A LABOR NOTES GUIDE HOW TO STRIKE AND WIN

7435 Michigan Ave., Detroit, Michigan 48210 labornotes.org/strikes #488 November 2019 Jim West / jimwestphoto.com Jim West WHY STRIKES MATTER

something that employers would prefer Strikes are where our power is. Without a credible we not notice: they need us. Workplaces are typically run as dic- tatorships. The discovery that your strike threat, workers are at the boss's mercy. boss does not have absolute power over you—and that in fact, you and your co- “Why do you rob banks?” a reporter Notes Conference that spring. “It is up workers can exert power over him—is a once asked Willie Sutton. “Because to us to give our labor, or to withhold it.” revelation. that’s where the money is,” the infa- That’s the fundamental truth on There’s no feeling like it. Going on mous thief replied. which the labor movement was built. strike changes you, personally and as a Why go on strike? Because that’s Strikes by unorganized workers led union. where our power is. to the founding of unions. Strikes won “Walking into work the first day back Teachers in West Virginia showed it in the first union contracts. Strikes over the chanting ‘one day longer, one day stron- 2018 when they walked out, in a strike years won bigger paychecks, vacations, ger’ was the best morning I’ve ever had at Verizon,” said Pam Galpern, a field that bubbled up from below, surprising seniority rights, and the right to tell the tech and mobilizer with Communica- even their statewide union leaders. foreman “that’s not my job.” Without strikes we would have no labor move- tion Workers Local 1101, after work- No one seemed concerned that pub- ers beat the corporate giant in a 45-day lic sector strikes were unlawful in West ment, no unions, no contracts, and a far worse working and living situation. strike in 2016. Virginia. “What are they going to do, In short, strikes are the strongest tool “There was such a tremendous feel- fire us all?” said Jay O’Neal, treasurer in workers’ toolbox—our power not just ing of accomplishment. People were for the Kanawha County local. “Who to ask, but to force our employers to smiling and happy. It was like a com- would they get to replace us?” Already concede something. plete 180-degree difference from before the state had 700 teaching vacancies, the strike,” when supervisors had been thanks to the rock-bottom pay the strik- DISCOVER YOUR POWER micromanaging and writing workers up ers were protesting. The key word is “force.” A strike is for the smallest infractions. After 13 days out, the teachers de- not just a symbolic protest. It works be- In a good strike, everyone has a mean- clared victory and returned to their cause we withhold something that the ingful role. Strikers develop new skills classrooms with a 5 percent raise. They employer needs—its production, its and a deeper sense that they own and had also backed off corporate education good public image, its profits, and above run their union. New leaders emerge “reformers” on a host of other issues. all its control over us. from the ranks and go on to become The biggest lesson: “Our labor is ours As one union slogan has it, “this uni- stewards. first,” West Virginia teacher Nicole Mc- versity works because we do”—or this New friendships are formed; workers Cormick told the crowd at the Labor company, or this city. A strike reveals who didn’t know or trust one another PAGE 2 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes before forge bonds of solidarity. A few have been neutralized. stubborn co-workers finally see why the A hundred years ago, striking took union matters and sign on as members. physical bravery. Your employer might Allies from faith groups, neighborhood hire armed thugs to attack you. Today in groups, or other unions adopt your the U.S. that’s less likely. Employers have HOW TO STRIKE AND WIN cause. You and your co-workers lose found more sophisticated ways to weaken labornotes.org/strikes some fear of the boss—and the boss strikes. gains some fear of you. Still, it takes real courage to walk out. In all these ways and more—not to You might lose your job, and a court might THE BIG PICTURE mention the contract gains you may deem your firing legal. If striking is illegal win—a strike can be a tremendous in your state or sector, you might have to union-building activity. break the law. If union leaders are reluc- 2 Why Strikes Matter tant to strike, you might have to out-orga- JUST THE THREAT nize them. 4 How Strikes Win Sometimes coming to the brink of a Or the union could miscalculate—you strike is enough to make your employer might find you don’t have enough leverage 6 How Strikes Lose blink. Workers at an Indiana truck plant to win. You might have to walk back in in 2016 got as far as hauling burn bar- empty-handed. 8 Map of Recent Strikes rels to work every day to show they Workers today have to soberly assess were ready to hit the picket lines. The their power up against rich, complex, glob- 10 Pushing from Below company, Hendrickson International, al corporations. Sometimes a strike alone averted a strike by agreeing to phase out may not be enough to win; it might have to two-tier wages and pensions. be part of a larger campaign. But the strike KNOW YOUR ABC'S The benefits of a humbled employer itself remains a powerful tool—economi- can last beyond a single contract cycle. cally powerful, personally transformative After Seattle’s grocery chains in 2013 to the participants, and inspiring to the 12 Ways to Strike came within two hours of a strike—the public. union dramatized the impending dead- The spreading wave of teacher strikes 14 Dealing with the Law line with a giant countdown clock—the has won many material improvements chains scrambled to avoid a repeat in for teachers and schools, and has raised 16 Ways to Not Quite Strike 2016 by settling a new contract before teachers’ expectations across the country the old one expired. for what they and their students deserve. It The transformation can also reach be- has caught the public imagination, rallied BUILDING BLOCKS yond the workplace. Strikes open up our whole communities behind the strikers, political horizons, expanding our sense and put strikes back on the agenda. 18 Turn Up the Heat of what’s possible if we use our power. Optimists in the labor movement (and worriers in the business world) are asking, This summer, a general strike in 20 Organize the Organized Puerto Rico brought down two corrupt who’s next? Will workers in the private sector catch the strike spirit? In 2019 we governors in quick succession. This fall, 22 Democracy: Who Owns the Strike? Amazon workers struck for a day as saw General Motors auto workers, Toledo they pushed their employer to take on nurses, Pennsylvania locomotive workers, climate change. Large-scale strikes will Uber and Lyft drivers, and Stop & Shop 24 Community: Who Else Owns It? be crucial if we expect to rescue our grocery workers all hit the bricks. Could world from the corporations that pro- this be the beginning of the next big up- 26 How to End a Strike mote poverty and environmental col- surge? Let’s make it so. lapse. The 1% are not going to hand us anything. AT A GLANCE A NEW UPSURGE? ABOUT THIS MANUAL 28 Strike Timeline Strikes in the U.S. have declined dra- This booklet is meant to be of use to matically over the past half-century. anyone who wants to know how to strike 31 More from Labor Notes Since 1947 the Bureau of Labor Statis- and win, whether you’re an officer chart- tics has tracked strikes and lockouts in- ing a course for your union or a group volving 1,000 or more workers. Editor: Alexandra Bradbury From 1947 through 1981, there were of rank-and-filers who want to lead from below. Assistant Editors: Dan DiMaggio, hundreds of such big strikes each year. Saurav Sarkar, Jane Slaughter Last year there were 20. The decline in Successful strikes usually rely on months or years of groundwork. So this Staff: Chris Brooks, Bianca strikes is a reflection of unions’ dimin- Cunningham, ishing power and numbers—and a rea- manual starts long before, describing the Joe DeManuelle-Hall, son for it. But strikes aren’t dead. See contract campaign and preparation re- Barbara Madeloni, Adrian Montgomery, page 8 for a sample of recent walkouts, quired to put a strike on the table. Samantha Winslow large and small. The stories and quotes included here Design: Joe DeManuelle-Hall, Over the years it has gotten harder are drawn mainly from Labor Notes re- Saurav Sarkar, Sonia Singh Cover photo: Joe Brusky (in some ways) to strike and win. Some porting, often from the frontlines of the strikes described, and from our LABOR NOTES IS INDEXED IN THE ALTERNATIVE of the best tactics have been outlawed; PRESS INDEX. ARTICLES MAY BE REPRODUCED IN handbooks. ANY NON-PROFIT PUBLICATION. CREDIT IS some of the best sources of leverage APPRECIATED. ISSN 0275-4452. www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 3 NOVEMBER 2019 HOW STRIKES WIN

the employer financially, the leverage Assess all the types of leverage the union can bring is different. The strike has to be one component of a mobilization that brings unbearable political pressure on to bear: how will you make the employer cry uncle? decision-makers. A good strike is an exercise of power, in 2016 used roving pickets (see page PUBLIC OPINION ON BOARD not just a rowdier form of protest. There 19). How about seriously blocking the In either a public or a private sector is something you want, and a decision- entrances? How about interrupting re- strike, you will need a plan to get public maker who could give it to you but cruitment of replacements? How about opinion on board and to get your allies doesn’t want to. The point of the strike preventing the delivery of parts or sup- to take strong action. (See page 24.) In is to make it harder for this decision- plies? How about stopping the employer a teacher strike, for example, getting the maker to keep saying no—and easier from selling the goods it's made? parents on your side is crucial—the in- for the decision-maker to stop the pain Historically unions have used mass convenience to them is what generates by saying yes. picketing, striking suppliers, and even the political crisis you need, but only For a private-sector employer, the sit-down strikes. They have used soli- if they blame the district and not the primary way a strike exerts power is by darity to strike entire industries or to union. Your leverage might also include hurting profits. call secondary boycotts of the em- hitting the district’s bottom line; is there For a public-sector employer, it is by ployer's allies. Most of these tactics are a state funding formula based on how interfering with the normal functions of now outlawed. (See page 14.) Again, a many students show up each day? In a public service and creating a political union that plans illegal action will need retail strike, your leverage is the sales crisis that elites must respond to. to have a firm grasp of the risks and a your employer is losing—which depend It’s essential to carefully appraise all solid plan. on your strong picket lines and custom- the forms of power, or leverage, the union In the public sector most employ- ers’ unwillingness to cross them. can muster. Don’t hit the bricks without ers save money during a strike because Look for other pressure points on assessing what it will take to win. they keep collecting taxes but don’t pay your employer, such as its relations Once your leverage is identified, salaries. Since the strike is not hurting with suppliers, customers, and public you’ll have to do the organizing legwork to make it real. Leverage is only poten- tial until you bring it to life. The union will rely on its own internal solidarity to remain united in the face of intimida- tion and to generate widespread solidar- ity from others. The advice in the rest of this manual is designed to build that internal and external solidarity. But the best organizing in the world may fail to move your employer if you don’t start with a solid plan to win. That’s an analysis of how the actions by workers and supporters will add up to enough pressure to make the decision- maker back down. ANALYZE YOUR LEVERAGE To hurt profits, the union must stop the production or distribution of goods or services. You will need to make sure

that union members have withdrawn UFCW 1459 their labor—and that no one else is do- ing the work either. Standing earnestly on the picket line may not be enough. Verizon strikers PAGE 4 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes officials, and enforcement of govern- safety, environment, discrimination and ment regulations it may be violating or harassment? tax breaks it is seeking. Answering these questions will take THE ESSENTIALS Kaiser mental health clinicians in research. Some unions have research de- California have waged repeated strikes partments—bring them in early. But your • How will your strike hurt profits or demanding shorter wait times for pa- union probably includes members who create a political crisis? tients and a fix for chronic understaff- already follow and understand the news • Who are the decision-makers with the power to give you what you ing. Their union published a white pa- in your industry, and others with a gift want? per showing how Kaiser was violating for Googling. Find and enlist your nerds! • How will you stick it to them? California law and filed claims with • What are the chokepoints in the state agencies, which eventually got Kai- FIND YOUR CHOKEPOINTS system your workplace is part of ser fined $4 million. At the same time The global economy depends on and how can they be squeezed? the company faced class-action lawsuits goods flowing seamlessly over oceans • When does your employer need from families of patients who died by and across borders. Factories and retail- you most? suicide after not receiving timely care. ers no longer store inventory for weeks TAKE THE MEASURE OF YOUR in big warehouses but count on parts OPPONENT and goods delivered “just in time,” us- The union needs to take a hard look at ing ships, terminal yards, and trucks as of workers’ power—and the organizing its place in the employer’s overall busi- their mobile warehouses. drive grew from there. ness and to use smart tactics that exploit It’s ironic that employers introduced the union’s advantages. “just in time,” which boosts profits when IT’S IN THE TIMING Because of their small numbers, work- it’s working fine, because the tight, no- Bosses need workers, but they need us ers at seven Verizon Wireless retail stores errors-allowed system gives even small some times more than others. A smart in Brooklyn and Massachusetts would groups of workers enormous power— union will time its contract expiration have been out on a limb if they had their strike can bring a much larger sys- for management’s peak season, or it can struck on their own. But they leaned on tem to a halt. This is true for both sup- pull an unfair labor practice strike (see 39,000 fellow Communications Workers plier workers and logistics workers who page 14) at a favorable moment. in the company’s landline sector, who deliver the parts. For years, transit workers in New struck and held out until the wireless One day in 2014, workers at the Pis- York City had a contract that expired workers got a contract too. ton Automotive factory in Toledo, Ohio, in December, when shoppers were jam- At the same time, being able to pick- went on strike for union recognition at 9 ming the buses and trains. Farmwork- et the wireless stores gave the landline a.m.—and by 5 p.m., they'd won. The 70 ers, even without a union, have made workers a boost. Though landlines are workers made brake systems and struts gains by laying down their buckets just still profitable, the mostly nonunion for the profitable Jeep Cherokee, built by when the produce is ripe on the vines. wireless side of the business is far more Chrysler in a plant across town. If there is no obvious production sea- lucrative and has been the focus of the Their strike could have quickly shut son, are there moments that would be company’s investments in recent years. down Jeep production. Union organizers embarrassing—say, when a big shot is Pickets outside the wireless stores cut warned Chrysler managers, who undoubt- planned to visit? Workers at the Four Verizon’s sales in New York City by 40 edly leaned on Piston Automotive to settle. Roses bourbon distillery walked out just percent—so both sides of the union were Is your workplace part of a system that as their industry was preparing to wel- hurting Verizon’s profits, as well as its depends on all parts working smoothly come thousands of tourists to the an- public image. together? Do you have relationships with nual Kentucky Bourbon Festival. What is your employer’s economic the workers at the most crucial nodes? In 2019 the contract for 31,000 Stop & situation? If it claims its budget is hurt- Chokepoints also exist within work- Shop grocery workers in New England ing, what is your response? If it’s part of places. Which department in your work- expired on February 23. But workers a larger entity, how much effect will your place is the “bottleneck”? Are the mem- didn’t strike till April 11—just 10 days strike have on overall profits or on op- bers there aware of their power? Has the before Easter. Their action cost the com- erations? Which other parts of the em- union made a special effort to develop pany $345 million. ployer are unionized, and do you have leaders there? Fighting for a first contract in 2019, relations with those unions? During the organizing drive at the bus drivers in Alexandria, Virginia, If your ability to hurt total profits is Smithfield Foods pork plant in 2006, the took a strike vote just as the region low, do you have other sources of power key was the Livestock department, where was preparing to shut down most of its to make up for that? live hogs were unloaded off trucks. One commuter rail system for repairs. Thou- Which decision-makers will you need sweltering morning, the drinking water sands of residents who commuted to to scare—local, national, international, in Livestock was hot and had ants float- D.C. every day would be relying on bus government officials? Who exactly has ing in it. With temperatures nearing 100 service all summer—unless the drivers the power to give you what you want? degrees, the workers decided not to work went on strike. The answer is never simply “the compa- until they had clean, cold water. Drivers educated the riding public ny.” It might be CEO John Smith, who For eight hours, 25 workers sat in the by handing out flyers at transit hubs. has an office, a neighborhood, a rolodex, barn, their arms folded. The whole plant “When the pressure started coming and a calendar, and who may belong to stopped. Trucks full of hogs waited out- from the community on the mayor and X country club or Y congregation. side. Supervisors tried and failed to run on [management], they knew we had How vulnerable are customers and the hogs in by themselves. them,” said driver Tyler Boos. Workers suppliers to pressure you can bring? The next morning the Livestock work- won complete wage parity with drivers Which banks provide financial back- ers got their water. Their impromptu sit- in other Northern Virginia cities—on ing? What’s the employer’s record on down strike was a vivid demonstration the strength of their strike vote. www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 5 NOVEMBER 2019 Jim West / jimwestphoto.com Jim West HOW STRIKES LOSE

