1. What is “organising”? Why organise? Strategy
ORGANISING STRATEGY
What is “organising”? Why organise?
Strategy
Section 1: What is “organising”? Why organise?
If participants are clear on the definitions of “organising” and know why they want to organise, you might want to skip this section.
Aims:
To understand definitions of “strategic organising”.
To analyse why we want to organise and what prevents us.
Prepare ahead of time by working with union leaders to understand the union’s experiences with organising.
Delete or add slides as needed.
Time: 1 hour (19 slides), if you move at a brisk pace.
Section 2: Strategy Do not skip this section as it contains the framework for the overall curriculum.
To analyse elements of organising strategy.
To familiarise participants with contents of curriculum.
To identify and analyse barriers to sticking with our strategy and benchmarks.
The term “decision maker” can be used rather than “employer”. For example, informal workers might pressure a government entity or “decision maker” rather than an employer to improve conditions. Sub-contracted workers might need to pressure the company that controls their working conditions, the “decision maker”, rather than the direct employer.
Activity:
What might the employer (or decision maker) do or say? (slide 26)
Divide into small groups by company, geography or type of workers.
Small group discussion: 15 minutes
Large group discussion: 15 minutes
Print one copy of the activity slide for each small group.
Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes (34 slides), more time if discussion is needed.

2. What is “organising”?
Ask participants to individually write down their answers, discuss in pairs or, if deeper discussion is needed, form small groups.

3. What is “organising”?
Increasing the participation of workers in unions.
The goal is to increase union power in our workplaces and industries.
Discuss what is different about these answers from the participants’ answers. There is more than one correct answer.
By “increasing the participation”, we mean bringing the workers together (new and existing members) and increasing their involvement in the union.
No matter how strong or weak we are as a union, we can always increase the depth of involvement and participation of the workers.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

4. Learning from each other
Organising situations share many of the same principles despite their particular realities.
We need to continually adjust our plans to fit each of our unique situations.
Every organising situation is different. We must work with the particular realities that we are facing. Each of us will have to make judgements and resolve dilemmas about how to proceed.
Every organising situation is similar. There are common-sense principles of organising that are used by transport workers around the world. We can share what we have learned with each other.
There are common situations that we can expect to confront. For example, workers facing up to the strength of employers will feel a level of fear and doubt as to whether we will succeed. This is universal, whatever our culture or language or level of oppression. The amount of fear and doubt may vary, but fear and doubt will occur when we challenge power.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

5. How is organising different from recruiting?
Signing up union members (recruiting) increases our numbers and our income from union membership dues.
Recruiting is part of organising, but if the new members do not participate in the union, we have not organised them.
Additional discussion, if needed:
* Organising is different but not separate from campaigning, recruiting, networking, targeting and research. It contains all of these elements.
* Campaigning and organising are closely linked, but different. Campaigning focuses on what we are doing to put pressure on the employer. However, if in campaigning we pressure the employer without sufficient involvement of workers, we will not have built the union. Even if we win substantial benefits for workers as part of a campaign, we may have weakened the union rather than strengthened it if the workers were not involved.
* Research helps us to clearly identify the employer or major decision-maker and to learn their and the industry’s strengths, weaknesses and points of vulnerability. Sometimes the employer will not be the major decision-maker (sub-contracted workers and informal workers).
Targeting helps unions decide where and when to organise. Targeting will depend on the interest and ability of workers to organise. It will also involve an understanding of the employer and the industry, including their position within the global or regional transport hubs and supply chains.
Networking helps us connect union structures and leaders globally and regionally within our companies. A strong network involves workers and is thus able to co-ordinate actions on the ground as well as share information.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

6. What is our union’s interest in organising or increasing worker participation?
We already have union structures, and we want existing members more involved in our union.
We want to organise non-union workers and win union recognition.
It is likely that the union has an interest in increasing the involvement of existing members.
Increasing the involvement of existing members helps us find people who can build relationships with non-union workers.
Discuss whether the union is interested in organising union workers, non-union workers or both.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

