Ask a Union Organizer: How do I organize my small workplace?
Dear Ask a Union Organizer,
I’m thinking of starting to organize my small repro workplace, but I’m not sure if it’s the right time or if my coworkers would be onboard. How can I test the waters without risking being fired? What should I read or do to prepare?
-- Union Curious
Dear Union Curious,
You’re not the only one curious about how to begin this process! It can definitely feel overwhelming. This ReproJobs webinar has a lot more information about how to begin organizing at work, and this Union Organizing FAQ has more information about “popping the union question” during a pandemic workplace. You can find out more about not getting fired while you’re organizing, too.
As you can see, we get this question kind of a lot. And I wish I had a better answer for you, but at the end of the day, exploring whether a union is right for you and your coworkers is almost always a risky process.
First, ask yourself, what makes you want to form a union? Make a list. Do these grievances you’ve listed impact others you work with? Write down names of people who you think feel the same way you do. As you talk with your coworkers, keep track of complaints or gripes they might mention. You’ll eventually want to use these to compile a list of grievances.
Chances are, many of your coworkers feel the same way you do, but capitalism makes us feel like it’s all in our head. To find out for sure, it takes authentic relationship building with your peers. Marx has a lot to say about how “alone” most workers feel under capitalism, but the more you talk with your coworkers the more you’re likely to find “the personal” is actually quite political.
Organize a Movie Night
One really low-risk way to test your coworkers’ feelings is to begin a reading-circle or host a zoom-movie night. These safe spaces can get you and your coworkers talking about the theory behind worker’s movements in a low-stakes environment. Without a doubt, by engaging with fiction and nonfiction depictions of workers' movements, you will begin to identify patterns in how employers alienate workers and work as a pawn for white supremacy and the owning-class. Some of my favorite union-related movies and TV shows:
Salt of the Earth 1954, NR, 94 min. Mexican workers at a zinc mine go on an inspiring strike.
9 to 5 1980, PG, 100 min. Working women take revenge on their sexist boss.
Bread and Roses 2000, R, 110 min. Latina sisters working as office cleaners fight for the right to unionize.
Sorry to Bother You 2018, R, 112 min. A telemarketer discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a universe of greed.
Inequality for All 2013, PG, 110 min. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich discusses economic and social consequences of the widening income gap.
Norma Rae 1979, PG, 120 min. A single mother and textile worker agrees to unionize her factory.
Damnation 2017, 1 season. A dramatization of the Iowa Farmers’ Strike in the 1930s
Pride 2014, R, 120 min. Gay activists in the UK are allies to miners during their 1984 strike.
North Country 2005, 126 min. A fictionalized account of the landmark sexual harassment case in the US, Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines, in 1984.
10,000 Black Men Named George 2002, 95 min. Union activist Asa Philip Randolph's efforts to organize the black porters of the Pullman Rail Company in 1920s America.
Read Together
If a book club sounds more interesting to you, anything from Haymarket Books will be really radical. (Also, read up on “The Haymarket Affair” to learn more about this important moment in labor movement history.) Here are a few of the labor books I've enjoyed learning from.
Organized Labor and the Black Worker, 1619-1981 by Philip S. Foner
All Labor Has Dignity by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
This might seem slightly off-brand for “union organizing,” but I really encourage you to read Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts. We must demystify the history of our movement. Unionizing is about more than just more pennies in your paycheck; unionizing is a way to fight white supremacy within your organization. I also suggest reading adrienne marie brown's books. I am over the moon in love with Emergent Strategy. As I read about “nonlinear growth and transformation,” “conflict as a generative force,” and “seeing change as an opportunity” my heart was won. This framework can help you build resilience during a long and grueling organizing effort.
(Please purchase your books from Haymarket Books, Bookshop.org, or through your local independent bookseller and not Amazon.com)
Get Connected to the Movement
While you’re building trust with your coworkers and organizing a list of your grievances, you can prepare for a union organizing campaign by getting connected with the labor movement:
Become a member of the Industrial Workers of the World! The IWW website also has a lot of labor history to dive into. The IWW is also a good way to become connected to your local labor movement and other union leaders in your area.
This Ask a Union Organizer column discusses different ways to choose a union for representation and more info on how to tap-into the labor movement in your area!
Plan to Care for Yourselves
Speaking of resilience during a long and grueling effort, now is a good time to do some inner work on how you will take care of yourself and others during an organizing campaign.
It’s a good time to take advantage of any medical benefits or handle anything that you’ve been putting off. Drink bone broth and add a magnesium supplement. Start thinking about how you’ll reach out to your community and build a safety net in case shit hits the fan during your campaign.
Once you begin formally organizing, it will be an overwhelming amount of work for a while and having your friends close and your ducks in a row can help you feel confident when you’re ready to fight that good fight.