Building support for strike vote/action

[Riklet]

I figured this could do with its own thread.

My workplace will be voting to strike next week over some medium-long term issues about conditions, hours and low pay rise offer. There is now a recent additional issue of all new staff losing access to the pay scale, which is a major attack on our working conditions. It's also a breach of an agreement with our staff representatives, which has been honoured up until suddenly last year.

There has been no progress in negotiation and lots of us feel it's fight back now, or watch things get even worse in the near future. Many of the long-term oldschoolers have been on strike and are supportive action, as are the newer people, but then there is a big grey area nowadays with a more casualised workplace where people don't talk or socialise together so much anymore. But there is still unity and a powerful body of staff representatives.

I would say fewer half of us are in the trades union (all the same one though), with lots supportive but just have never signed up. However, the strike would not be for union members and will be balloted generally. My workplace has a history of strikes and industrial action and thus some of the best conditions compared to other branches, where this didn't happen. There is new management now, however, who are experienced heavy-hitters in some ways but are also not used to dealing with this kind of resistance, I don't think.

I was thinking about starting a thread, but what I need is not legal tips or anything but just practical support and tips on building support among a divided workforce. A lot of people are established employees top of the salary scale, a sizeable minority joined following previous industrial action but may be unwilling to stand up now for newer workers, despite having good conditions. I am worried there will not be enough support and it will be a powerful minority strike which leads to a divide and conquer response. Some of the newer workers this affects may be advised not strike (unless they all go out together) as they are not yet on permanent contracts.

So in a modern workplace with less than a week's notice, how can this kind of support be ensured? I am open to all ideas, and as I have no kids, property, car etc if I "can't afford" to stand up, who the fuck can? PM me for more specifics, I have to be a bit vague here.

 

[Riklet]

68 views and zero fucking replies on a left forum? Cmon you cunts!

 

[gawkrodger]

have you read jane mcalevey's books. I found them very helpful

 

[Brainaddict]

I think there's a limited amount you can do in a week, and I've no experience of trying myself (didn't realise how few people in my dept were not in the union until we actually went on strike and none of them came out ). But Mcalevey above and other successful organisers would say don't rely on leaflets and social media - try to build relationships with people. Gather a small group of people who are committed to talking to others (sharing stories rather than argumentation is what most organisers recommend), and try to have as many one-to-one conversations as possible with people who might be sitting on the fence. But admittedly this is more of a long term approach, so you have to be realistic about what you can do with only a week to go.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

not sure what the answer is, to be honest.

gut feeling is that the best time would be to build support for the union before you're in a dispute.

while i've been a trade union member most of the time across a variety of jobs and unions over the last 25 years or more, including being a union rep for a while in the 90s, i've noticed that some people on the left / in trade unions don't seem to recognise just how 'toxic the brand' of trade unions has been made by decades of tory bullshit eagerly spread by most of the media.

a heck of a lot of people have swallowed the idea that unions are an 'other' and work against the interests of working people outside a small 'elite', and a lot of (particularly younger people) have rarely seen any alternative viewpoint being given the space to express itself. (the tide might just be turning a bit with jeremy corbyn's front bench actually speaking in support of strikers - i can't remember hearing that sort of thing from the labour front bench before)

most of us on here know this tory propaganda is balls, but that's where we're starting from.

and not sure the 'pragmatic' agreements to screw new starters to protect conditions of existing workers that many workplaces have agreed to, or the hostility towards temporary / casual staff (rather than hostility to the bosses for casualising) that some union members / branches show, have helped.

what does your union / branch already do to try and welcome new workers (including those on temp contracts?) one place i worked on a temp contract, i was (wrongly) told by regular staff that i could not join the union because i was 'only a temp' and no union rep made any sort of contact with me to ask if i wanted to know more about joining.