7. ACTIVITY: Why do we want to organise? Why are we hesitant to organise?
Aim: To share and analyse our reasons for organising.
Tasks:
Select a facilitator and timekeeper.
Review your definition of “organising”.
List and discuss the reasons why we want to organise and why we are hesitant to organise.
Think about your individual reasons and the union’s reasons.
Pay special attention to the reasons why we are hesitant to organise. This will help us understand what obstacles and barriers we need to overcome.
Prepare to share with the large group.
If there is any confusion about the use of the word “organising”, remind participants of the definition of “organising” as increasing participation of workers in unions.
This activity can be completed in the large group, small groups, pairs or individually.
Print one copy of this activity slide and the following slide (“Why do we want to organise? Why are we hesitant to organise?”) for each small group.
Post completed activities so that you can refer to them.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

8. Why do we want to organise? Why are we hesitant to organise?
Print one copy of this activity slide for each small group.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

9. Why do we want to organise?
To help other workers
To improve the industry and the economy
To improve working conditions
To protect
conditions for
current union
members from
unfair wage
competition
To build collective power for workers
Discuss what is different about these answers from the participants’ answers. There is more than one correct answer.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

10. Why are we hesitant to organise?
Too difficult and we might not win.
Workers will get pressured.
The workers are apathetic.
Not enough time and resources.
Too many problems to resolve with our current members.
Discuss what is different about these answers from the participants’ answers. There is more than one correct answer.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

11. What have we done in the past to help us organise and increase member participation in our union?
Ask participants to individually write down their answers, discuss in pairs or, if deeper discussion is needed, form small groups.
Share three or four answers, and write them on a flip chart or add them to the PowerPoint.
Spend more time on this discussion if there is past organising history in the union that is relevant to the union’s current plans for organising.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

12. What is a union? WHAT IS ORGANISING?
Ask participants to individually write down their answers, discuss in pairs or, if deeper discussion is needed, form small groups.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

13. What is a union?
An organisation of workers acting collectively to improve working and social conditions for all workers.
Discuss what is different about this answer from the participants’ answers. There is more than one correct answer.
Think about all of the different forms of worker organisation in transport: collectives of informal workers; associations of self-employed workers who own their own trucks; or sub-contracted workers whose working conditions might be controlled by a company that is not their official employer.
Is the goal of unions to improve conditions for their members or for all workers? Is it possible to do one without the other?
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

14. Why do unions need worker participation?
Sometimes unions have enough power to win improvements in conditions without involving the majority of the workers.
Without worker participation, we may win improved conditions, but will we have organised a stronger union?
Ask participants if they can think of an example of unions winning improvements without involving the majority of the workers.
Discuss the difference between winning conditions and organising a union.
You might want to remind workers of the definition of “union”: an organisation of workers acting collectively to improve working and social conditions for all workers.
This discussion is particularly important when participants are from strong labour environments. You may want to break into small groups or pairs to deepen the discussion.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

15. Three common reasons some organising plans fail
Workers not willing or able to take risks necessary to win.
Lacking a good plan with insufficient support.
Not having a clear vision that workers can support.
Discuss what is different about these answers from the participants’ answers. There is more than one correct answer.
You might want to ask participants if they can give an example of when (1) workers were not willing or able to take the risk to get involved; (2) the union needed a good plan with sufficient support; and/or (3) the union did not have a clear vision that workers could support.
These three points are interrelated. Sometimes workers are not willing to take the risks necessary to win because the union does not have a good plan or vision that they can understand and support.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

16. What power does the employer have?
What power does a worker have?
Ask participants to individually write down their answers, discuss in pairs or, if deeper discussion is needed, form small groups.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

17. What power does the employer have? What power does a worker have?
Economic resources
Control of capital and global economy
Attempted control over workers
Legal tools and resources
Allies in the government, media, other companies and society
Other
Collective solidarity… if organised
Skill and ability to affect production or services… if organised
Control of key positions in global supply chains… if organised
Allies with other workers and communities, locally and internationally… if organised
Legal tools and resources… if organised
Allies with government and media… if organised
Other
We have to plan carefully how to move from a position of individual weakness to collective strength.
As organising begins, the power relationship with the employer changes, sometimes subtly.
We need to be especially strategic during this time to protect ourselves and our co-workers.
You might want to ask participants what the phrase “control of global economic framework” means in this context and discuss ownership of capital, global capitalist economics and the implications for workers of challenging this economic system.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

18. Anything else to discuss about what we mean by “organising” and why organising is important?
Ask participants if there is anything else we need to discuss or if there are any questions about what we mean by “organising” and why organising is important.
WHAT IS ORGANISING?

