Fucking no strike clause, what the FUCK
Liberals are fucking moronic scum, we have no freedom, we have no rights, we are granted no provisions for our betterment or even protection or basic decision making
I will destroy this evil land, I will spill the blood of oppressors and free my fellow workers from their chains
I AM RISEN 
My union had this whole fight about the field workers not wanting to advocate for something only the office workers would benefit from (remote work). They threw a whole stink about it and ended up letting management take it away without a fight. Office workers are pissed and we’ve had a couple quit over it.
Like what the fuck is the point of collective bargaining if you only bargain for things everyone benefits from?
A WIN FOR YOU IS A WIN FOR ME. CLASS SOLIDARITY, MOTHERFUCKERS.
It’s part of why I have moved on from “more trade unions is the most important thing.” Yes unionization is important and more unions is better than the fewer unions in every way, but they can easily be a dead end. Between the horrible laws in the US that restrict union activity and the reactionary thinking of “fuck you what’s in it for me” that is standard to Americans, there’s only so much unions can do.
It’s why I think a revolutionary workers’ party is necessary that works closely with unions but isn’t beholden to them.
Part of the reason I went for this job is because of an episode of Revleft. I cant remember the episode and its been years now… but they spoke about a lot of trade unions being very right leaning, especially for being a union. In particular, the IBEW is especially bad. But, getting lefties into these groups and pushing then further left is possible and very impactful.
Amazon workers trying to strike in the town over? Well, good thing the utility workers have class solidarity. It’d be a shame for something to “happen” to Amazon’s power.
Man it’s amazing, I work with some super-right wing people- like borderline Q conspiracy nut jobs
But as long as I’m careful about with my phrasing, I can go almost full Marx on their ass and have them nod along. At least when it comes to labor issues.
Guys at my place have the thin blue flag on their trucks. I’m in a similar situation.
“Class solidarity”? Thats communist junk. “A win for you is a win for me”? Hell yeah, brother.
“The bourgeoisie’s interests can never align with the proletariat” might actually get me punched in the face. “The boss don’t give a shit about you” will get a “damn straight!”.
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well said
AYYY found the episode
Climate Change as Class War: Building Socialism on a Warming Planet
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fskXlQ1Qrzf19gJlx2v0E?si=-69zj3n2Rg6k1-5Fa91AEQ
Hey, I appreciate your posting
Aw, thanks 😊
It goes back to the AFl. Gompers led a much more exclusionary union movement, and as time went on became more racist and anti-communist. However the reason a trade union federation was needed and is still a great development for that moment is because the Knights of Labor fell apart and fell apart hard. So a more organized “profession” union of trade workers with the specific purpose of collective bargaining directly with management proved effective in a time of serious reversals of labor power.
The problem is these things are not a substitute for socialism, and in fact create a stronger labor aristocracy. I can’t blame the craft unions for taking their shot and gaining those wins for themselves. It is a response that sadly makes sense even if you isolate yourselves. And as organized labor is crushed again, it is obvious that the same process is happening.
The office workers were union too?
Yup. Proud engineer and IBEW member here (its weird).
No yeah there are definitely unionized engineers, just wondering what the expectation was, cause a union advocating for non-union workers would be unusual but potentially cool
It’s not super unusual in Healthcare, but nurses build their whole identity around care, so it makes sense.
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I’m on disability to the point where pretty much the only thing I can do is office work; and if I’m unionized, and my union failed to come through on that, yeah I’d probably be a little fuckin livid about it, and probably looking for another job.
The old guard in a lot of unions is secretly against work from home because it makes it harder for reps to talk to workers.
Imo that’s terrible logic because it should be workers talking to workers with reps just there to fill the gaps, and because work from home is a reduction in working hours which is exactly what we should be fighting for.
Like what the fuck is the point of collective bargaining if you only bargain for things everyone benefits from?
I mean, the field guys have a point. They would also love to work from home, but they don’t have that option. So what is on the table for them in these negotiations?
A good union should be advocating for the entire unit, particularly when everyone is expected to stick their necks out at once. Talk about better hazard pay or overtime or sick leave as part of the negotiation package. It can’t just be field workers taking the hit in the name of “solidarity” when the office workers aren’t reciprocating.
A WIN FOR YOU IS A WIN FOR ME.
Make the implicit explicit and negotiation for benefits across the entire unit.
So what is on the table for them in these negotiations?
Literally everything you’d expect. Better pay, better retirement, more PTO, more vacation, more budget for safety equipment, etc.
We weren’t going out of our way to only cater to one group and forget about everything else. We just wanted to add one thing into the negotiation bundle.
In that case, idk wtf they wanted. That just sucks.
