Why Supporting The Right To Organize Is So Important
Democracy. On the surface it seems like such a simple thing. People who want to be represented by a union should be able to make that decision free of threats and intimidation. We supposedly believe in the democratic process in this country, and the decision whether or not to join a union is a simple extension of that principle into the workplace. What should be a simple choice, freely made, too often becomes a war being waged against workers and their rights. In the relative secrecy of the workplace, the employers can carry out attacks on the democratic right to organize with little fear that what they are doing will ever be exposed. Employers spend $300,000,000 a year to hire consultants and anti-union law firms to help them in their efforts to block the democratic process.
An uphill battle. The right to organize into unions is technically a right, but weak labor laws, with little enforcement or penalty for employers who break the law, tilt the playing field in the direction of corporations. The new trade regulations embodied in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the proposed Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) pit workers against each other across national borders. Organizing takes place in an environment where the threat of job flight is constantly used to intimidate workers. The message is clear: If you organize, you could lose your job. This is a powerful threat.
Respect. Most workers are drawn to organizing campaigns because they want some control over conditions in the workplace and how they are treated. Organizing drives, and strikes, are almost always about respect (whether we are paid fairly for our work is one measure of respect). Since we spend most of our waking hours in the workplace, how we are treated there is a critical piece of our quality of life. Martin Levitt, who was a top union buster for 20 years, points out that the attempt to keep unions out of the workplace is not about money at all (employers often spend $3000-5000 per worker to defeat an organizing drive), it is about control.
Anti-union campaigns. Employers often mount aggressive anti-union campaigns that include: Threats of job loss; Delaying tactics; Anti-union consultants; Harassment; Anti-union mailings and videos; Personal attacks on organizers; Firings; Captive audience meetings; Personal appeals by supervisors; Lies and misinformation; One-on-one meetings; False promises; Blame for disrupting the workplace.
Fear. The intangible factor in every campaign is fear. Making the decision about whether or not to support the union is poisoned by this fear. Fear of job loss, fear of being harassed if you support the union, fear of the arbitrary power of management to reward and punish. Union supporters are pitted against people who oppose the union... and management makes it clear that the union is to blame for this. Divide and conquer, the oldest anti-worker strategy of all is a big part of anti-union drives.
Courage. It takes a lot of courage to stand up against the tactics of an anti-union campaign in the workplace and demand your rights. It is hard for people who have not been through an organizing drive, or a strike, to understand how lonely and isolating it can be. But some people are just bullheaded. They are going to stand up for what they believe, and the more you attack them, the harder they will fight to defend the truth.
Why it is important to support workers who are organizing: On one level, it is important to support workers who are organizing because unionization is our best weapon to protect workers' health and safety, benefits, and wages. We are also fighting for the courageous people in the campaign. We are also fighting for a community where working people have a say in their own lives. When workers organize they gain the power to bargain collectively and have a say voice in decision-making; a voice in how companies do business in the workplace and in the community.
What the community can do? One thing the community can do is to break the silence that surrounds organizing campaigns by exposing what is going on to the community. That can include letter writing, e-mail, and phone campaigns. People can join delegations to talk with employers, participate in public hearings, take part in rallies or actions. Our support breaks down the isolation of the workers who are organizing and lets them know that they are not alone in this struggle. Community support can make the difference between success and failure in the campaign, and every campaign is part of the larger campaign for workers' power and a more democratic community.
To get involved in supporting the right to organize, contact Jobs With Justice of East Tennessee at 865-573-0655
or come to our First Thursday meetings each month.
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