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I dunno who needs to hear this, but here's how we unionized: 1. A group of people knew another group of people who unionized at a similar workplace. If you don't know someone else in a unionized workplace, the internet exists. 2. We talked among ourselves, a small group, and met with an organizer from that union 3. We signed cards that night, and starting the following: building a list of contact info for everyone we thought was a potential voter in the election to unionize, who had contacted them, and how they felt 4. When we had contacted most people in the unit (you'll hear this term a lot, it's the people eligible to vote in the unionization election), and had union cards from as many of them as possible, we told our Local. Step 4 is a big one. Lots of meetings, the same conversation over and over again, lots of listening. 5. Our Local called management and gave them a chance to recognize the union. Management was caught entirely by surprise, lawyered up. 6. We had an election. Management ran a thorough anti-union campaign, and some really, really, ugly poo poo happened. 7. We won. 8. We voted for bargaining committee members and alternates from each represented department. 9. We began contract negotiations. That's where we are now. The end is potentially in sight, but it's been a weird year and management is fantastically incompetent and overwhelmed with problems that go beyond us. democrats, republicans, whatever, everyone loving hates their boss, everyone has problems with their job, with management, etc. they're told to take up their issues with HR. everyone has tried that, and failed. when everyone realizes that, it's time to start talking about unions. once there's a proper meeting with a good group of people interested in unionizing attended by an organizer from a labor union, poo poo will happen fast. honest conversations about what can be done with a union (negotiate wages, benefits, working conditions) and not making promises is crucial, and understanding that you, the workers, are the ones that decide what "the union" does, because you ARE the union. I'd like to participate in the thread more, but with contract negotiations and other things still in the mix, i gotta be careful, as management has a no-bullshit firm working for them, and they've been constantly looking into what members of the bargaining committee are up to online. i'd rather not risk it. one day, because man, this has been a loving hoot.
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Sep 15, 2020 20:09
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Percelus posted:amazon over hires and then makes workers fight everyday at 6:15 for a handful of shifts that get gobbled up in seconds, i think they do this to create animosity and division and it works It was a major reason for unionizing.
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Sep 15, 2020 20:15
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The NLRB still decides if a vote is necessary, and given the administration, they probably will. It's an easy win, but it gives management more time to gently caress with things (making people "management" etc.). They should be successful though, awesome. I high fived a Scabby in front of a NYCHA building while running today.
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Sep 17, 2020 18:08
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you don’t HAVE to negotiate the contract within a year; it’s just that after that, a worker in the bargaining unit can file to decertify the union, and there can be a vote on it. my workplace is currently past the year threshold on our first contract negotiation, but we’re not concerned with decertification. employers, or more accurately, their legal counsel, will tell their clients that unions will feel pressure to finish within a year because of that. not always! anyways, I’ll just say this: WHAT YOU DO OUTSIDE OF NEGOTIATIONS IS WHAT WILL GET YOU THINGS IN NEGOTIATIONS demonstrations, job actions (slowdown, sickout, working to rule, etc), social media, bad press, the rat, etc. you’re employer has a lot of money?? loving great, then they can’t pretend they don’t have any. go gently caress em up you can hash out some basic things in negotiations, especially things that management counsel knows are part of every union contract. but if you want LARGE changes to economics (money, benefits, etc) or any other proposal that means employer giving up control or money, you’re gonna do the fighting OUTSIDE of those negotiation sessions JAY ZERO SUM GAME has issued a correction as of 00:50 on Sep 24, 2020 |
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Sep 24, 2020 00:42
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kingcobweb posted:Let us know if there's something we can help amplify on social media to pressure the company
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Sep 24, 2020 00:44
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LordoftheScheisse posted:Can you expand on this?