19. Strategy Section 2: Strategy
Do not skip this section as it contains the framework for the overall curriculum.
Aims:
To analyse elements of organising strategy.
To familiarise participants with contents of curriculum.
To introduce benchmarks as a key part of strategic organising.
To identify and analyse barriers to sticking with our strategy and benchmarks.
Prepare ahead of time by working with union leaders to understand the union’s experiences with organising.
The term “decision maker” can be used rather than “employer”. For example, informal workers might put pressure on a government entity or “decision maker” rather than an employer to improve conditions. Sub-contracted workers might need to pressure the company that controls their working conditions, the “decision maker”, rather than the direct employer.
Delete or add slides as needed.
Activity:
What might the employer (or decision maker) do or say? (slide 26)
Divide into small groups by company, geography or type of workers.
Small group discussion: 15 minutes
Large group discussion: 15 minutes
Print one copy of the activity slide for each small group.
Time:
1 hour and 30 minutes (34 slides), more time if discussion is needed.

20. What is strategy? STRATEGY
Ask participants to individually write down their answers, discuss in pairs or, if deeper discussion is needed, form small groups.
STRATEGY

21. Strategy involves planning ahead about what situations might arise and adjusting our actions accordingly.
Discuss what is different about these answers from the participants’ answers. There is more than one correct answer.
We need to think through all of the difficulties and barriers we are likely to encounter and how we will face each one. We need to be at least one step ahead of employers and decision makers.
Our strategy will continually be adjusted as new situations arise.
STRATEGY

22. Planning Your Organising Strategy
A good plan does not hide our difficulties or weaknesses.
A good plan does not underestimate the power of the employer or decision maker.
STRATEGY

23. Planning your organising strategy
When planning organising strategy include participants who are:
Union members
activists
Union staff
Elected union
leaders
Non-union workers
Think about recruiting participants who can relate to other workers based on:
Age
Gender
Geography
Industry
Occupation
Culture
Language
Other
In the large group, discuss what other individuals and groups the union might want to include in your planning.
STRATEGY

24. Will workers feel pressure to not become involved in the union?
In most of the world, workers will face strong anti-union campaigns.
Where unions are well established, there may not be significant pressure on workers.
However, even in a stable labour relations environment, a challenge to established power relationships may create pressure on workers.
In the large group, discuss whether workers will feel pressure or face an anti-union campaign from the employer.
STRATEGY

25. ACTIVITY: What might the employer (or decision maker) do or say?
Aim: To predict what the anti-union campaign might look like.
Tasks: Select a facilitator and timekeeper.
Discuss what the employer has done in the past to prevent workers from organising.
List everything you think the employer might do or say.
Prepare to compare your lists with others.
This activity can be completed in the large group, in small groups, in pairs or individually.
Print one copy of this activity slide for each small group.
Post completed activities so that you can refer to them.
STRATEGY

26. What might the employer do or say?
Support workers’ efforts to organise
Befriend workers
Promote union supporters to management
Give raises and make promises
Increase discipline or fire union supporters
Discredit union leadership
Start anti-union “loyalty” committee (“yellow union”)
Terminate unpopular managers
Threaten to close the company
Meet with the workers one-to-one
Use physical violence
Say “Give us a second chance, we promise to improve things”
Say “We are all one happy family”
Say “The union is the outside party”
Say “It is not my decision”
Say “You don’t need a union because you have a works council”
Yell and intimidate
Hire an outside anti-union consultant
Other
Discuss what is different about these answers from the participants’ answers. There is more than one correct answer.
Sometimes the employer will create such conflict and pressure in the workplace that workers will stay away from the union.
Add or delete from your list until you have a quick picture of how the employer might respond to workers organising.
STRATEGY

