[P2P-F] Fwd: New Unionism: The network is the vanguard

Wed Jul 27 08:46:57 CEST 2011

Really good newsletter on labor/union developments ..

Amaia, could you do someting on the wall street campaign (related to 15m),
see the first item?

many thanks!!

Michel

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Peter Hall-Jones <phj at newunionism.net>
Date: Wed, Jul 27, 2011 at 1:28 PM
Subject: New Unionism: The network is the vanguard
To: Peter Hall-Jones <newunionism at gmail.com>

**

July 2011

* <http://www.newunionism.net>Work in Progress*
This newsletter is produced by the *New Unionism Network* to promote
organizing, workplace democracy, internationalism and creative thinking in
the union movement. You can find out more about us and/or join us
*here*<http://www.newunionism.net/join.htm>
.

*#occupywallstreet
*Recent calls for activists to occupy Wall Street, starting September 17,
are a deliberate salute to the spirit of Egypt's Tahrir Square. The
idea originated with the folk at
*Adbusters*<http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/occupywallstreet.html>,
but it has been taken up and promoted by many other groups in the last few
days. Competing slogans are flying thick and fast, but the central demand of
the event is crystal clear. This is an explicit challenge to the corporate
control of politics. The discussion is providing a wonderful, live
illustration of network member *Dan Gallin*'s recent maxim: "The network is
the vanguard."
Will they/we reach the goal of 20,000 campers? Will unions have a presence?
Will this be the turning point -- the American spring -- that people have
been hoping for? These are *not* rhetorical questions. The event will be
whatever we can make it. The all-important FaceBook group is here: *
http://goo.gl/TYwDy* <http://goo.gl/TYwDy>. You can have your say on the key
demand here: *http://goo.gl/Y9NbI* <http://goo.gl/Y9NbI>. Posters etc are
here: *http://goo.gl/Gd2Zf* <http://goo.gl/Gd2Zf>. The collective twittering
is here: *http://goo.gl/uxaBz* <http://goo.gl/uxaBz>.

*Democratizing work: Why and how
*Network member *Merrelyn Emery* draws on an international body of theory
and practice to support her case for the democratization of work. This is
vital stuff for unionists to understand, and Merrelyn has done a great
job of demystification. In discussing how we can move things forward, she
looks at the surprisingly simple world of organizational design principles,
before going on to argue for an employee-centered redesign process. This is
part one of a discussion in which she will argue that worker participation
needs to be supported by binding enterprise bargaining agreements. By
extension, in transition and in day-to-day practice, workplace democracy
needs healthy, independent unions.
*More…*<http://newunionism.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/democratizing-work-the-why-and-the-how/>

*The SHIH of organizing*
The first article in this series by *Rex Lai* was “The TAO of Organizing.”
Translated literally, Tao means the way or the path. This second article
focuses on SHIH - the ideal destination.

*“Shih, a position of potential force—the position of a boulder perched
precariously on a hilltop, say, or of a bowstring stretched taut. A tap on
the boulder, the release of the bowstring, and potential force is violently
unleashed…What matters is not following pre-ordained steps but placing
yourself in shih and giving yourselves options.”  *(Robert Greene, 33
Strategies of War).
*More...*<http://newunionism.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/the-shih-of-organizing/>

*Together at last!*
Here’s one to watch. Down in New Zealand, a country with an unusually
cohesive (though struggling) union movement, affiliates of the national
union federation have launched an innovative thing called "Together". We’re
calling it a *thing* because it doesn’t really fit into any of the usual
drawers. It’s not a union, not an NGO, not an organisation, not a network,
not an association, club, sect, faction, fraction, tendency or movement.
What it is, above all else, is a potential solution to several of the
quandaries that unions have been trying to solve for at least 10 years.
In the Council of Trade Union's own words: *"Together aims to connect
workers in un-unionised work places with the union movement and the union
experience." *In order to do this, it provides *"...help with issues like
workplace bullying, sick leave, holiday pay, employment agreements and
sexual harassment". *In other words, Together is a national service for the
"precariat" -- that rapidly growing cohort of workers who do not fit into
the standard labourist model of industrial capitalism. Will this be "the
missing link "-- a clear route between the precariat and the mainstream of
the labour movement? If not, will it become the first step of something that
evolves further? It is far too early to make any meaningful assessment of
the project, but, as the great Anon once said: *"The best map in the world
will not get you anywhere. Only going will get you there."
**More...*<http://newunionism.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/together>

*    Power in Coalition
**Richy Leitch* has reviewed several books on union renewal for this
network. The latest is *Power in Coalition* by Amanda Tattersall (Cornell
2010). The book seeks a more analytical approach, in examining
union–community coalitions. The author uses extended case studies to
identify common elements, patterns of success and possibilities/
limitations. For Tattersall, it's not enough for unions to report their
success stories – we need to reflect on *‘what’* worked, and *‘how’*. She
argues that such coalitions are effective only when based on commonly
determined goals, power sharing and building the capacity of participating
organisations...
*More*<http://newunionism.wordpress.com/2011/06/12/coalition/>...

