Hello sisters and brothers! Carlos here again with an update from the front!
What front? The most important battle front of course. Iraq? Afghanistan? No, those certainly are costing us a ton of money, but I’m talking about the battle front that’s right next door (if not in your own home) - the battle for economic justice in our nation.
For the past two weeks Paul and I have been stationed with AFSCME Council 31 (bouncing back and forth between their Northwest Chicagoland office and their downtown office). In these two shorts weeks I’ve learned a ton. First, I’ve learned that union organizing is a lot more strategic and difficult than movies like Bread & Roses and Norma Rae would have you believe (and those movies don't exactly make organizing appear easy). Second, I’ve learned that folks looking to organize their workplace with AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) have some great people working on their behalf in AFSCME Council 31. It’s this second point that has truly impacted me the most. In the past when I thought of an organizing campaign I conceptualized the union as an outside entity coming in and uplifting the workers, this isn’t the case at all with AFSCME. My time with AFSCME Council 31 has taught me that a good organizing campaign is one that is worker driven. At AFSCME Council 31 it is the brave working women and men who initiate the campaign at their workplace and serve on the organizing committee that are truly the heartbeat of the campaign. The most astounding thing is that these brave women and men aren’t alone – they have the professional and seasoned organizers of AFSCME Council 31 behind them. Through the union dues of existing AFSCME members, workers attempting to organize are provided with a team of strategists, researchers, and lawyers. A clear example of solidarity at work!
What front? The most important battle front of course. Iraq? Afghanistan? No, those certainly are costing us a ton of money, but I’m talking about the battle front that’s right next door (if not in your own home) - the battle for economic justice in our nation.
For the past two weeks Paul and I have been stationed with AFSCME Council 31 (bouncing back and forth between their Northwest Chicagoland office and their downtown office). In these two shorts weeks I’ve learned a ton. First, I’ve learned that union organizing is a lot more strategic and difficult than movies like Bread & Roses and Norma Rae would have you believe (and those movies don't exactly make organizing appear easy). Second, I’ve learned that folks looking to organize their workplace with AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) have some great people working on their behalf in AFSCME Council 31. It’s this second point that has truly impacted me the most. In the past when I thought of an organizing campaign I conceptualized the union as an outside entity coming in and uplifting the workers, this isn’t the case at all with AFSCME. My time with AFSCME Council 31 has taught me that a good organizing campaign is one that is worker driven. At AFSCME Council 31 it is the brave working women and men who initiate the campaign at their workplace and serve on the organizing committee that are truly the heartbeat of the campaign. The most astounding thing is that these brave women and men aren’t alone – they have the professional and seasoned organizers of AFSCME Council 31 behind them. Through the union dues of existing AFSCME members, workers attempting to organize are provided with a team of strategists, researchers, and lawyers. A clear example of solidarity at work!
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