27. How can we build a step-by-step plan to build the collective strength that we need to face the employer?
Let participants know that this curriculum will help us create such a plan.
STRATEGY

28. This is a framework from which we can create our organising strategy
This is a framework from which we can create our organising strategy. There may be topics that are not relevant for your organising situation, and some topics may be missing. Add or delete from the framework so it is useful for your organising.
The stars are reminders of key benchmarks for worker participation. Later, we will spend more time discussing how to set these benchmarks.
The ITF curriculum gives us a PowerPoint module for each topic included in this framework.
(Please send any recommended changes to this framework to the ITF Education Department.)
STRATEGY

29. STRATEGY Ask whether these terms are clear.
Adjust the terms to fit your organising situation, language and culture.
STRATEGY

30. STRATEGY Ask whether these terms are clear.
Adjust the terms to fit your organising situation, language and culture.
STRATEGY

31. STRATEGY Ask whether these terms are clear.
Adjust the terms to fit your organising situation, language and culture.
STRATEGY

32. Adjust the framework to fit your organising situation
For example:
You might want to map the workplace first in order to determine where the workers are and what they are concerned about. OR
You may want to start addressing workplace problems right away as a way to energise workers to become involved.
Ask participants if there is anything in the overall framework that they think needs to be adjusted now.
Let participants know that there will be numerous other opportunities to make adjustments to the framework.
At the end of each module, there is an opportunity for open-ended discussion.
STRATEGY

33. What are “benchmarks”?
“Benchmarks” are specific goals that measures levels of worker involvement.
In our strategic framework there are four key benchmarks.
Add additional benchmarks or delete benchmarks that are not relevant.
Be generous about adding benchmarks and careful about deleting any.
Even if you predict that your employer will not be anti-union and that you will win improvements in working conditions easily, the goal of organising is to increase worker participation in the union, and benchmarks are the way to measure progress toward this goal.
STRATEGY

34. Benchmarks are goals for the levels of worker participation that we need in order to build the union and win concrete improvements for the workers. Our strategy is to meet the benchmarks before publicly confronting the employer.
The percentages can be set at any level, but they are often set at 75 per cent in order to build majority support from the workers.
You will set the benchmarks that suit your organising situation.

35. Ask participants if they have any questions about this example.
The leaders mentioned under the “arbolitos (worker networks)” benchmark are worker leaders who have agreed to contact approximately five other workers and keep in person-to-person communication with them regarding the union. Some of these worker leaders might be from the current leadership of the union (delegates, stewards, elected leadership), and many of them will be new leaders or communicators whom we have recruited for this specific responsibility of communicating with five people about union matters. The “Arbolitos (Worker Networks)” module describes this process in detail.
These arbolitos (worker networks) are then also used to assist with the worker training. This is described in more detail in the “Training” module.
STRATEGY

36. Sometimes with preparations for a large mobilisation or strike, unions will skip the two middle benchmarks related to worker communications and trainings and go straight from gathering workers’ contacts to asking them to participate. We can successfully mobilise workers to participate this way, but if we want to organise so that we have built workers’ participation more permanently, then these two middle steps are critical.
If we need 4,000 workers at a national rally, we may need to get 3,000 of them to commit to attend in order to create the necessary momentum to overcome apathy. Set the number you need to attend first, whether it is 4,000 or 40, and then set your benchmark percentage accordingly.
Ask participants if they have any questions about this example.
STRATEGY

37. The benchmarks in this example have been set at 30 per cent
The benchmarks in this example have been set at 30 per cent. The union only needs enough statements from this department for a media event.
However, if the union was preparing for industrial action, it would likely set its benchmarks at 75 per cent in order to ensure majority participation during a strike.
Ask participants if they have any questions about this example.
STRATEGY

38. Set your own benchmarks
Set the benchmarks at the percentage that fits your organising situation.
Benchmarks should be high enough to build a strong union power for the future, not simply enough to meet a mobilisation event or a legal requirement for union recognition.
STRATEGY

39. We need to adapt and change as circumstances change.
Build in regular reviews and discussions of our strategy and benchmarks.

