As a spouse of one of the NYT tech workers on the picket, thank you! Anyone who wants to join the picket can— it's an incredibly inspiring way to spend this stressful week.
I would add to Hamilton’s suggestions that providing solidarity to workers on strike is as good a way to join the labor movement as any, and can be incredibly helpful. I have done so on numerous occasions, and sometimes I’ve been the only one in my community.
There are a lot of us retired people anxiously waiting today, too - I am 75 and live exclusively on social security - I do not work - how do "we" join a union? I don't even have the funds to financially support a union organization. If the orange one gets in our house again, you know it will not be for only 4 years. How do we resist that? Thank you for all you do - I appreciate you!
Depending on what you did prior to retirement, there may be an occupation-based or employer-based retirees group that will represent collective interest. (I'm a retired public college employee and in my state there is such a group, which also manages pensions and benefits, and negotiates with the state government.)
Depending upon where you live, look for your central labor council or state labor federation-- some are very active and inclusive, others are not, but at least that's a start.
Are there any local civic organizations you could join/volunteer for? I have one retired relative in California who is a member of One L.A. (https://www.onela-iaf.org/), and she finds it very rewarding.
God bless America I pray Harris wins and you are speaking about unions and your book all over the country for the next however long because people realize HOW close we’ve come to losing it all.
I pray that is what happens.
If not, we’ll see.
Either way we won’t stop working for it to be better.
I work at a non-unionized tech company in downtown San Francisco. They laid off a bunch of long time employees last year and outsourced work to out-of-state contractors (plus aided by AI, how cute). While I have some cool colleagues, I find the idea of unionizing my workplace daunting. I’m also quite junior and am worried I’d be an easy target for retribution through firing. Where do I start?
I would at least start with the AFL-CIO San Francisco Labor Council -- hopefully someone there can point you in the right direction. Don't give up hope -- keep asking until a door opens! https://www.sflaborcouncil.org/
Welp, now that the thing has happened, I find myself a question born of pure ignorance -
What should those of use in anti-union "right to work" states who never really seriously considered joining a union do? Is it really as simple as finding the appropriate trade union and hitting join?
I actually read this a few days after the election (sorry, turbulent times). I think I needed to hear this more than anything else at this particular time. If you aren’t a paid subscriber to How Things Work, please consider it.
If he tries to crush unions for real, he's gonna have serious problems. What his leash-holders will try to do instead is co-opt unions as a "patriotic" thing (carefully ensuring that they're politically neutered, + subservient to capitalists).
Start associating, quietly, with 4-5 other like-minded folks instead. Keep a light eye open for similar groups, They'll be around.
Labor has been the bright spot for me this past year. Your piece is spot-on…but what about individuals not in the position of “employed”? Those of us outside this definition—unemployed because of circumstance such as “out of work”, or who are retired from a formal workforce? I suggest there ought to be a Union of Voters. Think of the government as a corporate entity—which it surely is—and the voting public as “employees”…which this capitalist system so obviously considers to be the case…! How might we organize around this, and…just imagine it’s potential!
As a spouse of one of the NYT tech workers on the picket, thank you! Anyone who wants to join the picket can— it's an incredibly inspiring way to spend this stressful week.
I would add to Hamilton’s suggestions that providing solidarity to workers on strike is as good a way to join the labor movement as any, and can be incredibly helpful. I have done so on numerous occasions, and sometimes I’ve been the only one in my community.
Best of luck to you and your partner!
“𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘺—364 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮, 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵—𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵,” 𝘑𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘺 𝘗𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢 𝘕𝘠𝘛 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳 (𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘴𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯) 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭.
Holy Jesus, SERIOUSLY?!? Can we lead a citizen movement to bar this dude permanently from ever being a member in a Union ever again?
For real. It's incredibly that he phrases it that way, but doesn't think of the inverse -
NYT had 364 + 730 = 1094 days to submit even ONE contract to this union, and they didn't. Pretty clear where the fault lies.
well said -- the hypocrisy of the great liberal newspaper of record is shameful. Build long term, not just electoral, power.
