Lesson Learned

[RGacky3]

About a month ago I was fired for my job, for and I quote "trying to subvert my authority," "being a bad influence on the other employees." "not showing respect for me as the boss."

Pretty much this goes down to certain things I've done organizing the people at my former workplace, and different things I've done to get the other employees together and demand basic benefits. I got a new job and everythings cool, but heres a couple small workplace organizing lessons I learned.

Lesson 1: Don't be too loud too early
Lesson 2: Don't be clearly THE "leader" in front of the boss
Lesson 3: Don't trust kiss ass workers
Lesson 4: NEVER take your bosses word for anything, get it in writing
Lesson 5: When you do any organizing at all, even a little, your boss will probably freak out, keep your cool, be respectful but firm, keep it professional.
Lesson 6: Take it slow and steady.

[Red Anarchist of Love]

thanks for the advice, I intrested in where you were doing the organizeing, but basic princbles are applies in most cases. you truly right about bosses freaking out. I remember going in to apply at a chicken factory to do some organizing based on uniting workers and dispelling srtero types of diffrent races. there was a big poster on the wall becuase of a union that they calimed never ezisted that said they would do what ever leagly possible to stop the formation of unions in harsh buissnes like terms

[Sentinel]

I can only say that I agree on every point there, a bunch of golden rules so to speak. You won't benefit anyone by being a 'kamikaze-syndicalist'..

Even though action is a good way to gain the trust and support of your collegues, propagate subtly in the beginning and make sure you can trust them.

And beware indeed of the bosses' spies and asskissers, they are unfortunately quite common and very fast to stab people in the back.

[Bud Struggle]

About a month ago I was fired for my job, for and I quote "trying to subvert my authority," "being a bad influence on the other employees." "not showing respect for me as the boss."

Pretty much this goes down to certain things I've done organizing the people at my former workplace, and different things I've done to get the other employees together and demand basic benefits. I got a new job and everythings cool, but heres a couple small workplace organizing lessons I learned.

Lesson 1: Don't be too loud too early
Lesson 2: Don't be clearly THE "leader" in front of the boss
Lesson 3: Don't trust kiss ass workers
Lesson 4: NEVER take your bosses word for anything, get it in writing
Lesson 5: When you do any organizing at all, even a little, your boss will probably freak out, keep your cool, be respectful but firm, keep it professional.
Lesson 6: Take it slow and steady.

Great post.

Also you have to keep in mind a couple of things. First of all how valuable are you to the company? If you are not particularly skilled (I don't mean you in particular, RGacky--I mean any organizer) and are interchangable with any guy that applies for a job off the street--no manager is going to give you a moment's notice.

Secondly, such things don't work very well unless EVERYONE is on board. A manager can easly fire a couple of trouble makers and TEACH A GOOD LESSON to everyone else. It actually sets back your unionization.

Third, is your company a branch office? Even if you do get total support in your branch--the company might shut it down to divest itself of the union "cancer." Nobody like cancer spreading.

Fourth, it's best to work with existing unions. they know how to do this stuff--I'm not saying you can't do it on your own, but it's much, much harder.

And lastly, for heaven's sake don't mention Marx or Communism--while they might play well to this little troop around here--in real life you might as well be trying to organize people for Satan.

Better luck next time!

[Forward Union]

why are you restricted?

[RGacky3]

why are you restricted?

I'm pro-life

First of all how valuable are you to the company? If you are not particularly skilled

I was actually quite valuble, but I think I had it comming, he had hired 2 other guys who did the same thing as I do, but I did'nt think they were replacements :P.

And lastly, for heaven's sake don't mention Marx or Communism--while they might play well to this little troop around here--in real life you might as well be trying to organize people for Satan.

Never did, never any need too, you don't need to talk about 'systems' you need to talk about what needs to be done to get better conditions, thats socialism in action, workers trying to take things in their own hands.

Secondly, such things don't work very well unless EVERYONE is on board.

Thats true, the thing is he had already fired 2 people before me that were on board. He was cleaning house, one mistake I did (well not I, WE) was that, making demands too soon before we had a good hold, even though we got the demands, we were still vonurable.

Third, is your company a branch office? Even if you do get total support in your branch--the company might shut it down to divest itself of the union "cancer." Nobody like cancer spreading.