public stage imaginable.” He showed Any plan to revive the strike must take the risks that it's possible to find or train re- placements even for a highly skilled workforce. seriously. There are good reasons not to strike too The genie was out of the bottle. Ever since then, employers have known they hastily. have the option to use permanent scabs to break strikes. The past few decades have seen a allowed to work for the federal govern- That doesn’t mean they’ll do it. A number of high-profile strikes where ment again. mass firing has serious consequences heroic workers took a brave risk and a In hindsight, the Air Traffic Control- that employers weigh—chaos on the big fall. The stories behind these losses lers’ strike looks reckless. They charged job, sometimes a lack of qualified reveal some ways your strike could go out on strike alone, without asking oth- off the rails. er unions for support. They made no plan to develop public sympathy for the FEAR OF PERMANENT $5,000 pay hike they were demanding, REPLACEMENTS at a time when wages were in decline. One painful lesson is the incredible But they had reason to be confident— THE ESSENTIALS damage caused when employers discov- and not just because PATCO had backed ered that they could tell strikers, “Don’t Reagan’s election. As highly skilled Don’t go out without a plan. - come back!” • workers, they were difficult to replace. • Use all your leverage, not withdraw Permanent replacements, described “Most employers would have to be al of labor alone. by a former Labor Board chair as the pragmatic and say, ‘We will get rid of • Consider a ULP strike. “nuclear weaponry in the arsenal of the ringleaders and everyone who comes • Can you count on your industrial warfare,” were relatively rare back on our terms will be allowed to International? in the post-World War II era. But that work,’” said labor historian Joseph Mc- • What is your plan for dealing with changed when President Ronald Rea- Cartin, author of Collision Course: Ron- scabs? gan broke the Professional Air Traffic ald Reagan, the Air Traffic Controllers, and Controllers Organization strike in 1981. the Strike that Changed America. All 11,000 PATCO members were Instead, “Reagan broke this strike in fired and blacklisted. They were never a nuclear fashion, and on the biggest PAGE 6 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes replacements, damage to profits, qual- to go the distance. The Detroit newspa- have the support of their International, ity, and public image. pers strike and lockout of 1995-2001 is which was fearful of being sued. But by adding this card to the deck, an example where the unions thought But in the end, none of the work- Reagan upped the fear factor. Employ- they could win quickly, simply by with- ers’ efforts were enough to hammer ers were quick to use the threat against holding labor. But the local operation the revenue of a massive multinational strikers, and “in almost every case the was part of a larger conglomerate with corporation. unions buckled and in some cases the many other sources of revenue—and “It was an utter defeat for the work- companies got rid of the union entire- management had prepared well in ad- ers. Staley got the contract they wanted ly,” McCartin said. vance to provoke a strike, specifically to and the bulk of union workers did not If you’re planning an open-ended break the unions. go back,” said Steve Ashby, who was strike, you’ll need a plan to counter Members were out of work for years. deeply involved in organizing solidarity this threat. One approach is to make “We told people they needed to con- actions for Staley workers and co-au- your strike an unfair labor practice solidate their bills after we went out,” thored Staley: The Fight for a New Ameri- strike, which grants you legal protec- said Barbara Ingalls, a member of the can Labor Movement. tion against permanent replacements, Detroit Typographical Union. “That The biggest lesson: when an enor- so long as the courts uphold the ULP should have happened six months be- mous employer can eat the lost produc- (see page 14). fore. Everyone should have zero credit tion at your workplace, you will have to Or you may need to make it too hard card debt. You don’t want people to lose shut down its capacity elsewhere. That for your employer to bring in scabs, their house and their family.” is why national and international soli- by occupying or blocking access to the darity is so important. workplace (but note these tactics are SABOTAGE FROM ABOVE “At the end of the day, if the employer generally illegal. see page 30), or by ral- UFCW Local P-9 went on strike can continue production with scabs and lying enough public sympathy and at- against concessions at the Hormel you can’t stop production or stop the tention to your cause (see page 24). meatpacking plant in Austin, Minneso- sale of products, then it is impossible to No matter what, you’ll need to inocu- ta, in 1985. It was P-9’s first strike since win,” said Joe Burns, author of Reviving late your co-workers to expect to hear 1933 and came over the objections of the Strike: How Working People Can Re- this threat, and make sure everyone the UFCW International, which urged gain Power and Transform America. Don’t knows the union’s plan. workers to accept the givebacks. walk out without a well-considered plan Unlike PATCO, P-9 galvanized com- to win. LACK OF PREPARATION munity and labor support. One of its The picket line chant “One day lon- innovations was a “road warrior” pro- ger, one day stronger” is inspiring—but gram, which sent strikers around the not always accurate. Some strikes peter country to speak to other unions and out, with strikers feeling the pinch and community groups. no win in sight. But it wasn’t enough. A few months Southern California grocery workers into the strike, Hormel hired permanent walked the picket lines for five months replacements and locked out the union. in 2004, with 91 percent participating The International ended the conflict by right through to the end—yet they re- removing P-9’s leaders and agreeing to turned to work feeling bitter. the concessions the union had struck “They got two-tier,” Lonnie Hardy, against in the first place. a member of Food and Commercial Before walking out, assess what role Workers (UFCW) Local 1036, told La- you can expect your international union bor Notes. “Everything we were going leaders to play. Will they be helpful, neu- against, they got. When you stay out tral, or another adversary? How much for five months, you want to gain some- power will they have to undermine you? thing, not lose what you had.” You may have to fight on two fronts. Years in advance the grocery chains had telegraphed their intentions to de- LACK OF LEVERAGE mand two-tier pay. Yet the union didn’t To avoid being permanently replaced take advantage of this time to start orga- in a strike, workers at the A.E. Staley nizing a member-driven contract cam- corn processing plant in Decatur, Illi- paign (see page 20), nor to build public nois, chose to stay on the job and fight. support, nor to coordinate a national They waged an effective work-to-rule campaign across locals with similar campaign for months before the em- contract timelines and common issues. ployer lashed back in 1995, locking The union also failed to make full them all out.

use of the leverage it had. It never In the lockout, the union did many Jim West / jimwestphoto.com called a consumer boycott, never got things right. It started its own “road the Teamsters who represented the warrior” program, modeled on P-9’s. grocery chains’ warehouse workers Solidarity committees popped up across and truck drivers fully on board, and the Midwest. quickly backed off its picketing at the Workers led demonstrations and sat distribution centers, which were key down in civil disobedience in front of the chokepoints. plant, where they were pepper-sprayed To win, unions have to be prepared by police. Again the workers did not www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 7 NOVEMBER 2019 RECENT STRIKES

A partial list of strikes and lockouts, 2015-2019

Twin Cities janitors

Paraeducators Franklin Street Bakery Seattle teachers Amazon warehouse Washington teachers Allina nurses Farmworkers Home Depot janitors Lucky Friday silver mine

Allegheny Technologies

Jennie-O Turkey

AT&T GM

Marriott AT&T Fast food Oakland teachers GM Denver teachers Kaiser mental health clinicians GM Chicago teachers University of California GM U of Missouri Football Facebook and Google janitors Pueblo teachers/ GM Paraprofessionals City College of San Francisco faculty GM AT&T Uber and Lyft drivers GM Los Angeles teachers AT&T Tenet nurses Phoenix bus drivers Oklahoma teachers Arizona teachers Georgia Pacific Tenet nurses GM Fort Worth Symphony

AT&T

GM AT&T

Oil refineries

Ferry workers Hale Nani nursing home Kaiser clinics Marriott

PAGE 8 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes NATIONWIDE TSA sickouts

AT&T Mobility

Day without Immigrants

Marriott Home Depot janitors Momentive Verizon Milwaukee bus drivers Harvard dining Oil refineries Northeastern dining Marriott Stop & Shop National Grid Jennie-O Turkey GM Bus drivers GM General Motors Kidney dialysis Wabtec locomotive B&H Mercy Peeps Fast food St. Vincent Taxi GM Charter teachers GM Spectrum GM Chicago teachers GM Jersey City teachers GM WV teachers U of Missouri Football Four Roses distillery Trump Taj Mahal GM Kentucky teachers Verizon Jim Beam distillery AT&T Frontier AT&T GM Nashville teachers Oklahoma teachers AT&T GM North Carolina teachers AT&T Georgia Pacific GM Fort Worth Symphony AT&T AT&T

