<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Peter Hall-Jones</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:phj@newunionism.net">phj@newunionism.net</a>></span><br>
Date: Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 2:07 AM<br>Subject: New Unionism - Whatever it takes<br>To: <a href="mailto:newunionism@gmail.com">newunionism@gmail.com</a><br><br><br><u></u>
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<td style="background-color:rgb(102,110,149)" rowspan="2" width="10">�<font face="Arial">�����</font>�</td></tr>
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<p align="right"><font color="#000000"><font color="#400080"><font><font color="#000000"><font color="#000000"><font face="Arial" size="1">December�2011</font></font></font></font></font></font></p>
<p align="left"><b><font color="#000000"></font><font color="#400080"><a href="http://www.newunionism.net" target="_blank"><font size="6"><img style="width: 76px; min-height: 79px;" alt="" src="cid:F424DB621DE6401CB454F512290B2BB1@HOME" hspace="0" align="right" border="0"></font></a><font size="6">Work in Progress</font></font></b><br>
<font color="#000000">This newsletter is produced by the </font><b><font color="#000000">New Unionism Network</font></b><font color="#000000"> to
promote organizing, workplace democracy, internationalism and
creativity in the union movement. You can find out more
about�the Network�and/or join�us </font><a href="http://www.newunionism.net/join.htm" target="_blank"><b><font color="#000000">here</font></b></a><font><font color="#000000"><font size="3">.<br><br><br><br><br>
<br></font></font></font><b><font color="#400080" size="5"><font size="6">Democratizing the
workplace</font><br></font></b><span><font color="#000000"><span><font color="#000000"><font><font size="3"><img style="width: 216px; min-height: 197px;" alt="" src="cid:716FF6113D13489CAD4FA12CE9E4A18F@HOME" hspace="0" vspace="2" align="left" border="0">In Part One of this
series, <b>Merrelyn Emery</b> argued that the democratic
approach to work out-performs top-down systems across the board.
It�s a conclusion she has tested over and over again in the course
of her career. But <i>how</i> can workers create democratic
workplaces, starting from the�usual autocratic base?
As�organizers will tell you, democracy can�t be installed from
above; it has to be built from the bottom up. Hal Draper put it this
way: <i>�Only by fighting for democratic power do (workers) educate
themselves up to the level of being able to wield that power.�</i>
In this article, Emery describes�a �participative design�
process�that sets out to change organizations from autocracies
(or laissez faire systems) into sustainable democracies. <a href="http://newunionism.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/participative-design/#more-1483" target="_blank">(more�)</a></font><br><br><br><br><br><br></font></font></span></font></span><span><font color="#000000"><span><font color="#000000"><font><font color="#000000"><span><font color="#000000"><span><font color="#000000"><font><font color="#400080" size="6"><b>Perils of
the Precariat<br></b></font></font><font size="3"><img style="width: 308px; min-height: 207px;" alt="" src="cid:DDE10A61AB394AF59CD25A4A139D5810@HOME" hspace="0" vspace="3" align="left" border="0">If you�ve been
puzzled by�the timing of this whole Occupy thing, <b>Guy
Standing</b>�s latest book -- �The Precariat: The Dangerous New
Class� -- is essential reading. If you�re a unionist or center-left
politician who�s been wondering where the hell your membership base
went (and how to win it back), ditto. At the heart of Standing�s
book is the contention that a new class is developing. Just as the
rise of the �proletariat� (or industrial working class) changed the
face of the 20th century, so is the rise of the �precariat�
affecting us today. The implications of this shift are no less
radical. Unionists who ignore this change, or cling to hopes of a
revival of the 20th century model, are already following in the
footsteps of the Guilds. <a href="http://newunionism.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/guy_standing/#more-1694" target="_blank">(more�)</a>�
<br><br><br><br><br><br><span><font color="#000000"><span><font color="#000000"><font><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><span><font color="#000000"><span><font color="#000000"><font><font color="#400080" size="6"><b>Ethics and
union by-laws<br></b></font><font size="3"><b><img style="width: 191px; min-height: 123px;" alt="" src="cid:AE9F4326C4084D89B0FCE97D39573D63@HOME" hspace="0" align="left" border="0">Phil
Lillies</b> has spent ten years applying his training in
philosophy and organizational development to the study of internal
