How to Organize a Union (and keep it)

The benefits of having a union are almost too numerous to name. Better wages, working conditions, benefits, a grievance procedure and often simple respect are some of the reasons people join unions. But the labour movement seems to have trouble organizing these days. Often shops are organized only to decertify a year or two down the road. Many organizers today have a narrow view of what it means to organize a union and this is at the heart of the problem.

There are basically three main steps to organizing and solidifying a union. The first step is obvious and universally recognized – getting the certification. To bring a union into a workplace you need to sign membership cards and depending on the number of cards signed and the labour laws in your area, have a vote. This will doubtlessly require a lot of hard work and long conversations about what exactly it means to be in a union. This is the first step, but it is only the first step.

The next two steps are the ones that are too often over-looked in the labour movement: winning the first collective agreement and enforcing that agreement. The first hurdle is bargaining a good contract. This can be easier said than done, but it is vital for the success of the union. At the end of the day, workers need to see concrete improvements in their workplace. If their union doesn't bring them tangible results, they will decertify. The contract will only be as good as the workers are ready to fight for, so the bargaining committee must have the perspective of mobilizing the workers to put pressure on the bosses. This doesn’t mean that a strike is always necessary, but if workers aren’t prepared to strike they will not be happy with the outcome.

Once a collective agreement is in place, the union must be willing to back it up. Generally the bosses will test the limits of the union. They will ignore clauses in the collective agreement. They will refuse to implement what they have already agreed to. The union staff must be prepared to follow through on the grievances to force the employer to comply. This can be costly. It is easy for union staffers to do a quick cost/benefit analysis and determine that the cost of the grievance isn’t worth it. But this overlooks the political aspect. If the workers don’t see their union standing up for them, they will soon loose faith. Generally the bosses need to loose a few grievances before they realize that it isn’t worth the hassle to violate the contract.

I have been involved in organizing dozens of shops. I have seen great victories won, only to be unraveled a year later because one of these steps was ignored. Ultimately the power of a union is the productive power of the workers. There is an old saying in the labour movement, “Not a wheel will turn, not a light bulb will shine, without the consent of the working class”. That is the only real power a union has. Workers run the world. The bosses wouldn’t have a penny without us. That is the strength we must rely on.