I’ve been a union organizer since 2021. I was the lead organizer for my union. I’ve confronted bosses, stood up to billionaires, organized strikes, planned workplace actions, faced retaliation, and helped grow class consciousness within the working class. We won union recognition in March 2024, and I was illegally fired in December 2024. The case to get my job back is still ongoing. I have stories, knowledge, strategy, and more, so ask me anything!
Great question! When you’re just getting started, you want to be discreet. Don’t worry, there will be plenty of time for megaphones, picket lines, flyers, and confrontations. Start with your coworker friends, talk to them and get a feel for how committed they would be to helping you form your union. You are the first member of your organizing committee (oc), and recruiting friends allows you to practice your 1:1 union conversation skills. From there, identify and recruit influential people in your workplace; the people that know everyone, the people that are highly respected, etc. Your goal for the oc should be 10% of the workplace, and ideally over represents minorities (more than half of my oc were lgbt+, including myself).
To find a union for your workplace, think about your industry and then simply add “union” to the search. If you’re in tech, for example, the search “tech union” will give results for IATSE and CWA. Look into the values of the unions, and feel free to reach out. If you don’t like the vibes from any of the unions you find, then you can form an independent union.