40. When workers will be facing pressure from the employer…
Benchmarks are often set at 75% to ensure majority support from workers.
Once we publicly confront the employer pressure against the workers increases.
Some workers will reduce their involvement, which undermines our majority support.
When workers are protected from employer pressure, you might want to skip this slide.
You will probably want to keep the campaign as quiet as possible until you have met your benchmarks. Don’t surface too early with written materials as these can easily get left behind or passed to the employer.
Keep to small meetings of two to five workers who trust each other, and avoid holding larger meetings. Once the organising and the union presence become public, the employer is likely to begin creating more of a climate of fear, which can make it harder to reach people and meet our benchmarks.
You might want to ask participants if they have any experience organising “underground”.

41. When workers are protected from employer pressure…
Focus your organising on the areas where the union needs and wants more worker participation.
Decide the level of worker participation you need.
When workers are protected from employer pressure, the benchmark percentages are still a very key point. Encourage as much discussion as possible of this aspect of the strategy.
We need to be prepared for the subtle and sometimes “kind” ways that employers can divide workers from each other and from the union.
Even if delegates are protected, the rest of the workers may be exposed. Laws or contract provisions may not be enough to protect workers in their day-to-day work.
If the group is not unified on how to work with their benchmarks, that is fine. We will be continuing to discuss benchmarks in the “Benchmarks and Work Plans” module.

42. Why might union leaders decide to confront the employer or decision maker without majority worker support?
Union leaders might include union activists, involved members and participants in the workshop as well as elected leaders and union staff.
Ask participants to individually write down their answers, discuss in pairs or, if deeper discussion is needed, form small groups.
Share three or four answers, and write them on a flip chart or add them to the PowerPoint.

43. Pressures on union leaders to confront the employer without majority worker support
Lack of time and resources
Belief that the workers will never be ready
Hope that worker support will naturally increase
Groups of workers in another location or country being ready before others
Challenges to the culture of the union
Desire to take immediate action to assist others who are weak
Not having an organising plan

44. How can we avoid confronting anti-union employers or decision makers before we are ready?
If workers are protected from employer pressure, you might want to skip this slide.
Ask participants to individually write down their answers, discuss in pairs or, if deeper discussion is needed, form small groups.

45. How can we avoid confronting anti-union employers or decision makers before we are ready?
No media releases or public announcements.
No written union materials.
Do not work to resolve workplace problems too early. Explain to workers the overall strategy of waiting until we have built enough support before we begin to act against the employer.
Other
If workers are protected from employer pressure, you might want to skip this slide.
Discuss what is different about these answers from the participants’ answers. There is more than one correct answer.

46. If there are external deadlines…
With contract negotiations or a privatisation threat, it is essential that the union begins organising early.
Too often we wait or delay our organising work and then blame the workers if they are not involved when we need them.

47. What if the employer finds out?
If workers are protected from employer pressure, you might want to skip this slide.
Ask participants to individually write down their answers, discuss in pairs or, if deeper discussion is needed, form small groups.

48. If the employer finds out…
We stick to our strategy.
If union organisers are terminated we may be forced to take public action. However, at the same time we can quietly and systematically continue our mapping and training of workers.
If workers are protected from employer pressure, you might want to skip this slide.
Discuss what is different about these answers from the participants’ answers. There is more than one correct answer.
The ITF Strategic Campaign Manual can assist with planning how to put pressure on the employer.

49. What if we need to decrease our organising resources?
If you already have union representation for the workers you are organising, you might want to skip this slide.
Ask participants to individually write down their answers, discuss in pairs or, if deeper discussion is needed, form small groups.

50. What if we need to decrease our organising resources?
We still keep in communication with and support the workers who have become more involved.
Setting benchmarks helps us set the groundwork for difficult decisions.
If workers understand and share in the decision-making about the benchmarks, it is easier to return with renewed resources at a later date when conditions are improved.

51. Ask participants if there are any further questions or discussion needed on this framework for organising strategy.
Ask if we need to adjust this framework for our particular situation before we proceed.
You may want to remind participants that:
A good plan does not hide our difficulties or weaknesses.
A good plan does not underestimate the power of the employer or decision-maker.
Workers and union leaders need to see that there is a plan to move forward step-by-step to build the collective strength we need.