AT&T

AT&T

Fast food

Tenet nurses

AT&T Nurses Association California

www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 9 NOVEMBER 2019 UIC GEO PUSHING FROM BELOW Rank and filers can organize from the bottom up to put on a contract campaign and strengthen a strike. A strike is a powerful tool if you’re delivered emotional testimonies about and kitchens,” said Kat Shelton, a work- looking to transform your union into their difficulties paying rent, getting er in homeless services, “getting facts, one that pays attention to members’ health insurance, making ends meet getting proof we were underpaid, form- needs and wants. A rank-and-file con- without access to second jobs or public ing committees, and looking for leaders tract campaign can become a spring- benefits, and paying steep fees back to who would go the limit.” board to union reform. the university. Over the next two years, FWAT folks So the advice in this booklet is not just Management was unmoved. But af- were elected as chapter and local union for union officers. The same principles ter testifying, the 15 decided to form an presidents. They developed a member- apply if you’re a group of members who International Caucus and involve more run email bulletin called “@@ Union decide to plan a more militant contract workers like themselves in the contract Eyes” to get out their view of the issues fight, with or without your officers’ sup- campaign. and tie together their diverse workforce. port. But you’ll face extra hurdles. They organized a survey of interna- When it came time to elect a negoti- Too many leaders are unwilling to use tional grad employees’ working and liv- ating committee in 2002, FWAT activ- all the power at the union’s disposal, or ing conditions, which were dire. The re- ists were careful to leave key leaders like they’re stuck in routine ways of deal- sults undermined a similar survey from Shelton off the committee, free to lead ing with management and members. management, which had attempted to field action while negotiators were tied Ultimately the power of the rank and show that workers’ living conditions up in bargaining. file is to organize, themselves, a strike were tolerable. Shelton would become “Momma that can win despite lack of leadership; This grassroots effort jump-started the CAT,” coordinator of a Contract Ac- to vote no on a bad deal; and to make contract campaign, escalating to a three- tion Team that started as a phone tree, incumbents fear the next election. week strike where the union won relief punctuated negotiations with mobiliza- Here are some ways that union ac- from fees and a big wage increase. After- tions, and eventually became a picket tivists can get things moving from the wards, some of the newly involved inter- and field action structure. ground up. Some are from contract national workers became shop stewards. At the height of the strike her team campaigns, not strikes. Consider where For more on contract surveys, see would include 25 “top CATS” coordi- you're starting from and what's realistic page 22. nating 170 CATs, or worksite leaders, in your union. able to get the word out to over 1,800 ORGANIZE A CONTRACT people in less than two hours. ORGANIZE A SURVEY ACTION TEAM They won the highest raises of any In the union of graduate employees Santa Cruz County workers formed comparable group of workers in the at the University of Illinois at Chicago, a Fair Wage Action Team (FWAT) in state, while reaping a harvest of new more than half the members are inter- 1999 because they were dissatisfied union activists. national students. with their previous contract. This group For more on CATs, see page 20. Contract talks had been bogged down started the organizing that led to a 2002 for months when 15 of these members strike. PUSH A POPULAR DEMAND attended a negotiating session and “We started meeting in our homes New York City teachers’ bargaining PAGE 10 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes in 2018 coincided with a new state law So the truck-production shift sat that guaranteed paid family leave for down. Workers gathered together, re- most private employees. Meanwhile fusing management’s pleas to go back to even teachers who had just given birth work. Management then told everyone THE ESSENTIALS were getting zero paid leave. to leave, but they refused that too. Incensed, teacher Emily James start- It took hours for the union’s plant • Step up: do the campaign that ed an online petition addressed to the chair to drive to the factory. Eventually union leaders should be doing. mayor and the union president, de- he arrived, gave a speech, and led work- • Put out a rank-and-file contract manding paid maternity leave for teach- ers out of the plant. Meanwhile GM campaign bulletin. ers: “These are women who devote their had lost a shift’s worth of work. And • Everyone get sick on the same day. lives to helping raise other people’s chil- Unifor leaders got the message that dren.” The petition went viral, racking • Demand time to read the tenta- members wanted a more militant plan tive agreement. up 80,000 signatures. of action. • Organize a “no” vote and send As the petition gathered steam, a re- But be careful! These tactics are high- ‘em back for more. form caucus in the union, the Move- risk. See page 13. ment of Rank-and-file Educators, or- ganized forums, marches, and walk-ins, DEMAND A DEMOCRATIC VOTE pushing leaders to take up the issue. Seven days into the 2012 Chicago When these union leaders saw a pa- teachers strike, leaders brought a tenta- rade, they wanted to get in front of it. tive agreement to the union’s House of and improve the health care benefits. You know your grassroots group is Delegates and recommended ending Still mad that the deal did little on top winning when the officers start claim- the walkout. But delegates balked. This concerns—forced overtime for drivers, ing your issue was their idea all along. was a strike owned by the members, low pay for package sorters, and harass- Parental leave wouldn’t have happened they reasoned, so members should get a ment and surveillance for everyone— without the grassroots effort. chance to weigh in on whether the deal members in a few regions held out, vot- ORGANIZE A SICKOUT OR A was enough—before dissipating their ing no two and three times until officers WILDCAT STRIKE power by returning to work. overruled them. Fury over that outcome propelled an Detroit teachers organized a slew of The delegates voted to extend the strike two more days. Copies of the electoral challenge that nearly toppled rolling sickouts in 2015-2016 drawing the Teamsters’ top officers in 2016. The attention to falling ceiling tiles, water entire tentative deal were distributed around the city. Instead of walking vote-no movement was even bigger for damage, broken equipment, mice-in- the next contract, in 2018, when UPS- fested classrooms, pay cuts, rising health picket lines, teachers sat in circles on the sidewalks, debating it. ers voted down a master contract that care costs, inflated work hours, loss of would create a new lower-paid tier of prep time, administrative bullying, abu- Informed by these discussions, the delegates reconvened and voted over- drivers. Union officers imposed the deal sive evaluations, and the district’s fail- anyway. It remains to be seen whether ure to bargain with the union while it whelmingly to suspend the strike. Two weeks later, members voted by 79 per- the resulting anger is enough to carry sunk money into a consulting firm. reformers to victory in the union’s 2021 At first teachers started organizing the cent to ratify it. And CTU probably set a record for the percentage of a union’s election. actions in just a small number of schools. As this story from the Teamsters Then the school district’s executive de- membership that has thoroughly read and understood its whole contract. shows, changing your union from the clared the actions “unethical”—spark- ground up is a marathon, not a sprint. ing much greater interest. Four hundred Think of your contract campaign as indignant leaders joined a conference ORGANIZE FOR A ‘NO’ VOTE Finally, when it comes time to vote one battle in a longer-term campaign to call. By forwarding text messages, the build members’ power. teachers organized a day of action that on a proposal, rank and filers can take shut down 88 out of 97 schools. matters into their own hands and force When the district tried to stiff teach- negotiators back to the table. ers on their salaries a few months later, Forty thousand auto workers at another mass sickout closed even more Chrysler, organizing by word of mouth schools and attracted national press and through Facebook groups, voted coverage. By this time the union leaders no 2-1 in 2015 on a tentative agreement were on board, and the teachers won on that would have extended the two-tier the pay issue. pay system. They printed up protest In Oshawa, Ontario, last winter, auto T-shirts, rallied, and shared photos of workers angry at General Motors’ plan their local leaflets and vote-no tallies, as to close their plant pulled off a sit-down momentum built for a big “no.” strike without authorization from their Their bargainers went back to the union, Unifor. table and negotiated an improved deal. Unifor had been holding milder ac- UPS Teamsters organized a grass- Jim West / jimwestphoto.com tions to protest the closure—small ral- roots national campaign to vote no on lies, lawn signs, and a media campaign. their tentative agreement in 2013. The For the workers, the last straw was the master contract was narrowly approved, day they gathered at work to watch a but regional supplements and riders af- televised press conference where they fecting 63 percent of workers were re- hoped GM would back off its threat. jected—forcing Teamster leaders to re- Instead, GM doubled down. turn to the table for the whole enchilada www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 11 NOVEMBER 2019 WAYS TO STRIKE Workers have invented a wealth of variations on the strike. Some are riskier than others. Some pack more punch. Open-ended strikes are the classic boss. It’s sometimes called a “demon- the early days, when the employer incurs type, the kind most often mentioned in stration strike,” since it can be a warn- the biggest costs and the greatest disrup- this booklet. The strike goes on until the ing shot before escalation. tion in the workplace occurs, so staying two sides reach a tentative agreement. Short strikes are common in health out longer won’t necessarily produce an Think Verizon workers in 2016, Marri- care, where it’s rare to fully shut down advantage for the union. ott hotel workers in 2018, or Los Ange- services. Health care workers are re- An economic strike is about wages, les teachers in 2019. quired to give 10 days’ notice before a benefits, or working conditions, while an unfair labor practice strike is about In one-day or short strikes, the union strike, and a hospital will usually hire the employer’s violations of labor law. often announces in advance how long scabs—professionals it will have to house This distinction is important because the strike will last. A short strike is less in hotels and pay big bucks. This means ULP strikers have protections against punishing for workers—but also for the that workers’ leverage is front-loaded in permanent replacement that economic strikers do not. See page 14. In symbolic strikes, stopping work is used as a form of public protest rather than to exercise direct power against the boss. Typically these strikes don’t involve many workers and don’t shut down operations. The point may be to generate attention and public pressure, like the Fight for $15 actions in fast food that started in 2012. Lockouts are the inverse of strikes: the employer refuses to allow workers back on the job until the union signs a contract on the employer's terms. Lock- outs can feel scary and discouraging, as the employer seems to have the up- per hand. But they actually have some significant practical advantages over strikes. Employers are barred from perma- nently replacing locked-out workers. In most states, locked-out workers can get unemployment benefits. If the lockout is found to be unlawful—an unfair labor practice—the employer is on the hook for back pay. You don’t have to worry about members crossing the picket line. And there’s a public sympathy factor— it’s obviously the employer’s fault! In rolling strikes, the action moves from workplace to workplace or depart- ment to department. Workers thin their pain by sharing it, while the employer

Slobodon Dmitrov continually takes the brunt. PAGE 12 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/ strikes Teachers in Washington state have dangerous” working condition, such as used rolling strikes repeatedly to press a physically dangerous picket line. Non- the legislature to improve pay. They held union workers have the right to honor one-day walkouts in 30 school districts in picket lines—but they have no legal pro- 1999 and 65 school districts in 2015. tection against being permanently re- “The beauty of the rolling strikes was placed, unless they are honoring a ULP that we could keep them up for a long strike. time, because each strike had just one Every union should add language to day’s impact on the members,” said its contract explicitly granting the right President Kevin Teeley of the Lake to honor picket lines. Teamsters are Washington local. “But the legislature known for insisting on this contractual was subjected to the impact for many right, which means they can helpfully days. They saw hundreds and thou- tangle up freight and UPS deliveries to sands of us daily.” a struck employer. If you’re planning Intermittent strikes are a series of a strike and want Teamsters to honor short strikes for a common goal—and it, notify their local unions and Joint they fall outside the protections of the Council in advance and ask for support. National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), But if you want other unions to support on the grounds that they are too disrup- your strike, you should be doing strike Jennifer McDaniels tive to the employer. But there are some support work consistently for others, work-arounds; see page 15. and long before making the ask. The Association of Flight Attendants’ Political strikes aim at influencing strategy of “Creating Havoc Around government policy, like West Coast dock- Our System” (CHAOS) is explicitly a workers’ short strikes against apartheid strategy of intermittent, rolling strikes. and the Iraq War. In 1969 West Virginia The first use was in 1993, when flight at- miners won a state law offering compen- In a sit-down strike or occupation, tendants at Alaska Airlines announced sation for black lung disease. Mass strikes workers take over the workplace rather they would be striking random flights. by immigrants in 2006 and 2017 drew at- than picketing outside. It’s a powerful The unpredictability drew enormous tention to detentions, deportations, and move, since the employer can’t even try media attention and drove management immigrant rights. From 1995 to 1998, to resume operations. The sit-down was up the wall. Ontario unions held rolling strikes from big in the organizing drives of the 1930s Although the union struck only seven city to city against the conservative gov- but has become very rare. flights in a two-month period, Alaska ernment’s anti-worker policies. The most famous recent example was had to send scabs on every plane, just in Wildcat strikes are those not official- by the Electrical Workers (UE) at the case. Flight attendants come under the ly called by the union but rather arising Republic Windows and Doors plant in Railway Labor Act, not the NLRA, and from rank-and-file action—usually dur- Chicago, slated to shut down in 2008. a court found these strikes legal. ing the term of the contract, making Management began selling off the ma- Recognition strikes try to force a them illegal. In some cases union offi- chinery but resisted paying workers the nonunion employer to accept the union cials may deliberately turn a blind eye. severance they were owed. Workers and bargain. Common in the 1930s A wave of wildcat strikes by teachers, brought in locks and chains, prepared and again among public employees in postal workers, and other public workers to lock their bodies to the machines if the 1960s and 1970s, they have become in the 1960s and 1970s led to the mas- necessary. rare—but they’re still possible, as work- sive growth of unions in those sectors. After six days of occupying the plant, ers at the Piston Automotive factory Wildcats are rare in the U.S. today, with hundreds of supporters rallying in Toledo, Ohio, proved in 2014. Such but internationally they’re more com- outside, the workers won all their de- strikes can be combined with first-con- mon. In China all strikes are wildcats, mands. They went on to buy the ma- tract demands. since the only permitted union never chinery and reopen their factory as a A solidarity or sympathy strike calls one. Nonetheless strikers have won worker-run co-op. honors someone else’s picket line. For wage increases at the factory level and The general strike is the mother of all instance, when service and hospital labor law improvements nationally. strikes, when workers in an entire city, workers at the University of California A sickout is a variation on the wildcat state, or country shut down at once. (AFSCME Local 3299) struck twice in with a little more cover—technically, the Seattle’s 1919 general strike terrified 2018, professional and technical work- strikers call in sick. Detroit teachers in the powerful because workers not only ers in the same facilities (UPTE-CWA) 2016 used rolling sickouts to draw atten- brought business to a halt but also re- joined them in solidarity strikes. In tion to crumbling school facilities. Dur- opened various services under workers’ 2019, both unions struck again, but this ing the 2018-2019 federal shutdown, control—setting up public dining halls, time it was UPTE who initiated and TSA officers called in sick at three times profitless grocery stores, and a barber AFSCME who struck in solidarity. the usual rate, forcing some airports to shop co-op. It helped that both unions had expired shut down whole terminals and build- Real general strikes are illegal since contracts. Most contracts ban strikes ing pressure to end the shutdown. 1947 and rare today, though the term while the contract is in effect; depend- Sickouts can also be used in place of a gets thrown around whenever a group ing on the language, this may include one-day strike after the contract expires. feels moved to call for a protest. In Puer- sympathy strikes. Labor law recognizes But if questioned, workers should ad- to Rico in 2019, though, a general strike two exceptions—if the original strike mit they are trying to pressure the em- combined with massive demonstrations is over a serious ULP, or if you have ployer. Sick pay should not be requested forced two successive governors to re- to stop work to avoid an “abnormally or accepted. sign—it was a political strike as well. www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 13 NOVEMBER 2019 Monika Warner DEALING WITH THE LAW

