Interest excerpt from the DC-based blog K Street Files:

As labor unions increase their involvement in the Occupy Wall Street movement, including an official endorsement from the AFL-CIO, local unions are working more closely with Occupy DC demonstrators camped out in McPherson Square.

On the eve of a recent rally to demand better wages and benefits, organizers with the Service Employees International Union arm that represents property service workers in the area strolled over to McPherson Square to ask Occupy DC activists whether they would like to come along. Known as SEIU 32BJ, the property service union represents 17,000 commercial office cleaners in the D.C., area. Occupy DC demonstrators helped swell the ranks of the union’s rally to 1,500; the workers threatened a strike if a pending contract didn’t include wage increases.

“We believe that the folks from the Occupy movement are on the right track, and we’re going to be supporting them,” said Jaime Contreras, Capital Area District Chair for SEIU 32BJ. After the rally, the union reached a tentative contract agreement with the Washington Service Contractors Association that includes an average 4 percent yearly pay increase for cleaners.

“It’s probably going to develop into us turning out for their events and them turning out for our events,” said Legba Carrefour, a participant with Occupy DC, which has no official spokesmen

By Eliza Newlin Carney

Roll Call Staff

Oct. 21, 2011, Midnight

Zata|3 recently scored a victory by launching a series of volunteer recruitment and voter ID calls for a special election in Pike Road, AL. Residents of the town voted by a 55% majority to build a new school in Pike Road.