Federal Employees Organizing Program Organizing Committees

Transcription

1 Federal Employees Organizing Program Organizing Committees Tab #2 Dave Miskolczi

2 Overview Official Circular 768 Organizing in the IAM Establishing a District, Council, and/or Local Lodge Organizing Committees (LOC) Local Organizing Committee Functions Local Organizing Committee Structure LOC Member Profile (Who) Recruiting LOC Members (How) The Ugly Reality of the Field Identifying and Overcoming the Barriers to Organizing

3 Objectives Familiarity with the establishment, structure, functions, recruiting, and staffing of a District/Council/Local Lodge Organizing Committee. Identify and develop strategies for overcoming the barriers to establishing LOCs in the field. Ultimately - - the goal of the class is to foster the creation of proactive LOCs committed to growing the membership & strengthening NFFE/IAMAW..

4 Official Circular Overview This circular - Requires each GVP to designate a Territorial Organizing Leader (TOL) Specifies the duties of the TOL Facilitates the assignment of GLRs to Districts & Locals for the purpose of organizing Outlines the duties and responsibilities of the GL Organizing Department Requires each DBR to establish an on-going organizing program

5 Official Circular Overview This circular - Requires that every district and local lodge establish an Organizing Committee and forward the names & addresses of LOC members to the Resident GL Update LOC roster annually to IP, Territorial GVP, and GL Organizing Department Annual status report from DL and LL to Territorial GVP and GL Organizing Department concerning activity Territorial GVPs to ensure timely submission of status reports Permanent item on the Executive Council s agenda

6 Establishing an LOC LOCs can be can be established by: adoption of bylaws creating a Committee formal action (adoption of a motion made at a regular meeting) of the Lodge The Local Lodge President has the authority (IAMAW Constitution Art. C Sec. 1) to appoint committees not otherwise provided for this language means not otherwise provided for in the IAM Constitution, local lodge bylaws, or specific formal action of the local lodge.

7 Organizing Committees Matter! Two key findings from the AFL-CIO: effective committee election win rate NO 10% YES 62% committee size as % of workforce election win rate 5% 27% 15% 61%

8 Common Functions Provides and develops leadership - organizing Explains, demonstrates, and asserts our legal rights to organize Answers co-workers' questions Quickly counteracts agency/management propaganda Distributes NFFE/IAMAW leaflets & newsletters Produces its own agency specific flyers & leaflets Holds inclusive, democratic planning meetings

9 Common Functions Holds occasional formal "question & answer" meetings Holds informal meetings [parking lot gatherings, house parties, picnics, etc.] Signs co-workers up on authorization cards Compiles complete address lists of all co-workers Establishes dependable communication system Establishes a dependable telephone tree network

10 Common Functions Documents potentially illegal agency actions Creates optimism and generates energy Promotes a sense of ownership in the local Spreads the word" to other facilities and helps them establish new Organizing Committees Communicates & coordinates horizontally with other nearby Committees Communicates & coordinates vertically with FD 1 and/or Council Organizing Committees

11 Other Common Functions Union organizing campaigns, like political elections, are won or lost by the side that is able to define the issues or 'dominate the flow of information.' Information flows in several ways: Face-to-face conversations Formal with a specific purpose in mind Informal casual contact talking union Printed material brochures, flyers, Electronic media web pages, , blogs?

12 Structure of the Committee Ideally, the LOC should be a representative group in as many ways as possible, including: All departments & work areas - anywhere a group of employees could be considered to be in some way separated from other groups. Each shift of each work area should have a Committee member. A mixture of all classifications. The Committee especially should combine higher wage classes with lower wage classes.

13 Structure of the Committee Many agencies discriminate in various ways against women and people of color. The Organizing Committee should be representative of the diversity in the unit. Young employees and new hires have different concerns than those near retirement - all should be represented. The Committee should have enough structure that time isn't wasted getting through meetings or in deciding who will do what task. Ideally, the Committee should have a chair person, a secretary to take notes, and a person responsible for getting things done in each work area.

14 LOC Member Profile/Characteristics 1. Ability to listen. 2. Ability to encourage and develop leadership in others. 3. Ability to be flexible based on the situation. 4. Willingness to serve as a role model. 5. Impartial treatment of men and women, people of all races, nationalities, age, and sexual orientation.

15 LOC Member Profile/Characteristics 6. Ability to generalize (develop strategy and tactics) from specific problems of agency employees. 7. Ability to communicate with co-workers without arrogance and in a manner that encourages them to learn more. 8. Confidence and enthusiasm. 9. Discipline and responsibility. 10. Worthy of trust and respect by coworkers.

16 Recruiting LOC Members REMEMBER: People volunteer for their reasons, NOT yours! Its critically important to understand what motivates individual members to volunteer. One theory of motivation suggests there are five key motivators when recruiting volunteers achievement, recognition, challenging work, increased responsibility, and development.

17 Recruiting LOC Members REMEMBER: People volunteer for their reasons, NOT yours! Its critically important to understand what motivates individual members to volunteer. One theory of motivation suggests there are five key motivators when recruiting volunteers achievement, recognition, challenging work, increased responsibility, and development.

18 Recruiting Members for the LOC Three primary approaches to recruiting LOC members: mass recruitment (+/-) targeted recruitment (+/-) inner circle recruitment (+/-) When communicating to potential volunteers, it is important to address the following five issues: Need: What is the problem? Solution: Can I help? Fears/Questions: Can I contribute? Will I get support/help? Benefits: What s in it for me? Contact Point: How do I get involved? What steps do I take?

19 The Ugly Reality of the Field OK, all this stuff sounds good in the classroom and looks good on paper, but the reality back home is VERY different. Creating a viable Local Organizing Committee back home just isn t possible because

20 The Ugly Reality of the Field ASSIGNMENT: Using the blue forms provided, identify and describe at least five barriers/obstacles to creating a viable Local Organizing Committee. Please be as detailed and specific as possible. Once you have identified and described the barriers, rank them in order of significance (label the biggest/most important barrier 1, the second most important 2, and so on through 5). Once you have completed the assignment individually, discuss your list with the other members of the group, and then create a top 10 list as a group. Summarize each item on a flip chart and the green sheet. Have a member of your group prepared to brief the rest of the class. Time: Individually identify & describe barriers - 15 minutes Develop & record on the flipchart the top ten list of barriers 15 minutes Group Reports 15 minutes