Unions

[comrade_mufasa]

Just wondering, is anyone here a card holding unionist :P I have a high school job at a movie theater and recent events have had me and some others, including some managers, think about unionizing.

[bolshevik butcher]

Me and my friend at school are setting up a high school studnets union at the moment. HTey ahve them all over europe and we have the right to one, there just isn't one. So we thought it would be good to set one up.

[Paul R]

A high School Students union sounds cool. What exactly would it do?

[h&s]

Campaign on issues relevant for the stdents. I think a high school union would need to concentrate on things like raising awareness of student's working rights as most bosses completely ignore them.
Unions are extremely important as these are working class organisations (even if the leaders aren't) set up and run by workers to protect themselves.
Joining a union and being active in it will do far more good than going on protests ever will.

[Roses in the Hospital]

I've contemplated unionizing my workplace in the past (I work in a resteraunt), but, given that the majority of my fellow employees are 14 year old chavs I doubt it would go anywhere...

[bolshevik butcher]

Yeh, our full objective is going to be to have schools run by councils made up of 1/3studensts, 1/3 staff and 1/3 teachers, taht will elect and executive body to effeticley run and budget the school. I will send you a copy of the constitution when we get it finished. Int he short term our aim is to get membership and campaign against ppp and also the issues of school uniform and the fact that at our school they want to search us for drugs with dogs and give us manditory drug tests.

[Martin Blank]

I am a card-carrying unionist -- an industrial union (I will not say which industry, however).

Miles

[Gust]

I'm in High School, have a job wich involves physical labor, would love a union.

[Anarchist Freedom]

I believe SonOfRage is a member of the IWW.

[Paul R]

My school has this system of "Democracy". What I mean by that is the students from each class elects 2 representatives for a student council and they meet the head teachers to discuss "issues relevant to the students". This is a sham as not once have any ideas by the students been implimented. None of the kids seem to care that they are being fooled into believeing that they have a say. One example is that girls arent allowed to wear trousers. I asked why didnt they protest, I suggested mass disobedience by getting evry girl in the school to wear trousers, because the head cant suspend them all but I was told, "dont worry we will raise it at the next "council meeting". 1 year later....no change. I am thinking about starting an orginisation to fight against this but dont really know how to go about it.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated

[Severian]

Oddly I'm not at the moment. I'm working in this little Steelworkers-organized place but they haven't bothered to send anyone out to this place to sign people up since I got off the insanely long probationary period on this job. I gotta start asking around.

[The Feral Underclass]

I just joined IWW.

[Non-Sectarian Bastard!]

Congrats mate. Do you work?

[h&s]

Originally posted by The Anarchist [email protected] 13 2005, 10:36 AM
I just joined IWW.
Does the IWW actually have any power in the UK?
Wouldn't you be better off in one of the bigger unions?

[Sven_Linderot]

I am a proud member of the swedish construction-workers union, department 1, section 10 to be precise ;)

[union worker]

When the union's inspiration through worker's blood shall run, There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun; Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one, For the union makes us strong.

Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, For the union makes us strong



Is there aught we hold in common with the greedy
parasite; Who would lash us into serfdom and would crush us with his might? Is there anything left to us but to organize and fight? For the union makes us strong


Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, For the union makes us strong


It is we who ploughed the prairies, built the cities where they trade, Dug the mines and built the workshops, endless miles of railroad laid; Now we stand outcast and starving 'mid the wonders we have made, But the union makes us strong


Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever,
For the union makes us strong


All the world that's owned by idle drones is ours and ours alone We have laid the wide foundations, built it skyward stone by stone. It is ours, not to slave in, but to master and to own. While the union makes us strong


Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, For the union makes us strong


They have taken untold millions that they never toiled to earn, But without our brain and muscle not a single wheel will turn; But without our brain and muscle not a single wheel will turn; We can break their haughty power, gain our freedom when we learn; That the union makes us strong


Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, For the union makes us strong


In our hands is placed a power greater than their hoarded gold, Greater than the might of armies magnified a thousand fold; We can bring to birth a new world from the ashes of the old, For the union makes us strong.


Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, Solidarity forever, For the union makes us strong

[American_Trotskyist]

I was fired, indirectly, for trying to Unionize my old work place.

[amos]

Yes, I'm the Union Rep where I work (in the UK), and I've never heard of the IWW.

[wet blanket]

Originally posted by [email protected] 16 2005, 11:04 PM
Yes, I'm the Union Rep where I work (in the UK), and I've never heard of the IWW.
They're a an anarcho-syndicalist union and a big part of the american labor movement, they're also getting popular in Australia.

[Severian]

Originally posted by wet blanket+Jul 16 2005, 08:19 PM--> (wet blanket @ Jul 16 2005, 08:19 PM)
[email protected] 16 2005, 11:04 PM
Yes, I'm the Union Rep where I work (in the UK), and I've never heard of the IWW.
They're a an anarcho-syndicalist union and a big part of the american labor movement, they're also getting popular in Australia. [/b]
And by big, you mean tiny?

