Union Perspectives

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...