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Sep 24, 2020 00:47
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once you petition to vote, it’s real loving hard for them to do much other than structured layoffs or promoting people out of the bargaining unit. you have protections at the point you (an individual) sign a union card, but especially after you petition to vote. additionally, your union will have your back if things have to get legal. the employer knows this. (or if they don’t, because they didn’t retain counsel, well lol) a POTENTIAL tactic is a company, usually smaller, just folding if their employees unionize, and then they will reform with new staff (well, without the unionized staff). if that doesn’t describe your workplace, or if it does and you think that’s very unlikely, go loving get em
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Sep 24, 2020 01:05
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LordoftheScheisse posted:Can you expand on this? The difference between "make recommendations" and "decide" can be complicated, and it can also hinge on testimony from a) people who are above you b) people you allegedly "manage," and c) what the practice looked like before you worked there (did your arrival mean a change in the role of the position? e.g., you have MORE influence over hiring/firing than your predecessor). These are just some examples, whether or not someone is a manager in these edge cases is a lot like the supreme court and pornography: they know it when they see it (or, want to see it, depending on the NLRB makeup, which ain't great right now). What can you or can't you do? If you're in favor of unionizing, get it started. You can talk about it, help organize meetings, answer questions, talk to a potential local and union organizer, etc. It's probably NOT wise for you to become THE crucial person in the campaign though, given that there is a possibility you become excluded in the future. Additionally, that's you protecting yourself should you be excluded from the unit, because then management can do whatever the gently caress they want with you (technically you have some protections, but proving anything would be extremely hard without receipts). An experienced union organizer in your field would be more likely to be able to answer the question of how much any of this applies to you.
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Sep 24, 2020 17:50
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You what, we're really at war here so what the hell, we had this out there for a board meeting yesterday, the director wouldn't say hi to me  anything anyone reading this wants to share/etc, solidarity https://twitter.com/GuggenheimUnion/status/1309114064610766850 https://twitter.com/GuggenheimUnion/status/1308752569813082117 https://twitter.com/mountainwawa/status/1308900165986799617
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Sep 24, 2020 18:02
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O_O
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Sep 24, 2020 22:45
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abuse culture. posted:just unionized my nonprofit workplace, we sign all the Documents Monday night Frog Act posted:awesome!
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Oct 2, 2020 20:38
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congratulations, that’s huge when workers organize, things change
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Oct 7, 2020 00:31
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Direct action gets the goods, folks, that's all I have to say 
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Oct 7, 2020 17:12
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In arrangements like that, do the people waiting around for work get any compensation?
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Oct 12, 2020 19:41
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kingcobweb posted:this serves as a good reminder that unless you have a union contract, companies can just decide to fire you at any time for any reason and it’s one of the basic functions of a contract, it’s crazy that all these writers unions are having to fight so hard for it, I guess this it’s common for news orgs to fight this sort of thing?
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Oct 14, 2020 19:23
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Having gone through the organization, voting, negotiations, and soon ratification (hopefully) of a contract and then enforcement of that contract, i get why it's so hard to find information online about HOW unionizing a workplace works 1. it's secret, necessarily so. peoples' jobs are on the line, many people are scared, and while there are legal protections along the way, they only have so many remedies, and financial and emotional stresses are placed on workers in the mean time 2. unions are organized, but, they're not. it's my experience that most union locals and larger organizations haven't kept up with the modern media environment: social media especially. the messaging is challenging, controlling that message is seen as a threat by larger leadership sometimes, and the older membership doesn't care. unfortunately dealing with all of those things is absolutely necessary to keep whatever momentum may exist now, going 3. capital IS organized. google any union and the vast majority of hits are right to work, management friendly, "expose the dirty underbelly" websites. workers trying to figure out how they should vote see that information, and of course larger companies create bespoke social media/web campaigns (see Delta airlines, for example) 4. the media is not on your side. they're obsessed with 'both sides' having a voice, if they're concerned with what the workers have to say at all. this extends to popular media: there are precious few characterizations of union and union workers in a positive light. fat, old, white men who yell at women and work on pipes and steel, are lazy, avoid work, and do lovely work when they do work. Nothing is further from the truth, of course: union members are trained, experienced, and value doing a lot of work because we get PAID well. But the perception is powerful, and has been perpetuated for 150 years. 5. the NLRB is been slowly withered away for decades, which each republican administration taking an axe to it, and democratic admins coming in with bandaids. Little things make a big difference in personal conversations with fellow workers. My example: the fear of "fines" from the union really crept into our campaign; it was pushed by management, but also sort of grew on its own. now, the union we organized with hadn't levied fines against a member in decades, but people want proof. Well, the NLRB changed the way fines are reported on union public disclosure forms (LM-2, 3, 4 forms) several years ago so that 'fines' is no longer its own field, but instead included in 'dues, fees, etc.' So when you look for how much a union has fined members, you see a number that doesn't differentiate from dues, which is going to be a huge number. --- despite all of this, i've come away very encouraged. a VERY fractured workforce that had long standing distaste between departments came together and got this done. young, enthusiastic and ideologically radical union organizers spoke the right language. experienced negotiators were able to understand the specialized work that happens in my workplace and help us negotiate a strong, protective contract that is going to get workers historic raises and benefits, and a pedestal from which to reach further this has been the most stressful thing i've done in my professional life. it's also the thing i'm most proud of. unionize.
