Unions & Democracy in the 21 st Century. Elaine Bernard, PhD Labor and Worklife Program & The Trade Union Program, Harvard Law School

Transcription

1 Unions & Democracy in the 21 st Century Elaine Bernard, PhD Labor and Worklife Program & The Trade Union Program, Harvard Law School

2 Leadership is accepting responsibility for enabling others to achieve purpose in face of uncertainty.

3 Crisis & Uncertainty Context of the Great Recession of 2008 (near global financial system collapse) caused by the financial sector & failed economic policies of

4 failed economic policies Privatization, Deregulation & Free Trade

5 The Banks were Rescued

6 Wall St. Recovered

7 Wall St. Recovered

8 But not workers.

9 And not their families.

10 Anger but who s the target?

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16 Austerity and the War Against Unions in Canada

17 Financial Crisis Political Opportunity

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19 Well planned anti-union offensive in both US & Canada ALEC American Legislative Exchange Council Get unions to spend down revenues (defending against attacks) Permanently weaken unions (Attack on dues collection, organizing, collective bargaining, right to strike ) Capture public revenue streams for private corporations (privatization)

20 Attack on Pensions Eliminate Defined Benefit Pensions Stir pension envy (of public sector workers pensions) Pensions a massive source of capital to be tapped Companies & Government seek to shift long term risk (onto individual workers) Financial industry interested in new savings programs (with hefty transaction & management costs)

21 WHY THE WAR ON UNIONS? WHY UNIONS MATTER

22 Union Won Benefits Job security Salary protection Paid vacations Promote consistent/fair treatment Voice in work scheduling Recognition & premium for overtime A say in hiring/promotion A united voice in dealing with the employer Impartial process for resolving complaints Protection against unfair treatment Role in setting and enforcing occupational health & safety standards Collective power in standard setting & promotion of the profession

23 What Do Unions Do? Beyond Wages & Benefits Organization for winning rights Vehicle for exercising rights Schools for democracy where workers learn they have a right to participate in decisions that affect them Builders of a community of interest among members and with the wider community Provide voice vs exit - providing management with valuable, knowledgeable feed back essential for systems improvement Premier institution of civil society, promoting democracy in the workplace, economic and social justice and equality

24 What Unions do for the employers Aggregate employee interests Develop a greater commitment by employees Promote (pride) & professionalism Bring additional training resources Negotiate mutually agreed upon standards (procedural justice) Promote voice (vs exit & reduced turnover) Force competition on factors other than wages (skill, innovation) Provide an institutional memory Form a flexible, private, system of workplace regulation (firm based grievance & dispute resolution)

25 Why Unions Matter to Society "In democratic countries, knowledge of how to combine is the mother of all other forms of knowledge; on its progress depends that of all the others." Alexis De Tocqueville 1831

26 Learning how to combine is learning to be an engaged citizen in a democracy Democracy requires an organized citizenry with the power to articulate and assert its interests effectively.

27 Unions Build Citizenship Political Role of unions (organizing for social goods) Social goods (acquiring & assuring universality & quality) Economic fairness (for workers in general, living wage, social security) Democracy (rights and responsibilities to participate) Learning Democracy (democratic, self-governing organizations) Develop Leadership Skills

28 Unions - a Countervailing Force to Concentrated Wealth & Corporate Power

29 Louis Brandeis Supreme Court Justice We may have democracy, or we may have wealth concentration in the hands of a few, but we cannot have both.

30 Unions folks who created the middle class

31 Collective Bargaining a right not a privilege Freedom of association in the workplace means The right to organize (form a union/association) The right to engage in collective bargaining (over wages & working conditions) It s not a privilege granted by government but a right exercised by workers

32 Union Organizing the myth

33 Union Organizing the reality Vast majority of union members did not participate in an organizing campaign. They simply discover they are union members as a result of the job and employer they chose.

34 As an experience good unions need to be experienced to appreciate their true value

35 Importance of the Local Union Experience Where members join the union Where members experience the union Where members become involved in the union Where members shape the character of the union The keystone of the union because it s the foundation for membership participation and leadership development (union, political, community ) LOCAL LEADERS, STEWARDS, BUILDING REPS & WORKSITE LEADERS YOU are the people who are the union to most members.

36 Lighting a Union Fire Need to re-ignite unions Move members from passive dues payers to active members (active in the local & active in the community) Requires a focus on how things are done as much as what is done (learning to light fires vs putting them out )

37 Something s happening

38 21 st Century Challenge for Unions: Institution vs. Social Movement

39 Change comes from power & power comes from organization.

40 Leaders Light Fires