IWW Campaign Goes Public

[subcp]

IWW workers will vote today (March 6 2013) whether to make the IWW the exclusive bargaining agent for workers in the bargaining unit:

http://griid.org/2013/02/21/management-responds-with-business-propaganda-to-iww-star-tickets-workers-union-efforts-to-organize-in-grand-rapids/



Last month we reported (http://griid.org/2013/01/25/workers-respond-to-management-abuse-by-forming-new-union-at-star-tickets-in-grand-rapids/) on an IWW union organizing effort at Star Tickets, here in Grand Rapids.


There have been two kinds of responses to this news. First, the community has communicated their support with messages on the IWW Star Tickets Workers Union Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/IWW-Star-Tickets-Workers-Union/122877777883758?fref=ts) and lots of gifts, such as food and flowers. (Sounds like Bread & Roses).


The other response to the workers organizing effort has been from management and as expected it hasn’t been pretty. Star Tickets owner Jack Krasula has created his own business propaganda to share with workers to try to counter the pro-worker messages of the IWW Star Tickets Workers Union. Krasula has been distributing his business propaganda to workers in the hopes of influencing enough of the workers to vote against a union on March 6.



The IWW Star Tickets Workers Union has a fairly methodical response to Star Tickets management, which you can read on their Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/IWW-Star-Tickets-Workers-Union/122877777883758?fref=ts), but we also asked some of the workers for their reaction to the anti-union propaganda. Here is what IWW Star Tickets Workers Union member Evelyn Stone had to say:
My reaction to the propaganda is that it’s really off-base, focusing on dues and bureaucracy when the IWW is different from other unions in exactly that regard. It also liberally applies double standards, accusing the union of not being able to guarantee we’ll get our demands, without holding Jack to that standard. Obviously HE’S not going to guarantee us anything if we’re on our own. We’ve been trying that one-on-one negotiation he prefers for years and nothing’s changed. And their argument seems to be “Star Tickets isn’t going to give you your demands either way so vote ‘no’”??

And trying to frame the IWW as some kind of outside entity is ironic, considering, while the union is just a bunch of people who’ve been working in this office who decided to form their own union, the firm that’s putting out all the anti-union material IS an outside entity. They know so little about our specific situation that they tried to use the scare tactic, “you might lose the benefits you have,” when almost no one in the office has benefits to begin with. And they tried to scare people by saying their dues could be as much as $27 a month, which is laughable, because nobody in this office makes anywhere near enough money to qualify for that level of dues. I’m sure we’d all be at the minimum dues level of $9 (or maybe even the sub-minimum level of $5). The firm is either being intentionally misleading there, or they are just using boilerplate anti-union arguments without bothering to research our specific office at all!

As for the reaction of coworkers, I know even though the propaganda urges people to “ask questions and get answers” the intention is not actually to get them to do that, and indeed people have been pretty silent on the topic during work hours. Though that may just be that they were annoyed by it and didn’t even bother to read it.
What do you anticipate happening with the campaign?
What I expect to happen between now and March 6th is that the company will allow things to deteriorate further and try to blame that on us. One of our demands is for them to hire more people for the Client Services department because they are so ridiculously understaffed that there’s no way for them to finish their work, which is obviously bad for the clients and therefore the whole company, and also causes problems in the operations of the Call Center.
It’s a tactic to shift the blame onto the overworked workers there for any mistakes they may make instead of placing it where it belongs, on the management that put them in a situation where it’s impossible for them to succeed. Management is going to blame the union for this, saying their hands are tied until after the election (they’ve actually claimed it’s illegal for them to make staffing changes until the election) but hopefully people are able to see through that, since, first of all, it’s not true–that staffing change is easily, easily framed as something they have to do anyway for their own good, outside of any negotiations with us. And secondly, they haven’t been afraid to make staffing changes in the call center during the election period. Not to mention, if they really believed this, and wanted to fix the situation, we gladly would have agreed to a much earlier election date.

They were the ones that wanted the maximum amount of time to campaign. To me, making things worse and blaming it on us is a transparent (and stupidly self-destructive) tactic. But it may be the most effective one they have.
Still, I am confident we will win the election, so our focus is going to have to shift to how to deal with similar tactics in our negotiations with Star Tickets as the recognized union.

The IWW Star Tickets Workers Union welcomes your continued support and solidarity and are even encouraging people to send messages to the owner and let him know that there is lots of public support for their right to organize.

[TheRedAnarchist23]

Can somebody explain this to me?