Good job and just the right thing to say on election day.
Joe Berry, AFT Local 2121 at City College of SF (and many other unions, a few of which I was privileged to have helped organize, in my lifetime)
There are a lot of us retired people anxiously waiting today, too - I am 75 and live exclusively on social security - I do not work - how do "we" join a union? I don't even have the funds to financially support a union organization. If the orange one gets in our house again, you know it will not be for only 4 years. How do we resist that? Thank you for all you do - I appreciate you!
Here you go: https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/what-can-i-do-to-help-the-labor-movement
Depending on what you did prior to retirement, there may be an occupation-based or employer-based retirees group that will represent collective interest. (I'm a retired public college employee and in my state there is such a group, which also manages pensions and benefits, and negotiates with the state government.)
Depending upon where you live, look for your central labor council or state labor federation-- some are very active and inclusive, others are not, but at least that's a start.
Are there any local civic organizations you could join/volunteer for? I have one retired relative in California who is a member of One L.A. (https://www.onela-iaf.org/), and she finds it very rewarding.
I’m in South Carolina - a “right to work” state. They union bust whenever they can.
Appreciate you so much.
Your writing. Educating us.
God bless America I pray Harris wins and you are speaking about unions and your book all over the country for the next however long because people realize HOW close we’ve come to losing it all.
I pray that is what happens.
If not, we’ll see.
Either way we won’t stop working for it to be better.
Cannot let up!
Thank you.
Hamilton — would you be willing to, at some point, have a conversation?
I have an idea that might be a help the labor unions.
It’s a thought.
Would appreciate communicating on LinkedIn via PM.
I work at a non-unionized tech company in downtown San Francisco. They laid off a bunch of long time employees last year and outsourced work to out-of-state contractors (plus aided by AI, how cute). While I have some cool colleagues, I find the idea of unionizing my workplace daunting. I’m also quite junior and am worried I’d be an easy target for retribution through firing. Where do I start?
Here you go: https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/what-can-i-do-to-help-the-labor-movement
I would at least start with the AFL-CIO San Francisco Labor Council -- hopefully someone there can point you in the right direction. Don't give up hope -- keep asking until a door opens! https://www.sflaborcouncil.org/
Call EWOC (google it). You are NOT alone, especially in SF Bay Area.
Welp, now that the thing has happened, I find myself a question born of pure ignorance -
What should those of use in anti-union "right to work" states who never really seriously considered joining a union do? Is it really as simple as finding the appropriate trade union and hitting join?
See here: https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/what-can-i-do-to-help-the-labor-movement
You can unionize your workplace even in right to work states. Contact EWOC for advice: https://workerorganizing.org/
Thank you.
All I can say here is................LOOOOK at the waste of money. These placards.
Where do they go?
I actually read this a few days after the election (sorry, turbulent times). I think I needed to hear this more than anything else at this particular time. If you aren’t a paid subscriber to How Things Work, please consider it.
You think he's not going to crush labor unions? We're all fucked.
If he tries to crush unions for real, he's gonna have serious problems. What his leash-holders will try to do instead is co-opt unions as a "patriotic" thing (carefully ensuring that they're politically neutered, + subservient to capitalists).
Start associating, quietly, with 4-5 other like-minded folks instead. Keep a light eye open for similar groups, They'll be around.
Labor has been the bright spot for me this past year. Your piece is spot-on…but what about individuals not in the position of “employed”? Those of us outside this definition—unemployed because of circumstance such as “out of work”, or who are retired from a formal workforce? I suggest there ought to be a Union of Voters. Think of the government as a corporate entity—which it surely is—and the voting public as “employees”…which this capitalist system so obviously considers to be the case…! How might we organize around this, and…just imagine it’s potential!
WELP, guess it's Union Time.