Tacoma IWW Organizing Tip #5 - Use Your Imagination
Submitted by Arthur J. Miller on 08/04/08
In gaining anything through struggle the key is to cost the other side more than they are willing to pay. That could be economically (withhold your labor or a boycott), that could be their public image (most non-profits depend upon their public image), or psychological stress or all three at the same time. But the poiint is getting the boss to want to settle with the union rather than continue fighting the union.
The problem is that a lot of organizing and job actions do things about the same way most of the time as if it is out of some tech. manual, step1, step 2 and so on. Most bosses are not dumb and they can see that process. Some bosses will hire unionbusting outfits that know the union process very well. So if the boss knows what you are going to do that makes it a lot harder to win.
The way to overcome this problem is to change things up, do different things, try completely new things. In other words USE YOUR IMAGINATION!!!! The more that you do this the more you will get the boss thinking "now what?" And that creates stress on the boss. By the time the boss figures out how to react to the new tactic, you can change tactics again.
I would suggest in picking tactics that you keep in mind how those tactics will play out in the public mind. If the public mind sees your tactics as silly or destructive or that the tactics harm them then your tactics can backfire on you.
So a good imagination makes for a good organizer.
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