isn’t a decision for a lone member to The law is stacked against strikes, so knowing the take, since the whole union might suffer from the results. law and when and whether to break it is essential. USE THE ULP If you can, it’s always safer to frame Most U.S. workers have some law largest wildcat in U.S. history. No one your strike as an unfair labor practice granting them the right to bargain col- got fired. After eight days out, postal (ULP) strike rather than an economic lectively, but not all strikes are protected workers won full collective bargaining strike. by the law. And even when a strike is le- rights—though still no right to strike. That’s because under the National gal, many of the tactics that would make West Virginia teachers brought their Labor Relations Act (NLRA), economic it maximally effective are not. state government to its knees in 2018. strikers may legally be permanently re- An essential resource is longtime la- Legally they could have been fined or placed. After the strike ends, they have bor attorney Robert Schwartz’s book outright replaced. But they weren’t, be- the right be called back only as positions No Contract, No Peace: A Legal Guide to cause they had widespread public sup- open up. Contract Campaigns, Strikes, and Lockouts. port and because there was no one to When a ULP strike ends, workers have Consult an attorney as you make your replace them. They won. an absolute right to their jobs—even if plans. The Trump Labor Board has been Don’t be reckless, though. A walkout the employer must dismiss scabs it has changing many legal interpretations, all with no legal protection can also end promised permanent employment. If the for the worse. If you anticipate a legal in disaster—remember the air traffic employer disregards the law, it can be or- battle, budget for it. controllers. dered to reinstate strikers with back pay. Make a frank assessment of your op- Likewise, if the employer illegally ONE OPTION: BREAK THE LAW tions, the possible consequences, how locks out ULP strikers, it will be on the As the saying goes, “There is no illegal united members are, how much risk the hook for back pay. strike, just an unsuccessful one.” group is willing to take, and how much Some examples of ULPs the employ- The great postal strike of 1970 was the leverage you have. Breaking labor law er may commit are surveilling union activities, disciplining union leaders, unilaterally implementing new rules and policies, refusing to supply relevant bargaining information, and prohibiting WHO'S COVERED? distribution of union literature. By default when we talk about labor law, limits nor protections on their right to strike. One way to precipitate ULPs is to we are talking about the National Labor Federal workers have limited collective carry out a militant on-the-job contract Relations Act, which covers most private bargaining rights but not the right to strike. campaign. Employers often respond il- sector workers. It protects some strikes State and local public workers are legally when workers: and not others. covered by state laws, which vary. Some Rail and airline workers fall under the states allow strikes, but require certain ●● wear hard-hitting union buttons, Railway Labor Act, which allows strikes only steps first such as fact-finding, mediation, T-shirts, and other insignia over issues deemed “major” and only after a or a supermajority vote. You will need to ●● distribute handbills in nonwork- lengthy negotiation and mediation process. build those steps into your campaign time- ing areas, such as parking lots, Permanent replacements are allowed. line. Other states ban strikes, sometimes front steps, and lunch rooms Farmworkers and domestic workers with serious potential consequences for ●● hold rallies in those areas are excluded from federal labor law for racist the union and the strikers. Still other states ● hold informational pickets before historical reasons, so they have neither legal have no law one way or the other. ● and after work. PAGE 14 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes Employers also detest it when the comes around, and days or weeks later union submits requests for information. strike for an indefinite period. Total or partial refusals are ULPs. If it A union can also call separate walk- concerns a matter of importance to bar- outs having distinct origins and de- RISKY BUSINESS gaining, a refusal to furnish information mands. For example, a union whose Because of the power of strikes, can be a basis for a ULP strike. contract has expired could strike against Congress and legislatures have hemmed Another card the union can play: let- a unilateral change to working condi- them in with laws to make them less ting the contract expire while remaining tions, a refusal to provide information, effective. You can strike—but you can’t on the job. Without a “management and then a safety hazard. Hold the walk- block scabs. You can strike—but not on rights” clause in effect, you can demand outs quickly after the triggering event, your own timetable. to bargain over any unilateral changes but not too close together. A revived labor movement will have the employer wants to make in day-to- to break the legal chains that bind us, As long as there is no evidence tying as teachers in West Virginia, Oklahoma, day matters such as schedules, assign- the actions together as part of a planned and Arizona showed us in 2018. ments, supervisory methods, work rules, campaign, workers should have legal At the same time, there’s no deny- or safety policies. If the boss refuses to protection against employer retaliation. ing the risks: arrests, injunctions, bargain, that’s another ULP. suits, large financial judgments, being Employers with knowledgeable law- SECONDARY TARGETS trusteed by your International. A union yers will attempt to settle ULPs before A division of the same parent corpo- that decides to break anti-worker laws the contract expires. Do not cooperate. ration can be legally picketed only if it should do so united, and with a plan for Make clear that your strike is a ULP is closely integrated with the struck em- the consequences. strike from the get-go. At the strike vote, ployer, for instance with centrally con- Is your leverage great enough to make the law moot? (They can’t fire us the ballot should ask, “Do you vote yes trolled labor relations. all.) Do you have lawyers on hand for because of the employer’s unfair labor This fall 24 newly organized Team- the fallout? practices?” Signs, handbills, and inter- sters in suburban Boston struck for a Can you make withdrawal of legal views should describe the violations. first contract with the waste collection charges part of the strike settlement? During their contract campaign in company Republic Services. The union Will the public put the fear of God into 2019, AT&T workers in Florida built helped them extend their picket lines to politicians or police chiefs that try to unity by wearing UV protection sleeves Republic garages as far away as San Jose harm the union? Balance the potential that said “I pledge CWA.” Management and Anaheim, California. The extended risks against the possible gains. suspended seven members for wearing picket line was especially effective be- the sleeves—a clear anti-union move, cause their fellow Republic Teamsters since workers were allowed to wear simi- had the contractual right to refuse to be short—generally one to two days. lar sleeves with other designs. cross the lines—creating one-day sym- The union should also announce Their local union spotted the ULP and pathy strikes. shortly after the strike begins the date called a walkout. The next day the rest On the other hand, most outside busi- and time when members will return to of the bargaining unit, 20,000 workers nesses, including suppliers and custom- work unconditionally, even if the griev- in nine states, joined the strike over a ers, are considered neutrals, and the ance isn’t resolved. Strikers are generally different ULP, bargaining in bad faith. Labor Board has prohibited picketing protected against permanent replace- The strike ended four days later when and large demonstrations against them. ment once they have submitted an un- management began to negotiate in ear- In those cases unions that are following nest. A day after that, they had a tenta- the law must confine themselves to non- conditional offer to return to work. (See tive agreement. confrontational tactics like leafleting and page 27 for how Golan’s Moving strikers bannering in a stationary position. used this to their advantage.) CONSIDER THE LOCKOUT Republic strikers protested Bill Gates, Grievance strikes should not be aimed Provoking a lockout is another way the company’s biggest shareholder, at an at influencing bargaining—they should to get some legal protection against per- event his foundation sponsored. They be called around immediate grievances manent replacements, and it has other held banners: “We Pick Up The Trash, or safety issues. And don’t conduct too practical advantages over a strike. (See Bill Gates Gets The Cash.” many grievance strikes, or you could page 12.) run afoul of the rule against intermit- If it seems like your employer is deter- GRIEVANCE STRIKES tent strikes. Conducting more than two mined to provoke a strike, consider sur- When the contract is expired, the walkouts in a short period risks losing prising him by staying on the job. Getting union can strike over grievances. legal protections.Be prepared for the risk locked out might be the better option! For instance, AT&T workers in Day- of a lockout in response. But to keep morale up, it’s important that ton, Ohio, struck for two days in 2015 “The principal reason for a grievance members agree on the strategy and un- after a member was sent home for losing strike is to test out the members’ strike- derstand the advantages. These include a $6 tool. By the end of the second day, readiness,” says Teamsters Local 705 rep collecting unemployment benefits, in management had rescinded the disci- Richard de Vries. “This is truly a solidar- most states, and creating a growing tab pline. The strike was a chance for mem- ity-building tool, but it doesn’t happen of back pay that the employer may owe bers to flex their muscle during stalled without taking all the other baby steps if the walkout is a ULP strike. contract talks. that lead up to it. “It opened up the eyes of the manage- “Have you had a T-shirt day? Have INTERMITTENT STRIKES ment team,” said a local bargainer. you had a one-hour practice picket? Un- The NLRA bans a series of short It’s legal, but a grievance strike is usu- less all those other kinds of activities are strikes for a common goal. But a union ally an economic strike, so the employer also going on, it’s hard to have a suc- can still call a “practice” or “warning” could hire permanent replacements. To cessful grievance strike.” (For more on strike, return to work, see if the employer reduce the risk, grievance strikes should escalating tactics like these, see page 18.) www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 15 NOVEMBER 2019 WAYS TO NOT QUITE STRIKE

Strikes are the most powerful tool in labor’s arsenal, but they’re not always the right tool.

Sometimes staying on the job and WORK TO RULE fighting can be a powerful alternative— In 2003, Verizon was ready for a and can even catch the employer off strike. The company was already on the guard. An on-the-job tactic can also be hook for extra security, 30,000 scabs, a powerful escalation step while you are and eight months of hotel rooms… THE ESSENTIALS building up to a strike. when the unions decided to work to rule Like strikes, these on-the-job strate- • If the boss wants you to walk out, instead of walking out. stay in. gies can grow more rank-and-file lead- Work to rule means adhering literally • Do your work oh so carefully, you ers and jump-start a ho-hum union. to the rules set out in the contract or the model worker, you. And like strikes, they are serious, risky company handbook. It means skipping • Stop going the extra mile; do only actions that require careful preparation, all the daily shortcuts and extras that what you’re paid for, which may not unity, and wide participation to work. you know the boss relies on to get the include thinking. If your employer clearly wants a • Gift the customers and get them on work done. your side. strike, consider an on-the-job strategy The union distributed a fact sheet that instead. You might also consider the le- • Everyone individually decides not to instructed workers, “Never go by mem- gal and strategic advantages of pushing work overtime. ory, check your reference material” and the employer to lock you out (see pages 12 and 15). “Never use your own judgment—ask!” Every morning, technicians delayed the start of their day with the required The advantages over a strike were 20-minute truck safety check that re- obvious. Workers kept getting their pay- quired two people. They refused to take checks and kept building their public trucks out without all the cones, signs, campaign about Verizon’s greed and its and flags required by state and federal threat to “hometown jobs” and quality regulations. service. All the while, since the unions They followed the company protocol could still strike at any moment, Veri- requiring “five points of contact” with zon had to keep its expensive strike con- customers before, during, and after the tingency plan in place. job—even if that meant driving back The danger is that the employer will and forth between the customer’s home label the tactic as a partial strike or slow- and the location of the problem, to give down, both unprotected by the NLRA. updates. The union must be careful to avoid giv- They completed their paperwork in ing the employer evidence of a coordi- detail. They spent extra time looking for nated or orchestrated campaign. So the legal parking places in busy cities where campaign should be conducted covertly, they typically parked in loading zones. with no mention in union literature. Instead of borrowing a ladder from Workers should not refuse direct orders. the customer, they waited for one to be Safety is often central to a work-to- delivered. Instead of making do, they rule campaign. West Coast dockwork- drove back to the garage to pick up the ers worked safe in the summer of 2003 special hammer they were supposed to while they fought a hard-line employer use for a particular job. They called their at the bargaining table. Hawaii Teachers for Change Teachers Hawaii managers about anything slightly tricky. The dockworkers’ safety concerns PAGE 16 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes were real. Five members had died on the job in the six months leading up to negotiations. The ports were extra busy that year as shippers, fearing a holiday season strike or lockout, tried to rush the work. Dockworkers pushed back by remind- ing each other to honor stop signs and the 15 mile-an-hour speed limit, insist on appropriate railings and earplugs, and follow protocols for operating the giant cranes. Productivity dropped dra- matically. By the end of November they had a contract settlement with victories on the union’s key issues. Working to rule has recently become a popular tactic in schools. Teachers reignited it in 2012 at Hawaii’s larg- est high school, just outside Honolulu. Within two weeks the tactic had spread to 51 schools across the state. On Thursdays the teachers would ar- rive exactly when school started—no early hours to plan lessons, make photo- copies, or prepare for the day—and leave UPS TeamstersUnited promptly when school got out—no after- school tutoring, grading papers, lesson planning, supervising clubs, or planning homecoming or proms with students. Instead, before and after school they would gather to wave signs outside their schools, along roads, and over bridges, calling for better pay. After the morning raise your fare!” The fare strike turned For UPS Teamsters in Rhode Island, sign-waving session they would march the tables, making allies and highlight- the breaking point came in 2017. Drivers into the school in unison. ing the two groups’ common interest in already expect to work 60-hour weeks frequent, affordable, and accessible pub- during the intense holiday season. But REFUSE THE PAPERWORK lic transit. that year, a few weeks before Christmas, Teachers in Ontario, Canada, com- UPS announced it was exploiting a reg- bined a similar work-to-rule campaign BOYCOTT OVERTIME ulatory loophole and upping drivers to a in 2015 with an administrative strike— One more way workers can almost 70-hour week. skipping out on piles of paperwork, strike, while staying on the job, is to boy- Drivers knew UPS had a weakness. data entry, and standardized tests. cott overtime. During the holiday season the company The teachers never took a strike off Nurses and paramedics in a hospi- relies on drivers to volunteer for an early the table, but instead used these actions tal emergency department escalated to start on Mondays to get a jump on de- as stepping stones to build to a potential this tactic in 2013 to force the issue of livering packages that came in over the strike. chronic short staffing. weekend. For two years the nurses had tried The goal of the paperwork strike was Usually most are happy to do it. But many forums—committee meetings, to pressure administrators and the gov- December 11, a Monday morning, petitions, even confronting an adminis- ernment while minimizing the impact found UPS managers in the parking lot on parents and kids. It had the added trator at the holiday party—to urge the right solution: hire more nurses. Instead, facing hundreds of Teamsters chanting benefit of forcing the province to cancel “We won’t work 70!” standardized tests—which students and the hospital constantly relied on its ex- They stayed put, refusing the early teachers alike despised—for the year. isting staff to work copious overtime. start. That night tens of thousands of In the same spirit, bus drivers in The nurses decided they weren’t go- Winnipeg, Canada, have held two fare ing to prop up this bad system anymore. packages came back to the building un- strikes so far this year. They couldn’t On a certain week, they agreed, no one delivered. It would take UPS days to tell passengers the ride was free, but on would sign up to work more than their catch up. certain days they chose to say nothing regular shifts. The company backed down and the if a passenger boarded without paying. Management thought it was a bluff— Teamsters kept their 60-hour week. In advance, the union publicized the up- until the chaotic week began. It wasn’t But under the law, refusing overtime coming fare strike in the news, on social easy for nurses to stand firm while as a group is a strike. If done during media, and by leafleting at bus stops. patients waited longer than ever and the contract, workers can be fired; if Management hated it. supervisors pleaded. But two days in, it's expired, they can be permanently Transit agencies typically try to pit management gave in and agreed to ex- replaced. Once again, the campaign- passengers and workers against one an- pedite the hiring of more nurses—a win should be conducted covertly, with no other—“To raise her pay, we’ll have to for patients and staff. mention in union lit or at meetings. www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 17 NOVEMBER 2019 TURN UP THE HEAT

Starting with milder actions and building up to Good Thomas Altfather more fiery ones will maximize involvement in your contract campaign.

