Organise to Win! Carl Roper: Director of the TUC Organising Academy

Are for co- branding logo The good news! Since 1997 union membership has grown by 20,000 a year Thousands of new recognition agreements 1.1 million potential new members Increasing union membership and influence in the workplace and beyond thanks to range of factors

Are for co- branding logo But…. Membership ‘growth’ is slow Union density marked by one overall trend…

Are for co- branding logo UK Union Density

Are for co- branding logo Growth & Decline Missed opportunity?

Are for co- branding logo The public-private split

Are for co- branding logo Private Sector Double Whammy? Employment DECLINE where we’re strongest Employment INCREASE where we’re weakest

Are for co- branding logo Central problem There is plenty of good work on organising & recruitment being done by affiliates and the TUC but… 240 years to get back to where we were in 1979 We lost 6 million members in 18 years, and at our current rate of growth, it will take

Are for co- branding logo They way we were…

Are for co- branding logo Remembering what we are?

Are for co- branding logo Move to Organising – Key Principles Increased membership is not just about institutional survival – it’s about impact on working people Growth needs to be sustainable New approach to organising −Strategically planning campaigns −Developing and sustaining member activity −Organising around workplace issues that matter to members

Are for co- branding logo New Unionism’s Challenges for Modern Unions Strengthen our base To extend our influence More Reps and Reactivated Local Structures Become more relevant to potential members. Increase resources Change culture of unions

Are for co- branding logo An organising union Growth Engaged & Involved members Active, well supported reps Key Objectives

Are for co- branding logo Active, well supported reps Thinking about reps –Are there enough? –Who are they; are they ‘representative’? –Likely churn over next 2, 5, 10 years? –What time-off do they get? –What do they do? –What training do they get? –Do they feel valued? Are they? –Are they going to support the move toward organising?

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Are for co- branding logo Engaged and involved members Involvement at branch/local level? Who is involved? Opportunities for involvement What do members think of the union? How do we know? What do we ask members to do?

Are for co- branding logo Some union strategies in the UK TGWU – huge financial investment in organising, specialist organisers and national sector strategies USDAW – developed their own Organising Academy, recruited 30,000 members PCS – Increase in members, 5 fold increase in branch organisers, activist to member ration now 30:1 from 60:1

Are for co- branding logo History of the Organising Academy Established in 1998 Over 200 Academy Organisers have been trained Responsible for Organising over 35,000 new union members Recruiting 1000’s of new activists Establishing unions for first time in 100’s of new workplaces

Are for co- branding logo Changing union staff profiles Academy Organisers are more likely to be –Women –Aged 30 and under –New to the movement

Are for co- branding logo Focused on ORGANISING Spending MORE time on: –Direct recruitment –Encouraging & training existing activists to recruit –Planning campaigns –Building workplace structures And LESS time on –Negotiating with employers –Representing individual members

Are for co- branding logo Organising Outcomes ( AOs in initial 12 months) Employers targeted –1260 (10.77 per AO) Direct recruits –19,596 (169) Indirect recruits –39,987 (348) Activists recruited –1800 (16) Greenfield sites –659 (5.63) established –84 (0.72) recognition Successful outcomes –positive outputs in short-term Range of outcomes –recruitment, organising, recognition

Are for co- branding logo Organising Academy Programme Now expanded to include: Union Officers and Staff Advanced Organising Work for individual unions

Are for co- branding logo Summary No one size fits all - different unions need to approach organising in different ways Its not organising v servicing; how can we integrate? Employing specialists organisers should be part of a wider strategy for growth Not a substitute for encouraging members to become active Investing in organising pays off Driver for wider change