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Dec 18, 2020 18:51
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Migair posted:At large schools, I usually try and organize rep teams, with intentionally different personalities and approaches to catch everyone. A fiery veteran teacher paired with an approachable concensus-builder is pretty ideal. The firey rep is great in corrective action situations, and rounding up talented and assertive staff to get more involved in the union at the district level, or when you need a team to take concerns to the boss. The consensus builder is ideal for increasing membership and facilitating building meetings.
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Dec 18, 2020 18:56
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it used to be stickied, but kinda slowed down biden also won and fixed everything, so less of a need for unions
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Dec 18, 2020 19:20
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kingcobweb posted:huge news, Google has a union now: https://inthesetimes.com/article/google-workers-alphabet-union-cwa I just don’t know what they can do, or what dues are supporting, if there’s no collective bargaining, no grievance/arbitration process, etc. I guess you can strike? but that seems so unlikely at a company that size, so I dunno, and still: what exactly are you striking over without a contract? I guess what I mean, as I type this: if you have something to strike over, and you do/‘vote’ to, doesn’t that essentially become collective bargaining just thinking out loud here
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Jan 4, 2021 23:14
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and if there are defined goals, they’re not doing a great job at sharing them, which they must do if they want to grow interesting development
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Jan 4, 2021 23:16
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digging around on their website, it’s basically strike power or nothing sure, slowdowns, etc. are an option but hard to manage without contract protection should be interesting!
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Jan 4, 2021 23:54
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it’s nearly impossible to prove a ‘slowdown’ or sickout as long as everyone keeps off a paper trail. it’s not as hard as it sounds. but it really only works with a contract to protect you
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Jan 5, 2021 14:59
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and yeah, putting poo poo like ‘dues pay for swag!!’ on that website is uh... an interesting tactic if I were on the fence about voluntarily paying dues, and I read that website, I wouldn’t join
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Jan 5, 2021 15:00
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awesome job, and keep it up until you have a good contract!!!
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Jan 11, 2021 13:50
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I always wondered about IWW, and what it’s like organizing with them
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Jan 18, 2021 23:26
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jarofpiss posted:unionization can be very long term, but it starts with building solidarity with your peers. helping them with things they need help with, commiserating about working conditions (not whining, whining makes everyone miserable), building community. y'all don't have to be best friends but you should be a good competent worker that people respect and look up to. i work in museums in nyc, and there's not a single one i work for that doesn't have an enormous, ground-level, organized group of people who are talking about racial justice, museums using their platforms for good, the way those workforces are racially segregated, the failures of management to listen to people, and the expectation that everyone is sacrificing for something they love, not just trying to pay rent there is either a nascent or fully developed union movement at every one of them, and it's because of the shitstorm that was 2020.
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Jan 28, 2021 22:29
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Congratulations, that's a wonderful feeling Now, get a good contract!!!
