The transit workers' union in my city has voted to authorize a strike if there's no contract by the end of this week (around the time of a major sports event). Transit workers (who work for a private firm with heavy subsidies, not directly for our municipal government) marched with city workers when our contract expired this summer but, as usual, the city-workers' union hasn't said peep about this (in addition to all their demoralizing, derailing tactics over the city workers' jobs--see http://en.internationalism.org/inter/i52/letter for details). Does anyone have any ideas about something I could perhaps either: 1.) write about solidarity to either a) post in break rooms/bathrooms etc. in the my city agency, b) post to our union local email list (obviously this would be written differently, either as a question to other members about what we can do to support them--although this might draw the eyes of the union leaders too much--not really sure), or 2.) something in print to give to strikers on picket lines about extending the struggle, pointing to other common struggles in the area (most obvious ones being the other union that runs our suburban service trains, the cab drivers, city workers, etc. --all of whom are in contract disputes). 3.) other things to do to support workers in struggle and argue for its rapid extension? If anyone has any examples of previous flyers, leaflets, things to write, that would be great. Thanks. -soyons tout
The leaflet idea (no 2) sounds the best, but that doesn't exclude putting something around at our own workplace. Can you find anyone who agrees with you and would help you?
Not sure if anyone else would agree to much beyond maybe wearing buttons supporting transit workers or something--which could be a great thing--the question is how to spread that around--on the city workers' union email list? Word of mouth? Posting signs at my city agency? At the moment, its tricky to get folks at my work to think of doing stuff on their own and my mentioning that the union doesn't do anything generally leads to wishing that the union would 'struggle for us' better or more competently or whathaveyou. The leafletting the picket line does sound like the better bet, and I might be able to find someone else in my area to do it with me (if I could convince an anarcho-liberal-leftist, which is sort of a big 'if'), but if I don't, would it be stupid (or victimizing) to do it alone? Thanks. -soyons tout
I think that's difficult for me to say without knowing your situation a lot better. Where would the main danger of victimisation come from? if you are on the picket line it could be better to talk to people first and then show them the leaflet and maybe if they agree they might take more copies to spread around; if people are really hostile or if you get grief from union goons or whatever, you can be more discrete
My victimization fear was mainly to do with posting on our union-controlled email list serv. if that would draw too many eyes from the union leadership or potentially even the city (people open these emails on city computers, but its through webmail, which from my understanding, no one can see anything beyond that you went to your email--they can't read the emails--that's my understanding). More details on the situation to follow. soyons tout
Apologies for not updating in a while. I've mostly been having this conversation on a secure group with Internationalism (USA) in order to be able to be more specific without identifying myself. I may be being paranoid but I wouldn't want anyone from my work to link me to anything that happens. I've got a little leaflet drafted if there is a strike about the need to spread it and take it into the workers' hands directly and not rely on the union hacks to do anything but confuse, demoralize, confine, and derail. So far deadlines have been set by the union and they have passed by with no action. I don't know what will happen. soyonstout
I'm happy to keave the discussion on this to the Internationalism comrades who will have amuch better knowledge of the details Solidarity and take care
