shemaarma writes:

"Yes We Can!" Labor Organizing Campaign

London, Dec., 2005

            Organising for power: from theory to practice to taking power back


            A series of three free workshops on organising with Valery Alzaga

            December 3rd, 10th and 17th, 6pm, at Goldsmiths College, room 124, main
building (nearest tube: New Cross, New Cross Gate)


            Valery Alzaga has been a labour organiser in the ‘Justice for Janitors’
campaign in the USA for eight years, and worked extensively on issues around
migrant rights, social justice and capitalist globalisation.
            December 3rd, 6pm

            Workshop I: Locating Labour in the Global Justice Movement


            A contemporary understanding of labour: setting the context

            - Overview of the global corporate market and it’s effects on labour

            o The changing of labour & capitalism – from manufacture to service
sector

            o Hyper-exploitation systems (subcontracting, privatization,
walmartization, economies of scales, union-busting, migrant workers)

            o The legal frameworks

            - Why does labour really matter in the struggle?

            o Who sets the agenda?

            o What matters to capitalism?

            o The strategy: using the crisis

            o The possible leverage: global labour & social justice strikes in key
sectors, metropolis, issues

            o The long haul

            - Overview of the Labour movement (globally, locally)

            o Where are we at?

            § Union Density, The true state of traditional unions, Labour
confederations in crisis, Mergers, lack of true political representation

            o What does it mean?

            - What are the current trends in the labour movement

            o Unions

            § Organizing Model Unions: going back to basics

            § Social Justice Unionism

            § Industrial Organizing vs. hot shopping

            § Global unionism

            § Labour Politics

            o Movement

            § Anti-sweatshop

            § Worker Centers

            § Worker Associations

            § Precarity Movement/Points


            December 10th, 6pm

            Workshop II: Let’s Talk Power


            a) Organizing 101

            - What’s organizing?

            - Why organizing?

            - Key elements of organizing

            o Defining the “universe”

            o How to build a base

            o How to build power from the base

            o How to build collective leadership (identifying potential leadership
& creating committees)

            - Taking on the fight – identifying common issues and solutions

            - Obstacles to organizing


            b) Strategy vs. Tactics - Understanding the difference


      Fundamentally changing power relations vs. reacting to the enemy’s agenda

      What’s a victory?

      Setting our own realistic goals, plans, and methods


            c) Let’s talk POWER: Creating a vision for ourselves


      What do we want?

      What will it take?

      How do we build it?

      Is this what the movement needs? Manage?

      What does it mean?

      What are the pros? The cons? The responsibility?


            December 17th, 6 pm

            Workshop III: Campaigning effectively


            a) The Anatomy of a Campaign

            - Research

            - Strategic planning & goals setting

            - Escalation/Compression/Crisis

            - Tactics

            - Messaging

            - Committees

            - Negotiations

            - Media

            - Alliance building


            b) Building a toolbox for action


      What are the best actions you have ever participated in? Seen? Or Known about?

      Why was it good?

      What are the worst actions? Why were they bad?

      Narrations of power building, strategies and effective tactics