There has been some lamenting within the Left following our trouncing in Wisconsin. We picked a fight and we got beat; it happens. A number of Lefties have expectations of what Labor can do, how Labor should do it, and yet have no experience in Labor. This is evident in a number of good writings (TheNation, LBO, The Progressive, Andy Kroll) and is brilliantly summed up by our friend at Streetheat. This tells me there are some things we need to remember about Organized Labor. So let us start with the most basic of basics:
Lesson One: SOLIDARITY - An injury to one is an injury to all
The International Workers of the World (aka the Wobblies) slogan, "An injury to one is an injury to all," sums up our lot. When trying to organize into a Union, 1 in 17 campaigns will see the termination of key players. They aren't fired for poor performance, they are sacked for trying to Organize. Not only is this illegal, as you have a Constitutional Right to freedom of association, which includes Organizing, but it is really effective at killing an Organizing Drive. If the remaining workers become afraid, then the cause is lost. However, if they see the intimidation for what it is, pull together and support the fired activists, and dig in deeper, then the Union Spirit is alive and kicking.
Supporting your fellow worker is the crux of Collective Bargaining. We are all in this together, we all benefit from our joint efforts. We stand united or fall divided. Use your own cliche, but it is all the same idea: we either defend each other or we don't. When my shop has a termination to make a point and create fear, we collect cash to help the worker. I encourage my fellow workers to give the money they'd like to receive. I do this for two reasons: first, the Golden Rule is always applicable. Second, the reality is that the bosses could have fired any one of us, they don't care. It's not about performance, it's about creating fear.
In reality, as adults we must use the same strategies we used as kids on the playground, for the same reasons, really. Bullies are so common in the workplace that some anti-bullying organizations report as many as half of America's workers are being bullied or have witnessed it. When we stand silent in those moments, we give our consent to that behavior. That evil triumphs when we say nothing. It doesn't need to be that way.
The Strength of Solidarity
A series of clips on YouTube from a former Union-buster outlines the power of Solidarity. The fact is that in every successful organizing campaign, it is the Solidarity that keeps the organizing workers strong and united. Solidarity is the Faith of the Church of Union. Without it, no existing Union shop can survive any concerted challenge. With it, any unorganized work place can raise themselves to the Promised Land of Collective Bargaining.
One of our Pledges as Teamsters is to treat every Brother or Sister with compassion. To put ourselves in their shoes before we react or judge. This is critical because that simple exercise derails the knee-jerk reaction that erodes Solidarity. Our older fellow workers don't move as fast we they once did. Our Sisters often times face subtle (or alarmingly obvious) forms of harassment at the hands of management (or sometimes us) and that will impact their job performance and their personal life. Fellow workers of color, or of the LGBT community, or of a different religion, or whose native language is not English, are all easily labeled as "different." And different is the foundation for division. It takes an intentional effort to step over this foundation of division and not get tripped up, but it is worth it.
When standing together, there is very little we, as workers, cannot achieve. A recent organizing campaign in the Florida Corrections System by the Teamsters is a brilliant example. Months of heavy lifting, overcoming barriers ranging from the usual problems, to logistical difficulties like shifts running 24/7 across an entire state, generated the victory of over 18,000 new Teamsters. As soon as the vote was counted, the Governor and his anti-Union Legislative buddies immediately set about privatizing the Correctional System. The machine was in place and just kept humming. The privatization attempts were beaten as well.
The End Goal
There is nothing more to Solidarity than demanding both our fair share and our due respect. Wages, health care and a comfortable retirement are examples of what we are due in return for our labors. The freedom to lead a dignified life, and the respect inherent in simple issues like safety and civility, should not require some legally binding contract to secure. But the fact is, they do in many work sites. The recent attacks on Unions and America's Middle Class make it quite clear that not only is there a class of people who would prefer to see us broke and broken, but they won't afford us the simple respect of allowing us a say in our communities. That's pretty cheap.
In the end, the fight is over power, and their money is very powerful. But so is our Solidarity. It is now, has been, and forever shall be, the one weapon in our arsenal that can overcome the money, the lies, the fear and whatever else the power hungry throw at us. So stand tall, fellow workers, and stand together.
And here is a video I think speaks to the same end: Man on Fire by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. It ends in a alley, what can I say?
