Another article on this...

Fired by a union-busting boss,
the workers occupied their restuarant and then opened their own sidewalk cafe--
forcing their owner to cede to their demands.

The restaurant workers who were fired and locked out of their store for organizing a union have won after a week of escalating protests outside the Manhattan cafe. Saturday afternoon, the owner declared that he had bowed to the workers demands to reopen the store, rehire all the workers and recognize their newly formed union, an inspiring labor victory at a time when many are attacking the power of unions.

The 23 workers at the Upper East Side Hot and Crusty, which is one of a string of 24-hour cafes in New York City, have been organizing against the chain's exploitative boss for nearly a year. After enduring below minimum wage pay and verbal and sexual harassment, the workers reached out to labor organizations and began attending Occupy Wall Street meetings last fall. With the support of OWS and the Laundry Workers Center, a volunteer organizing group, the workers organized an independent union, the Hot and Crusty Workers Association, this spring. They won thousands of dollars in backpay and safer workplace conditions.

Two weeks ago, however, the workers learned that the owner, private equity investor Mark Samson, planned to close the restaurant and fire all the workers. Incensed by the retaliation, which the Hot and Crusty Workers Association’s lawyers said was illegal because it was intended to discourage organizing at other restaurants in the chain, the workers and community members occupied the restaurant for hours last Friday. They held a workers’ assembly inside the occupied store until the police arrived and arrested six people who refused to leave.

On Monday, the workers opened their own restaurant, the Worker Justice Cafe, on the sidewalk outside the now chained-shut store. Run democratically and supported by other NYC unions, including 32BJ and the Domestic Workers United, they served coffee, bagels, donuts and other pastries on a donation basis. After four days of a 12-hour picket and the afternoon cafe, the company’s lawyers called for negotiations.
...

Occupy meant and means opening spaces, nothing more nothing less. Opening spaces for people to reconnect and creativity and strength to grow.

Unions should not be idealized, the "traditional" bosses have been largely corrupted (by mafia, partisan games etc. etc.) and just giving in and not putting up. The spaces opened and connections made by Occupy! opens further spaces for old unions returning from bureaucratic defeatism to their democratic grass roots foundations as happened in CTU, and opening spaces for new unions.

Unions reconnecting with their soul in the spaces opened by Occupy etc. is a beautiful thing!

I don't really share this concern about union corruption, mafia, etc. It's not a serious problem.

It's true that Do-It-Yourself organizing is great too. And the institutional unions could use a shot in the arm.

They are not above criticism. Still the big unions are vitally important institutions that make a big difference in people's lives.

It's fair to ask why they don't do more organizing of fast food workers, or retail workers, etc. But in most cases there are legal restrictions or power limitations on what is possible.

"Outside" organizing such as IWW or whatever should be seen as complimenting traditional institutional unions, not in opposition. They can take risks and do things that it is very difficult or impossible for traditional unions to do