I've been trying to organize the grocery store I work at for months now. People are happy to complain about work, pay, management, etc. I barely even have to agitate. Some of them are even open to the idea of unionizing. When I ask them if they'd be able to help it all fucking falls apart though. I can't even get people to do basic shit like help me make a list of the people in their department or to ask people they know what they think of unions.
There are 200ish people in the store. I can't befriend every single one of them. How do I get people to put something towards the effort? The only thing I can think of is to start being mean about it, because I'm trying not to be pushy, but at this point I don't see another option. Like telling people I don't really care about their issues if they don't care enough to help me fix them. I don't have high hopes for it though.
Do any of you have experience with this sort of thing? Am I missing something? How do you get people to actually contribute to improving their situation?
Drink with them, spend time with them socially. You'll forge different strong bonds and people are more pliable in situations where they're relaxed.
The greatest gift to organization that factories gave to proles in days past is that they were all together, next to each other on the shop floor. They lived by each other, they went to the same watering holes. Sustained contact breeds community and solidarity.