If anyone needs advice on starting a union at your workplace, I'm an experienced organizer and more than willing to help!
this post was submitted on 02 Jan 2024
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I'm open. I have a small, local business with 8 employees. I take a $1/yr salary and no profit distributions. Everything goes back to employees right now (including benefits being paid for). If we have a bad month, I just cover everything with my own money.
That said, it seems like the idea of being unionized would improve morale so I'm all for it. I just don't know where to start.
Per another thread, foregoing a union in lieu of an ESOP would be better - which I'm also all for. Just open to any feedback.
Unfortunately as the owner, you're not legally allowed to encourage your employees to unionize. Something else to consider as another option: you do have the power to convert your business into a worker cooperative
Seems like a nobrainer in that guy's case. They already pretty much earn all the money. Why not let them have a say in governance?
I'm about to start working as a short-term intern at a company (6 months) and I know I like unions because one of my previous internship employers was 100% union employees including me. How to proceed on my first day? Also, I was a short-term employee (3 months) as a teaching assistant (aka supervising students) at the college where I study. Does it make more sense to unionize the students (Student-Alumni Union) or unionize the student workers?
If you want to start an union at a place where there's not one, your first move has to be getting a feel of where everyone's attitudes are towards the company. Ask them how work is going, what kind of person is the boss or manager, if they like their position and conditions, and so on. Invite them to speak more about their feelings, impressions and grievances more than anything else. This allows you to draw a mental map of who would be more willing to help you get it started, gives you a good idea of what the needs and aspirations of the people you're working with are, and lets you come across as someone who actually cares for their working conditions.
I worked in public sector and unionized environment. I started getting involved with the union with a low key anti union mindset. I didn’t like the meetings of the local and component and felt they weren’t using our time or resources effectively. I also felt it was weird to be a unionized government employee because in theory we’re negotiating against the tax payer.
That said, the longer I was involved the more my mindset shifted to pro union. I saw that by partnering with workers in other organizations it made everyone stronger. I was one of the highest paid union employees there so it wasn’t about me or my pay, it was about supporting others and lifting everyone up from the bottom.
Saw amazing things happen. Was especially lucky to see how unions benefited casino workers. Casino owners can fuck right off.
Pro union now, even though I’ve moved into a management position within public sector, I’ll never forget the good impact that unions had for silent majority of workers.
There’s still work to do, get involved and use the union as a tool and source of power and support!
Go get ‘em.
That's cute that you thought a government cares enough about the tax payers to represent the tax payers.
I think small local government is quite a different beast than federal government. We mostly lived within the community that funded us and we’re impacted personally by tax decisions. It’s more connected than an abstract “public” footing the bill vs your neighbour Jane that you’re gonna hear about it from when this tax increase goes through.
"But that's just one little bear's opinion"
wage theft is the largest of all thefts: https://www.tcworkerscenter.org/2018/09/wage-theft-vs-other-forms-of-theft-in-the-u-s/
Even by their own standards they're the biggest thieves.