Since members in motion give unions were not solid red on Fridays—showing University of Oregon insisted that their their power, the basic task in a contract the union where new leaders should be 2015 negotiations be conducted in pub- campaign is to get members moving. recruited or existing leaders needed help. lic. Each time the two sides met, the But people won't go from zero to strike union’s Contract Action Team (CAT; see on a dime. You have to build an on- IT'S A SERIES OF TESTS page 20) packed the room with members ramp. Start by getting from zero to one. Every action is a test of your union wanting to observe. So many faculty What are your co-workers ready to do? strength and a chance to improve. Shoot members turned out—130 on one occa- Taking even a very mild action to- for unanimous participation, but don’t sion—that the meeting had to be moved gether will help. Members will gain an panic if you find holes. Build on what to a larger room. ounce of confidence in their own power. you’ve got. So long as you keep improv- An economics professor blogged live They’ll see that they can rely on their ing participation, you’re on the right track. accounts from his laptop. “We couldn’t co-workers to act together. Soon they’ll If participation starts falling off dra- make comments, but we could roll our be ready to try something a little bolder. matically, however, it’s time to put on the eyes,” said member Nancy Bray. Early in their 2011-12 contract cam- brakes and regroup. Get your core group paign, Chicago teachers and paraprofes- PRACTICE, PRACTICE, together to talk over the obstacles and PRACTICE sionals started wearing red every Friday as how to confront them. Don’t just charge Leading up to your strike, organize ac- a signal that they were united. The tactic ahead with plummeting numbers. No was simple and low-risk. Anyone could do tions that confirm and reconfirm each matter how militant the action is, if par- individual’s commitment, to make sure it, even someone who had no extra time. ticipation is anemic, it sends a message At first many people would wear a red your numbers are solid. of weakness to the boss—and to your When faculty at the City College of scarf or a red-patterned blouse. But as co-workers, who will start to back away. their excitement and confidence grew, San Francisco were campaigning for A great low-intensity activity to start more and more ordered red union T- a contract in 2015, the CAT set out to your campaign is a survey about what shirts. The visibility helped alleviate make one-to-one contacts. They asked fears. Co-workers could see for them- people want to win in the contract. (See each person, “Will you vote to raise dues selves the growing level of union sup- page 22.) Bus drivers in Alexandria, Vir- temporarily to establish a strike fund?” port. Administrators and students saw it, ginia, who unionized in 2018 began their Of 1,500 members, 650 signed commit- too. Participating in this action helped first-contract campaign with a survey. ment cards promising to vote yes. Fewer get teachers ready to take the next step. The union set a goal to talk to every- than 10 percent refused. It also made visible which schools one, even people who had voted no. The The vote backed up those assessments. committee kept a running list of who More than 600 faculty voted, with 93 still had to fill out a survey, and drove percent in favor of raising dues. It was up participation past 75 percent. the largest turnout in the union’s history. Later in their campaign they packed The next step was a petition com- THE ESSENTIALS a city council hearing; promoted their mitting to strike if necessary, gathered story to local media; set up a worker- • Start with a non-risky action, like a through more one-on-ones. Then a vote survey. to-worker texting network; voted to au- to authorize a strike, where the union • Make your actions visible to all—it thorize a strike; handed out 10,000 flyers topped its record again, with more than builds morale. to rush-hour commuters; and countered 800 members voting, 92 percent yes. • As you escalate, keep checking your their employer’s so-called final offer with By the time they actually walked out, strength and shoring up the weak a final offer of their own. At the last min- members had demonstrated their com- spots. ute, to stave off a strike, management mitment to one another over and over. • Find new ways to ratchet it up once took the deal. you walk out. The employer too had seen plenty of Negotiating sessions create natural evidence that they were serious, and • Use roving pickets to follow scabs and opportunities for action, if you’re open- management everywhere. had had chances to back out. A strike ing up the bargaining to members (see shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. page 22). Professors and adjuncts at the FLAUNT YOUR DEADLINE PAGE 18 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes Many unions display their strike- circulated the evidence on Facebook. Verizon’s shareholder meeting in Albu- readiness with “practice picketing.” Or To avoid the mobile picketers, Verizon querque, where 15 strikers and support- a one-day walkout can be a “demonstra- started dispatching scabs in unmarked ers were arrested in an act of civil dis- tion strike” before an open-ended one. vehicles from hotels instead of using its obedience outside. And after outsourced UFCW Local 21 used a clever visual regular garages and vans. So CWA and Verizon call center workers in the Phil- aid to spotlight the final days of bargain- IBEW locals organized “scab wakeup ing for 21,000 Seattle grocery workers ippines reached out to CWA through calls” outside the hotels. These rowdy Facebook, a delegation of U.S. strikers in 2013. when four grocery chains were pickets got several hotels to kick out Ve- traveled there. pushing to eliminate health insurance rizon’s operation—though they also got for part-timers. the locals hit with restraining orders, on From the Filipino workers they got When the union gave the 72-hour the grounds that the tactic was a second- some intel about how effective their strike notice, it set up a huge notepad ary boycott. (See page 15.) strike was. The company was so behind displaying the numerals “7” and “2” at Undeterred, CWA and IBEW locals on fiber-optic installations that new a park in downtown Seattle. Each hour found other ways to keep the heat on Ve- customers were being told they’d have a member would flip the page, ticking rizon. When the CEO and CFO showed to wait months for service. And the call down the hours till the deadline. their faces at conferences, hundreds of center employees were fielding a lot of “The cameras were on it all the time,” strikers were there to protest. calls to disconnect service because of the said Safeway meatwrapper Mary Ann The unions sent a delegation to scabs’ lack of professionalism. Schroeder. “It was on all the local news. So it wasn’t just happening to us, it was happening to everybody... The whole city knew.” The countdown stopped at 02, when THE ACTION THERMOMETER the chains agreed to a no-concession con- tract, keeping everyone’s benefits intact. Here are some actions workers have used in contract campaigns, starting with low- intensity actions at the bottom of the thermometer and gradually heating up. ESCALATE DURING THE STRIKE One campaign wouldn’t include this many tactics. Choose actions that make sense for your group, even if they're not on this list! Even once you’re on strike, you never want management to feel you have no cards left to play. Strikers should keep 30. Strike! dreaming up ways to ratchet up the pres- 29. Clean out your lockers together sure. The union should encourage these 28. Haul burn barrels around conspicuously ideas and put resources behind them. Oil refinery workers were doing a roll- 27. Throw a picket sign-making party ing national strike over safety in 2015 26. Set up a strike countdown clock when an explosion at a not-yet-struck 25. Work to rule refinery in Torrance, California, injured 24. Informational picket several members and blanketed nearby 23. Wear “ready to strike” buttons homes with potentially toxic dust. Steel- 22. Display signs in car windows workers Local 675 organized a caravan 21. Strike vote! to ExxonMobil’s headquarters, where 20. Refuse overtime members in hazmat suits emptied a 19. Distribute window and lawn signs dump truck of horse manure at the com- 18. Circulate a strike petition or pledge pany’s front door and held a sit-in. 17. Confront the employer at a public event Later strikers sat in at a city hall to de- 16. Set a strike deadline mand a crack-down on the illegal hous- 15. Hold a rally, march, or candlelight vigil ing of scabs. They also managed to get 14. Crowd into a bargaining session inside a meeting of the Western States 13. Leaflet co-workers on the job Petroleum Association and drop a ban- 12. Rally outside the job before or after work ner, and even launched a fleet of picket- 11. March on a supervisor or the CEO ers into Los Angeles Harbor by kayak, so 10. Hold a public event with allies maritime unions would know to honor 9. Leaflet customers or the public their picket line at a dock. After Home- 8. Post selfies with a theme, like “I want a strong land Security and the Coast Guard or- contract because…” dered the kayakers to stay 1,000 feet 7. Set up a group on social media, or for texting away, the union hired the Illuminator 6. Hold meetings in break rooms to discuss the group from Occupy Wall Street to proj- campaign ect picket lines onto the facility in lights. 5. Wear union colors to work once a week ROVING PICKETS 4. Circulate a petition on a popular issue 3. Distribute union lanyards, shoelaces, or other gear In 2016, Verizon strikers followed to wear at work managers and scabs around and pick- 2. Hold meetings to develop demands eted the poles, manholes, and buildings where they were working. They took 1. Do a survey on bargaining priorities photos and videos of safety violations that were putting the public at risk, and www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 19 NOVEMBER 2019 Richard Becker

ORGANIZE THE ORGANIZED You'll need an action team, and a communications network so information zips around fast.

Organizing for a strike requires a in the lunchroom. “We tried to keep an hospital workers in CWA Locals 1133 whole lot of one-on-one conversations. eye out on who was the one at the lunch and 1168 asked these questions: How will you invite and persuade your table that had a lot of people talking to co-workers to join the escalating cam- them or stopping by,” said Tina Shreck- ●● Who do people go to when there’s paign actions described on page 18? a problem? You will be asking co-workers to take engost, a shop steward in UFCW Lo- a series of increasing risks, culminat- cal 23. “They are the ones that are more ●● Who’s the contract expert? ing in a big one that could, in the worst likely to communicate with everyone.” ●● Who isn’t afraid to share case, cost them their jobs. Making this To identify leaders from each de- their opinions and ideas with ask in a newsletter or a Facebook post, partment and shift, upstate New York co-workers? no matter how eloquent, isn’t going to cut it. A strong contract campaign requires a robust person-to-person communica- tion network. Its backbone is a layer WHAT THE CONTRACT ACTION TEAM DOES of members who are deeply involved, Divide up your member list among the • Keep in close touch with union head- often called the Contract Action Team. CATs, so each one takes charge of keep- quarters—information should flow in Your CAT shouldn’t be the same people ing about 10 co-workers in the loop. That both directions. as your core bargaining team—because means they will: you’ll need someone out organizing CAT members aren’t just drones carrying while the bargainers are stuck in a room. • Update co-workers about bargaining out orders. They’re a team of activists at the IDENTIFY LEADERS AND progress. heart of the campaign, who should have a RECRUIT THEM • Solicit feedback and ideas. real say in the plan. The CAT should meet • Explain the campaign plan. regularly to troubleshoot and help devise To be effective, a CAT has to be made • Ask co-workers to join actions. next steps, in coordination with whoever up of enough people—aim for one • Talk them through their fears. else does those things—likely the union’s CAT member per 10 workers, and one • Distribute flyers and buttons. elected officers, bargaining team, and se- from every work area and shift. And • Set up department meetings. nior staff. they have to be the right people—those • Track who participates. At the outset and during the campaign, whom others trust and respect. Collec- • Inoculate against the employer’s CAT members should get relevant train- tively, your committee should have the tactics. ing, such as how to have a good organizing ear of the entire workforce. • Keep an up-to-date contact list, includ- conversation and how to armor members ing cell phone numbers and email against the employer’s scare tactics. At the Pennsylvania grocery chain Gi- addresses, and any new hires. ant Eagle, the union looked for leaders

