I'm also curious about the more detailed lessons-learned from the Mercedes loss, but honestly one of my gut reactions as an organizer is simply that the VW Chattanooga workers had been through a drive before. I don't know the numbers, but everything I heard from folks closer to the campaign talked about multiple core leaders who had been on the OC during the previous election (and sometimes two elections). There's just no teacher like experience.
Which I think is another argument for taking on more, low-staff, risky drives -- more workers with the experience of a losing election is still more workers with experience who can fight another round in a year or two, who might end up at another job with a campaign in the future, etc.
*Sports metaphor alert* I'm a big hockey fan. Turning over the puck to the other team is, in a vacuum, bad. But the list of league leaders in turnovers is also a list of many of the best players in the NHL. Why? Because they get a lot of playing time, they possess the puck more often than most other players, and they try to make things happen when they're out on the ice. That means they make more turnovers than players who get less ice time, and who play a safer, less creative game. So yes, if you want to make things happen coughing up the puck or losing an election (or ten!) is part of the process.
An important analysis. We should recognize that unions are spending less today than they were a decade ago on growth, despite having far more resources at their disposal.
The UAW has combined political will, with an industry strategy that incorporates collective bargaining, fusing worker power,resources, and staff with a strong, organizing strategy. It is important for the future of auto workers to build density in the industry.
We do need to create a culture of experimentation as well as honoring both old and new ideas. And we never can forget an employer behavior casts a pall overs worker choice.
But we can do much better as a movement If increase our efforts to talk to and deploy resources to organize workers
It is not about one election. It is a process. And by the way 1 out of 2 so far for the UAW in the South is a .500 batting average, which as any baseball player knows is damn good. What has changed (and can begin to turn things around) is the worker to worker organizing at UAW plants, Starbucks, etc. and even the much harder nut to crack — Amazon. There is an excitement in the labor movement not seen in a long time.
I'm also curious about the more detailed lessons-learned from the Mercedes loss, but honestly one of my gut reactions as an organizer is simply that the VW Chattanooga workers had been through a drive before. I don't know the numbers, but everything I heard from folks closer to the campaign talked about multiple core leaders who had been on the OC during the previous election (and sometimes two elections). There's just no teacher like experience.
Which I think is another argument for taking on more, low-staff, risky drives -- more workers with the experience of a losing election is still more workers with experience who can fight another round in a year or two, who might end up at another job with a campaign in the future, etc.
In the bar, the fans get excited and look up from their beer when a fight breaks out on the ice. Is this a hockey lesson for organizing?
It just might be!
*Sports metaphor alert* I'm a big hockey fan. Turning over the puck to the other team is, in a vacuum, bad. But the list of league leaders in turnovers is also a list of many of the best players in the NHL. Why? Because they get a lot of playing time, they possess the puck more often than most other players, and they try to make things happen when they're out on the ice. That means they make more turnovers than players who get less ice time, and who play a safer, less creative game. So yes, if you want to make things happen coughing up the puck or losing an election (or ten!) is part of the process.
I now regret knowing less about hockey; article would have better with this in it :(
Hey, it's playoff time and the Rangers are in the conference final - no time like the present!
An important analysis. We should recognize that unions are spending less today than they were a decade ago on growth, despite having far more resources at their disposal.
The UAW has combined political will, with an industry strategy that incorporates collective bargaining, fusing worker power,resources, and staff with a strong, organizing strategy. It is important for the future of auto workers to build density in the industry.
We do need to create a culture of experimentation as well as honoring both old and new ideas. And we never can forget an employer behavior casts a pall overs worker choice.
But we can do much better as a movement If increase our efforts to talk to and deploy resources to organize workers
It is not about one election. It is a process. And by the way 1 out of 2 so far for the UAW in the South is a .500 batting average, which as any baseball player knows is damn good. What has changed (and can begin to turn things around) is the worker to worker organizing at UAW plants, Starbucks, etc. and even the much harder nut to crack — Amazon. There is an excitement in the labor movement not seen in a long time.