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Organizer
Organizing the unorganized is the charge of all unionist, whether they be an international officer, local union officer, or a steward. A major task of the steward is to organize the members in his/her department. Listed below are the things the steward should know to fulfill the role of organizer and suggestions as to how to do them:
What you do:
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ORGANIZE UNORGANIZED - GOAL 100% ___________________________________________________________
GREET NEW EMPLOYEES
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URGE ATTENDENCE AT MEETINGS
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DEVELOP MEMBERSHIP PARTICIPATION ___________________________________________________________
COMBAT ANTI-UNION ACTIVITIES
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MAKE DAILY CONTACT
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KEEP A LIST ON NON-UNION MEMBERS
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HELP IN THE COLLECTION OF DUES CARDS
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What you need to know: ___________________________________________________________
REAL OBJECTIONS OF NON MEMBERS
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WHO'S WHO IN YOUR DEPARTMENT
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DEMOCRATIC NATURE OF UNIONS ___________________________________________________________
VARIOUS COMMITTEE NEEDS
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WHO IS DISSATISFIED WITH THE UNION AND WHY
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THE UNION MUST BE VISIBLE
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NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR GOAL OF 100% ORGANIZED __________________________________________________________
How you go about it:
1. Respect the sincerity and opinions of every worker.
2. Treat all alike regardless of face, sex color or political beliefs.
3. Protect the interest of the non-union worker as diligently as you may defend the union member.
4. Recognize that your union is a voluntary association of free men and women. Solid support can only be won through reason, persuasion and effective representation.
5. Keep everlastingly at it.
6. Be Sure To MEET THE NEW HIRE ON THE FIRST DAY!!!
Tips For Face-To-Face Contacts
Introduce yourself.
Make eye contact.
Contact at the right time. Do not contact an employee during normal work hours - catch them during break, lunch, or before or after work.
Be yourself. Smile, relax, use the kind of language you use every day.
Have some piece of information to give or leave with the worker to break the ice.
Be polite. If a worker refuses to talk to you, don't get into an argument, tell the person you'll catch them another time (do follow up).
Be frank. If you get a question that you can't answer, don't try to bluff. Tell the person you will try to get the answer.
Don't preach. You should talk about the issue to help lead the person to his or her own conclusion. This is a much more effective approach than a hard sell.
Listen. Listen to what the worker says - it will give you insight into their particular concerns and objections. Sometimes the best way to convince a person is just by listening and letting them know that the union cares what they think.
Signing Up The Non-Member
The Service Model of Unionism exists throughout our union and the other unions in the U.S. labor movement today. Among other things, this model has produced a passive union member whose role has been defined as primarily a consumer of union services.
The everyday business carried out by the relatively few activists revolves around negotiations and the grievance and arbitration process. These are the apparent means by which wages, hours, benefits, and fair treatment on the job are insured by the union activists.
The way contracts are negotiated and grievances are handled does not require communication with the members, nor does it require direct participation of the members. Thus, the union members and nonmembers become consumers of services provided by the union activists, with the difference being, of course, that the nonmember does not pay for those services.
There are several reasons members do not sign up nonmembers: first, often they don't know who is a member or nonmember; second, they don't want to confront someone who is their friend and co-worker; and third, the member may feel that the nonmember, who is getting something for nothing, is the smarter consumer.
To successfully involve our members and also sign up nonmembers, we must change the Service Model into an Organizing Model which communicates, educates, and involves the members and the nonmembers in the everyday affairs of the union.
Experiences show that to successfully close the ranks, and keep them closed, the union must be viewed as the members and not a small group of activists; and the services in terms of a contract and the grievance and arbitration procedure must be viewed as those things which are won via the involvement of all the members in active struggle against the employer.
As a steward, this means you should seek ways to involve the members and nonmembers in active support of certain grievances. Once a nonmember is involved and aware of the power of collective action, he or she may then be convinced to become a member. (For an in-depth discussion of types of active support and the organizing model of grievance handling, see Section 4 of this manual.)
Probably the most important day-to-day job of the Union steward is to reach and maintain 100 percent membership in the union and to build pride and trust in their union. When every eligible worker is a member, the union will be a stronger, more effective union - able to solve workplace problems and negotiate better contracts.