workings of labour and community organizations. In this article he
focuses on union �bylaws � those rules and regulations that do
so much to reflect and condition union culture at local level. He
offers some reflections on how to write (or rewrite) bylaws in a way
that will help create a democratic, inclusive organization� one that
will inspire and empower its members to support good causes during
times of quiet as well as times of struggle. <a href="http://newunionism.wordpress.com/2011/11/22/ethics-and-union-bylaws/#more-1573" target="_blank">(more�)</a>
<br><br><br><br><br><br></font></font></font></span></font></span></font></font></font></font></span></font></span></font></font></span></font></span></font></font></font></span></font></span></p><span><font color="#000000"><span><font color="#000000"><font><font color="#000000"><span><font color="#000000"><span><font color="#000000"><font size="3"><span><font color="#000000"><span><font color="#000000"><font><font size="3"><font color="#000000"><span><font color="#000000"><span><font color="#000000"><font><font size="3">
<p align="left"><b><font color="#400080" size="6">Occupy
Together</font></b><br><img style="width: 242px; min-height: 370px;" alt="" src="cid:5318B7FA144648BB9D9B3F386A4B99C7@HOME" hspace="0" align="left" border="0">The International
Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)�has endorsed the Occupy
movement (<a href="http://www.ituc-csi.org/ituc-supports-occupy-movement.html" target="_blank">details</a>).
This follows endorsements and expressions of support from at least
three of the�major "global union federations": Education
International (<a href="http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/news_details/1990" target="_blank">details</a>);
UNI global union (<a href="http://www.uniglobalunion.org/__C1257537004AB759.nsf/0/7F0B36C86391BBEBC1257922003AD747?Open&Highlight=2,occupy" target="_blank">details</a>);
and the International Transport Workers� Federation (<a href="http://www.itfglobal.org/files/extranet/-1/32376/ITF%20Statement%20on%20Occupy%20Protests.pdf" target="_blank">details</a>).�Unfortunately,
the ITUC�announcement came on the same day that the founding
group was evicted from Zuccotti Park. Similar evictions have been
taking place elsewhere. As many activists are saying, "<i>we are
about to find out whether this is a moment or a movement</i>".
<br>Back in October the New Unionism Network voted overwhelmingly to
support the movement (<a href="http://newunionism.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/occupy/" target="_blank">details</a>).
Members have been�playing a supportive role in #Occupy actions
all over the world. Two new flyers are being distributed, outlining
members' proposed alternatives to capitalism. These can be
downloaded <a href="http://goo.gl/uwBxw" target="_blank">here</a> (Schweickart) and
<a href="http://goo.gl/bs8wR" target="_blank">here</a>�(Albert). If you can
help us build on this series or add to the work in any other way,
please contact <a href="mailto:communications@newunionism.net" target="_blank">communications@newunionism.net</a>.
<font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif">Details of
international sites and actions are <a href="http://occupywallst.org/action/november-17th/" target="_blank">here</a>.
You'll find out more about the movement, from a union perspective,
<a href="http://newunionism.wordpress.com/2011/11/01/occupy/" target="_blank">here</a>.
Another world is possible. Pass it on.</font></p>
<p align="left"><font face="Courier"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><font face="Courier New"></font><br>
�<br><font face="Courier"><br><br><br></font></p>
<p align="left"><b><font color="#400080" size="6">Beyond Robert's
Rules</font></b><br><img style="width: 272px; min-height: 147px;" alt="" src="cid:3B5A43404C7C44ADAB79D37E541A9D25@HOME" hspace="0" align="left" border="0">The next time you
have a members� meeting, why not try running it according to the
principles of �participative democracy�? (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_democracy" target="_blank">details</a>).
This approach seeks to�draw input from the largest possible
number of people. It is not new � in fact it probably predates
�representative democracy� � but it has received a lot of
publicity�recently because of its use (through sign language)
in the �general assemblies� of the Occupy movement. <a href="http://newunionism.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/beyond-roberts-rules/" target="_blank">(more�)</a><br><br><br><br><br><br></p>
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<div>�</div><font color="#888888">
<div>Peter Hall-Jones<br>Comms guy<br>+64 4 2360209<br>+64 27 8191999<br>Skype
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