[subcp]

The Industrial Workers of the World signed up members in this workplace, those members organized their co-workers (either as members or supporters of an IWW union drive), then they requested a union election according to the National Labor Relations Act Section 9, which will, by secret ballot, let the workers vote whether they want to make the IWW their exclusive bargaining agent, i.e. the union that will represent them and sign collective bargaining agreements with the boss.

The campaign went public, and they had their union election yesterday (3/6/13).

It's noteworthy because a debate has gone on inside and outside the IWW over the question of representing workers like a traditional union (becoming the recognized exclusive bargaining representative via card-check or secret ballot union election)- books, articles and pamphlets have been promoted by the IWW that describe 'solidarity unionism', a form of minority unionism that doesn't involve becoming a 'traditional union' (signing contracts). Recently, a paper written by IWW members called, "Direct Unionism" questions this kind of campaign, the signing of contracts, the drive to recruit as widely as possible, etc. which was discussed online and in print, with articles and counter-articles, letters to the IWW newspaper, on the merits of contract campaigns and whether the IWW should act like a 'regular union' or not- since revolutionary and communist principles are in the Constitution/By-Laws of the union. Since they are a revolutionary syndicalist union, it's a controversial discussion.

[subcp]

The IWW won the union election:



Grand Rapids - While new Right to Work legislation has forced labor into retreat across Michigan, Grand Rapids workers made a rare advance Wednesday under the banner of the radical Industrial Workers of the World as employees of Star Tickets voted for unionization. The victorious union vote comes on the heels of a relentless anti-union campaign waged by owner Jack Krasula and an outside firm he retained.
Dubbed the IWW Star Tickets Workers Union employees came together over meager demands such as: adequate equipment, an end to understaffing, and a yearly pay evaluation.


"Our demands aim not only to benefit our workplace environment, but to improve our services to our valued clients as well." said Deirdre Cunningham a Client Services Representative.


Since the petition was filed owner Jack Krasula has responded by spending thousands of dollars to thwart his employees efforts. Workers have had to endure veiled threats, intimidation, and misinformation in a textbook anti-union campaign.
Despite Krasula's best efforts the workers unity has remained solid with flowers, candy, and best wishes sent from IWW branches and members from across the country.


While union membership has become scarce across the country the IWW is invigorating the labor movement by organizing workers through "solidarity unionism". Traditionally relying on innovative tactics to win demands instead of government agencies Star Workers decided to finally file for "formal" recognition after 3 years of workplace organising.


"What Mr. Krasula and this outside firm fail to realize is that when they disparage our efforts to organize with their barrage of memos they are disparaging their workers that have given years of their lives to make this company successful. We hope this is not how they intend on bargaining but either way we will continue to succeed with our solidarity and our union" said Evelyn Stone a Call Service Representative.


For more information, visit: http://grsbuxunion.blogspot.com/

[TheRedAnarchist23]

Can somebody explain this to me?

Aparently not.

[subcp]

Aparently not.

I did; in post #3 of this thread- it describes what it's all about.

News:

One of the IWW militants was fired in retaliation the day they won the union election:

http://www.iww.org/en/content/support-deirdre-chervenka-cunningham-support-iww-star-tickets-workers-union

[Rusty Shackleford]

It was news to me a few months ago to find out the IWW was NLRB recognized.


Grats on organizing. Hopefully it doenst become too much like normal/yellow unions

[Stranger Than Paradise]

Is there discussions within the IWW for this to become a part of their general strategy in relation to being the single bargaining agent for workers. As subcp said it's a controversial issue, is there any more info on this? I assume the IWW has a certain level of Anarchist currents within it, some of which may dispute this.

[subcp]

If I remember right, they filed with the Department of Labor in the 1970's as a 'regular trade union' in exchange for tax-exempt organization status. Keep in mind there are 'base unions' even in the US- theres a 'Exxon Employees Association' registered with the DoL/OLMS for example, so any group can do it if they register and file for union election.

[Sea]

Hopefully it doenst become too much like normal/yellow unionsThis is what worries me. When a group is put into a moderating position between workers and their enemy, they can't help but become involved in the sort of conditional repression that we see in the union bureaucracy all too much. I really don't see how being on the NLRB can be a good thing in terms of revolutionary viability. Seems to me like the first step on becoming an organization that is removed from, and attempts to stand above, the working class.

[Harry Clement Perkins]

Public campaigns to unionize workplaces can demonstrate to the working class in concrete terms what socialism can do to improve their lot. Actual results by groups like the IWW may help to raise class consciousness in a way theory alone cannot hope to do.