*An aside to members (you other lot close yr ears!)
* <http://www.facebook.com/newunionism>Various folk in the network
(hopefully including yourself?) have been continuing discussions on
how to escape virtual reality. There's certainly no shortage of ideas flying
about. Here's eleven, for starters. They're not listed in any particular
order, and they're certainly not mutually exclusive. You can add to the
list, or ask for more explanation, or explain your preferences, on the
FaceBook group here: http://www.facebook.com/newunionism. (There's some cool
and funny pics as well.)
1) We set up an NGO which does whatever work the Network's financial members
decides is appropriate, in the name of New Unionism.
2) We set up an NGO to build the network and its resource base, seeking
direct union affiliations.
3) We work with unions to set up occupational networks on top of existing
structures.
4) We offer to provide keynote speakers on a range of topics for union
congresses etc.
5) We form a New Unionism co-op so that financial members can provide
services for the union movement (eg research, websites, speakers).
6) We don't decide anything... just aim to maximise discussions and build
relationships, on the basis that this will naturally lead to meaningful
results.
7) We use the U-Cubed model to set up small, linked groups at 4 different
levels: workplace / regional / national and global.
8) We develop a New Unionism accreditation process allowing financial
members/staff to audit workplace culture, and institute a Quality Mark for
use by genuinely democratic organizations.
9) We start a global campaign, centred in workplaces and promoting unionism,
to improve workplace culture.
10) We call for small teams of volunteers to work on implementing any/all of
these ideas. Let them decide the structure they need.
11) We build an international democratic socialist party from the ground up,
based on the Network's key principles.

JOIN US <http://www.newunionism.net/join.htm>
*
and there's more...

   - A new way to union
renewal?<http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=a_new_union_contract>
   - Economic democracy and new
unionism<http://column.global-labour-university.org/2011/04/economic-democracy-idea-whose-time-has.html>
   - Building progressive grassroots online <http://www.netrootsuk.org/>
   - Airline unions form global
alliance<http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/04/21/airline-unions-form-global-alliance/>
   - Workplace democracy pays
off<http://www.bnet.com/blog/entrepreneurs/why-it-pays-to-run-your-company-democratically/1794>
   - Non-hierarchical work
practices<http://self-org.blogspot.com/p/anti-hierarchical-artifices-for-groups.html>
   - Harnessing your email
list<http://alexwhite.org/2011/06/harnessing-your-email-list-for-change-great-advice-from-movements-org/>
   - The OpenWatch
project<http://www.boingboing.net/2011/06/24/copwatch-and-openwat.html>
   - Work hours per week around the
world<http://www.dailyhaha.com/linkout.asp?LinkID=5145&cat=news>
   - Social progress and economic
reaction<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-kuttner/economic-gap_b_880091.html?ref=fb&src=sp>
   - Has technology changed
organizing?<http://www.movements.org/blog/entry/q-and-a-with-marshall-ganz-on-technology-and-organizing-and-movements/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+movementsorg%2Fblog+Movements.org&utm_content=FaceBook>
   - New International for industrial
workers<http://www.ocnus.net/artman2/publish/Labour_9/IMF-ICEM-ITGLWF-Move-to-Create-a-New-International.shtml>
   - And now there's
AnonyMiss<http://www.boingboing.net/2011/03/21/anonymiss-the-yin-to.html>
   - Astroturf on
demand<http://www.boingboing.net/2011/03/07/glenn-becks-syndicat.html>
   - What conservatives really
want<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-lakoff/what-conservatives-really_b_825504.html>
   - Mapping the production
process<http://snuproject.wordpress.com/2011/02/16/mapping-the-production-process-organizing-and-transnational-shopfloor-networks/>
   - Better training
presentations<http://www.digicast.com.au/blog/how-to-improve-your-training-presentations?utm_content=jeena.murphy%40workingwise.co.nz&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=Read%20more%2E&utm_campaign=2011%20Learning%20Trendscontent>
   - U.A.W. organizing
offshore<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/13/business/global/13uaw.html?_r=3&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y>
   - Work-related stress in
Europe<http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/ewco/studies/tn1004059s/tn1004059s_5.htm>
   - Film: Not My
Life<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/armand-f-pereira/globalization-and-modern-slavery_b_809765.html>
   - Government workers of the world
unite!<http://www.economist.com/node/17849199?story_id=17849199>
   - Challenging the sweatshop
norm<http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/01/05/OneTinyFactory/>
   - Cyberunions - MA
Thesis<http://cyberunions.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/ma-iltus-dissertation.pdf>
   - Meet the Council of Global
Unions<http://www.global-unions.org/council-of-global-unions.html?lang=en>
   - Products most likely made by child
labor<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/18/child-labor-products_n_798601.html#s210960&title=13_Carpets>
   - China's wage growth
over-estimated?<http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2010-12/16/content_11712424.htm>
   - Short-time work and
flexicurity<http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/press/eurofoundnews/2010/december/newsletter2.htm?utm_source=december2010&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eurofoundnews>
   - Global Wage Report
2010/11<http://www.ilo.org/global/publications/ilo-bookstore/order-online/books/WCMS_145265/lang--en/index.htm>
   - Precarious work in Latin
America<http://www.icem.org/index.php?id=73&la=EN&doc=4151>
   - Prospect's partnership with
KETAWU<http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-18924-f0.cfm>
   - Meet Anonymous<http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2010/12/more_wikileaks>
   - Got a social media
strategy?<http://www.movements.org/blog/entry/how-to-craft-a-social-media-strategy-to-advance-your-cause/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+movementsorg%2Fblog+Movements.org&utm_content=FaceBook>

***
 *Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License*
**<http://newunionism.wordpress.com/2010/11/24/tax-havens-and-globalisation/>

*Feedback
*This newsletter comes out every couple of months-ish. Ok, so we've been a
bit slack lately. Anyway, we welcome your feedback, no matter how blunt the
language. Contact feedback at newunionism.net.  If you'd like to
SUBSCRIBE, just  forward this email to subs at newunionism.net with the word
SUBSCRIBE  in the subject line. And of course, you can also send a message
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-- 
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