Worker Centers • Electronic Solidarity • Open-Shop States the magazine of the Democratic Socialists of America Vol. XLIII, No. 2, Labor Day/Fall 2015 www.dsausa.org Organizing in the ‘New Normal’ From the National Director Walking with Vision By Maria Svart union is a group of indi- Governor Scott Walker’s successful rampage in viduals who get togeth- pro-union Wisconsin demonstrates that when big A er with their co-workers money backs the most extreme version of capital- and approach their boss about ist ideology, we are unprepared. We have to fi nd conditions at work—together. new ways to fi ght back. These individuals are practic- How do we organize in the age of the “new nor- ing freedom of association. Yet mal”? In this issue of Democratic Left, you’ll read in the capitalist mind, they’re about glimmers of hope in very dark times. engaged in economic extortion. In the last issue, I talked about the need for That’s not a completely wrong analogy, because solidarity, about acknowledging and building on workers who form a strong union are capable of our differences in order to create a powerful and forcing the boss to share the results of their col- democratic movement. Even as we come together lective labor more equitably than are non-union- in solidarity, we need to walk with vision. Capi- ized workers. That’s one thing I learned in my talists have a vision of endless accumulation for years as a union organizer before joining the staff themselves. They either do not know or do not of DSA: it’s all about power. care that the end game is destruction of the plan- That’s why democratic socialists love unions: et and of “civilization” as we know it. we want to expand working-class power and re- To me, walking with vision means fi xing my strict capitalist-class power. Unions are where democratic socialist ideals in my sights despite the people learn to fi ght back and win. Strong unions diffi cult times. I fi ght every day in immediate bat- can fi ght for political reforms. Those political re- tles to protect Social Security, to defend workers forms can affect the structure of the economy, who are standing up for their union rights, to gain thus making it more democratic. This makes full civil and voting rights for everyone, to stop rac- unions dangerous to the capitalist class. ist police violence. This is how to build power. But Hence, the current attacks on labor. This Sep- I do so while also building a community around tember, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear argu- me that values cooperation and brings strategic, ments in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Associ- socialist thinking to the front lines. Our end game ation, a case that challenges the right of a public- is not a planet devastated by greed and ceaseless sector union to collect dues from everyone cov- war. Our end game, in the words of James Oppen- ered by its collective bargaining agreements. If heim’s famous poem, “is a sharing of life’s glories: the CTA loses, then the 26 states that still permit Bread and roses! Bread and roses!” unions to collect such dues could become “open Maria Svart is the national director of DSA. shop” states, and public-sector unions could hem- orrhage funds. But the truth is, this is just the latest in de- cades of assaults on the gains of working people. David Duhalde Joins DSA Staff Because of the once-in-a-lifetime orga- nizing opportunity provided by Bernie Contents Sanders’s high-pro le presidential cam- Worker Centers Expand the Labor Movement............3 paign, DSA will use a recent, unexpected Organizing in an Open-Shop State ...............................5 bequest to hire David Duhalde as deputy DSA Convention .............................................................6 director of DSA. I have worked with Da- Electronic Global Labor Solidarity .................................7 vid for nearly a decade, when we both Will Puerto Rico be the U.S. Greece? ..........................9 served on the National Political Commit- ‘Fast Track’ Opposition .................................................11 tee and when he was a very successful DSAers Show Solidarity ..................................................12 YDS organizer in the mid-2000s. I am very Crisis in Care ..................................................................14 Labor Pioneers: Their Stories .........................................15 happy to be working with him again. He will be based in Washington, D.C.