Unionizing Entire communities?

[IrishWorker]

We are all familiar with the concept of unionizing the workplace against the bosses but I have read very little on the idea of unionizing entire communities.

If entire communities waged and unwaged old and young were unionized it would put a new and fresh dimension into union politics and give unions far more sway when involved in negotiations with the state and the bosses as citizens could be encouraged not to pay rates etc in support of striking workers attacking the bosses from two platforms.

Unionizing the communities would also radicalize them and go some way in building the class consciousness needed to instigate social revolution.

The unions could become more than what they are today and not only fight social injustice in the workplace but fight it in the day to day lives of the people.

This is very possible as most unions have affiliate or associate membership available where people would only have to pay a few euros or pound per month to get the benefit of Union backing in dealing with social welfare issues or dealing with other state bodies.

[Stranger Than Paradise]

This is something to aim for, but I don't think it would be possible presently.

[the last donut of the night]

Apparently, the IWW has tried to unionize by geographic location:


Besides IWW's traditional practice of organizing industrially, the Union has been open to new methods such as organizing geographically: for instance, seeking to organize retail workers in a certain business district, as in Philadelphia.

[IrishWorker]

This is something to aim for, but I don't think it would be possible presently.
Capitalism in Ireland today is in turmoil I believe unionizing the people may be a strategy to over throw Irish capitalism.

[Dimentio]

We are all familiar with the concept of unionizing the workplace against the bosses but I have read very little on the idea of unionizing entire communities.

If entire communities waged and unwaged old and young were unionized it would put a new and fresh dimension into union politics and give unions far more sway when involved in negotiations with the state and the bosses as citizens could be encouraged not to pay rates etc in support of striking workers attacking the bosses from two platforms.

Unionizing the communities would also radicalize them and go some way in building the class consciousness needed to instigate social revolution.

The unions could become more than what they are today and not only fight social injustice in the workplace but fight it in the day to day lives of the people.

This is very possible as most unions have affiliate or associate membership available where people would only have to pay a few euros or pound per month to get the benefit of Union backing in dealing with social welfare issues or dealing with other state bodies.

They tried to test to socialise the entire economy of Sweden in the 1970's through the employee funds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employee_funds), which arguably is the most radical proposal by any social democratic party in modern history.

[rosie]

The point is to get the unions and workers to strike FOR class issues both in the factory and outside of it. The Free Mumia movement in the States has been trying to get workers to do just this for nearly 25 years. My advice to you, is to keep getting people involved, try not to focus on those who are not interested, and keep reading! Good job, Comrade.

[ComradeMan]

We are all familiar with the concept of unionizing the workplace against the bosses but I have read very little on the idea of unionizing entire communities.

If entire communities waged and unwaged old and young were unionized it would put a new and fresh dimension into union politics and give unions far more sway when involved in negotiations with the state and the bosses as citizens could be encouraged not to pay rates etc in support of striking workers attacking the bosses from two platforms.

Unionizing the communities would also radicalize them and go some way in building the class consciousness needed to instigate social revolution.

The unions could become more than what they are today and not only fight social injustice in the workplace but fight it in the day to day lives of the people.

This is very possible as most unions have affiliate or associate membership available where people would only have to pay a few euros or pound per month to get the benefit of Union backing in dealing with social welfare issues or dealing with other state bodies.


Good sentiments but I don't think it would work. A case of trying to fight battles on too many fronts. However, it is an interesting an idea and has gone into my note book:).

How about communal associations of which the unions are an integral part?

[Stranger Than Paradise]

Apparently, the IWW has tried to unionize by geographic location:

It seems to be a good strategy to ensure these unions stay autonomous and keep decisions within the hands of the rank and file. The CNT used to organise by locality back in the 30's.

[IrishWorker]

This type of reorganization of a Union hasn’t been seen before in Ireland a Union which includes single mothers to pensioners and from farm laborers to teachers all equal and all entitled to receive the benefit of the collective.
A Union that wields power not only in the workplace but from within the communities that the workers live.
If it hasn’t been tried before then it hasn’t failed before and shouldn’t be dismissed until it has been put into practice.

