ANNOTATION |
This book is an organizing manual. It is meant for workers who want respect and justice from their employers and control over their lives at work. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, this means confrontation with a boss who thinks only bosses need control. So think of this book as a handbook for troublemakers.
We decided to present these tactics by letting the real experts tell their own stories. Rather than a list of rules for organizing, you will find dozens of workers who describe in their own words what worked for them. Many times these stories are inspiring as well as instructive. We think that you will be able to take what you need from each person's or union's experience.
The book has 22 chapters, 22 stories. Most of the stories are from workers who are already in unions. But many of the tactics can be used by those who don't have a union, and there are two chapters specifically on non-union situations and on organizing a new union.
The book also has five appendices that are more specific tools for organizers: Corporate Campaign Questionnaire, Researching Your Employer, Union Newspapers and Rank and File Newsletters, Strategic Planning Guides, and Resources. It also includes a bibliography.
This book is not a complete survey of the labor movement in the 1980s, nor a collection of all the important struggles that could have been included. Rather we have chosen examples that clearly illustrated certain tactics and principles of organizing.
Neither is the book a legal rights handbook, although with the help of attorney Ellis Boal we have included some information on your legal rights throughout. You may want to consult your own attorney before trying any of the moves which we have indicated may not be legal. |