[violencia.Proletariat]

Originally posted by Severian+Jul 16 2005, 09:56 PM--> (Severian @ Jul 16 2005, 09:56 PM)
Originally posted by wet [email protected] 16 2005, 08:19 PM

[email protected] 16 2005, 11:04 PM
Yes, I'm the Union Rep where I work (in the UK), and I've never heard of the IWW.
They're a an anarcho-syndicalist union and a big part of the american labor movement, they're also getting popular in Australia.
And by big, you mean tiny? [/b]
they, Used To Be big, doesnt mean it cant happen again

[BOZG]

A member of SIPTU, a disgusting bureaucratic union but unfortunately the only one I can join unless I go and join someone like the IWW and waste the price of a pint through giving them subscription fees when they have no sway whatsoever.

I'm just about to write an e-mail chewing the bollocks out them because so far since I joined, they've sent me no information, never contacted me or even informed me of when my branch meetings are.

[bur372]

my school has a school council. they made some small changes like putting benches in the car park. But there was one occasion where all the people in the school council voted for something the headmaster veoted it and told everyone never to speak about it again. :ph34r:

school council's are an illusion of power and democracry designed so that the students belive they have democratic representation when really they have nothing.

[union worker]

heres somethin funny, as a member of my union i can NOT hold office if im a member of a communist party, yet i can if im a republican.

[VoiceOfTheRiot]

I'm a UPS worker and am also a card carring member, the Union has been a terrific force for making positive changes at my workplace. However, be carefull about how some workers may abuse it. In one instance, a fellow employee who was constantly late, incredibly lazy and had the worst attitude i'd ever incountered was fired twice but w/ the help of the union he was able to get his job back. Very frustrating.

[red_orchestra]

Do not blame the workers unions. It is up to management to step in and take care of any issues relating to employment.

[VoiceOfTheRiot]

Management can't tough this guy. Anytime they call something he's done into question he just immediatly goes to the union, and the union backs him. The union almost looks for ways to screw management, and vice versa. I'm not blaming the union for this workers poor performance, i'm blaming the fact that neither the union nor management seems to care about the fact that he's a bad worker, they just want to fuck w/ each other.

[Severian]

Eh, I think that if management really wants to get rid of somebody, they can generally find a way.

It's the union's job to represent everybody, so they should try to get this guy's job back. If they didn't, you'd have to wonder if they'd try for you.

I admit I have occasionally seen some amazing cases like this...there was one guy who climbed over a fence on company time and went fishing...twice...and got his job back. I think some boss' relative was also involved, which might explain it.....

[The Feral Underclass]

Originally posted by h&[email protected] 13 2005, 02:07 PM
Does the IWW actually have any power in the UK?
No. The membership is very small. It's rather a symbolic gesture of solidarity with workers who share the same principles.


Wouldn't you be better off in one of the bigger unions?

I'm also a card carrying member of GMB.

[VoiceOfTheRiot]

Yes i understand and even though i harbor no racist feelings, this guy is an african american (is that the p.c. titile if not i apoligize) and he plays the race card quite abit, even when it has nothing to do w/ the situation. However i have also see people of all races abuse their priviliges.

[BOZG]

I become the Shop Steward in my job today.

[Commie Girl]

:) AUPE (Alberta Union of Provincial Employees)

[h&s]

No. The membership is very small. It's rather a symbolic gesture of solidarity with workers who share the same principles.
Thats good man. Do you know any other memebers?


I become the Shop Steward in my job today.
I bet your boss loves you.

[The Feral Underclass]

Originally posted by h&[email protected] 23 2005, 09:53 AM

No. The membership is very small. It's rather a symbolic gesture of solidarity with workers who share the same principles.
Thats good man. Do you know any other memebers?
Yes of course. The IWW conference was today actually, but I didn't go :unsure:

[PrideoftheProletariat]

My grandfather was a distinguished member of some sort of dairy workers union. He has a bunch of plaques and other such pieces of recognition from them. My uncle is also a member of some sort of steel workers union, the name of it escapes me right now. One time when he was on strike with his other workers, he actually stepped in front of one the companies trucks to stop it from getting into the work site.

[kingbee]

havent read all the thread, but im sure quite a few, like me, are NUS members.

[bolshevik butcher]

Originally posted by Paul [email protected] 13 2005, 12:02 AM
My school has this system of "Democracy". What I mean by that is the students from each class elects 2 representatives for a student council and they meet the head teachers to discuss "issues relevant to the students". This is a sham as not once have any ideas by the students been implimented. None of the kids seem to care that they are being fooled into believeing that they have a say. One example is that girls arent allowed to wear trousers. I asked why didnt they protest, I suggested mass disobedience by getting evry girl in the school to wear trousers, because the head cant suspend them all but I was told, "dont worry we will raise it at the next "council meeting". 1 year later....no change. I am thinking about starting an orginisation to fight against this but dont really know how to go about it.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated
Similar story in my place. They wont let us discuss unifrom anymore. It's ajoke. That's why we want to set up the union.

[BOZG]

Originally posted by h&[email protected] 23 2005, 08:53 AM
I bet your boss loves you.
He does actually like me, but he doesn't know yet, he was on holidays. Tomorrow will be interesting...