend less than 24 hours apart.

On a rainy Friday evening, April 15, the Oregon tea party held court as part of its now-annual tax day protest. The following day at noon under better weather conditions, a collection of Oregon unions led by Portland Jobs With Justice occupied the square for their "Jobs, Not Cuts" rally.

As a divided Congress battles over where to spend and what to cut, WW attended both rallies to put Oregon's pro-spending unions and slash-happy tea party to the test. What scares, delights and concerns these two groups? What do they think about the budget cuts? Who had a bigger turnout? Who spent more? And what do they agree on?

Sights and Sounds from the Tea Party Rally
Video courtesy Evan Sernoffsky

CROWD SIZE: Tea party: About 300 Unions: About 2,500

DEMOGRAPHICS: Tea party: Mostly baby-boomers, mixed gender, all white (one African-American in anti-tea party protest. Does that count?). Unions: Mixed-age, mixed gender, mixed ethnicity (mostly white, but hey, it's Oregon).

MUSIC: Tea party: Cover of Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth." Unions: "Solidarity Forever," and other union favorites.

BIGGEST CELEBRITY: Tea party: Conservative talk-radio host Victoria Taft. Unions: Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, a key figure in the protests against Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and his attempts to strip public-sector workers of the right to collectively bargain.

HISTORICAL REFERENCES: Tea party: Ronald Reagan and Thomas Jefferson. Unions: Mitchell quoted German anti-Nazi theologian Martin Niemöller on the importance of speaking out during oppressive regimes.

COSTUMES: Tea party: No real costumes, but lots of red, white and blue. One man sported an anti-Che Guevara shirt, (think a no-smoking sign with Che instead of a cigarette).  Unions: Alliance for Democracy dressed like Supreme Court justices with corporate logos adorning their robes to protest pro-corporate judicial decisions.

CHANTS: Tea party:“USA! USA! USA!” Unions: “Banks got bailed out! People got sold out!” 

SIGNS: Tea party: “Redistribute My Work Ethic, Not My Wealth.” Unions: “Stop the War on the Working People.” 

FUNNIEST DONALD TRUMP SIGN: Tea party: "Obama…You're Fired!!!! -Trump" Unions: "Chop From the Top," with an image of Trump.

HOW ONE DEMONSTRATOR WOULD FIX THE DEFICIT: Tea party: "We need to stop spending. As an example, we should cut the Environmental Protection Agency."—Greg Sterkson Unions: "We have to cut things that are unnecessary; you know, not spend $2,000 for a wrench, things like that." –Karen Dellelo

HOW ONE DEMONSTRATOR FINISHES THIS SENTENCE: "I THINK PRESIDENT OBAMA IS A..." Tea party: "…hardcore Marxist, but that's just my personal opinion."—Ty Raddue. Unions: "…sadly, a sellout. He is more practical than principled."—Don Baham.

WWeek 2015

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.