2y ago

Unions seek gains in hostile territory: ‘If you change the South, you change America’

www.politico.com

They’re wielding new tactics with low-wage workers after decades of failed organizing efforts.

politics @lemmy.world

jeffw @lemmy.world

2y ago

Unions seek gains in hostile territory: ‘If you change the South, you change America’

www.politico.com /news/2023/09/05/unions-south-labor-organizing-ussw-seiu-00114085

Politics @beehaw.org

circularfish @beehaw.org

2y ago

Unions seek gains in hostile territory: ‘If you change the South, you change America’

www.politico.com /news/2023/09/05/unions-south-labor-organizing-ussw-seiu-00114085

28 comments

"Unions make people lazy" "Unions make people less creative, less likely to work to fix problems" "Unions make employees fight with each other" "Unions mean we'll earn less money"
The propaganda I've heard from older generations is really incredible. We're still actively unionizing lol
- There is some truth to that. Unions typically focus on seniority above all else so there is no advantage to being objectively better at the job, just don't be so bad you are fired and you are fine. They also insist that if you want to move to management you start at the bottom thus ensuring that someone who might want to change tracks is worse off and in turn there is no reason to try.
  Unions are not all bad, but they deserve a lot of criticism as well.
  
  Why is less productivity a horrible thing? Why is wanting a good wage for just showing up and doing your normal job a bad thing? Why is having no interest in moving into management so atrocious?
  It's way past time to start questioning American work culture. I shouldn't be expected to be operating at the razor's edge of my ability to keep up with everything constantly and forever for the rest of my life. I just want to punch a clock, do my job, and also be able to afford my mortgage for having done that and nothing more.
  
  Unions are worker associations, aren't they? So it's up for the members of the union to decide what they want. My, non US, union has different tracks for management and experts (so no problem to move up or change tracks), has a solid base pay but the company is encouraged to pay more than that. For the real rockstar employees there is there option to get paid well above union, then their rules can be mostly ignored (because you're earning a shitton of money as compensation)
  Oh, and for a part of hard and dangerous work they're currently fighting for 4 days at full pay.
  Not getting unionized is like going to war alone because you don't like the uniforms colour...
  
  Unions typically focus on seniority above all else so there is no advantage to being objectively better at the job, just don’t be so bad you are fired and you are fine.
  I'm not seeing how this is a problem for anyone but the employer and people who get ahead based on the quality of their ass kissing.
I know this sounds crazy, but traditionally conservative Republicans actually agree a lot with leftist ideas about unions. I met a person that is an alt-right Trumper. The first and probably last time we were talking, it was about work and things along those lines with his wife and my fiancee also in the conversation. Without using any terminology associated with the left, I had the guy enthusiastically nodding along with things like "act your wage" and "companies want to pay us less to do more". I know that if I had uttered the word union, it would not have been a pleasant conversation.
My point is that Republican politicians have created a nearly Pavlovian response to leftist terms. The only thing standing in the way is getting past those trained thoughts to sow class consciousness. I wish the organizers luck, it's long overdue for the impoverished south
- This reminds me of
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7VaXlMvAvk
  
  My first thought as well, ha.
The only way this works is if people join. I’ve worked in quite a few right-to-work states. There is a lot of poverty and there is always someone willing to work more for less money. That is also true in the north, but unions already have a foothold here. Republicans also have convinced a lot of people down there that unions are just trying to steal your money.
Edit: Just to clarify, while I don’t do that type of work anymore, I’ve been a member of the IBC for over 20 years.
- This is why outreach is so important. It takes one on one conversations to change peoples view of the situation.
  Some of the best tactics I have seen lately is foregoing standard tabling and throwing community barbecues. Brought out more people and their families to a situation they weren't transitioning between, it left alot more space for good conversations. Obviously that can't happen every week, but it is a great strategy to increase union drive engagement.
- Republicans also have convinced a lot of people down there that unions are just trying to steal your money.
  Lotta people don't realize that there's no silver medal in the race to the bottom. There's always someone who is more desperate than you to be exploited.
  
  Right. And companies have mastered the art of exploitation down there.
Unionize health care and Disney and you have unionized the south.

28 comments