I work at a non profit and we just won union recognition and are slowly moving towards first contract negotiations and I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING. Would love to chat with some folks about their experiences, especially if you've negotiated around contracts/grants/etc.
That's awesome! Our local doesn't have any organizers, it's super small with only like 1 lawyer and 2 union reps (for many businesses in the county). Is this typical? I've mentioned elsewhere but the entire organizing effort has been me and a few of my coworkers with no union support in terms of strategy. Im.thinking we picked the wrong one, but no turning back now.
I'm gonna be real with you, it's better if you're doing all the work. If your union is rep heavy, people will start to view it as something separate from themselves, you lose engagement, and you lose the aspect where people learn to self govern through struggle.
Unions with lots of paid staff also tend to be heirarchal, where a bueracratic can overrule am organizing committee.
You're doing it the hard way, but also in the way that's going to go best for you and your Co workers in the long run.
That makes a lot of sense. I connected with someone at another unionized non profit and they shared their experience with me. They shared that they decided on another Union that we were considering and said that they were super bureaucratic, took months to respond, And their tactic was to be very friendly with management in order to get demands met. their contract ended up looking great but it does sound like a lot of that was due to worker action. They said that they felt that it was a good thing that we have so much autonomy so I should appreciate that. I just think the rest of the organizers are so burnt out and barely engage even though I try so hard to keep us a cohesive team. Like, we work with people in severe crisis all day every day for low income wages being scared we will get fired every day so I get it but god damn I can't do it alone and it's making me want to quit. How do I motivate people?
start taking action
edit: with your committee
That's the thing we have a group chat and I ask people about what they want to do, or even fill out the fucking survey that I spent like an hour or two making and hardly anyone responds. I'm trying super hard to not get bitchy, or just drop out completely. I know there are organizers who have been able to fight through it I just don't know how much I can sustain the effort. Or, if I should have a straight talk convo of like "hey, if we want to be successful for ourselves and everyone else that trusted us with this we all need to support eachother let's figure out how to make it happen and please don't just ignore me lol"
A group char diffuses responsibility. Sometimes you've got to one-on-one your fellow OC members. Remind them of the issues, how they feel about it, remind them of the union as the path forward, and ask them to step up and do a specific task.
There are problems that come with being in a big union. You might not matter to them. Your needs can get lost. Especially if you are unusual workers. You might not end up with support. They could fuck you over just as easily.
Don't forget that as institutions, the way big unions got to be that way was by making substantial compromises. They are full of red baiting and other things. I say take your chances with a smaller org.
Y'all are really making me feel more secure in this even though it's still going to be a helluva fight. Hope I can keep going
Just talk to anyone who's in a big union, especially if they are in a small shop. If you can even find one. A lot of unions wouldn't have even consider a place like you describe because not enough due$.
Keep your spirits up for now.
I'll just say what I said up top:
"It... depends. Recently, the big unions have been better, but it depends on which one.
There is definitely a history of anti-communism since the founding of the AFL-CIO."
@ratboy
It... depends. Recently, the big unions have been better, but it depends on which one.
There is definitely a history of anti-communism since the founding of the AFL-CIO.
Yeah, I imagine with the resurgence in unionizing recently they've probably wanted to capitalize on their images. But they do seem to vary greatly from local to local. Mine is pretty big but my lil branch of the local seems...very small lol. But, as others have said it sounds good that we have so much autonomy in the way we operate, it's just going to take a fuckton of work. I don't think anyone had any idea (myself included) how much organizing would consume your life when the ball gets rolling. We had a very, very basic understanding of how unions operate and it took a lot of parsing because it seems like a lot of info out there is for big professions like nurses unions and electricians etc. that seem to work way differently than how ours is going to operate.
That's good. Strike new ground, but remember that it's good to know the rules before you break them and some rules are there for a reason.
I'm admiring the way the big unions have actually ramped up their unionizing efforts, but of course, it varies from one to the other.
And yes, organizing can take up much of your life.
I'm not a union member but I want to be. Honestly, it depends on the union.