A lack of political training resulting in passively absorbed crab bucket mentality.
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Folks, I’m getting on my soapbox again. In America, unions are too hobbled by labor laws. Guess what isn’t really regulated in any way? Militias. Form a militia. Don’t go on strike, everybody just takes the day off for militia training which is done right out front, marching with rifles.
You know what gets regulated real fast when leftists exercise their second amendment (pfft) rights? Militias
Eventually, sure. Regulating them is probably good since about 99% of them are blatant white nationalists. I’m sure the pushback would be mostly against leftists or labor organizers, but the existing militias would take some damage too.
Law existing and law being applied are different things. There is no case the police would raid a white supremacist militia because they probably run it
Why avoid forming militias because they might be banned or regulated?
It’s the being arrested or murdered that deters people. And by the time corporate media is done with you, everyone will think you were in a terrorist cell.
I mean, if the militia is marching with red and black flags and stuff without a doubt you’re right. I think there’s an assumption a lot of people are making that I’m suggesting forming a communist militia, but that’s not the case - the militia would absolutely have to be outwardly apolitical.
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No doubt - and to be clear, I don’t think the answer to labor organization is always a militia, and it’s definitely not an explicitly left militia. The only situation where this would work is an outwardly non-political (in the American sense) militia
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Guess what isn’t really regulated in any way? Militias.
this is not true. at least in my state, forming a militia and marching with rifles outside your workplace is quite illegal and will get you v&d
It is unlawful for any body of men or women, other than the regularly organized militia of this State, troops of the United States, [and fuddy veterans orgs], to associate themselves together as a military company or organization, to drill or parade with arms in this State, except as hereinafter authorized; but, by and with the consent of the Governor, [private militias approved by the governor] and [military academies].
If you want to use your gun rights for spectacular purposes Black Panthers style, you have to actually know the law like they did. Please read your specific state’s laws before you do anything in this area, there are probably lots of pitfalls.
All 50 states prohibit private, unauthorized militias and military units from engaging in activities reserved for the state militia, including law enforcement activities.
Certainly, states with more restrictive gun laws will likely have more restrictive laws on militias. In my state there’s no restrictions. It’s probably also worth noting that “activities reserved for the state militia” would be well outside performing regular drills with your co-workers.
In Illinois performing regular drills with your coworkers is an activity reserved for state and other approved militias. In other states state-only activities are just making arrests and other cop shit. If you’ve checked the laws in your jurisdiction have at it, I just want to put a huge warning out to people that in many parts of the US militias are super illegal (for leftists at least) and you have to actually read the law to know what you’re dealing with.
Guess what isn’t really regulated in any way? Militias.
Do you know that for a fact? I’m not certain that that’s actually true. In fact I’m pretty sure all of them are (probably) illegal.
2nd amendment. Maybe the one useful thing we can get out of it.
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I don’t think there’s any reason they couldn’t do that, legally
Very common in the US. You can still strike, but it’s restricted to after your contract expires. This makes the contract periods restricted to legalistic enforcement of said contract, recruiting, and training.
Some unions can avoid the no-strike provision, but they have top be strong: high engagement, large membership, good leverage, militant leadership. American unions are usually weak and driven by a collaborationist, bureaucratic leadership. It takes a lot of work to run a proper union and the larger unions have figured out that you get a higher return on investment by raking in dues and then going through the motions with little staff or effort. Many will not even accept shops that are 100% ready to unionize, all the organizing done, because they think it won’t bring in more dues than justifies staff time (really, they are working in a large overhead for the higher-ups).
On the positive side, you can always create a reform movement within your union. Get like-minded folks together, memorize your union bylaws, and begin strategizing about how you’re going to (1) take over union leadership and/or (2) use your own power and narrative-creating abilities to force leadership to do what you want. Make your own demands leading up to the next contract fight! Print your own flyers and signs. Talk to friendly media about what you want.
The good union, the IWW, had it’s members killed, arrested, and deported. The AFL-CIO was probably the compromise that capitalism was willing to allow.
That’s not really correct. The AFL-CIO had significant infighting and the side that won was allowed to exist because they then purged the communists shortly after WW2, and then got Taft-Hartley for their troubles. It was still a good tool and made up of thousands and thousands of communists in the CIO, and beyond them it was still dangerous enough for the government to weaken it substantially.
Also the police literally killed CIO members, look up the Memorial Day Massacre. Let’s not call those 10 martyrs “compromise that capitalism was willing to allow” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1H62KeDWZI
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The union at my workplace has a policy where they won’t do any type of collective bargaining
It’s a bit of a long story but the existence of the union is 100% an op and controlled opposition made by the company itself at the advice of Bain consultants
This is more common than people realise. It’s called a “yellow union”. If you read about the AFL, and the later merge with the CIO, they’re pretty far down this path.
