Dozens of union-backed community activists filed through the lobby of Omni William Penn Hotel midday Friday to protest a private meeting of one of America's most effective and controversial policymaking machines.
The spring summit of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a Washington-based libertarian nonprofit organization, drew about 400 state lawmakers from across the country and 100 industry stakeholders to the Downtown hotel to debate proposed “model” legislation in line with ALEC's free-market philosophy.
The event spurred almost 120 protesters, about 60 of whom made their way into the hotel and paraded through its lobby with a sound system amplifying their chants before police asked them to leave, Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Sonya Toler said.
“Hey, hey, ho, ho, ALEC's greed has got to go,” shouted protesters; among them were union members, college students and activists from advocacy groups such as Thomas Merton Center, Pittsburghers for Public Transit, Alliance for Police Accountability and Fight for $15.
One Pittsburgh, a North Side-based coalition of liberal-leaning activists and organizations, coordinated the protest with help from partners Allegheny County Labor Council and Thomas Merton Center, a social justice advocacy group in Bloomfield.
“The top issues for us are their anti-union strategy that they're running nationally,” said Gabriel McMorland of Thomas Merton Center.
SEIU, AFL-CIO, United Steelworkers, Communications Workers of America and Pittsburgh Teachers Federation were among union groups represented.
Some protesters spoke about specific policy qualms, such as proposals that would limit the political power of unions or prevent cities from setting a higher minimum wage.
Just last month, state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe, R-Butler, joined a group of Republicans in reintroducing a package of bills aiming to make Pennsylvania the nation's 27th right-to-work state. Such laws would prohibit compulsory union dues or forcing workers to join a union as a condition of employment.
Other protesters waving “Down with ALEC” signs cited more vague concerns about “corporate greed” and beliefs that ALEC-inspired laws have brought harm to communities.
“Pittsburgh is a blue-collar town. ALEC is all about corporate power, and Pittsburgh is about people power and worker power,” said Russ Fedorka, 63, of Highland Park. “They're counter-worker, and people need to know about it.”
ALEC spokesman Bill Meierling said,“More often than not, these people are protesting us for things that we don't do, and that's really challenging.”
“The folks that were here (at the summit) are having a peaceful conversation about policy, and legislators do that on a daily basis,” he said.
Meierling said he recognizes many of the same faces at ALEC events throughout the United States.
Their numbers were buoyed by a separately planned Verizon strike happening around the same time at a nearby Verizon wireless store.
Erin Kramer, who obtained the special events permit for Friday's rally, said she was not involved in a separate protest Thursday night.
Around 7:30 p.m., about 20 protesters entered the dining hall of Heinz Hall without permission and pushed an usher out of the way, police said.
One man, identified as Ronald Read, 25, of Weirton, W.V., began throwing white glitter onto attendees, according to police. Hall security ordered protesters to leave and detained Read until police arrived. Read is charged with criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
Zoe Mizuho, 37, of Wilkinsburg said he helped coordinate that protest, which included members of community activist groups, anti-capitalism group Three Rivers Rising Tide, and Fight Back Pittsburgh, the associate member program of United Steelworkers Local 3657.
“We just walked over there, and the doors were open; they definitely could have just locked the doors,” Mizuho said of disturbing ALEC's dinner at Heinz Hall. “They were totally stunned. Mostly they just kept taking pictures and video of us. It was definitely a nonviolent protest.”
Aside from disagreeing with ALEC's policy positions, Mizuho said he thinks ALEC is too secretive about the way it operates and where it gets its funding.
“I just want to draw more attention to the fact that ALEC exists,” Mizuho said.
Natasha Lindstrom is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-8514 or nlindstrom@tribweb.com.
