It’s easier to take on the boss, rally up the troops, and build solidarity when you 1) Know your rights, and 2) know your enemy (the bosses).
Some helpful tools you’ll find online:
1. Labor Notes Magazine. My advice: subscribe to Labor Notes, get it in the mail every month, read it and ATTEND THEIR BIENNIAL CONFERENCE IN DETROIT!
Photo: Ric Urrutia
Labor Notes has been around for about 25 years and it’s the magazine that anyone can contribute to: workers, union members, union staff, elected union leaders, etc. It’s not some glossy union magazine that uses union dues to promote overpaid bureaucrats and the bureaucrats of bureaucrats. No way.
Labor Notes publishes books like: A Troublemakers Handbook, Democracy Is Power, Power on the Job, Why Unions Matter, etc. You can order these books by clicking here.
The LN biennial conference is coming up! This is an opportunity to meet workers, union members, and labor activists, just like yourself from all around the country AND ALL AROUND THE WORLD! Go to Detroit to share your experiences and learn from other union activists. For more information on the conference click here.
2. Association for Union Democracy. If you wanna get a little more technical and legal about your union democracy…these are the people to contact. They also carry many of the same books as Labor Notes.
3. The research sites of other unions. Yeah, I’d be jealous if you like *their* site more than my blog but…I can’t cover everything and it’s a handy site.
4. Labourstart.
Photo: Ric Urrutia
Want news of unions from around the world? This is the place. Labour Start, where trade unionists start the day. I remember when we organized a union at my former workplace. I used to look on Labour Start every day for inspiration and read about trade unionists in other countries who would go on general strike, occupy their workplaces, build solidarity with students, and tell their bosses to eff off in multiple ways. A good source for all labor-related news.
5. Why Unions Matter by Michael Yates. I highly recommend this book. It’s a very simple book that covers the long, turbulent history of unions in the US. Everything from revolutionary unions like the Industrial Workers of the World who in 1905 had visions about calling general strikes during time of war to bring the hulking war machine to a screeching halt…to union leaders like Samuel Gompers who advocated “bread and butter” business unionism (a form of unionism which concerns itself only with wage and monetary issues and has no greater vision for social justice).
6. Teamsters for a Democratic Union. These guys have been around for a looong time. I think about as long as Labor Notes. There’s plenty we can learn from their struggle for union democracy. These guys were the ones who helped the Teamsters union bring UPS to a complete standstill in 1997 and getting one of the best (if not THE best) UPS contract the Teamsters had ever seen. Yeah, lots to learn from them!
7. The United Electrical Workers (UE). This is a small but feisty and democratic union. They have books and resources on union democracy, the rights of union members, etc. These were the workers who occupied the Republic Windows and Doors factory in Chicago a couple of years ago. The union movement had not seen something like that in AGES. Bad. Ass!
8. Union Songs. Yes, it’s the Labor Notes site again but…
…union activists need union songs to sing! Music keeps the history and the struggle alive. …keeps the fire burning inside you. Pass on the history of the labor movement.
Music is a beautiful way to pay tribute to those who risked everything so workers could have a little more today.
9. In Denver: The Romero Troupe.
Photo: Ric Urrutia
The Romero Troupe is a group of local actors (some pro, some newbies) that perform plays on the history of the labor/union movement and social justice. Nothing keeps history alive like art (in my opinion). Romero Troupe performs the plays and plays the music.
Click here if you wanna get in touch with them about show dates.
10. Democracy Now!
Photo: Ric Urrutia
Democracy Now is by far my favorite radio show. Above is a picture of the show’s host, Amy Goodman interviewing a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War during the DNC in Denver. Amy Goodman is bad ass. She’s sharp, knowledgeable, on the air every single day, asking sharp questions, letting people speak/debate. Democracy Now brings us a daily update on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Denver you can hear it on 88.5FM from 7:00am until 8:00am every weekday. You can also listen to them online.
The reason DN is included in this list is because I’ve heard them ask tough questions of today’s union leaders. Usually it’s taken as a given that union leaders like Andy Stern, Eliseo Medina, Bruce Raynor, etc, are on our side but I’ve found DN staff to be quite well-informed of the problems within our unions.
In solidarity,
Ric Urrutia
Union Staff For Union Democracy 