Does your union training look like an audience listening quietly to a speech? Would you rather get people laughing, sharing their own experiences, and strategizing together? "Popular education" is an approach that starts from what people already know about their lives, workplaces, and power. We'll try some participatory exercises and talk about how to adapt them to your issues and situations, whether it's a workshop at your delegate convention or a meeting in the breakroom.
This session will open with a short song by: Erin Murphy and Susan Rogers, DC Labor Chorus.
Ready to bring your co-workers into collective action? Planning some community actions, but not quite ready to strike? Discover the wide range of tactics you can use as part of an escalating campaign to target the boss, get wins, and build power. Hear some great stories of clever and effective tactics that built solidarity and scared the boss, and learn how to choose the right tactics for your situation.
When it comes to grievances, is your local stuck pushing paper more often than winning “instant justice”? Are grievances bottlenecked in the hands of a veteran steward or solo staffer? Hear from activists who are changing their unions’ grievance culture with direct action, group grievances, and mini-campaigns, and drawing more members into solving everyday problems on the job. We’ll also review the challenges, and how to avoid slipping back into well-worn grooves.
Everybody has complaints and frustrations, but an organizer has the power to turn problems into opportunities. Learn how to sort through the issues you hear from co-workers, bring people together, and make a plan to solve them. Based on the popular book Secrets of a Successful Organizer.
Learn how to build an effective campaign team, increase your visibility, identify voters, deal with negative attacks, avoid common mistakes, and get out the votes.
Learn how to protect ourselves and each other when we're picketing or demonstrating. Learn what protesters have been facing, what preparation is needed, and practical advice for common injuries. Use this mutual aid capacity to enhance coalition-building and organizing in your union and community.
This session will open with a song by: Robyn Robbins and Kimmon “MacGyver” Williams, DC Labor Chorus
