In most of the world, workers will face fierce anti-union campaigns from the employer. In many workplaces, the pressure may be more subtle, but still effective.
Predict what your employer or decision-maker is likely to do, whether it is positive or negative. If possible, you will want to explain the employer’s campaign to workers before it begins, not afterwards.
Stay on the offensive. If the union gets stuck continually responding to the employer’s message, we will lose. The union will want to focus on improving working conditions and having worker input in decision-making. The employer will want to focus on dues, strikes and unions, using scare tactics and temporary fixes.
Don’t be defensive. Responding directly to the employer’s false charges can sometimes give them legitimacy and importance. If you have already discussed the issues with workers, you won’t need to respond defensively to each employer ‘fact’.
If you do have to respond, be clear, brief and positive. Refocus the discussion on key workers’ problems and what the employer needs to do about them.
In the face of repression and retaliation, strengthen the arbolitos networks and organising committee activities. Workers need to get information from someone they know and trust who is also informed and honest. Make sure that all committee members and leaders of the arbolitos networks are always informed and up to date.
You may want to create a survey asking workers what they think their boss is likely to do or say when confronted with the workers’ demands. You could hold a contest with prizes for whoever is best able to predict the employer’s response.
One of the first things that employers will do is try to get workers to stay away from the union and union leaders. Let workers know early on that this may happen. Make sure you have already gathered any missing names and contact details of workers. It will be harder and harder to collect names and contact details as the employer’s anti-union campaign develops.
Don’t let the employer divide workers, especially by gender, age, work area, language or nationality. Plan social events that allow for more contact. Talk to workers and share information across any divides. Reach out and interview workers using the materials on Participatory Action Research
Focus on workers who are undecided or unsure about the union. Don’t alienate undecided workers by not spending time with them or not knowing their concerns.
Encourage workers to keep in touch with the union and to remain open to receiving information no matter what happens. Let them know that there may be a lot of misinformation and rumours as it is to the employer’s advantage to create confusion and play on worker’s fears.
If workers are fired or treated unfairly for supporting the union, it will be very important to maintain contact between the fired workers and the union, to campaign for their reinstatement and to let other workers know the facts of what is happening.
Prepare workers for meetings with bosses or supervisors. Together list what the employer might say. Plan together how to respond. Take turns practicing, one playing the role of the boss and one the worker.
Employers may train supervisors to gather information about workers. Encourage workers to only share the information that they want to go back to the company, no matter how friendly the approach. Supervisors are often pressured to pressure workers in both friendly and unfriendly ways.
You may need to prepare for an anti-union “loyalty” committee or “yellow” (company) union. Attacking the loyalty committee or yellow union directly has the potential to play into the employer’s hands with workers fighting each other rather than focusing on the need to improve working conditions. Keep bringing the message and focus back to working conditions.
Violence may occur. Share with workers any history of violence in your industry or with your employer. Discuss fear openly and predict together what could happen. Prepare support teams that workers can contact in case of any emergencies. Discuss how you might include trusted community and religious leaders. If violence does occur, quietly and systematically stick to our organising work – list building, anonymous and low risk tactics, training more leaders and organisers and extending the arbolitos worker networks (link). Seek regional and international union solidarity and support.
You may face an anti–union consultant that will be advising your employer. The United States currently has a $ 4 billion union-busting industry. Union-busting is extremely profitable and growing globally. Research the anti-union consultant so that you can better predict their behavior to workers. Reach out to other unions in the industry to learn from their experiences.
In summary, remember
Discuss what kind of employer anti-union campaign you might be facing.
How will you prepare the workers and the union?
These materials are based on the AFSCME (American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees) booklet entitled “We Won and So Can You”.