Originally posted by
[email protected] 12 2006, 04:45 AM
Congratulations bro, great to hear that you're devoted to worker's rights and unity
Considering that no one gave me a good answer or response to my post in Learning, could u advise me on what to do or any hints that you might have regarding my situation, seeing how u participate in union activities
Here is my original post:
Fellow RevLefters, one of my friends recently discussed something with me that not only pissed me off but also energized me to get more involved in the struggle for worker's rights
It seems that my friend, whom we'll call Dave, used to work in a catering factory
The factory was rather small, only employing a couple of ppl (8-10 ppl to be exact)
Well, it seems that the employers and managers were rather abusive and exploitative (working their ppl long hrs, bullshit pay, no benefits, threats,...)
And there reached a point where Dave was continuously being abused and his employers were looking for an excuse to fire him, among others
Well, they finally got the opportunity and fired him for bullshit reasons
They did the same to others and no action was taken against them
And now that Dave is at another job, he's being exploited as well, same things
I talked to him about unions and the IWW
But seeing how this new job only employs about 8ppl, his employers in the past and now have threatened him and others if they get involved with unions
Dave and his co-workers have not taken any legal action either, due to their detached attitude towards their work and all
In addition to their lack of money and knowledge
I've been thinking about it, but Im stumped
Any hints/opinions/or advice my friends?
Any and all hints would be appreciated comrade
What'd u think?
Well, I hear you saying a couple of things. First, your friend was fired from a job he had before. You're not clear why he was fired. In most states in the USA, one can be fired for any reason at all, even if the boss doesn't like your shoes. There are a few exceptions, including those designed to prevent discrimination based on age, sex, national origin, and in some cases, "whistleblower laws." I think you probably get the picture. Also, one cannot be fired for engaging in "concerted" activity -- also with a few exceptions. That means, going to the boss as a group to complain about conditions, for example, would be considered protected, even if it is not part of an organizing campaign with a union. Now California is one of the "better" states in terms of legal protections, for what they are worth, and will sometimes look at an employee handbook to see if an employer is following it.
But then you say that your friend is detached from work. I take this to mean, not the typical "alienation of labor" experienced within the capitalist system, but that he simply views work as just another part of his day, and that he is rather indifferent to changing conditions where he's at. That's going to be the biggest barrier in terms of him being able to make positive changes at work.
You might try to explain to him, using his past work as an example, that because so many people just go from job to job and don't take a stand, conditions have gotten worse in many places. I'd be interested to know how tied he is to the industry in which he works, if he's looking to stay at this job for a while, what his own material conditions are, and what he would like to see changed in the workplace. Almost every worker has some ideas about what they want changed. The key for an organizer is to help folks build a vision for what they want to see, then get them to light a fire under their own ass. Sometimes you can get there by just asking a few questions, and other times you will need to paint a picture for them, give them some examples of unionism in action, etc. There are many ways other than using the law to effect change, and these methods are often much more direct, faster, and effective.
Most business unions will not be interested in organizing a place with just 8 employees, unless it is in a certain strategic position within an industry or area.
Since you seem to support the work of the IWW, you might want to peruse some of the online organizing materials for ideas, though a lot of the current material used by the union is not posted online.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.