The Electrical Worker | December 2011 Boots &Blogs Organizers Combine Old-, New-School Tactics to Win Voice for Workers Continued from Page 1
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FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1893 Printed in the USA I NTERNATIONAL B ROTHERHOOD OF E LECTRICAL W ORKERS Vol. 5 | No. 11 | December 2011 IN THIS ISSUE 2 | Sears techs overcome distance, resistance to organize 3 | Satellite workers employ technology for big win 4 | Jobs for Canadian locals with government ship contract Founders’ Scholarship winners 5 | North of 49° 6 | Transitions 7 | Circuits 8 | Local Lines 14 | Retiree Local Lines 18 | Editorials 19 | Letters to the Editor Who We Are Boots Blogs 20 | In Memoriam & ORGANIZERS COMBINE OLD-, NEW-SCHOOL TACTICS Go “Green!” with ou r e-Edition TO WIN VOICE FOR WORKERS Get your Electrical Worker delivered each month via e-mail. It’s convenient & helps L The use of social media in organizing BEW activists integrated new media technolo - But in Illinois, more than 300 Sears techni - cut down on paper waste. campaigns has helped to level the playing field, gies with tenacious shoe-leather campaigning cians successfully took on their hostile manage - Go to www.ibew.org and sign up today! connecting workers who are miles apart, yet at two breakthrough victories for the IBEW last ment by tapping into the resources of seven locals face the same challenges from employers who fall—campaigns which may provide a blue - and the power of the Internet, while in the Please recycle this newspaper. deny them a voice on the job. I print for unions looking to successfully organize Northwest, organizers experimented with new workers that many media tools to build solidarity among more than observers had long consid - 200 Star West Satellite installers—laying the ered unorganizable. groundwork for the IBEW’s historic election victory Both campaigns faced last September. hostile employers and a Read on to see how employees overcame geographically dispersed steep odds at both companies to come together work force that made tradi - and build power in the workplace—even in these tional union organizing tac - tough economic times. tics difficult. ORGANIZERS continued on page 2 WWW . IBEW . ORG 2 The Electrical Worker | December 2011 Boots &Blogs Organizers Combine Old-, New-School Tactics to Win Voice for Workers Continued from page 1 Ill. Sears Service Techs Win Innovative Organizing Campaign ic Carusi knew what he had to “Sears told technicians ‘the union big football game between the Chicago do. For 17 years, he had serviced was going after us,’” says Powell. But Bears and the Green Bay Packers. Fifty V lawn and exercise equipment for workers knew the truth—that techni - technicians showed up. Sears in northeast Illinois. But a new cians had sought out the union. The Rodriguez, who is bilingual, district manager was making life miser - techs and the IBEW became partners reached out to Hispanic workers, part of able for him and more than 300 other after that, says Powell. a diverse group that included Arabic- technicians who work primarily in the Before the campaign, Sears had speaking Americans, African-Americans state’s northeast. “targeted some technicians because of and women. Technicians always expected some their outspokenness,” says Powell, who jobs to run into overtime, but the man - repairs cooking appliances. The customers ager’s lack of respect for basic family loved them, but they were fired anyway. Synergy Helps Engage needs had reached a breaking point. “That was a game changer,” he says. 21 st Century Work Force Like when a technician, Lou Ervin, with “I can’t be anything but hopeful,” more than 20 years of seniority asked for says Powell. “I’m 51 years old and have Says Radjewski, “The Illinois technicians time off to attend his daughter’s college eight or nine years to go. I want to help reflect the 21st century work force. This is graduation, and was told, “Sure, turn in the [younger workers] correct injustice a classic example of how several your keys, take all the time you want.” on the job.” branches of the Brotherhood can work “My father told me growing up, ‘Don’t In October, a new manager pulled together and create a synergy that Sixth District Organizing Coordinator Jeff Radjewski, left, and Chicago Local 134 wouldn’t exist otherwise.” let anyone step on you,’” says Carusi. Organizer Abe Rodriguez discuss upcoming first contract negotiations Powell aside and asked if he would be Radjewski and Lou Ervin, the tech - So, in October 2010, Carusi talked covering newly organized Sears service technicians. interested in taking a management posi - to a couple of players on his softball tion. Powell turned him down. nician who was threatened for attending his daughter’s graduation, described the team who are members of Local 176 in Kenney, who contacted the Membership 134. It was the largest win in the Sixth “I like dealing with the customers Sears campaign at the Membership Joliet. Carusi, who