Resolution No. 10: Building Bargaining Power with Strategic Campaigns
WHEREAS, corporate executives and their political allies continue their assault on unions and working families in both the private and public sectors; and
WHEREAS, multinational employers engage in a race to the bottom, placing profits over people and driving down labor and environmental standards for workers worldwide; and
WHEREAS, hardline corporate leaders seek to erode our bargaining power by moving our facilities, contracting out work, eliminating job security, and cutting the wages and benefits that generations of union members have fought for; and
WHEREAS, in order to build power our Union must launch proactive campaigns that unify our members in demanding dignity, justice and a voice at work or we risk losing the protections and benefits our Union has fought for and won over the past 75 years.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that:
(1) We will continue to prepare our members for hard bargaining and proactive campaigns by utilizing the Building Power program, developed by the Strategic Campaigns Department, to mobilize our members for contract campaigns, including the development of Communication and Action Teams (CAT) which increase meaningful communication with our members, expand our capacity to organize effective actions, and harness the power of unity to promote and defend our rights.
(2) Using all available tools, we will continue to develop comprehensive mobilization campaigns in support of industry-wide, master contract, and pattern bargaining since these campaigns are effective and necessary to fend off attacks and win at the bargaining table.
(3) Our goal is always to achieve fair contracts in a timely way, but we will prepare our locals for potential labor disputes provoked by unfair employers by providing them with our Labor Dispute Preparation program which gives them the tools to organize effectively during a labor dispute and to provide assistance to our members and their families.
(4) We are stronger when we have the active support of our families, the labor movement and the community and we will use the community outreach tools of the Building Power program to forge active alliances with local, national and global allies committed to the common cause of building economic and political power for working families.
(5) We will increase our bargaining power by coordinating campaigns within our industries and through the ongoing creation of industry and employer-specific councils.
(6) We will work with unions and labor organizations around the world to coordinate activities and share information to build our collective power and gain leverage with multinational employers.