Fourth, it's best to work with existing unions. they know how to do this stuff--I'm not saying you can't do it on your own, but it's much, much harder.

This was a small independant company, no more than 10 or 12 people, the new place I work is the same, these types of places are too small for full on unions to care about. Thats why I made the post, I know a lot of people work in small shops or offices, but you can organize there too, only the dynamics are a bit different.

Actually, my boss actually used the word "cancer" after he fired one of the other 2 guys. White giving his speach to the employees. (He would always fire the guy at the end of the day when everyone else left already, that way the worker can't talk to the other guys.)

Heres one more little point I found. BE A GOOD WORKER, dont' give the boss any excuse to fire you, so that if he does it, its clear cut.

And beware indeed of the bosses' spies and asskissers, they are unfortunately quite common and very fast to stab people in the back.

Your right, and one thing my boss always did, was talk to workers individually, and talk smack, watch out for that, or try and ask about other workers, so watch out for that, and make sure anyone with you watches out for that.

To those who claim class is'nt an issue, or capitalism is'nt tyrannical, just notice how scared bosses get when workers try and decide anything themselves, its really amazing, and it just shows how the boss/worker relationship really is, its a tyrannical one.

[Bud Struggle]

RGacky, you being kept out of Mainstream RevLeft is a tragedy. You are a living breathing freakin' Revolutionary while the Commie Club is filled with tons of pouting and posturing Stalinists and Trotskyists that never did a damn thing in their entire lives but post on RevLeft.

Good job.

The Revolution is about doing--not posting.

[Plagueround]

RGacky, you being kept out of Mainstream RevLeft is a tragedy. You are a living breathing freakin' Revolutionary while the Commie Club is filled with tons of pouting and posturing Stalinists and Trotskyists that never did a damn thing in their entire lives but post on RevLeft.

Good job.

The Revolution is about doing--not posting.

Having just recently joined the CC I can tell you this simply isn't true.

Despite the fact that RGacky is "pro-life" I enjoy most of his posts. I had a similar experience with trying to negotiate fairer wages for myself and my co-workers that resulted in me losing my job as well. I learned from that experience that small businesses are not often the noble entrepreneurs that people make them out to be, they're just big business style criminals that haven't made it big. Occasionally you find someone to work for that understands their employees are not simply a disposable commodity, but not often. If you're lucky, you may even find an employer who sympathizes with your views and doesn't mind if you post on revleft during downtime.

[Sentinel]

Tom, please keep discussion on restrictions in the relevant sticky. Thanks.

[Bud Struggle]

Tom, please keep discussion on restrictions in the relevant sticky. Thanks.

Quite right.

My apologies. Lessoned Learned.

[Jazzratt]

Lesson 1: Get a job

[Green Dragon]

About a month ago I was fired for my job, for and I quote "trying to subvert my authority," "being a bad influence on the other employees." "not showing respect for me as the boss."

Pretty much this goes down to certain things I've done organizing the people at my former workplace, and different things I've done to get the other employees together and demand basic benefits. I got a new job and everythings cool, but heres a couple small workplace organizing lessons I learned.

Lesson 1: Don't be too loud too early
Lesson 2: Don't be clearly THE "leader" in front of the boss
Lesson 3: Don't trust kiss ass workers
Lesson 4: NEVER take your bosses word for anything, get it in writing
Lesson 5: When you do any organizing at all, even a little, your boss will probably freak out, keep your cool, be respectful but firm, keep it professional.
Lesson 6: Take it slow and steady.

But you would need to explain why the "lessons" learned in your small capitalist workshop would not apply to a small socialist workshop, for all areas of job performance. The response usually given "because the workers will run it" is of course not an answer because the question isn't the "workers" but rather ONE worker. "Kiss ass workers" in a socialist system are of course more powerful in a socialist system since they are supporting the majority decisions. The non-"kiss ass worker" in a socialist system would seem to have to do the same thing recommended to the worker in the capitalist workshop.

[RGacky3]

But you would need to explain why the "lessons" learned in your small capitalist workshop would not apply to a small socialist workshop, for all areas of job performance.

That has nothing to do with anything, this was'nt a theoretical thread, it was a practical one.