PAGE 20 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes ●● Who isn’t afraid to approach ROLL THE UNION ON management with concerns? However your strike turns out—or even if you avert a strike at the last These leaders became department minute—your union will emerge much THE ESSENTIALS mobilizers, who met every two weeks better off for having built up member • Set up a Contract Action Team. to debrief, hear the latest updates from teams. - bargaining, ask questions, and let each with a 1-10 CAT-to-member ratio. Organizing a contract campaign gives • Keep the information flow con other know what rumors were going new and seasoned activists the oppor- tinuous, and make it two-way. around. They didn't end up going on tunity to learn new organizing skills • Always solicit member input into strike, but won a contract that reversed and reinforce old ones. It uncovers new action plans. The creativity will previous givebacks—because they had leaders and brings more people into the amaze you. built a credible strike threat. life of the union. • Assign a role to everyone. Make The high ratio of activists to mem- Member teams center the union many committees. bers makes the load manageable. It cre- where it gets its strength: the workplace. • Afterward, convert your Contract ates an opportunity for more people to Action Team to a Member Action Don’t let your new networks wither Team. get involved. And it makes the group away afterward. Too often, union lead- nimble enough that information can be ers look at member activity as a switch quickly distributed and collected. to be turned on at contract time—and Each action is a test of your orga- off once a contract is won. nizing network. (See page 18.) CAT Instead, a union should keep its com- members should routinely report par- munication network active and immedi- ticipation back to union headquarters. ately available. Convert your Contract In areas where the numbers are low, Action Team into a Member Action the union should help, usually by either Team. Put it up on a wall chart or track recruiting additional leaders or offer- it in a spreadsheet. Continually check to ing more support to the existing CAT make sure no members have dropped activists. out, and replace them if they have. Use it to organize mini-campaigns on issues DON'T HOARD POWER in between contracts. The 1:10 ratio sounded pie in the sky For more on organizing at the end of to some longtime activists in United the strike and afterwards, see page 26. Joe Brusky Teachers Los Angeles, when the union was in the early stages of its latest con- tract campaign. “At the beginning people didn’t really believe that they could get that many peo- ple to step up in their school,” said Gillian WHAT PICKET CAPTAINS DO Russom, a history teacher and UTLA board member. “People said it was too During the strike itself, CAT leaders can • Your communication network becomes much work and would never happen.” become picket captains and organizers, the basis of a flexible structure that The established way of doing things responsible for worksites, shifts, or depart- allows for quick action. in many unions is to rely on a few he- ments. They’ve already built the relation- ships, and their roles on the picket lines are During the 2016 Verizon strike, CWA Lo- roic activists who do all the work. A largely the same—talking with everyone, in- cal 1101 in New York City had some picket longtimer who is used to fighting solo volving everyone, taking attendance, mak- teams based on site and some mobile ones might bemoan this situation, yet still ing assessments, and reporting in. that could be sent wherever needed. When feel a tinge of reluctance about sharing Picket captains should: the union found out that the company was power with some johnny-come-lately. dispatching scabs from a vehicle rental Resist this impulse! • Sign members in at the beginning of site, the mobile teams threw up a picket “We have amazing activists who have picket shifts, and contact those who line at the gate. When reports came in of been involved in fights for decades, and don’t show up. managers working in the field, these teams they are great,” said UTLA activist • Report attendance to headquarters. hopped into cars and chased them down— United Teachers Los Angeles created keeping the managers out of manholes and Erika Jones, an area chair who helped an app that picket captains could log off telephone poles. develop the CATs in many schools. into and update each morning, so that When the union got word that scabs “But it’s important to build a team at the union had a live breakdown of how were being housed in hotels, picket cap- the worksite—people to help pass out strong the lines were in real time—and tains activated their phone tree, turning flyers, or think through actions, or help could send help to lines that needed out hundreds of members for early-morning put things on the bulletin board.” support. “wake-up calls” that booted out the scabs • Send updates to headquarters about (see page 19). BEYOND THE CAT what’s happening on the ground. “One of the lessons from the 2016 strike: In a strike there are important roles • Know the legalities and what rules the company adapted,” said field technician for everyone, not just the CAT members. the union has decided to follow in its Pam Galpern, a mobilization coordinator for pickets and protests. the local. “We put plans in place before- You’ll need various committees as well • React to unexpected developments or hand, but we had to be flexible. If we had as people to make signs and photocop- emergencies, or if the press or police just held big picket lines at the garages, it ies, haul supplies, buy snacks, compose show up. would have been ineffective.” chants, lead songs, and much more. See • Keep up the energy on the line. “Strike Prep” on page 29. www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 21 NOVEMBER 2019 UE DEMOCRACY: WHO OWNS THE STRIKE? A powerful strike must belong to its members, from the beginning of the contract campaign to the day you declare victory.

Democracy is not simply a moral fill out, identifying and ranking which survey data into bargaining demands. question—we need it, to build strong issues the contract should address. The Teachers in Los Angeles held meetings unions and to win strikes. A strike is a results should inform bargaining. If by area of the city and by job. Their great opportunity to exponentially ex- union leaders don’t do a survey, a rank- campaign highlighted not only the is- pand the number of us who have the and-file caucus can organize one. sues of classroom educators but also de- skills, confidence, and authority to be The survey sets the tone that the cam- mands specific to minority groups in the the union. Leaders need to welcome, paign will require everyone’s input. Try union, such as school nurses and librar- not begrudge, rank-and-file initiative. for 100 percent participation. Hand- ians. Parents and community groups In West Virginia's 2018 teacher strike, distribute and collect it, for a first test helped formulate additional demands. leaders couldn't have called members of your communication network (see p. Be sure you’re asking for something out on a sudden unlawful walkout sim- 20). Ask for everyone’s current contact for everyone—the second tier, the night ply by decreeing it from the top. That info. shift, the secretaries, the janitors, and strike worked because rank-and-filers Be sure to include an open-ended, possibly your key allies outside the devised the strategy, owned the strategy, write-in question; you may get some sur- union. and believed in it. It was theirs. prising information. But also ask specif- BRING BIG CROWDS TO A democratic strike requires an in- ic questions. When Teamsters Local 814 BARGAINING formed strike vote. The strike and the asked the general question “What are Management would prefer to bargain bargaining table must both be run by your top contract issues?” many mem- discreetly with a few union representa- democratically elected committees that bers responded simply: “More money.” tives. Often the employer will propose represent the whole membership. But when asked how they would split a a gag rule where members are kept in dollar between wages and retirement, the dark until negotiators have reached DEVELOP DEMANDS TOGETHER the majority favored putting 50 percent a deal. Start your contract campaign with a or more into retirement accounts. It’s in the interest of union power, as bargaining survey every member can Next, members should help shape the well as democracy, to do the opposite. PAGE 22 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes Elect a large bargaining team that in- Bargainers should circulate the whole cludes rank-and-file members from ev- tentative agreement, with changes indi- ery work area or job. The committee cated, and be frank about the pros and should also be representative of the cons and why they are recommending a THE ESSENTIALS workforce in all important ways. If half yes or no vote. Members need adequate • Start with a survey and get 100% the workers are women, the bargaining time to review it, ask questions, and talk participation. team should not be all men. it over together. • Say no to closed bargaining or a Keep bargaining sessions open for The decision to strike, or to stop strik- gag rule. Keep the strike bulletins any member to observe. Some unions ing, isn’t just about how good the deal coming. • Invite members to speak during have gone one step further and brought is. It’s also a question of strategy—who bargaining and to the press. in community allies. See page 24. is winning? If we stay out, could we get • Find ways to involve everyone in Invite members to testify about their more? What are the risks? Do we have strategy discussions. experiences on a particular issue that’s any cards left to play? • Give plenty of time to vote on the being discussed. On certain days, orga- The members have to be part of these whole agreement. nize a big crowd to pack the room and conversations throughout the cam- show your strength. paign, so they can cast an informed vote Nurses at the University of Vermont when the time comes. For how Chicago Medical Center turned out by the hun- teachers did it in 2012, see page 26. dreds twice in their 2018 contract cam- MEMBERS DEVISE TACTICS paign—once for the first negotiating ses- AND RUN PICKET LINES “We probably put in more hours work- sion and once for the last session before ing the picket line than we would’ve if their strike. They all wore red shirts and In a contract campaign and during a we’d been working.” walked in chanting “Safe staffing saves strike, there’s plenty of work to do. Ev- Of course union staff and officers lives,” and “Hey [CEO] Brumsted, eryone should have a role. Who’s mak- should add their brains and brawn, too. what do you say? How many beds did ing picket signs? Who’s bringing coffee? But they shouldn’t operate like bosses you make today?” These actions were Who’s assigned to talk to the press? deploying foot soldiers. As a rule, mem- Who can take attendance, drive a car- among many other steps in an escalat- bers should be privy to the inside scoop, pool, direct traffic, watch out for scabs, ing campaign (see page 18). involved in all aspects of the campaign, leaflet the public? Who’s coordinating Teacher negotiators in Concord, and deciding what to do next. all those assignments? How is everyone Massachusetts spent their first two bar- Rank and filers dreamed up many of staying in touch? gaining sessions debating the idea of the tactics that beat Verizon during the The strike at the Four Roses bourbon opening up to all members; the school 2016 strike there. Read more on p 19. district was resisting. For the third ses- distillery near Frankfort, Kentucky was sion, the teachers just went ahead and organized, managed, and staffed almost THE MORE COMMUNICATION, THE BETTER did it—they brought 50 co-workers. By exclusively by rank-and-file members, the end of the day the employer agreed not officers or staff. Workers made their Members can’t run the show if they to keep bargaining open. It’s harder to own signs, handled all media inter- don’t know what’s going on. You need argue for excluding people who are in views, organized picket shifts and park- a communication system that runs both the room already! ing, and maintained a round-the-clock ways—where everyone is regularly get- Open bargaining kept members much presence to monitor for scabs. ting updates from bargaining and strike more connected to the process, reported “You can’t wait for other people to step central, and everyone can feed in their President Merry Najimy: “Being a wit- up,” said Jeff Scott, a boiler operator. ideas and intel from the front lines. ness at the table is completely different A strike website and a strike bulletin than just getting a report afterwards. distributed to the picket lines and by Members who witness the process email will help. Prepare for this in ad- themselves feel more informed—and vance. There are also good tech tools to they get fired up at the disrespect the help. Mass text messaging systems have School Committee shows for teachers. become a popular way for unions to People are upset when they have to miss rapidly disseminate information and so- a session.” licit feedback. A Facebook group can be an informal discussion forum, and bar- MEMBERS DESERVE AN INFORMED, DEMOCRATIC VOTE gaining teams can use Facebook Live to give updates. This goes for the vote to authorize a But these methods should supple- strike—and the vote to end the strike. ment, not substitute for, the essential How can you prepare an informed ingredient: a robust person-to-person strike vote? In some unions, this vote is communication network (see p. 20). routine: everyone votes yes without re- ally expecting a strike. You need serious IT’S NOT OVER TILL THE debate before the vote is taken. What is MEMBERS SAY SO the percentage you’ll need before you’ll During the bargaining process, what decide to walk? mechanisms are in place for members to

And at the other end, members review proposals and respond to them? Josh Kob shouldn’t be asked to vote on a deal When a tentative agreement is reached, when they’ve seen only its “highlights,” how will members review and debate it or gotten details only at the ratification before a vote? For more on how to stick meeting itself. the landing, see p. 26. www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 23 NOVEMBER 2019 Joe Brusky COMMUNITY: WHO ELSE OWNS IT?

