Make Your Local Stronger...Follow These 10 Steps
- Put principles before personalities. It all begins when
you decide to do something to improve your life by joining together to get things done.
Dont let personal bugaboos get in the way. Respect each others rights. Put
yourself in the other persons shoes. Then stick together. Theres nothing
management likes more than a workforce that can be easily divided and manipulated.
- Know your union contract. Management cant take
advantage of people who know their rights, only of people who are ignorant of those
rights.
- Elect a steward/chairperson you trust. Choosing a person
with the biggest mouth whos least scared of the boss certainly helps. But choose
someone who is also cool-headed enough to work things out diplomatically.
- Share the load. Your
steward/chairperson works both with you and for you. But he or she cant do it alone.
Let your steward know what you think and how you can help out. Volunteer for stuff you
know you can handle. Over committing is a recipe for letting yourself down as well as
others. Is a task too much for you? Split it with a buddy.
- Keep on top of the situation. Build a solid structure by
defining what your steward is and isnt responsible for. Encourage other departments
to get involved, make sure each is represented, and know who those reps are. Establish who
is accountable to it and hold them to it.
- Know when to speak up. You know whats best
for yourself, so tell it like it is. Be sure to include everyone with different points of
view. You never know whos been through what youre going through. and solutions
can often come from the least expected sources. Got a language problem in your shop? Ask
you steward to provide a translator.
- Dont spread rumors. They often divide people and
can weaken the union you are building.
- Never cry wolf. Know the difference between grievance
and a gripe. If someone or something is bugging you, work it out with that person, or your
steward, or a trusted third party. Dont call in the troops for the small stuff. It
wastes energy and can weaken your credibility for the big stuff.
- Meet at lunch time. Most people are too busy to come
back for a meeting after work. Lunch meetings include everyone and area relaxed way to
keep everyone updated. Hold those meetings regularly--set a realistic schedule and stick
to it. Take turns taking minutes.
- Youre not at work for just one day. You cant
always get what you want when you want it. One small victory can lead to another and
another. Over time, youll see real gains made. Show your appreciation and say thanks
to those who are helping to make your local stronger and workplace better.
UNITE!,
1710 Broadway. New York, NY 10019.