Union Perspectives

What type of union person are you? Have you even thought about this? There is a theory put forth in 1956 by DL Tagliacozzo is that union members are broken into seven groups: 1. the ideological unionist; 2. the good union member; 3. the loyal but critical member; 4. the crisis activist; 5. the dually oriented member; 6. the card carrying or indifferent member; and 7. the unwilling unionist. In some cases the types tend to merge, making the count arbitrary at times, but on the whole most members fit into one of these seven categories. The ideological unionist is distinguished from the others by articulate, political and social philosophy. They will know and study union history, and be willing to consider personal sacrifices in order to strengthen the union. The good union member will protect and advance the union’s prestige and power. They will strike and walk picket lines when called upon. They are usually preferred by leaders when an office within the union is to be filled. The l...

Young people who are not yet in the work place will get their first impressions of unions from sound bites or negative reports from anti-union sources like the Republican party and GOP corporations and the media they control. Labor is missing a lot of chances to educate potential members by putting a positive spin on what labor unions are and how they can help workers. Most of our public education system is taught by union teachers. They could tell their students indirect or innocuous stories about how unions have effected their lives and that of the students. For instance, a teacher/professor could say, something like, ‘union negotiations have kept class size down so that, as a teacher, I can have more time with each of those students who might need more help.’ Or, like I’ve heard, ‘Before our teachers unionized, I had to work a second job to make ends meet.’ Teachers could also incorporate labor history into U.S. history, such as when describing the Great Depression or how children ...

To be a labor organizer under the ‘slave labor act’ otherwise known as the Taft-Hartley Act of 1946, the ideal organizer should have the essential talents of a variety of occupational specialties. He or she should be part missionary, part salesperson, part politician, part counselor, part teacher, part psychologist while also being connected and be part lawyer. This is what is needed to be done. United States Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes ruled on the National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp 301. In his ruling, he said, “Long ago we stated the reason for labor organizations. We said that they were organized out of the necessities of the situation that a single employee was helpless in dealing with an employer that he or she was dependent ordinarily on his or hers daily wage for the maintenance of themselves and their family; that if the employer refused to pay him the wages that he thought fair, he was nevertheless unable to leave the employe...

Our country could go from a democracy to a dictatorship if the Republicans take the House, Senate and Presidency starting on Tuesday and into the 2024 elections. If the Republicans win, we could conceivably lose all of our social services, Social Security, Medicare, right to unions, among others. Should the working people, retired and unions members just wait for this to happen or start planning on how to keep our democracy or return fully to it? We will need a strategy on how and what we need to do. But first, we must find the right-wing GOP’s Achilles Heel. The Classical Greek myth illustrates well the vulnerability of the supposedly invulnerable, the warrior Achilles. The myth states no blow could injure and no sword could penetrate Achilles’s skin. When still a baby , Achilles’ mother dipped him into the waters of the magical river, Styx, resulting in the protection of his body from all dangers. There was however, a problem. The mother held Achilles by his heel and the waters of t...

Your unions are only as strong as your participation. All union members of all unions need to read and understand their union contracts , and the rules and regulations. They need to know all elected officials of their unions, local and national. Are your dues paid to the local or national union coffers? Also, where, exactly, do your union dues go? What are unions’ supporting or investing our dues in? Trust but verify. When and where are your union meetings held? When are the election of your officers? What elected jobs are there and what volunteer jobs are there in your union. What is happens if a union member is charged with a violation of union rules? What training is there for your union? When you have the answers to the above questions, then it’s time to learn about your union’s history and the labor movement. The good and the bad because you cannot defend your union if you don’t know all bout your union’s history and the history of the labor movement. Just like the Art of War ...

All union people should become an organizer when speaking to other working non-union people. For example, one of the most common misconceptions being said by non-union workers say is that they don’t want to pay dues to a union. This ignorance is why communication skills are so important. This person has bought into the misinformation that dues are used to promote the union and not for the workers’ retirement. One thing to keep in mind when speaking to other workers is the basic differences between the leader and the organizer. The leader goes on to build power to fulfill his or hers desires, to hold and wield the power for the purposes for both social and personal. He or she wants power for themselves. The organizer finds their goal in creation of power for others to use for their benefit. The organizer must be good at communication and be able to communicate with others, which takes place when the other person understands what you’re trying to get across to them if they don’t underst...

Ignorance is the corporations’ biggest tool against the workers and uninformed. Employment at 4 percent to zero is good for the workers because workers can ask for more wages and benefits, and unions can ask for more and not worry about no one being able to find work if they lose their jobs. Unemployment at 5 percent to 10 percent is good for the corporations for the corporations would have a reserve army of labor force who are desperate enough to agree to whatever work at whatever wage they can receive. Unemployment plays a critical role in the capitalist system, preventing wage growth from threatening the profitability of the corporations. A tight labor market opens the best way for organizing unions, like Starbucks and fast food, and Amazon as well. According to former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, “Corporations tell us they have ‘no choice’ but to raise prices. Meanwhile: Corporate profit margins soared to their highest levels since 1950. Stock buybacks are expected to reac...