—MS Cover art by Frank Reynoso page 2 • Democratic Left • Labor Day/Fall 2015 Worker Centers Expand The Labor Movement By Kim Bobo employment barriers for formerly incarcerated workers (Chicago), and enact a bill of rights for re you discouraged this Labor Day? domestic workers (New York and California). There’s plenty of bleak news. Wages are Worker centers are building power and exercis- Astagnant; union representation is declin- ing that power to improve conditions for increas- ing; Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin have all ingly larger numbers of workers. passed right-to-work laws in the last three years; Offer worker rights education and out- the Supreme Court may soon gut public-sector reach. Most workers without unions have no unions, and Congress refuses to raise the mini- idea what their rights are in the workplace, let mum wage or establish earned sick days. alone what to do if their rights are being vio- Still, there is lated. Thus, worker hope. States and cit- centers educate work- ies are raising the ers about their rights minimum wage to and what they can do levels no one could to address workplace have imagined just problems. Worker a few years ago. Tens centers tend to use of thousands of low- popular education ap- wage workers are proaches that engage rallying for $15 an people based on their hour. Earned-sick- lived experiences. day laws are passing Organize to ad- in states and cities dress workplace across the nation at problems. Wage theft an unprecedented and health and safety rate. problems are the two A major source of most common prob- creativity and fresh lems addressed by thinking comes from worker centers. Cen- worker centers. Al- ters assist workers though as yet unco- in fi ling claims with ordinated nationally, government agencies, they have enormous potential to revive a labor connect workers with lawyers who can fi le suits movement under brutal attack. for back wages, refer them to unions if they want No one knows exactly how many worker cen- to organize a union in their workplace, and or- ters exist, but observers estimate that there are ganize direct action campaigns to get employers about 250 in the country. Fifteen years ago, there to pay workers their owed wages. One long-time were just a handful. Only about half of the cen- worker center organizer described worker centers ters are affi liated with one of the worker center as operating in the space between organizing and networks. Most operate on their own. enforcement. The centers demand enforcement of No two worker centers have the exact same the laws, but they also organize to change and programs and approach, although most do the improve the laws. following: Train leaders. Worker centers seek to devel- Build power and organize for social op a strong cadre of committed and experienced change. Worker centers have led and won cam- leaders who represent and are connected with paigns to get paid sick days for all workers (San the community. Some of these leaders are being Francisco), strengthen enforcement against wage hired by the labor movement. theft (many communities), require drinking wa- Develop democratic structures for par- ter for construction workers (Austin), remove ticipation. Many workers are already leaders, Democratic Left • Labor Day/Fall 2015 • page 3 and so the centers affi rm and encourage their Labor Center produced a report on how those leadership. Others have never seen themselves affi liations are going. Both documents can be as leaders, but become leaders as they organize downloaded from www.afl cio.org/workercenters. campaigns. Adding creativity, courage, and passion In addition to the core functions described to labor’s ranks. Worker centers take on Da- above, many worker centers also vid-and-Goliath-type fi ghts. They lead hunger Arrange for jobs at fair wages. Workers strikes, sit-ins, prayer vigils, and delegations (especially day laborers) create systems for nego- to employers. They are masters of direct action tiating with possible employers, setting and en- tactics. They shake up the “organizing as usual” forcing wage standards, and sharing the work in model of many unions. ways that seem equitable. Many worker centers Reaching unprotected workers. Worker promote their hiring halls in the community in centers have been organized by workers who are ways that produce more jobs for workers. not protected by unions. Mostly they are orga- Create worker cooperatives. Worker cen- nized by immigrants, but increasingly centers ters have created cleaning, cooking, and con- are formed by or working with African American struction co-ops and companies. Workers decide workers as well. Many of these workers would that they want to start and operate their own love to be in unions, but unions are not organiz- businesses so they can create better working con- ing in their communities or workplaces. These ditions and keep more of the profi ts of their labor. workers are potential union members and allies. Offer ESL classes and other special edu- Identifying and training future labor cational programs. Because so many centers leadership. The labor movement has always serve immigrant workers, many offer English as been built by strong rank-and-fi le activists. The a Second Language (ESL) classes. Casa de Mary- leaders who have been formed and trained in land offers fi nancial education classes.