knew that Sears tech - Development Department. District in many years and a critical one one-on-one,” says Powell, who Development Conference last month. nicians in Colorado and Wyoming were Eleven months later, an innovative in the IBEW’s efforts to organize Sears expresses hope that an improved rela - During the campaign, the manager represented by Denver Local 68, told the organizing campaign that combined the workers across North America. tionship between managers and workers whose actions helped instigate the electricians that conditions might be efforts of seven locals representing mul - will improve customer service, job secu - drive visited Carusi at home and then ripe for his co-workers to follow suit. tiple IBEW branches reached the finish rity and the company’s bottom line. accompanied him on his route, trying to Joliet members advised Carusi to line as technicians voted 184 to 125 in Dirty Tricks discourage his participation in the cam - talk to the Local 176 Organizer Matt favor of representation by Chicago Local Sixth District International Organizing Organizing Spirit Spreads paign. The manager was removed by the Coordinator Jeff Radjewski says Sears Across Continent company. “I told him I’d been there 17 Sears Repairmen: A Proud History of Service was relentless, employing carrot and years and I would outlast him,” Carusi stick tactics to oppose the campaign. IBEW’s Sears campaign is picking up as says. “And I did.” The company held captive audience technicians challenge managers who meetings. They tried to sidetrack organ - abuse their authority and mistreat he customer-based work ethic izers by removing some poor managers, their employees. Hoping for a Decent that is personified by today’s reducing overtime requirements and In February, Halifax, Nova Scotia, First Contract repairmen has served Sears well T handing out gift certificates. Local 1928 signed its first collective bar - for generations. Simultaneously, however, Sears gaining agreement covering Sears serv - Carusi is looking to improve some bene - An advertisement in a 1962 issue played hardball, giving the union an inac - ice technicians. The template for the fits in a first contract with Sears. He saw of Life Magazine shows a line of Sears curate worker contact list, spreading mis - agreement was a prior one between his defined benefit pension plan frozen service trucks, emblazoned with the slo - information about the IBEW and trying to Sears and Vancouver, B.C., Local 213. about 11 years ago. Married with two gan, “We Service What We Sell.” confuse workers on voting locations. Local 134 Organizer Abe Rodriguez children, Carusi, 37, pays $600 a month Opposite the trucks, immaculately uni - Despite the company’s efforts, a says the Illinois campaign “blended old out-of-pocket for health insurance. formed appliance repairmen race to take strong, well-respected volunteer organiz - and new technologies.” Postcards were He doesn’t know how negotia - their places behind the steering wheel. ing committee came together, preparing sent out to prospective members, but tions will turn out, but he knows IBEW In the consumer-driven postwar has his back. their co-workers for the company’s tac - the Web site, www.unitedtechsgreat - economy, the Sears serviceman was the “I went to Matt Kenney and told tics and setting up a Web site for them to lakes.webs.com was there for younger trustworthy guy you called when the share comments and information. techs who “live off their laptops and him I wanted to start a union drive cover - washing machine stopped wringing or Pierre Powell, a 32-year Sears cell phones.” ing hundreds of miles and 344 people. the refrigerator turned warm. Work was employee, says, ‘I want to help the Assisted by Region 3 Lead He took time away from his family for steady and pay and benefits at the com - younger workers correct injustice on Internet Levels Organizers Mike Green and Steve months [to help us organize].” pany, whose catalogue was known as the job.’ Playing Field Fosness, the volunteer organizing com - “I told him, ‘You have little kids, the “consumer’s bible,” were sufficient mittee, says Rodriguez, “did a fantastic you can step down now,’ but Matt to put repair technicians solidly in the middle class. Pierre Powell, a Chicago-area repairman job.” Illinois locals contributing to the Kenney stayed with us,” says Carusi. That was then. The tables turned on the iconic retailer. Sears, the subject of no with 32 years at Sears, had participated in campaign’s success included: Chicago “That’s the kind of people that make the less than six books on its history and finances listed on Amazon.com, was pur - past unsuccessful organizing campaigns. T Local 9, Elgin Local 117, Chicago Local IBEW a great union.” chased by a bankrupt K-Mart in 2004. He followed organizing activities by other 134, Waukegon Local 150, Aurora Local The new company, now directed by hedge fund financiers, is struggling and Sears technicians by visiting a Yahoo 461 and Lisle Local 701.