Schools Chicago’s Students Deserve,” Unions can’t win big if we’re an isolated minority. with community input, and shifted its campaign from defense to offense. To- gether with neighborhood groups, it Strikers need allies for much-needed moral support, held town hall meetings, leafleted at train stations, and organized rallies. During their 2012 strike, part of mem- and practical support. bers’ picket duty was to canvass sur- Allies lend credibility that can be criti- burned down around us. rounding neighborhoods to shore up support. Two-thirds of parents support- cal to undermining the boss’s case—for START LONG IN ADVANCE instance, you need Catholic clergy on ed the strike, and the union won. your side when you strike a Catholic Ideally your union will have been If you don’t have these longstanding hospital; you need students and parents working with allies for years before the relationships, the least you can do is to back a school strike. strike—and not just by contributing to start building them a year before your The boss loses money when shoppers United Way and Little League. Then potential strike. Do all of the above, stay away. Mass picketing by allies can calling for help in your hour of need humbly, with the added message that provide legal cover for workers from will be a natural. your employer is doing X bad thing other unions to honor your picket lines. Does your union participate in com- right now, and you think you’re going But more than all that, by working munity coalitions that fight the local to need help. with allies we can benefit the whole bad guys? Are you seen as part of the A union can invite the public to ob- community and build a powerful coali- solution, not the problem? If your plant serve bargaining sessions, as teachers tion for the future. is a polluter, for example, do you work in St. Paul did with parents and com- And the converse is true: we can’t ex- with environmental groups to try to munity groups. They set bargaining pect anyone to pick up a bucket when save the lungs of everyone around? Is for 5 p.m. and took advantage of Min- our house is on fire, if we sat back your union hall open for community nesota’s open meeting laws that forbid and watched while the neighborhood groups to use? Do you support other unions when they go on strike? If members are in public service, are you vocal and visible about improv- THE ESSENTIALS HOW ALLIES CAN HELP ing those services? The public needs to know that long lines are not the fault • Build equal relationships long • Join the picket line. of the first person they see at the DMV, before the strike. Be there. • Speak at the picket line or a rally. and that transit workers share their frus- • Invite the public to observe • Tell managers you're taking your tration over subway delays. negotiations. business elsewhere. Rank-and-file activists in the Chicago • Put community demands on the • Talk to neighbors, or customers. table and “bargain for the com- Ask them to do what you’re doing. Teachers Union naturally allied with parents who, like them, were fighting to mon good.” • Put up a lawn or window sign. • Find ways to give back during the • Donate money or food. stop school closings. After these teach- strike. • Lend facilities and supplies. A big ers won leadership of the local, they • Encourage supporters to invent union can let a small union use its formalized those alliances with a “com- tactics. hall and turn over copy machines munity board” and invited in neighbor- and restrooms. hood organizations. The union issued a report on “The PAGE 24 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes closed-door bargaining in the public impact, such as pollution. During a sector. 2015 strike, oil refinery workers high- The union set up study groups for lighted safety hazards—which were parents and teachers and together they dramatized when an explosion blanket- START AT THE ROOTS came up with common priorities: over- ed nearby homes with dust. Often we think alliances start at testing and class sizes. When manage- Unions can make demands that help the top. Members are an overlooked ment walked out of bargaining, parents consumers. For instance, food service resource. But after all, nobody is just shared members’ outrage. As the cam- workers at American University teamed a worker. We’re also community mem- paign escalated to the brink of a strike, up with students to campaign for “Real bers, parents, people of faith, and they joined teachers in informational Food, Real Jobs.” They demanded involved in many different kinds of pickets at every school. whistleblower protection to speak up organizations. about food quality or waste; training to Early on, survey to identify mem- FIND NATURAL ALLIES cook from scratch; and full-time jobs, bers’ existing relationships. Ask about Some community organizations are which would be needed if they stopped sports teams (kids’ and adults’), neigh- already built for solidarity, and unions using prepared foods as shortcuts. borhood associations, fraternities and sororities, PTAs, active religious affili- should seek them out. Jobs with Justice, Students gathered petition signatures ations, civic organizations, and espe- which has swelled picket lines for de- and marched with workers on their cially family members’ unions. Then cades, is a natural in many areas. boss. The workers won all three de- rank-and-filers can be the ones who: When mostly Latino immigrant mands—and their economic ones too. Teamsters at Golan’s Moving and Stor- Another approach for private sector • Set up one-on-one conversations age in Skokie, Illinois, struck for six works is to frame your demands in a with community leaders. months, the union reached out to Arise, way that anyone could see the justice • Ask to talk about the union’s a faith-based worker center, which mo- of. Grocery workers in Oregon and contract fight in a community bilized hundreds of community sup- Washington, building toward a possible meeting or religious service. • Participate in coalitions, ask what porters to weekend rallies, organized strike this fall, highlighted the dramatic support is needed, and bring testimony in front of Skokie’s board of gender pay gap at the Fred Meyer chain requests back to the union. trustees about rampant wage theft at with the slogan “Time’s up!” • Mobilize members for actions Golan’s, and pushed successfully for a In 2018 Marriott hotel strikers fight- of other unions or community county ordinance against wage theft. ing for better wages proclaimed “One groups. Arise built support among religious Job Should Be Enough!” The same leaders, including rabbis and Jewish civ- issue resonated in 1997, when UPS ic organizations. That boosted pressure Teamsters struck with the slogan “Part- and social media, no student needed to on the company’s owners, who were Time America Won’t Work!” cross the picket line to get a meal. Sup- part of the sizable Jewish community. But note: A righteous message isn’t porters organized nightly phonebanks You may want to ask allies to set up a enough. You need leverage. In the pri- to sign up volunteers for picket and food solidarity committee that will start be- vate sector, shaming your employer and delivery shifts. fore the strike and last as long as it does. invoking the common good should be Parents, retired teachers, churches, , not instead of, walloping in addition to and community groups also set up CHOOSE THE RIGHT DEMANDS your boss in the wallet. (See page 4.) If you want community support, your “solidarity schools.” Legally, school strike should benefit the community. SUPPORT YOUR SUPPORTERS employees couldn’t tell parents not to bring their kids to the struck schools, It’s sometimes called “bargaining for Think of the customers, students, pa- but parents could talk to other parents, the common good.” That’s easiest and tients, or neighbors whose lives are af- and they did. Only 6 percent of students most essential for public sector workers, fected by your strike. Can you ease their attended school, which meant the dis- who should always be looking for ways burden? trict took a daily hit in its state funding. to improve services. When Milwaukee’s city bus drivers More jobs, to serve clients better, is struck in 2015, they chose a strategic ENCOURAGE, DON’T only the most obvious demand. Get time to pressure the city—an 11-day MICROMANAGE creative—how would you shorten those summer music festival that typically Let community members be creative. DMV lines? When Seattle teachers added 20,000 additional transit rid- Don’t micromanage—that’s not what struck in 2015 they demanded to bring ers per day. But to minimize the hit allies do. Rather than hand out pre- back kids’ recess. on supporters who urgently needed to printed signs, have a sign-making party Public workers will have to counter get somewhere, they worked with the where allies invent heartfelt slogans. management’s narrative that pits them teachers union and a church to set up Allies may feel they have more lee- against taxpayers. They can bust the “solidarity rides” offered by volunteers. way for bold action. Might they orga- myths about “exorbitant” pay and pen- Chicago and Detroit orchestra mem- nize flash mobs to occupy the CEO’s sions, and argue that if the state looks bers held free public concerts during space or visit his home? Could they broke, it’s because the money’s in the their strikes, as a way to rally supporters organize guerrilla theater on the picket wrong hands—and then crusade to tax and say thank you. line? What about research to expose the rich. But ultimately those talking In Oakland 70 percent of students rely the CEO’s multiple homes in vacation points won’t be as important as whether on free or reduced-price meals at school. spots? How about a “shop-in” at the community members see public work- So during the 2019 teacher strike, soli- bank that finances the company? ers as their allies and friends. darity groups raised $170,000 to feed Most of these actions could be under- Private sector workers, too, can make both teachers on the picket lines and taken by union members themselves— demands that help the public. They their students. With the money raised but it’s more fun and effective when can deal with their workplace’s direct through “Bread for Ed” phonebanking your allies are in on it too. www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 25 NOVEMBER 2019 HOW TO END A STRIKE The end of a strike should be democratic, honest, and united—just like the rest of it. Numb. Exhausted. A big sigh of re- So does being clear from the get-go (see page 22) is the strongest. That way, lief. Frustration. These are some of the about the strike's goals. A vague goal members know what demands are on words organizers use about the end of ("equity for our members") ensures that the table and how management is re- a strike. They talk about the difference members will disagree about the result: sponding, and everyone shares respon- between what they wanted to get and the “the best we could do” vs. “it stinks.” sibility for what gets agreed to. details of the tentative agreement, and Gillian Russom, a board member of A little advice for bargainers: take the tensions between those who wanted United Teachers Los Angeles, notes that breaks. Set limits on the length of ses- to hold out longer and those anxious to the pressures on the bargaining team sions. Sleep. And be sure what happens get back to work. tend to make them more conservative. in bargaining is communicated to mem- Spending hours across the table from bers through a regular bulletin, on picket PLAN FOR THE END AT THE management narrows their vision of lines, at rallies, and through your Con- START what is possible. And it is exhausting. tract Action Team. A strong ending will grow out of a There is little chance to experience the Don’t be afraid to talk to members strong strike. Constant two-way com- solidarity of the picket lines. The sense about how you are assessing the impact munication about bargaining, daily of responsibility to get people back to of the strike, and ask how they see it. picket line meetings, a role for every- work grows larger each day. Bargaining Seek out a range of perspectives. Beware one, a culture of defiance but of mutual starts to feel more personal than shared. of getting locked into the insider’s view. care—all of these build trust and shared Democratic processes are vital to Bargainers might overestimate manage- knowledge. counter that pressure. Open bargaining ment’s capacity to weather the strike. Transparency and member participation are our power. RATIFICATION: DEMOCRACY MATTERS As the Chicago Teachers Union ended its 2012 strike, the union’s House of Delegates demanded that leaders not sell the tentative agree- ment to members but rather extend the strike to let them decide for them- selves. (See page 11.) Officers agreed. “I’m not going to say this is the greatest thing since sliced bread and try to sell it to them. I’m not a marketer,” said Presi- dent Karen Lewis. “Our people know how to read, they know how to do math.” This decision set a high mark for what democratic unionism looks like in a strike. Many bargaining teams are quick to declare a tentative agreement (TA) as a win and often schedule a vote after members have been sent back to work. On the one hand, this is understand- able. The team knows from inside what offers have been made, how hard man- agement has pushed back, and the lines UNITE-HERE the union might not be able to cross. PAGE 26 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes On the other hand, the very nature of unconditional return to work. Members insider knowledge discounts the ex- were prepared to report at 6:00 the next perience of solidarity and power that morning. By law, Golan’s was forced to workers have found on the picket line. take everyone back and discharge all Russom says, “You have to have time scabs within five days. THE ESSENTIALS to process the TA where questions and Managers expected strikers to return frustrations can come out. You have to with their tails between their legs. But • Be clear about goals, so you know if you've won. have this plan in advance. We took a risk the union’s message was clear: workers Don't let negotiators get isolated. would be ready to strike again just as • to go out on strike, and we get to decide • Allow plenty of time for when we go back.” soon as the busy season arrived. ratification. - In the CTU strike, those discussions Without a contract, worker leaders • Maintain strike structures after took place right on the picket lines. In warned, the movers could legally strike ward, to enforce the contract. other situations the union could rent a over grievances. The company knew it • Incorporate the new leaders who hall big enough to hold the membership. was vulnerable to disruptions and other stepped up. As in every other aspect of the strike, inside tactics—so it gave in and signed “our union has always done it this way” a contract. is not a good enough reason. Should the information meeting be separate from REFLECT ON THE LESSONS a later ratification vote? Does breaking There will be lots of informal con- down into small groups make sense? versation about the experiences of the Should the vote to end the strike take strike—lost wages, joyful moments, Stop & Shop strike, “We cannot slide place with hands raised at a meeting, by fears overcome, and what was won or back into business as usual and not build secret ballot, or online? not won. There is a lot to absorb about on what we did.” Obviously, the entire TA, with chang- what worked, what didn’t work, why, To prepare for the strike you built a es indicated, should be available, as well and what that means for union power Contract Action Team, held regular as an honest summary. going forward. meetings, and developed a campaign In assessing the TA’s weak points, Make a space for these conversations. of escalating actions to grow trust and leaders should be clear about why they Hold special meetings where members courage. Don’t let these disappear. The didn’t get what members wanted. Were can reminisce, but also develop plans structures that gave you a win are need- there just too many nonunion competi- to defend the contract and win the next ed every day. tors willing to take your company’s busi- fight. Hold meetings at work, not just Use your structures first to reflect and ness? Was the budget shortfall just too at the union hall, so everyone can be celebrate, and next to bring collective large? Were there things the union could involved. power onto the shop floor. Convert your have done differently? After the 2019 Stop & Shop strike, the CAT into a permanent Member Action On the other hand, leaders should make Food and Commercial Workers brought Team. There’s a contract to defend. clear that what members did made a dif- strike leaders to teach a steward seminar There may be battles against retaliation ference—any gains were because of the for units that hadn’t been out. to take up. Management, of course, will be ped- actions and unity of members themselves. BUILD UP NEW LEADERS dling its own version of events, including RETURN TO WORK STRONG its favorite, “Nobody wins a strike.” Throughout the strike, pay attention to who is stepping up, who are the people Be prepared to mark the win and the “After every strike, or every contract, the company will spread its own version others listen to, who is emerging as a solidarity that got you there. The song leader. Then follow up. gets it right: solidarity is forever. of what happened,” says retired presi- dent Jeff Crosby of IUE-CWA Local “The real success is when the natu- Kristin Roberts, a CTU member, re- ral leadership in the strike gets invited calls that after the 2012 strike she wrote 201 at General Electric. “And it’s not just the company, but the dead weight of to continue,” says Richard de Vries, a thank-you notes to each of her co-work- longtime business agent for Teamsters ers, and, on the first day back in, gave cynicism about everything in our society. “People think, ‘the government sucks, Local 705. “They change their relation- everyone a red carnation to wear. ship with the union, or get involved in After defeating every concession de- the company sucks, politicians suck, the union sucks, of course we can’t get a caucus that goes after the incumbents manded by Verizon in 2016, victorious that failed to incorporate them.” Communications Workers walked back anything, because we suck.’ And there’s always, ‘They’re going to do what they Russom agrees: “Make a plan to thank in to work together wearing union shirts the specific individuals who stepped and chanting, “One day longer, one day want to do anyway.’” Crosby tells of the 101-day national up, and make a plan to talk to them stronger.” about what they think it means to be in- Unions concerned about retaliation GE strike in 1969: “The average mem- ber will tell you we gained nothing but volved in the union. Do a new round of could take a leaf from fast food strikers’ one-to-ones.” book and organize a delegation of faith a nickel. But in fact we got better set- leaders to accompany workers back in. tlements for 30 years because of that PREPARE FOR NEXT TIME strike—we convinced the company not Returning without a TA can occas- “You are now at a different level and to push us to a strike again.” sionally be advantageous. That's what you can never go back,” says Jones. “It Teamsters at Golan Moving did in 2015 TRANSLATE YOUR NEW TEAMS is a different ball game. The company after a six-month strike. The labor board INTO POWER AT WORK will come at it in a different way—and had found in the workers’ favor and ne- A strike gives a real experience of we need to be prepared too.” gotiated a resolution of Golan’s unfair power—but this doesn’t necessarily Reflecting on lessons learned, identi- labor practices. carry back to the worksite. Jeff Jones of fying and developing new leaders: the The local offered an immediate, UFCW Local 1459 said, coming off the cycle of organizing continues. www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 27 NOVEMBER 2019 Joe Brusky

STRIKE TIMELINE Don't wait until a strike or lockout is imminent to start preparing. If you do, you can be sure SUPPLIES CHECKLIST • Picket signs • Leaflets for passersby management will be way ahead of you. • Whistles, drums, horns, and chant sheets • Sign-in sheets and clipboards Exactly how much lead time you’ll What is your employer’s econom- • A phone list of picket captains, need depends on how many years be- ic situation? How much impact lawyers, media, and other key tween contracts, how many people in could a strike have? contacts your bargaining unit, and how experi- ●● Identify your leverage. What can • Bullhorns, and possibly a portable enced your group is. you shut down? Where can you sound system But you almost can’t start too early! have the greatest impact? • Music, live or recorded As a rule, when you wrap up one con- ●● Analyze customers and suppli- • Cameras and other recording tract, it’s time to celebrate, catch your ers to find additional points of equipment breath—and start thinking about the leverage. • First-aid kit next one. ● When will a strike have maxi- • Reflective safety vests, if you are ● blocking traffic This timeline applies whether you’re mum effect? Set a deadline and • Water and snacks, and meals if the at the helm of the union or part of a drive to it. shifts or the strike are long rank-and-file caucus pushing reluctant ●● How big will your strike need to • Weather gear, depending on the leaders to build toward a strike be? How many facilities will you season—perhaps rain ponchos, burn need to strike at once? barrels, coolers, or an awning

Get organized internally. FOUNDATION PERIOD (See page 18.) ●● Map your workplace. Assess Deciding to strike means developing a ●● Elect a diverse bargaining team where your union is strong and that reflects the membership. (See strategy to win the strike. A year or two in weak. advance, assess how much power you will page 2.) ●● Identify and recruit workplace need and where your leverage is, and start ●● Do a bargaining survey and de- leaders to a Contract Action velop demands. (See page 22.) building the organization you will need. Team, aiming for a 1:10 ratio. (See page 20.) Analyze your opponent and your Germinate alliances. (See page 24.) ●● Run small campaigns and group power (see page 4). grievances to test your network ●● Start reaching out to community ●● Research corporate finances. and build members’ confidence. PAGE 28 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes CAMPAIGN MOUNTAIN leaders, other unions, clergy, and politicians. Support their cam- paigns. Discover common issues. Phases of a Campaign ●● Map the community relationships THE CAMPAIGN MOUNTAIN held by the union’s own members. ●● Identify campaign themes that The Peak of Our Strength can resonate with the public. (See page 25.

