this post was submitted on 20 Aug 2024
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Work Reform
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A place to discuss positive changes that can make work more equitable, and to vent about current practices. We are NOT against work; we just want the fruits of our labor to be recognized better.
Our Philosophies:
- All workers must be paid a living wage for their labor.
- Income inequality is the main cause of lower living standards.
- Workers must join together and fight back for what is rightfully theirs.
- We must not be divided and conquered. Workers gain the most when they focus on unifying issues.
Our Goals
- Higher wages for underpaid workers.
- Better worker representation, including but not limited to unions.
- Better and fewer working hours.
- Stimulating a massive wave of worker organizing in the United States and beyond.
- Organizing and supporting political causes and campaigns that put workers first.
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If you're one of these folks, consider unionizing. The best time to become an organizer is when you have one foot out the door. If you win, you get a union job. If you're illegally fired, you get a nice payout and a new job. I'm an experienced union organizer with lots of connections, I'm willing to help folks find resources.
You (I was going to say "rock") are awesome!
I'd be open to some of those resources, if you don't mind
Sure thing! The NLRB is a fantastic source, but only covers national labor rights. You'll want to look up your state's department of labor for local labor laws. CODE-CWA is the group I organized with, they specialize in the tech industry and offer free training each weekend; I know several of the top organizers in CODE, you'll be in good hands. Dr Richard Wolff's program Democracy@Work is a great general news source with a heavy emphasis on worker power and the broader economy. If there's anything more specific you'd like, I can definitely provide those too!
I appreciate having the reference for the NLRB. The right to discuss wages was a good thing to read and a good thing to remember.
So, the company I work for is based in multiple states, and I work in multiple states as well. What should I reference in relation to the local labor laws?
There's also no unions for this job (yet), and I feel like it might be very difficult to start because of how new/niche it is. I'm questioning if there is even enough people to warrant starting a union, and where to begin with the research. Would a union be able to cover all employees of a certain job type, regardless of which company they work for specifically? If that was the case, then the labor pool would be slightly bigger.
Yes, sharing wages is always a good thing at work! My company has a tradition of an anonymous salary survey, so folks can properly grasp that it's the company's fault you aren't getting enough.
Your work sounds very unique, but thankfully I've been there a few times trying to figure out an appropriate bargaining unit. There aren't any hard and fast rules or laws on this topic, but it gives us flexibility to decide how big we go. Traveling and working at a national company has some good precedence with the Teamsters and NALC, as long as you have a "home" office that you work at when you aren't traveling, that should be enough to claim an appropriate unit.
It's ok to be first, someone has to be! What you're referring to, where unions bargain for an industry minimum for all the workers in a particular industry, is known as sectoral bargaining. It exists, but it will take time. You're taking the first step towards that point, but start just with your workplace. I also understand your concerns about the work being unique and small. Protected concerted activity only takes 2, so there's always enough people! When it comes to bargaining, you and your coworkers know the work best, which is why you elect a bargaining committee from your coworkers. For the time being before you get too concerned about how bargaining will go, you must win your union first. Even industries with sectoral bargaining still need to organize workplaces to bargain the stuff that isn't covered by the standardized working conditions.
I'm open for DMs to continue this if I didn't cover everything
I'd love to see some of your thoughts against the hopelessness. One of the things I hear about a lot is how companies are good at union-busting. What're some of the suggestions you have in general on overcoming that?
It's understandable that people are afraid of union busting. Having been there myself, it feels like you're David going up against Goliath when you start out, and that's ok! You have to remember that they want you afraid, because if you're afraid then you can be manipulated by the company. The type of union busting people are most afraid of, namely workplace closure and firing organizers, is rare and illegal. Illegal union busting is also not very successful once challenged with the NLRB, they see through most of the lies.
Companies are good at union busting because every single thing the company will do in opposing your union is going to be framed as being "neutral" while every single sentence is going to be about why unions are "scary". You have to prepare yourself and your coworkers for the boss' campaign with inoculation, and that's where CWA's union busting playbook will be helpful.
I live in Minnesota so I never had the chance to shut down a captive audience meeting (they're illegal here), but the best way to shut it down is to get confrontational. Here's some of my favorite questions for union busters
The labor market in general is still massively in favor of workers on the whole. Yes, unionize in place where that makes sense. Jump ship, make more money, and make companies nervous as well.