Worksite organizing is broad and encompasses many different issues that all come into play at work. Below are some guides and materials that address common concerns, but the best approach to organizing around issues at the worksite is to listen to members’ priorities and concerns, and find ways to involve them in the solutions.
- Union Power=Active Members Training Outline
A short training and accompanying handouts you can do for member activists to teach them how to map their workplaces, have one-on-one conversations with coworkers, and use their own personal stories to reach out and connect with others. - Step-by-Step Guide to Win More Hours
Scheduling software that seeks to maximize “efficiency” without considering the toll unpredictable hours can have on real people, pressure from higher-ups to cut costs, personal favoritism and retaliation, and managers who just aren’t very good at their jobs can all result in lost hours— hours workers depend on to get by.
- Paid Sick Leave
Many employers follow harsh policies that may be technically allowed under the contract, but are unfair, unreasonable, and worth fighting.
By training member activists how to take collective action, we empower workers and help them feel engaged with the union and their coworkers. Strong ties built by solving issues collectively that come up between contracts also puts the membership in a better position to exercise its collective strength when it comes time to negotiate.
Local 23 members taking action at their workplace.
Local 23 members found a creative way to challenge a policy on covering up tattoos and piercings that many workers felt was unfair. Even small victories in the workplace can make a big difference in workplace moral and can help demonstrate the power members have when they take action together.
At Fresh Direct, the online grocery delivery service based in New York, members of Local 2013 had a pressing problem. Plenty of members were skipping breaks, and some complained that it was hard to find bathroom time during the shift.
