ITCILO COURSE A Capacity Building for Organizing and Managing Trade Unions 13 to 24 May 2013 Strategies for Establishing Effective Organizing Committees and Managing Workplace Problems

Organizing Committees  Forming an organizing committee  Under-represented groups  Decision making

Why have an organizing committee?

Why have an Organizing Committee?  Share ideas, experiences and skills;  Spread the workload and increase accountability;  Increase commitment and ownership;  Making decisions about organizing (within the union decision making structures).

Features of Union Organizing Committee  The organizing committee must: Comprise representatives of all major departments and shifts; Reflect the racial, ethnic and gender diversity in the workplace; Be prepared to work hard to educate themselves and their co-workers about workers’ rights & workplace issues; Warn and educate co-workers about the impending management anti-union campaign; Understand union policies and position on workplace issues; Understand the principle of democracy and rank-and-file control.

I want to be a member of the Ethiopian Airlines Trade Union Organising Committee. I’ll take responsibility for: Attending meetings once a month Speaking to Ethiopian Airlines workers about what they like and dislike about Ethiopia Airlines Attending football games Keeping 5-7 union members updated about organising issues Others I want to be a member of the Ethiopian Airlines Trade Union Organising Committee. I’ll take responsibility for: Attending meetings once a month Speaking to Ethiopian Airlines workers about what they like and dislike about Ethiopia Airlines Attending football games Keeping 5-7 union members updated about organising issues Others Create tasks that fit what people are able and willing to do. EXAMPLE

Sample Organizing Committee Agenda 12:00 Attendance/sign-in Report on new events in the workplace 12:05 Report on previous assignments: - Give recognition to people who completed assignments - Plan what to do about work not done 12:10 Discuss next steps 12:20 Practice next assignments 12:50 Assignments 13:00 Adjourn

What can we do when people do not attend meetings or complete tasks?

 Find out why?  Make sure people do not commit to more than they can do.  Help them with the task.  Keep public records of attendance and work completed.  Create a policy for removal from the organising committee after a specific number of absences or if no tasks are completed.  Encourage re-joining after attendance at meetings or completion of tasks.

 Does every committee member understand their responsibilities?  How can we help each other with pressure and potential criticism?  Discuss issues before they occur: Might some of us work harder than others? Might some of us turn against the union?

Two Key Organizing Committee Jobs  Planning the agenda and preparing for the meeting  Facilitating the meeting and helping the group stay on track and make decisions  Planning the agenda and preparing for the meeting  Facilitating the meeting and helping the group stay on track and make decisions Facilitation  Keeping written records of meetings  Keeping arbolitos, lists and maps updated  Keeping records safe and accessible to other committee members  Keeping written records of meetings  Keeping arbolitos, lists and maps updated  Keeping records safe and accessible to other committee members Record-keeping Responsibilities can be shared and rotated.

Under-represented groups 0 0

What groups of workers are under-represented in the union?  Younger or older  Male or female  Night or day shift  Ethnicity/race  Language  Work classification  Junior or senior  Other

How might under- represented groups affect our organizing?

 Employers can use existing divisions in the workforce to further divide workers.  The more united the workers, the stronger the union.

Decision making

Questions to discuss:  What should our union be like at our workplace?  What are the responsibilities of union leaders and members to each other?  How is our union involved in our industry, the economy and politics - both nationally and internationally?

What ground rules do you want to use?

Start on time, end on time. Confidentiality between workers, no gossip. No public showing of weakness or division, especially to the emplyer. Accountability Regular reports on work commitments Recognition of work done and not done Even participation If you speak a lot, speak less. If you don’t speak much, speak more. Attendance Miss more than ____meetings, and you are not a member until you attend at least ____meetings in a row. Written policy of no harassment based on gender, ethnicity, language and race. Stick with a clear and democratic decision making process. Once a group decision is made and becomes a mandate, any changes must be taken back through the collective decision making process.

What methods might we use?

How do we work with committee members we don’t trust?

 Get to know them and learn what you can from them.  Keep your suspicions to yourself until you know.  Employers benefit from an atmosphere of secrecy and mistrust; unions need trust to build a collective.  Give work assignments that will not cause alarm: Gather information about the industry Attend a union event Others

How do we work with conflict amongst committee members?

 Clear governance agreement on resolving conflicts  Think ahead & discuss what conflicts might arise.  Have clear decision making processes and procedures.  Practice deep listening. Find out what is behind the differences.  Continue to build personal relationships of trust - before, after and during conflict.

An Effective Organizing Strategy  Check out your co-workers on a one-to-one basis to see if they want to fight for better wages and more rights.  Avoid discussions with anyone who is supportive of the company.  Build a core union supporters and support among all categories of workers.  Gather all the facts you can about the company: profits, owner/s, salaries and benefits earned by its CEO and management, etc.  Gather list of workers who are interested in fighting the company.

Continues…  Keep a lookout for supporters in other franchise  Create an organizing committee of the best activists that can meet weekly or every other week to: Coordinate the work Help each other with issues that come up Build solidarity Discuss important strategies and tactical issues Read and discuss books on union struggles  Build an educated, active rank-and-file base for your campaign  Put out educational material which anticipates the lies management will use to confuse workers.  Draw up a program of demands that addresses the key needs of workers  Make links with other unions, community organizations, and activists organizations like Jobs for Justice  Demonstrate your support in action e.g. on union button day

Anything else to discuss regarding organizing committees?

Thank you!