Every city and reasonably sized town in the U.S. has a Chamber of Commerce where the "prominent citizens" -the bosses- meet and plan strategies for the furtherance of their interests. The state and federal government have congressional bodies made up of citizens, who if not personally endowed to riches, are generally obligated to wealthy benefactors. In contrast, there are no nationwide, state, or community based organizations of working people who meet to deliberate and plan appropriate programs for the benefit of working people in general. During the 1930's, the period of massive union organizing, such informal community based bodies of workers did exist because society as a whole was very different. Not only, did workers generally live within walking distance of their jobs, but there were strong working class communities and the people had a healthy respect for themselves as workers. They weren't "middle class". They weren't "associates" or "partners" to the bosses, nor did they style themselves as individuals "solely responsible for their own success." The workers' former sense of solidarity gave them great mental and emotional strength. Unions generally had strong locals and gathered support from these working-class communities during strikes and other labor actions. In fact, the famous sir-down strikes of the Thirties in places like Flint, Michigan would never have been successful if it weren't for the families and neighbors surrounding the plants and bringing food to the strikers.
Today, most folks live far from their jobs and have lost their sense of worker solidarity, so that a local strike is looked on as only the concern of those who work at the plant. Many workers do not realize thatevery lost labor battle eventually has a direct effect on wages and working conditions for everyone.
Nationwide unions represent 13% of the workforce while here in the South it is less than 6%. It is obivious that without organization, we working people have little chance of resisting the increasing attack on our lives and our living standards. However, before we can effectively organize our workplaces, we need to organize some form of community organization where we can build class solidarity while learning about our own labor history, its success and failures.
A WORKERS' CENTER is a new means of struggling, alongside of the unions, but outside of the workplace, a place where we can gather to talk about our problems and share tactics for combating the anti-labor activities of employers. As a community organization, the center would have the advantage of drawing employees from both large and small businesses, unionized and non-union. It would include the unemployed, and retired, and the families. The center would coordinate activities in supportive ways to aid those of us who are having difficulties with an employer. During a strike, for example, a workers' center could provide leaflets as to the issues involved, organize letter writing and phone calls to the media, assist in picketing, urge community groups to boycott the business, raise funds for the strikers and numerous other activities. A workers' center would not be a substitute for a union. However, because it is organized outside the workplace, it can carry on many activities that the unions are prevented from by law.
Having a central meeting place for workers would enable us to discuss polital and economic issues, and grow in an understanding of working class politics. As we broaden our perspective, and realize how our problems relate to those of workers in other communities, we will see the value of establishing some kind of interconnected national and/or international organization of such centers as perhaps, a first step toward gaining control over our lives.
More information on existent Workers's Centers may be obtained from LABOR NOTES, 7435 Michigan, Detroit MI 48210
We are hosting a Workers' Center at Joe Mocha's coffee house 330- 9th St N St. Petersburg, Fl 33713
We meet every Monday night at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on organizing a workers center in your area you can call Connie Furdeck 941-729-5128 or you can e-mail us at [email protected]
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