“Powering Up ONA Local Units!”

Ohio Nurses Association E&GW RN Labor Institute

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

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Let’s pretend for a few minutes that ONA amended its governing

documents by adding the following article . . .

Duties and Obligations of Membership*

The power of ONA to achieve its objectives relies on an educated and active membership. All ONA members share basic duties and obligations of membership that include making good-faith efforts to attend union meetings and functions, to stay informed of union issues and events, to participate in union activities, to help build an effective local units, and to vote in union governance elections and contract ratifications. Members also should consider seeking positions of leadership and/or responsibility commensurate with their experiences/abilities as these positions become available. *Intended only to stimulate discussion in this workshop. No such article is being proposed or even contemplated as an amendment.

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How would your members react? Would they be . . .

HOT: They would react favorably because they already tend to understand that involved membership is the union’s strength and thus generally act accordingly.

WARM: They might react favorably but it would take some persuasion about the value of an involved membership and more members setting an example by being active in the union.

COLD : They would react unfavorably since the idea that members have a duty and obligation to be involved in the union is so counter to their current perceptions/experiences.

By a “show of hands,” let’s see how you answer . . .

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Let’s discuss . . . 1. Why did you assign this rating? What do you

see, hear or experience that leads you to this conclusion?

2. What is it like to be an ONA leader/activist these days? What is rewarding? Challenging? Frustrating?

 

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But doesn’t everyone agree that we want a union that is . . .

visionary and inspiringissues-driven and proactive

member-, workplace- and patient-centered open and democratic

highly visible and engaging high involvement and prepared for mobilization

POWERFUL

Is this the union you want to lead?

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But we struggle to build this in the face of . . .

• Too few activists/leaders.

• Too many uninvolved, “apathetic” members.

• A prevailing customer mentality among members, especially younger members (a.k.a. “coin-slot unionism”).

• Small numbers of members whose commitment to the union was forged through “struggle.”

• Challenges that can cause members to retreat into fear and a sense of futility.

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At the same time, many members have their own perspective . . .

• They recall their first introduction to the union as unfulfilling or negative.

• They have come to experience that union membership is “buying insurance” vs. joining a “community of colleagues.”

• They lack a substantive understanding what the union is all about, stands for and is trying to achieve.

• They define involvement narrowly and often see it as negative and unrewarding.

• They are mostly union indifferent (not necessarily anti-union) as union density has declined over generations.

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How did it come to this?

• We are largely the victims of our own success. And if we don’t act now, we become increasingly vulnerable to the external challenges we face.

• Solution lies in seeing organizing and mobilizing as an ongoing priorities--not something already done or no longer important and/or necessary.

• We need to consider think fundamentally about how members come to know the union in the first place, how they experience it on a daily basis (especially at work) and the nature of the relationships we form with them.

• Extraordinary effort required—not just a matter of better “marketing.” This entails dynamic and complex organizational change and shifts in attitudes, language, priorities, resources, skill sets, etc.

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Simply defined . . .

• Organizing . . . The process of turning potential members into members, members into activists, activists into leaders.

• Mobilizing . . . The inspiration of member activism to apply the power of solidarity and collective action in support of union goals.

• These are most successful . . . When led as a continuous process, primarily at the worksite level, person to person, focused on issues and built on relationships and experiences.

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“The Lifecycle of a Unionist”

ENGAGEMENTPerson is given reason to become interested in/pay attention to the union..

IACTIVATION / RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

Person begins voluntary action in support of the unionPerson joins and remains a member.

IINDUCTION

Member is oriented to union/comes to know its history, structure, values, etc.I

CONTINUAL ACTIVATIONMember continues voluntary action in support of the union.

ISECONDARY LEADERSHIP

Member assumes a formal leadership role.(Building site team, committee and task force work, etc.)

IPRIMARY LEADERSHIP

Member advances to highest levels of union leadership.(Site rep, area or program coordinator, union officer, etc.)

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Transactional vs. TransformationalOrganizing and Unionism

RationalBenefits, services

PassiveMarketing, sales

Talking, sellingEvent

Union is protectionMembers join the union

Customer

• Psychological• Issues• Active• Relationship, experience• Listening, connecting• Ongoing activity• Union is power• Members take a stand!• Unionist

A mini-case study in “Mobilizing”(Bargaining to Zero, Part 1)

Getting ready for negotiations, local union members said that winning improvements to retiree medical benefits was a top priority.

At the bargaining table, management not only rejected the proposal for retiree medical benefits improvements, but put forward a proposal to increase the employee costs for dependent medical coverage. Although the union negotiating team expected this proposal to go away quickly, it was still on the table at the expiration date of the contract.

After extending the contract for one week, both sides finally agreed to return to the current contract on medical benefits: the employer would continue dependent coverage at the same rate, but no improvements would be made in retiree medical benefits. With the issues of the medical benefits resolved, the parties reached a tentative agreement on the entire contract.

Did the outcome of these negotiations build the union’s power? Why or why not?

(Bargaining to Zero, Part 2)Only information in boldface type is new.

Getting ready for negotiations, local union members said that winning improvements to retiree medical benefits was a top priority.

At the bargaining table, management not only rejected the proposal for retiree medical benefits improvements, but put forward a proposal to increase the employee costs for dependent medical coverage. Although the union negotiating team expected this proposal to go away quickly, it was still on the table at the expiration date of the contract.

As negotiations reached a near crisis, a Contract Action Team of more than 100 members passed petitions, held worksite meetings and staged rallies to protest management’s takeaway proposal.

After extending the contract for one week, both sides finally agreed to return to the current contract on medical benefits: the employer would continue dependent coverage at the same rate, but no improvements would be made in retiree medical benefits. With the issues of the medical benefits resolved, the parties reached a tentative agreement on the entire contract. The turnout to the ratification meeting was the largest anyone could remember, and the members ratified the agreement with 75 percent in favor.

Did the outcome of these negotiations build the union’s power? Why or why not?

The parable of the push pin . . . A story about one union leader applied the principles of transformational unionism in a very simple, yet significant, way.

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Six ingredients for successful organizing and mobilizing:

1. New Member Outreach x 10: Engaged, educated (inducted) members/potential members oriented to activism.

2. Issues Organizing: Resonant/relevant issues and proposed solutions grounded in knowledge and ideas . . . that are well communicated.

3. Member Mobilization: “Things for people to do in order to get people doing things.” (Variety/range of involvement opportunities.)

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Six ingredients (continued):

4. Worksite Leadership Development: Network of worksite leaders who function as organizers—not just points of contact or 911 callers. Systems management—not just training!

5. Organizing Conversations: 70 percent listening + one-on-one asking in person as primary means for engaging and moving members/potential members to action!

6. Strategic Data Management: Emphasis on, and systems for, collection, management and use of data to guide organizing/mobilizing and to measure success.

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Q&A? Reactions? Discussion?

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