It would be relatively easy to try as all it would take is the commitment from a few individuals to canvass there own area and put it to the people. That for a few pounds or euro per month they could receive the benefit of a collective group willing to stand together in the face of Social injustice.

Out of this unified unionized community the possibilities are endless social economy projects could be launched derelict housing could be seized unused land could be seized and all put to good use for the benefit of the unionized community creating jobs within the areas.

All the while keeping firm and steadfast to the belief that a unionized community will eventually lead to the end of state control in unionized areas and the establishment of a radical militant working class.

[Pogue]

We are all familiar with the concept of unionizing the workplace against the bosses but I have read very little on the idea of unionizing entire communities.

If entire communities waged and unwaged old and young were unionized it would put a new and fresh dimension into union politics and give unions far more sway when involved in negotiations with the state and the bosses as citizens could be encouraged not to pay rates etc in support of striking workers attacking the bosses from two platforms.

Unionizing the communities would also radicalize them and go some way in building the class consciousness needed to instigate social revolution.

The unions could become more than what they are today and not only fight social injustice in the workplace but fight it in the day to day lives of the people.

This is very possible as most unions have affiliate or associate membership available where people would only have to pay a few euros or pound per month to get the benefit of Union backing in dealing with social welfare issues or dealing with other state bodies.

http://www.libertyandsolidarity.org/community





http://www.libertyandsolidarity.org/sites/default/files/community_0.png?1237814223 Whilst the workplace is an important departure for class politics, workers are not just workers from 9am to 5pm. Issues such as housing and anti social behaviour cannot be easily tackled through workplace activism, and yet these are some of the issues which people feel most strongly about. These are also issues utilised by the far right in order to stir up hatred and division. Clearly we cannot leave this important area of society unorganised.
While union density is low, community organising in arguably a worse state. Our communities are at best atomised and transient, and at worst, practically divided. Many residents assocaitions and other potentially democratic organs within the community have been co-opted by the councils.
Several decades of defeat have left many working class people with an expectation of attack and no corresponding expectation of a capacity for resistance. In the current climate it is the job of revolutionaries to combat these unhelpful attitudes and to foster more positive values of confidence, confrontation and solidarity.
In the community, as in other arenas, Liberty and Solidarity supports tactics and strategies which promote these values and believe this is best achieved through practical demonstration and the building of grassroots organisations capable of putting them into practice to achieve concrete gains whilst building the power of the class through organisation, and in opposition to the state.
As libertarians, we recognise that power needs to be devolved to the lowest practical level. Strong community organisation is needed to tackle social issues which were previously addressed by the state. Workers control of the economy must be complimented with residents control over their communities.
Resources and Services in the Community
Provision of resources and services, such as Housing, Benefits or Social Services is an obvious area of class conflict on a local level. The ongoing erosion of the Welfare State has seen a rationing of resources and services which is keenly felt by working class people.
Given the existing framework of legal rights, gained by previous struggles, cut backs can often be best achieved through a policy of gate keeping, a deliberate denial of rights, at a local level. This pits low level administrators of the welfare state against those accessing services or resources and creates a front line in council and local Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) outlets.
The importance of gate keeping, with its reliance on policy on a very local level means that grassroots resistance punches above its weight as a method of defending resources and services for the working class.
The daily experience of gate keeping reinforces the negative expectations held by many working class people and discourages confidence in our own ability to achieve victories through confrontation and solidarity. Conversely, campaigning in this area can produce relatively easy victories which have the opposite effect and allow effective and confident organisation to be achieved at the grassroots of communities.
Liberty and Solidarity therefore endorses community campaigns around the provision of resources or services and groups such as London Coalition Against Poverty (LCAP) which organise around these issues. Ideally such campaigns should be tied to the creation of long term working class organsations in the areas where the campaigns are fought.
Association with other groups
Liberty and Solidarity will aim to work within groups that are positively assisting community organisation or struggle within the community. We do not see our own organisation as the sole actor in this arena, and firmly believe that such struggles must involve those outside of the anarchist movement or left in general.
One of the greatest failures of all community organising is the lack of overall analysis which leads to chronic isolationism and more often than not, defeat. Much like the unions, community organisations such as residents associations can be overly cooperative with the council and the sense of importance granted by this. This makes such organisations less likely to fight effectively for the residents they are supposed to represent. The level of co-option amongst varies from association to association, some may be completely independent of the state, whilst others simply mouthpieces for the council.
Our enemies are operating on a larger geographic scale, with more resources, man power, and the state on their side, they show themselves to be more than capable of dealing with individual campaigns. They also have the apparent advantage of a long term memory, an analysis of how to combat irritating groups borne from decades of experience. Something most if not all campaigns lack. It is important for us to move to rectify this state of affairs. The victories and defeats of local groups can be forgotten, and a culture of constantly starting from scratch begins to form. Liberty and Solidarity there for supports moves to build democratic national residents and tenants organsaitons in opposition to the state and local councils.
Community Organising and the Far Right
The recent successes of the far right have been achieved by promotion of an analysis among white working class communities of a scarcity of resources, most notably housing, caused by competition of ethnic groups for these resources. Community organising should seek to combat this by demonstrating more effective solutions to these issues than the far right can offer.
Consequently we believe that positive community organising, as outlined above is one of the most effective ways to combat reactionary influence.
Residents Associations
Residents Associations take on a specific role inside the community, unlike Not-in-My-Back-Yard (NIMBY) or single-issue campaigns, residents associations aim to represent the interests of a neighbourhood, or group of people in an area, to improve their own conditions. This is positive as it reflects some of the basic principals of libertarian socialism that we wish to promote.
However, the quality of residents associations varies greatly. There are many examples of associations going along with council decisions that have subsequently been met with uproar by the community in which they are supposed to be based.
In light of this we argue for our members to be involved with their local residents associations, should they be sufficiently independent, and to take an active part in building them, facilitating their growth. In areas where associations do not exist, or associations are co-opted or dominated by undemocratic factions, new and independent associations should be set up to replace them.
Liberty and Solidarity sees residents associations as a potential basis for democratic local government, and encourages progressive associations to federate in order to build collective power. Such associations can be organs of the working class in much the same manner as unions are, and should be manoeuvred towards a situation of dual power within the communities they represent, directly in opposition to the local council.
Other Community Organisations
Other issues that affect the community will often have organisations set up to address them. This ranges from campaigns against developments, to cultural centres and youth clubs.
Such organisations should be encourage to join, or where none exist, form residents associations, with a view to broadening the struggle.

