Innovative Union Tactics

As a social institution unions face immediate obstacles in reaching out to the unorganized. For one, they are by nature tied to your workplace, and since 90% of the private sector is unorganized, 90% of all American workers don't have any contact with unions. Which isn't to say they don't want or respect the idea of union representation. Indeed polls typically show that half of all workers would want a union in their workplace. Why half of all workers don't have a union is a longer post. A much longer post.

What I wanted to draw attention today are new ways for unions to reach out to their members and the public at large. Much attention and ink was spilled over the recent split in the national federation of unions, with some of the biggest players leaving to form their own organization. The key union in that struggle is the Service Employees International Union. Now, I have some issues with their service model (how workers actually receive assistance from their union) but I must give credit where its due.

Case in point, in San Francisco, workers who perform some of the most important (and basic) work in a hospital have been on strike. It has been brutal.

There has been picket line violence by hired management goons.

The workers have started picketing the homes of the hospital's board members (the folks who give management their marching orders.

The hospital has been reprimanded by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, including management walking out of an open hearing while workers testified to city leaders about their crappy working conditions.

And the workers have set up their own blog. No kidding. These are some of the poorest workers in the health care industry who are fighting for their own survival and who are turning to modern technology to rally their own forces and get the word out about their fight. You can adopt a striking family. You can get the word on the scab recruiter the hospital has hired (who it turns out is a convicted felon--nice). Picketers are apparently text-messaging each other on the line, and posting online messages of hope and solidarity. I am cheered.

Example #2 from the SEIU is this contest.

It's an open entry forum for people to submit their ideas of how to build a better ecconomy. Some ideas are good, some are not so good. This one is mine. Enter! It's fun.

The SEIU is on to an important notion here. There are lots of folks sympathetic to the work of unions but who don't necessarily need or want union representation. By reaching out to them and building a relationship with them, the labor movement can strengthen its power and message in non-union and traditionally union-free demographics.