Joining a Union

[redcannon]

What are the benefits of joining a union? I work at a coffee shop (privately owned and non-franchised....i.e. not Starbucks or Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf), so what would be some reasons for me to join a union?

[apathy maybe]

If nothing else, you should join a union to stand in solidarity with other workers (including at your workplace).

But the benefits? Well, unions do a lot of stuff, they basically organise workers. Unions fight for better pay and conditions, help sacked workers, and lots of similar stuff.

They can help educate you about your legal rights, about what your employer can and can't do.

I'm sure others will be along to explain more in depth reasons to join the union.

[Bilan]

To contribute to what Apathy Maybe said, you also have to be weary of which Union you join. There are many right wing unions, and ones that wont fight for you, but will instead give you shitty discounts to keep you content with your shit pay.

But aside from that, the benefit of joining a union - particularly a large, or radical union (or both!) - is that it gives you someone to stand with, to struggle with in your work place. Unions have the ability to unite workers in struggle. They can give us strength.
Especially when it's the One Big Union!! (http://www.iww.org)
As D.P said, one dreadlock is stronger than one strand.

:)

Hopefully more people will give you more info than I did.

[YSR]

The IWW is actively organizing in the service industry, is a revolutionary alternative to the reformist SEIU, and is based on solidarity unionism which actually WORKS, unlike the yellow socialism of the business unions.

You don't just "join" the IWW, it isn't a service union so it doesn't work for you. The IWW helps you work to better your own workplace. It puts the power of unionism back in the hands of the workers themselves, as opposed to other unions who put the power in the hands of highly paid bureaucrats.

The Starbucks Union, an IWW union, has worked to increase wages, achieve stable and enough hours, and increase democracy in the workplace. Check it out (http://www.starbucksunion.org/).

Where do you live, comrade? I can hook you up with your local IWW branch and they can give you an enormous amount of organizing help and solidarity.

[redcannon]

I live in Orange County, California. Any further help would be greatly appreciated. My boss has broken more laws than I can count

[apathy maybe]

Talking about the IWW, here is a good link that will explain about What is a Union? (http://www.iww.org/en/culture/official/union.shtml). It has lots of good info.

[YSR]

I've sent you a PM, redcannon.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

How is the IWW Starbucks Workers Union Making Work Better? (http://www.starbucksunion.org/node/1174)

Why are Starbucks Workers Joining a Union? (http://www.starbucksunion.org/node/1173)

[Bilan]

Speaking of the IWW, is anyone here a member of the Sydney branch and could give me any info on it??

I was thinking of joining, but most of the stuff I've heard - from non-IWW members - is not so good.
help?

[Palmares]

bombeverything is a member of the Melbourne branch, perhaps she knows something? i dunno.

[Bilan]

Originally posted by [email protected] 28, 2007 10:22 pm
bombeverything is a member of the Melbourne branch, perhaps she knows something? i dunno.
I'll drop her a line.
Cheers ;)

[Chicano Shamrock]

I am in a union family but I would like to know more about unionizing in my workplace. I am going to join the IWW eventually when I get a job as a longshoreman as I know I can have an effect in that job.

As it is I work at a video game company and while it isn't a bad or seriously taxing job like mining or something, we could be getting paid better. The company I work for makes a shitload of money as the videogame industry makes more than movies now but I don't see too much of it.

I know my co-workers hate the government and we all talk shit when we get our checks and the gov takes hundreds out. One of my leads(co-worker that knows a lot and others can go to with questions) made a joke about me getting fired and I told him "yeah but I'll just come back with my union and get my job back". After I said that he made a comment like "I wish we were union".

My question for any of you members of the IWW is what can I do to unionize my workplace? If I got a good number of people to become wobblies what can we do? And how can I talk about unionizing without getting fired or put on a blacklist? As it is my job is temporary and if I do well on my first project they will call me back again for some other projects.

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Where are you? Talk to an IWW organizer in your area, if there is one. They have experience and can point you in the right direction to get things started.

[Chicano Shamrock]

I am in Los Angeles. I was talking with some co-workers today, that have been there a while, about unions and unionizing. They warned me against getting caught talking about it. They said people have been fired for it before there. They said a few months back some wrote something like "We need a revolutionary union NOW!" on one of the community boards at work and that person got canned. I brought up that if enough of us say something we can't all get canned or at least their system of production will be bogged down severely.

I will see hat I can do and I will probably join the IWW while still working at this place to see if I can get something started.

[YSR]

One of the things that the IWW is big on is not walking into your shop one day and announcing "Let's start a union, ya'll!" precisely because of what your coworkers warn about. The union offers training on how to organize your workplace, which I suggest you attend (even if you are not a member yet).

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

You can't speak for the IWW as a whole, and say that every member agrees on everything. Some wobs are for the slow and steady approach, some are for a rapid drive and authorization cards (and some are even for appealing to the police and capitalist government, and "the community" ... seriously).