[the last donut of the night]

It seems to be a good strategy to ensure these unions stay autonomous and keep decisions within the hands of the rank and file. The CNT used to organise by locality back in the 30's.

Yes. I admire the IWW, although small today, they had about 100,000 members back in the 20's and could have pushed the way for revolution. That is, until the 40's, where the American government began an all-out attack on radical movements.

However, they've been making some gains here in New York with immigrant workers and Starbucks employees. The collection of recyclable trash in Berkeley, for example, is managed by workers in the IWW.

[Pogue]

Yes. I admire the IWW, although small today, they had about 100,000 members back in the 20's and could have pushed the way for revolution. That is, until the 40's, where the American government began an all-out attack on radical movements.

However, they've been making some gains here in New York with immigrant workers and Starbucks employees. The collection of recyclable trash in Berkeley, for example, is managed by workers in the IWW.

We've grown alot recently. The IWW is a great tool for socialists across the world today, and a great means by which to build the power of the class.

[IrishWorker]

http://www.libertyandsolidarity.org/community


I dont disagree with any of that mo chara.

[IrishWorker]

http://www.libertyandsolidarity.org/community

The big questions, is it working?

Are Liberty&Solidarity working with any Independent Unions?

[Pogue]

The big questions, is it working?

Are Liberty&Solidarity working with any Independent Unions?

Well its based upon struggles that have worked. I think its the best position out there. The point is, it doesn't mention anything that couldn't be ahceived.