Start talking about why you may need to strike. Make the case to co- workers. Answer people’s questions and fears. Resolution

Create a strike fund. You may need Escalation Period a campaign to raise dues, or in an open shop, a membership drive. Start saving money from each paycheck and pay off credit cards. KICK-OFF At least months in advance, hold a big event to “go public,” kicking your campaign into gear and building excite- ment. This could be: Kick-off ●● A press conference ●● A meeting of the Contract Action Foundation Team or the full membership ●● A march on the boss to deliver a petition showing majority support One way to look at your contract cam- Instead, your union should emerge from paign is the shape of a mountain. During the strike with a higher level of power and for the union’s top demands the escalation period your campaign pro- organization than you began. This is your ceeds through a series of actions repre- new starting point. From here, you can sented by peaks, each higher than the one climb to a higher peak next time. before. The strike is the high point—maxi- Zoom out, and you can see that your ESCALATION PERIOD mum mobilization, maximum organization, whole contract campaign is really just one maximum power. ridge on a larger mountain, your union’s Your campaign should gradually increase After you reach resolution, your level of growing power—which is really just a ridge in intensity, so that both members and the mobilization will naturally fall off a bit. Ev- on an even larger mountain, a movement employer can see the strike chugging closer eryone will need a break. But don’t let it that is building the power of working people like a mile-away train. By the time you’re slip too far. to transform society. nearing a strike, no one doubts that you can pull it off, and the employer has plenty of motivation to back down. ●● Workers continue to put away Internet, supplies, and a copy machine. savings in case of a long dispute. Bargain inclusively and transpar- ● Assemble a complete list of sup- Confirm every member’s cell phone ently. (See page 22.) ● pliers and customers. number. Involve co-workers and community Build to a strike vote with huge Assign roles. You will need: allies in a series of escalating actions. participation. (See page 18.) ●● Picket captains for every loca- tion. They will establish the Reach out to local reporters to give picket schedule, coordinate roles your side of the story and lay the STRIKE PREP and assignments at their sites, groundwork for what's to come. take attendance, and maintain In the weeks leading up to the strike, it’s communication. Prepare your leverage. (See page 4.) time to translate the leverage you’ve ana- ●● A media outreach committee lyzed into a practical plan. You’ll also need ready to talk with reporters, issue ● Members turn down overtime ● plans to take care of members’ problems press releases, and hold press con- if it would build management’s and gain support from their families and the ferences. (But all members should inventory. community. be well-versed in the demands and ● Members are trained to recognize ● able to put their personal stories and document management’s un- Set up a strike headquarters near to use.) fair labor practices. (See page 14.) the main strike location with phones, ●● A strike bulletin committee, www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 29 NOVEMBER 2019 prepared to work fast. pedestrians or vehicles. They may ●● Someone prepared to interact require permits or continuous mo- PLAN GOOD CHANTS with the police. tion and ban profanity. ●● Lawyers on call. Pick someone ●● Will you try to prevent people Do a chant brainstorming session. A with a track record of successfully from entering or exiting the few pointers: defending strikes. workplace? Which people? How? ●● A strike fund committee, headed Blocking access to a building is • You need at least six or seven by a trusted member, to dispense illegal in most places, so you’ll chants to keep it from getting benefits and handle any bail need a plan for how you will deal boring. money. with the police and legal action. • Come up with something new and ●● A food committee to collect food ●● Are you planning to block traffic? specific. Include the name of your donations and distribute them How? favorite villain. • Make it fun. Hundreds of Oregon through a food bank or commu- ●● What legal do’s and don’ts will state workers marched through a nal kitchen. picketers need to know? building chanting, “Impasse? My ●● A family support committee to ●● What is your plan if an injunction ass!” But consider your group’s involve family members in the limits picketing? tastes. Will people enjoy a rowdy strike. ●● What times of day are the highest chant, or not? ●● An outreach and fundraising priorities? How can you break up • Match your chants to your message, committee to solicit support from your group to cover those? since a chant could show up in the other unions, neighbors, religious ●● How will you interact with the next day’s paper. and community groups, and the public? • Keep it simple. Chants need to roll general public. ● What supplies will you need to off your tongue. ● • Try call and response, or question ●● A flying squad of the most en- keep people going? and answer. Los Angeles teachers ergetic members to follow scabs, ●● Where can picketers find rest- chanted, “It’s been said and it’s juice up the picket lines, and deal rooms and parking? Consider been told, L.A. Unified has no gold. with difficulties. friendly restaurants, churches, or What about that deep reserve? other unions. That’s the money our kids deserve!” Plan your picket line strategy. The ●● Are you maintaining 24-hour On your chant sheet, print the point of a strike is to shut down nor- pickets? Or will you, for instance, leader’s lines in bold and the group’s mal operations, and the picket line is picket in the morning and march in regular type. the way you make sure things stay shut or rally in the afternoon? • Try simple musical chants, using a down. It’s also the public face of the familiar tune. The chorus of “We Will strike. Know what your goals and ca- Decide your strategy to deal with Rock You” can become “We are, we are union!” or “We are ___” (name pacity are, and set up a plan. scabs (replacement workers). This your union, job, or industry). might include: • Shift the accents off the expected ●● How can you have the most im- beats, if you can pull it off. For pact on operations? ●● Publicizing the strike and its instance: “We’re gonna beat... ●● How many locations/entrances goals. back… the boss attack, we’re gonna do you need to cover? Which of ●● Mass picket lines. beat beat back, the boss attack.” those will have the most impact? ●● Finding out how scabs are being This may get picketers dancing to ●● Where exactly will you be picket- recruited and when they are com- the beat. ing—on the sidewalk or the em- ing to work. • Road-test your chants with a small ployer’s property? On the sidewalk ●● Interfering with scab recruitment. group. If people are stumbling on your constitutional free-speech ● Investigating temp or day labor the rhythm, adjust the wording. ● rights apply to a degree, but the agencies that are providing scabs At the picket line, pass out a chant police may prohibit obstructing (and may be violating their rights). sheet. Encourage new people to take the ●● Asking scabs to leave. lead on chants, as long as they have a ●● Speaking to scabs in their own good sense of rhythm and are willing to language if they’re not English be loud. speakers. ●● Stopping deliveries. ●● Dealing with management em- ployees who are crossing picket lines.

Set up a communication system. Nothing is worse during a strike than feeling you are in the dark.

●● You’ll need a daily strike bulletin, distributed to the picket lines and by email. ●● Distribute a phone list to the pick- et captains. ●● Set up a Facebook group, hashtag, or online hub where members can Joe Brusky

PAGE 30 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES www.labornotes.org/strikes Keep picket lines fun with barbecues, rallies, singing, dancing, inflatables, and NEVER DO THIS funny signs or props. Picketers must never engage in racist Keep the bosses on their toes. Pickets READ MORE name-calling. The issue is not that the don’t have to be at the same place every manager or the scab is an immigrant or a day or every time. If the employer tries member of another race or ethnic group, but that he or she is a scab—period. to use a different door to bring people or Secrets of a deliveries in, picket there too! Successful Organizer Learn to map your Are there secondary targets that the workplace, find new exchange pictures, videos, and union should focus on as well? Con- leaders hidden in plain news. sider businesses that sell your goods, sight, identify key ●● Some unions use a mass texting subsidiaries of your employer, custom- issues, and build cam- system to deliver short messages ers, banks, landlords, stockholders, poli- paigns to tackle them. quickly to the whole membership. ticians or other allies connected to your $15. employer, and businesses and homes Hold strike prep sessions for all owned by directors and stockholders. members, where you review the plan Leaflets and banners are allowed to be Democracy Is Power and legal rights, and have a work ses- very inflammatory: "Republic Bank is A practical manual on sion to make picket signs or prep other a criminal enterprise," assuming union how to rebuild your supplies. research has turned up past legal viola- union with maximum tions. You can bring an inflatable rat. member involvement. Let allies know how they can help. Just be careful of the legal limits on Democratic approaches “secondary” picketing; see page 15. to contracts, grievanc- es, communications, ●● Ask your local Teamsters and county labor council to honor Send groups of picketers (“flying and leaders’ relation- squads”) to target scabs if they try to ship with members. your picket line. $10. ●● Invite unions and community move work around, as during the Ve- groups to picket with you, share rizon strike (see page 19), or to chase space or supplies, talk with re- high-profile targets to events with a lot porters, and donate to a hardship of visibility, like a shareholders meeting How to Jump-Start fund. or a political fundraiser. Your Union ●● Consider particular roles for al- How new officers in lies with positions of special stat- the Chicago Teachers ure or credibility, such as clergy Union built a stewards members or politicians—or for ENDING THE STRIKE network that became the backbone of their very close allies who are willing The pressures of a strike will tend to cre- 2012 citywide strike. to take extra risks. ate fissures in the leadership and in the $15. membership. Members will disagree about how to carry out the strike, about the terms of the contract offers, about when to settle. DURING THE STRIKE No Contract, No They will get through these intense struggles Peace: A Legal Keep spirits high. Prioritize meeting mem- about strategy and principle best if they have Guide to Contract bers’ needs, so that you can hold out longer the strongest bonds of mutual respect and Campaigns, Strikes, than the boss. Keep finding new ways to nee- solidarity. and Lockouts, dle your opponent. Encourage ideas and ini- by attorney Robert tiatives that bubble up from the rank and file. A contract settlement should include Schwartz. Walks you an amnesty clause waiving all employer through your rights Hold frequent membership meetings, charges against individuals for picket- and shows how to including: line misconduct. All litigation by the avoid the pitfalls. $20. employer should be withdrawn. ●● Childcare or a kids’ meeting. ●● Reports on the progress of ne- After you reach a tentative agree- A Troublemaker's gotiations; the strike’s effect on ment, make sure members are well- Handbook 2 production, profits, and the em- informed before the vote, with plenty This oversize manual ployer’s morale; funds raised and of time for discussion (see page 26). shows how dozens of disbursed; other support received. unions have organized ●● Entertainment. Walk back in together. Make this a on the shop floor, run ●● Solidarity greetings from powerful group activity. contract campaigns, supporters. and won strikes. Each chapter ends with ●● Most important, open discussion Always end campaigns with evalu- of the conduct of the strike and ation, celebration, and preparation— questions about how to whether it’s a win or a loss. Afterwards, apply what you've read the state of negotiations. in your own workplace. build on your organizing and start pre- $24 paring for your next contract campaign. www.labornotes.org/strikes LABOR NOTES PAGE 31 NOVEMBER 2019 LABOR NOTES Non-Profit Org. 7435 Michigan Avenue U.S. Postage Detroit, Michigan 48210 PAID Detroit, MI Return Service Requested Permit No. 1939

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SPECIAL ISSUE HOW TO STRIKE AND WIN: A LABOR NOTES GUIDE

As we finish this pamphlet 49,000 GM GO DEEPER workers are on the picket lines, 25,000 For more help, check out our popular Chicago Teachers have set a deadline for handbooks, in the ad on page 31. These a walkout, and after a long absence, the books go into much more detail, and strike seems to be back in the US of A. bulk discounts are available. The teacher strike wave of 2018-19 caught Come to the biennial Labor Notes everyone off guard—but showed that workers’ most powerful tool can still win. Conference in Chicago April 17-19, So instead of our usual mix of articles, 2020. There you’ll meet 3,000 fellow this month we’re sending you a special activists and choose from among 200 expanded issue—a manual on how to workshops—many of them about how strike. We’re betting that’s info that more to fight for a contract or strike. See and more unions are going to need in the labornotes.org/2020. near future. Next month we’ll be back to Ask about our hands-on trainings our usual format. based on the book Secrets of a Success- ful Organizer. We can help you build the SPREAD THE WORD workplace structures you’ll need to build UNITE-HERE To order a stack of copies of this manual, toward a strike—or get strong enough call 313-842-6262 or visit labornotes.org. not to need one. Email training@labor- Get 50 copies for $50, or 100 for $100. notes.org or call 718-284-4144.