Almost the entire history of AFL CIO is class collaboration including infamously Samuel gompers
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Well they’re fucking us over right now and we can’t do anything about it because of this clause, we have no recourse but to wait and the contract can technically go years without being renegotiated or reaffirmed
seems like the lack of a firm contract expiration is the bigger issue really. Either way its fucking bullshit
The one two punch of “rule 1 which is good and fair” and “rule 2 which combined with rule 1 destroys the fairness”
Then they can point to rule one and say look how fair we are! While obfuscating rule 2
“Homeless people don’t want to work!”
to get a job you need to have recent employment history, a car, a house, and stable life“Fucking lazy homeless”
I hate this world we’ve been made to live in
There’s probably other concerted activity you can engage in beyond the grievance process. Organized sick outs, harassment of managers, slow downs, etc. Hell even if the strike would technically be illegal they can’t force you to work.
It’s usually traded for no-lockout, closed shop and dues checkoff. If they don’t get those,then it’s an open shop where reps are spending all their time collecting dues and the employer can lay everyone off without just cause.
Sometime they negotiate contracts without it for the sake of a first contract, but it’s rare, and tends to reduce membership rates.
There’s a cool middle ground UE does sometimes where they get language about striking over grievances or safety issues.
IBT has another cool workaround where they can respect other unions’ picket lines.
you’d best start believing in class collaborationist fascist countries, YOU’RE IN ONE
They can put whatever clause they want, worst that’ll happen is they dissolve the union and charge leadership some fines if yall have a wildcat strike. Even then, from what I’ve read, neither of those usually happen.
And for WHAT?!
We didn’t even get covid protection in our last contract in ‘21, governor had to step in.
Well, it’s okay! We can just bargain for the right to strike back, and if they won’t give it to us we can…. Fucking die I guess?
Start a new union. F that one.
I know that for certain unions, the only way to reorganize is to dissolve the union for a year and then start over lolol
That’s the legal way to switch unions, yeah. Your rep can also create a “service agreement” where you pay dues to your union in name but interact with reps from a different union.
Shit sucks, it should just be single vote (more or less) to reaffiliate your local with a different union
Can’t be done, if I’m not in the union I can’t have this job
The IWW will teach you how to “dual card” where your part of a buisness union, but form an IWW committee to do direct action your main union won’t do
A union that can’t strike is not a union, my dude
Thats why Im mad yes
It seemed like you were mad at liberals but not your particular “union”. Maybe I misread.
Not allowing striking is normally a conservative talking point.
Just so it’s clear, OP isn’t drawing a distinction here between amerikkkan liberals and conservatives. A lot of times when leftists complain about liberals or liberalism, people who aren’t exposed to leftism will mistakenly take this to mean that we’re pro-conservative. We are NOT pro-conservative.
When we talk about liberals, we mean in the broader sense of people who subscribe to the philosophical tenants of liberalism, or in other words, people who think that capitalism is a good and/or natural thing. To us, conservatives are pretty much just a subset of liberals who have even more reactionary opinions about certain social issues than the standard liberal. This misunderstanding isn’t the fault of the people who misunderstand, mainstream media depicts all politics as being a binary battle between the dems and the GOP, a sport where two teams face off and that’s it. But in much of the world, “liberal” is actually synonymous with right wing and that’s how we use it. In the US, liberal tends to mean “left wing” but only because the overton window is so grotesquely far to the right, and anticapitalism isn’t even a consideration in US politics.
Forgive me if you already know all this, but because we’re seeing new people around here due to federation, I think it’s a good idea to point this out and avoid the possibility of conflating our utter contempt for liberalism with any sort of positive view of conservatism.
Im mad that we cant strike to force the bullshit thats happening to stop, is my point
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Do we need rank-and-file committees to agitate within the unions? Or is that trot splitter bullshit?
Careful friend you’re not on lemmygrad, we have Trot comrades here on hexbear
And also yes we need rank and file agitation!
it is probably sectarianism so yes, but do we? I can’t remember meeting one tbh
You’re replying to one right now, comrade
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I’ve seen it yield good results. It’s also got a strong history in the US, Google “IWW double boring”
So, not just trot but anarchist too.
google “wildcat strike”
Just because we can doesn’t mean it’s easy. It’s hard enough to get Americans to strike when it’s legal and they have at least some protections
I smoke weed to avoid getting high
explain reference
That’s extremely fucking common
And extremely bullshit
Something something settlers something compromised unions
come backRead William z foster
We need a Foster copypasta or “read On Authority” bit for him
Facts