As to whether its working, I don't think anyone would honestly be able to tell at the moment. For it to be working we'd have to see high levels of class struggle in the community in Britain today and obviously we are not, so its not really possible to say. I'd say it could and will work though, and where strong, class based community groups have existed in the past they have done well. Some of these have succesfully linked up with workplace struggles too, as of course the two are un-seperatable.

[IrishWorker]

Well its based upon struggles that have worked. I think its the best position out there. The point is, it doesn't mention anything that couldn't be ahceived.

As to whether its working, I don't think anyone would honestly be able to tell at the moment. For it to be working we'd have to see high levels of class struggle in the community in Britain today and obviously we are not, so its not really possible to say. I'd say it could and will work though, and where strong, class based community groups have existed in the past they have done well. Some of these have succesfully linked up with workplace struggles too, as of course the two are un-seperatable.

I think it would have a better chance of working in the tightly nit communities in occupied Ireland.

But as comrade Rite-Boil pointed out on another forum it might be plagued with sectarianism his quote is

"Its an interesting angle but one in the current Irish context is bound to have problems.
In theory it would be nice to see both Protestant and Catholic working class people uniting in these Unions and developing a certain class conscousness.
But it will inevitably be split along sectarian lines.
If a United union made any real head way in attracting significant amounts of Protestant working class people then the sectarian cauldron would be stirred up by the reactionary elements within Ireland and inevitably a schism would occur where the Protestant Working class are taken into a Reactionary Community Union with a wholey anti-working class policy.
The Trots in Irelands tactics with regaurds over coming Sectarianism boils down to pure economism whereby any contentious political mainstays of Marxism is abandoned and will only address the PUL Community on an economic basis, Gas and water socialism in Connollys time and Ring Road socialists in Costellos time.
This Community Union theory does vear away from the safe reformist middle ground of economism but it is hard to see it overcoming centuries of Reactionary indoctrination.
In the end of the day in a Marxist Materialistic perspective the Unionist and Loyalist community in Ireland is reactionary and should be treated as such."

[syndicat]

An example of a union that organized whole communities in the USA was the Independent Union of All Workers in 1933-35. It was formed originally by Wobbly meatcutters in a sitdown strike at Hormel's main plant in Austin, MN in 1933. They used the large masses of meatpacking plant workers as a solidarity force to help organize workers in weaker situations, such as small groups of retail workers. They would organize all the workers in all the businesses in the town into a single organization. This is described by Pete Rachleff in his essay "Organizing Wall to Wall".

[the last donut of the night]

We've grown alot recently.

How so?


The IWW is a great tool for socialists across the world today, and a great means by which to build the power of the class.

Couldn't agree more.

[Uncle Ho]

We've grown alot recently. The IWW is a great tool for socialists across the world today, and a great means by which to build the power of the class.

The only problem is that the IWW does not have the same power to protect you as a larger union would.

It's sort of moot anyway, though, as Reagan gutted us all 25 years ago.

[the last donut of the night]

as Reagan gutted us all 25 years ago.

and Thatcher...

[Uncle Ho]

and Thatcher...

At least the British still have wildcats and solidarity strikes.

The only power left to American unions is to complain as the bulldozers run us over.

[the last donut of the night]

At least the British still have wildcats and solidarity strikes.

The only power left to American unions is to complain as the bulldozers run us over.

Again, generalizations abound. Here is a union which I admire. (http://www.iww.org/)

[bcbm]

Again, generalizations abound. Here is a union which I admire. (http://www.iww.org/)

what wildcat actions or solidarity strikes has the iww engaged in? while i recognize that in some areas they are gaining (minor) ground in the service industry sector, the truth is that the iww has very little power and what little they do have is rarely exercised, especially in solidarity or wildcat actions.

[Uncle Ho]

what wildcat actions or solidarity strikes has the iww engaged in? while i recognize that in some areas they are gaining (minor) ground in the service industry sector, the truth is that the iww has very little power and what little they do have is rarely exercised, especially in solidarity or wildcat actions.

Yeah, rhetoric is nice, but without the strength to back it, it's not going to solve anything.