Why Organize

There is strength in numbers. That is the mantra educators can embrace when they want to make meaningful changes. The more members we have, the louder our voice makes it difficult for those in power to ignore the concerns our members bring to their attention. The most effective way to bring about positive change is to organize your fellow educators about the issues they care about the most. What do educators care about? They care about many things, but through meaningful one-on-one conversations or surveys, locals can discover what educators are most concerned about. Once those issues are identified, locals can prioritize what issues they can build an organizing campaign around. Here are some things to consider when building an issue campaign:

• Is widely felt. How common is the problem? How many workers face this situation? Many people must feel that this is a real problem and agree with the solution you’re pursuing.

• Is deeply felt. Is this an issue that people feel strongly enough about to actually do something? It’s not enough that many people agree, if none are really hot under the collar.

• Is winnable. It’s hard to know for sure whether you will win, but it’s possible to have a good idea whether you can. Your group should match your demand to the power you’ve already got. To win, you’ll need to make it harder for the decisionmaker to keep saying no than to say yes. The more pressure you can bring to bear, the more issues will become winnable.

• Builds the union and builds leaders. Consider how this fight will build your capacity for future fights. Will the issue attract leaders or groups who haven’t been very involved? Will it build solidarity between groups? Will it give you the chance to try an action that’s one step beyond what you’ve done before? Will the solution lay the groundwork for future improvements? Each fight should build off the last. It often happens that we don’t win the concrete gain wanted, but we do come out smarter and better organized—which makes it more likely we can win next time.

• Has a connection to students and the public. If the issue affects students, parents, and the community, it grows your potential group of activists and the potential support. A GOOD ORGANIZING ISSUE LABOR

Source: Secrets of a Successful Organizer labornotes.org/secrets If you want to learn more about how your local can build an issue campaign, contact your UniServ Director.