Tacoma IWW Organizing Tip #3 - Friends and Families
Submitted by Arthur J. Miller on 08/01/08
Often the greatest amount of pressure on workers involved in organizing or job actions comes from their families and friends. Most of the time this pressure is unseen by the organizers. Over the years I have seen how some of the strongest union supporters among the workers give up on the union, go back to work or just find another job because of the pressure they get at home becomes too much for them..
This pressure comes about for a number of reasons: First there are the economic reasons during a strike. Then there is the personal reasons. Most workers live rather simple lives, they go to work and then spend most of their free time with their families and friends. Then the union comes around and takes some of that free time away from families and friends and it becomes union time. And often in organizing drives and job actions the union will become the major focus in workers lives. And families and friends can feel neglected and scornful of the union. And this can lead to disharmony at home.
On the other hand if families and friends become union supporters with the workers being organized or in job actions you have a strong bond that is hard to break. Some unions like miner's unions understand this very well..
Some families and friends with union backgrounds or with very good communication will support the union, but many may not. So either the organizers must hope things work out for the best, or they can take proaction to deal with this. The following are some ideas how to take proactive steps in dealing with families and friends.
1. In your one on one talks with workers and at union meetings, talk to them about this and make sure that they have an understanding of the problem from the begining so that they are not blindsided by the problem.
2. If your organizing includes a number of organizers let one of them be the union liaison for families and friends. Someone they know they can talk to for information and to talk about problems.
3. Hold informational meetings by the union for families and friends. In other words make sure that they are informed. At these meetings ask them what union issues are important to them. This will give them input into the situation and it will allow the organizers to understand the issues important to the families and friends. And where possible include their issues as union issues.
4. Find ways that families and friends can help. There is a lot of union work that goes on and thus there are many things they can do. Even organizing social events is helpful in creating stronger bonds. During a strike they can work on food and supplies.
5. A step further can be to organize an auxiliary support organization of families and frends. There are somethings that the union can't do that such an organization can do because it is not the union. They could be useful in organizing support in the communities. They can take on general support for the problems that families and friends have during organizing and job actions. They can publish a newsletter where they can have their own self-expression.
To think that families and friends do not matter in union organizing and job actions and thus are no concern for the union agenda is just naive. But if the union communicates with and involves families and friends it helps create a bond that is almost unbreakable.
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