Breaking through Barriers to Unionization in the United States and Mexico
Submitted by International@r... on April 26, 2007 - 11:36am.
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This session will be on: June 28, 2007 - 1:00pm It will be held at: St. Luke Room room at the St. Luke's Episcopal Church View scheduleOrganization DescriptionThe United Electrical, Radio & Machine Workers of America (UE) is an independent, national union which was founded in 1936. UE is one of the few U.S. unions to combine aggressive organizing and a sense of political vision. Our membership has expanded from industrial plants to include many public and service sector locals, and we now represent assembly workers, machinists, clerical workers, plastic injection molders, tool and die makers, custodians, truck drivers, warehouse workers, sheet metal workers, technical workers, as well as public workers including social workers, scientists, librarians, day care and health care workers, truck drivers, sanitation workers, graduate employees and hundreds of other occupations.
One of the hallmarks of UE is our democratic way of operating. The Union’s commitment to rank and file democracy is encapsulated in its slogan "The members run this union," and the common identity of our diverse membership is based on working together in a democratic, rank and file union. This means that UE members make all key decisions about how their locals run, and also determine policy on a district and national level.
Education is a critical element in our work and has been critical in helping UE members maintain an internationalist perspective and provide rank and file leadership. That leadership is one of the things that distinguishes our union, and is a major source of our strength.
Our programmatic work takes place at four levels: 1) organizing and representing workers in their places of work; 2) fighting for a social, economic and political program which benefits working people, especially around the issues of workers' rights and national health care; 3)establishing relationships of solidarity between workers and their organizations in different countries; and 4) working to confront the power of corporations and the neo-liberal ideology, policies and structures of corporate globalization while at the same time working to develop alternatives. Proposal Demographicsidentify as women identify as people of color are immigrants (not born in U.S.) are artists/cultural workers Session DescriptionThis workshop focuses on the problems faced by workers in the United States and Mexico who are seeking to organize in the face of legal systems which are seriously defective, giving employers the ability to delay proceedings, fail to bargain contracts, and fire workers with impunity. The initial section is an icebreaker making use of song. The second section will use national union leaders from the United States and Mexico who are directly responsible for the organizing programs of their unions (the UE and FAT) and a diverse group of rank and file workers from a variety of unions to describe the challenges they face. The third section will discuss in some detail some of the creative legislative strategies which are being employed in the United States and Mexico to break through these barriers. We use the cases of North Carolina and Chihuahua, as well as the campaigns for national legislation in both countries, describing some of the victories already achieved and the obstacles we still must overcome. In the final section we will divide into small groups to discuss ways to support these struggles. We will come back together in the end to discuss our conclusions. *What ideas do you want the participants to take away? An appreciation for the similarities and differences in the struggles of workers in the United States and Mexico. Confirming once again that we are strongest when we work with our communitie and international allies. A commitment to contribute to tearing down the legal barriers which make organizing so difficult! * How does your event connect to the USSF Crosscutting Themes? * How will the participants be engaged? We are using song as an introduction and a combination of panels with a variety of speakers from different organizations and countries, providing time for discussion, and small group work to directly engage participants. * What language will your activity be conducted in? English and Spanish * Will you provide oral interpretation? Will you provide equipment (headset and transmitter) for interpretation? We can provide some translation equipment, and some translation from Spanish to English; we will need additional assistance in order to go from English to Spanish and in any event assistance with Spanish translation would be appreciated. * Will you provide handouts for attendees? In Spanish? Yes In English? Yes In another language (if so, state the language)? USSF will not copy handouts for you. * What is the biggest challenge/adversary your movement/organization faces? The strength of governments and politicians who cater to corporate interests. * What strategies do you propose to achieve these alternatives? This workshop specifically focuses on legislative strategies which are being employed in campaigns to eliminate barriers to organizing in the United States and Mexico. Facilitators: Robin Alexander and Saladin Muhammad, UE 1. Ice breaker: Angaza Laughinghouse and Nathanette Mayo (Fruit of Labor) lead group in song 3. Workers’ initiatives 4. Supporting these campaigns First NameRobin Last NameAlexander Contact E-mailInternational@ranknfile-ue.org Proposing OrganizationUnited Electrical Workers (UE) Organization Websitewww.ranknfile-ue.org, www.ueinternational.org, www.fatmexico.org/, Position or TitleDirector of International Affairs Contact Telephone412-471-8919 Event DayThursday, June 28th (Consciousness + Awareness Raising / Current Struggles) Contact AddressOne Gateway Center, Suite 1400 Formatsong, panels, small groups Contact CityPittsburgh KeywordsAdvocacy Anti-corporate power Antiracism Basic Needs (See also Human Rights, Economic) Class struggle Equality Globalization Hemispheric relations (see also North-South relations) Human Rights Human Rights, Civil & Political Human Rights, Economic, Social, and Cultural Immigrant Rights International solidarity Labor Movement building Networking North-South relations (see also Hemispheric) Politics Public services (see also Social Services) Social Services (see also Public Services) Women, Women’s Rights Workers Audience Number50-100 people Contact StatePA Contact ZIP15222 Person Reviewingjerome |