Resolution No. 10: Building Worker Power with Strategic Campaigns

WHEREAS, the power of our union is built on a foundation of unity and solidarity; and

WHEREAS, hardline employers seek to gut our contracts by eliminating jobs, cutting benefits, slashing pay, contracting out our work and insisting on policies that put workers at risk; and

WHEREAS, in our growing labor movement, more and more workers are organizing, standing up, and striking for better pay, fair treatment and dignity at work across every industry and sector; and

WHEREAS, the changing economy is spurring growth in new manufacturing, technology and jobs that will require strong unions to protect workers in emerging industries; and

WHEREAS, global employers and multinational companies are driving anti-worker agendas with well-funded, strategically placed human resources and legal departments focused on driving down labor standards for workers worldwide; and

WHEREAS, we need to be proactive in our campaigns to build worker power, enhance our connections to the community, increase our strength at the bargaining table and unify our members in demanding dignity, justice and a voice at work; and

WHEREAS, we must be prepared for potential labor disputes and robust contract campaigns or we risk losing the protections and benefits our union has fought for and won over decades.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that:

1. We urge all locals to utilize the Building Power program, developed by our strategic campaigns department, as a crucial resource when preparing for tough contract negotiations. Building Power involves training with local unions focused on developing robust communication networks and tools, educating members and taking action to show support for the union and pressure employers to win fair contracts.
2. We will coordinate comprehensive contract campaigns in support of industry and company-based pattern and master agreements, ensuring members are connected and working together across locals to build and demonstrate our union power.
3. Our fight for fairness doesn’t stop when we win an organizing campaign. We are committed to supporting workers in newly organized workplaces in winning their first union contracts, utilizing all available resources in our union.
4. We continue to build union power by conducting strategic corporate research to identify and leverage organizing opportunities in both existing sectors of our union and emerging industries where employers seek to take advantage of workers and state and/or provincial and/or territorial resources, threatening our existing membership and exploiting a new generation of workers.
5. Our goal is always to achieve fair contracts in a timely way, but when necessary, we will prepare locals for potential strikes and lockouts, including through our Preparing for a Labor Dispute program, which is available to U.S. local unions and includes best practices for maintaining solidarity, supporting individuals and families, engaging communities and exerting maximum pressure on unfair employers. We will conduct strategic corporate research to identify external leverage opportunities and implement creative and effective actions that ramp up pressure on bad bosses. Whenever we are forced into a dispute, we will stand with and support locals to keep members engaged, run strong picket lines, build effective committees and stand together until we reach a fair agreement.
6. We are stronger when we have the active support of our families, the labor movement and our communities. We will encourage locals to build solidarity within their communities through good works projects, political engagement, education and alliance-building activities that forge active partnerships with local, national and global partners committed to the common cause of building power for working people.
7. Our fight for fairness, dignity and respect on the job is intricately tied to the plight of workers worldwide. We will work with unions and labor organizations globally to coordinate activities, share information and stand in solidarity to expand our collective power and increase our leverage with multinational employers.