How To Find & Organize Workers
Oligarchs hate this one weird trick.
WorkReform is running a series on preparing for a general strike. Mark May 1st in your calendars. What year? This year! Next year! EVERY YEAR!
Organizing is most effective when it is local and decentralized. Today’s post is about finding, connecting, and organizing wherever you live. We will be adding more to this page!
1. Find pre-existing groups and join them.
Starting something new is a pain in the ass. Life is much easier and most of us will accomplish more by joining pre-existing efforts.
2. Look for places where people are somehow resisting the over-financialization of our lives
There are MANY sporadically organized groups of people all across the United States who share your pro-worker proclivities. Look for local social media groups about buying nothing, talk to your friends who are in unions, find local housing organization groups, community gardens, libraries… Anywhere where you find people resisting (even passively!) the over-financialization of our lives is a place to find allies.
3. Once you find a group, attend meetings.
Show up to meetings. Listen to what the people who have already been grinding on the problem have to say. It’s usually good to listen more than you speak in the beginning. This is a great way to get educated, build trust, and start getting empowered about changing society.
4. Contribute your skills to the effort
Whether its graphic design, weeding a community garden, or cooking food for a meeting, there’s always a need you can help fill.
We also note: Organizing is a skill - and skills get better with practice!
5. Stay consistent. Success is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
Movements don’t die because of a lack of good ideas. They die because people stop showing up.
So show up. Even when progress feels slow, keeping a group going and engaged is what makes the difference between a short-lived burst of energy versus long-term success.