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Feb 8, 2021 15:51
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related to that, an organization that operates in the arts/museum world has created this site, which is great: https://artistsforworkers.org/unionize/
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Feb 11, 2021 20:25
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we just unanimously ratified the first contract for workers at the Guggenheim; the workers who run and take care of the building, build, install, and light exhibitions, and take care of the collection are unionized. average 10% raises, bonuses, union healthcare, no more favoritism in work schedules, on and on... and all in a pandemic and economic catastrophe satisfying to see the guy who was management's election witness vote 'yes.' he deserves this as much as anyone else. unionize or die
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Feb 16, 2021 01:11
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pourin’ one out for all the striking mine workers Daniel Guggenheim kicked out of their bunkhouses in -30F temps, the indigenous miners driven up a mountain to work in copper mines 50 miles from any water, the tens of thousands of acres of forest land they stole from the forest service, and every man woman and child murdered by a bullet made from copper and lead that came from the Guggenheim mining trust. bread and roses motherfuckers
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Feb 16, 2021 02:39
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The Lemondrop Dandy posted:Got to help out on a picket line for the first time yesterday. Feels good.
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Feb 18, 2021 19:51
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we lost the auto indoctrination guns with the fall of the USSR, it’s been looked into though
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Mar 15, 2021 13:22
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https://twitter.com/audubonforall/status/1372261992145289216?s=20 bird union
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Mar 17, 2021 21:06
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worth also noting, the labor department is investigating whether the scores of unfair labor practice charges filed by workers at fulfillment centers around the country constitute a pattern of behavior and can be combined into one case
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Mar 31, 2021 16:40
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In Training posted:i hate the bosses 
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Apr 1, 2021 01:09
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it's not the end, but it's certainly not good i listened to a really long interview with one of the main organizers there (Working People podcast), and the conversations she described sounded so hard. the amount of misinformation was incredible. and that's with every loving labor organization in the country wanting to help get out the message. it's a right to work state, but people still thought they would have to pay union dues even if they didn't want to, or that voting yes meant they had to pay dues. (i mean they should but that's not the point here). i've heard plenty more, but it's all essentially gossip, we'll see what happens later. there are more fights to be fought
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Apr 9, 2021 17:03
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DAD LOST MY IPOD posted:then you get stories like this: "LaVonette Stokes, who works as a labor organizer for the Alabama teachers union when she's not working at Amazon, and her husband are have positions as mid-level process guides that earn $15 to $19 an hour. But she said that a union for unskilled labor in Bessemer makes no sense and that it would move too slowly. She and her husband spent $2,400 of their own money to print flyers that detailed Amazon's benefits."
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Apr 9, 2021 21:06
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SchnorkIes posted:a lot of socialists are staunchly anti-union now right? a lot of the online left sees any union seeking concessions within the wage labor system (as opposed to openly trying to abolish wage labor) as fundamentally anti-labor kingcobweb posted:i haven't seen this but these people, if they exist, are dumb as poo poo
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Apr 10, 2021 16:24
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Tom Smykowski posted:It sounded like the RWDSU wasn't having the Amazon workers who were trying to unionize doing any actual door knocking. Not to minimize the good and hard work you did, but I think she raises a good point that the actual workers need to be doing the same thing, too. if you don't have you fellow workers, no matter how well you know them or don't know them, giving you reasons to vote yes, you're gonna vote no or not at all outsiders coming around doing the ground work is never a good look without that. it plays into a million stereotypes, especially in the south even in our campaign, we were super hesitant about having even the union reps make primary contact with workers. they were available to talk at any time, but workers led the campaign from beginning to end. not trying to piss on you SSJ, you're doing god's work, but you gotta have THE workers doing THE work
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Apr 10, 2021 16:27
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apropos to nothing posted:to become mainstream and really fight for power we have to get organized which means having people who are committed to doing the long term nuts and bolts work of building organization meaning sitting through union meetings, keeping spreadsheets of contacts, canvassing/phonebanking/tabling. once you start doing that stuff you realize how disconnected most online discussion is from the actual political situation. your online discourse can be helpful in getting a big picture, but you could never use twitter/CSPAM/whatever again and be fine
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Apr 10, 2021 16:29
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