of Electrical Workers, Local Union 11. Joining the union and learning a trade gave me opportunities that I never dreamed I would have. My life would never be the same. From that point on, I can honestly say I had a sense of hope that I never experienced in all my days working before that. There was a sense of security knowing that the union would back me up, that I was covered by medical insurance, that I was participating in a retirement plan, and, of course, that I would get to take my breaks.
Becoming a member opened doors that were previously closed, and instilled loyalty and commitment to grow within the organization. Becoming a member was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Leaving my previous job wasn’t easy; it was like taking a step off a diving board. I was comfortable in my job and felt I made an impact on the company for the better, but the union had so much more to offer.
Getting Involved With the Union
The apprenticeship was tough, but I got through it with the help of some classmates and co-workers who took an interest in helping me. I was elected class representative twice, mostly because no one else was interested. People told me the 4 years would go by fast, and they weren’t kidding. My mom later confided in me that she thought I would drop out and never complete the apprenticeship, but she never let me know that at the time.
A few years after becoming a journeyman, a friend informed me that the welfare committee wasn’t able to pay union dues for sick members because there weren’t even enough people to make a quorum at the meeting. They needed four members to show, and only three had shown up. The bylaws prohibited the meeting from being conducted. The next month I attended the meeting as a representative, and the committee was able to conduct business. The same members served on the executive committee whose meeting took place right after the welfare committee. Again, I was urged to stay so that they would have a quorum. I agreed, and so started my obsession with union activism.
My story is similar to the stories of many people with whom I’ve spoken. It starts with someone asking you to participate, and then at some point you realize if you don’t continue to be active, there may not be anyone else to take your place. In some ways this is indicative of the challenge we face in the labor movement, because there are so few people with a real interest in the day-to-day operation of a union.
I’ve had the pleasure of working on many great union construction projects, like the Metrorail subway in Los Angeles, the Hollywood/Highland Red Line subway stop of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Trillium Building in Warner Center, UCLA Co-gen Plant and Arco Refinery, Los Angeles International Airport, and NBC Studios. Many of the companies I’ve worked for have grown to be powerhouses. I’ve also seen Companies that were giants at one time go by the wayside. One such company had 250 electricians working in Los Angeles at the time. The shop was successful in every sense, and I’m sure many thought it would continue to be a leader and grow for years to come. The company was run on autopilot. I never understood how a company could be so wasteful and yet so successful. Unfortunately, this success didn’t last. Because of this mismanagement, they closed the Los Angeles office, and 250 employees were out of a job.
My point is this; it’s everyone’s duty to keep an eye out for the most effective way to solve problems and move an organization forward. Each person is obligated to share information that will help each other. Everyone needs to reassess his or her actions from time to time. Everyone needs to ask the question, “Is this the best way to go about solving this challenge?” Even more importantly, “Will this action lead to the continued growth of the organization or to its demise?”
To reach this goal of Bigger Labor, you cannot settle for business as usual. Every action you take needs to be scrutinized and improved on if possible. If you see a better way to do things, speak up. Don’t be afraid. You are probably not alone. If you don’t know what you are doing, stop! Ask for help. There should be no shame in asking for assistance. Find the person most knowledgeable in the area you are struggling in and ask for guidance.
Chapter One: Where We Are
Labor never quits. We never give up the fight—no matter how tough the odds, no matter how long it takes.
—George Meany
A friend forwarded an article about a drop in union membership in the private sector on January 23, 2010 (Kris Maher, Wall Street Journal Online.). According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of union workers dropped to the lowest level since the government started tracking them. “That’s not surprising,” I thought to myself. There’s really no reason to read it. It’s not news; union membership has been dropping for years. If union membership was to suddenly shoot back up to levels of the 1950s and 1960s, now that would be news, but that’s crazy; no one expects that to happen anytime soon.
No comprehensive plan is in place for an all out, wall-to-wall, nationwide union organizing drive. Of course, there are individual unions—and some construction unions are among them—who have embraced organizing and are reaping the rewards. It seems that what the labor movement really needs right now is solidarity. Labor cannot afford to fractionalize at a time when we have so much to gain and yet so much to lose. With the Baby Boomers nearing retirement and increased demand for skilled labor, it seems like the perfect opportunity for a cooperative of unions to achieve the goal of a revitalized labor movement. What seems more likely is that those unions that have already embraced organizing and are investing the most money in training and recruiting new organizers will grow while the others will fade into obscurity.
While studying for my bachelor’s degree in labor studies at the George Meany Center/National Labor College, the professor informed the class that “union organizing” wasn’t “faith based”, it was “science based.” She went on to say that faith and hope were great things, but they have no place in union organizing. According to the professor, every effort needs to be analyzed to see if it produced a clearly measured result. There need to be strict parameters and proven examples. She advocated comparative case studies to measure the outcome of scientific approaches to determine whether they support the hypothesis. If not, Labor needs to throw that organizing model out and try something entirely new.
While I agree that Labor needs to be able to measure success, like a business measures return-on-investment, there seems to be so much more at play. Perhaps it’s because I consider myself a person of faith. I believe organizing is about establishing relationships and empowering people. The simple fact that you are reaching out to help people succeed, whether it be in their own personal career or in growing their company, means you are already on a path to success. You cannot fail. Therefore, I recommend a completely different approach as outlined here:
•Find out what other successful organizers are doing.
•Ask them to share with you what they have learned.
•Choose what works best for you.
•Put the fundamentals into practice.
•Share what you have learned with others.
“Just Don’t Do Anything”
The only effective answer to organized greed is organized labor.
—Thomas Donahue
A friend shared some advice that was offered to him by someone with a long history of employment in the labor movement. He was told quite frankly, “just don’t do anything; you’ll never get in trouble.”
