More than 60 members from 22 UE locals participated in the third edition of the union’s “Building Union Power” workshop series in November and December. The four-part workshop guides members through the process of building winning campaigns while simultaneously using those campaigns to develop new leaders.
Participants learned about basic organizing concepts, which were brought to life with real-world examples from UE locals. Brenda Scott, Local 1107, and Ron Mozdy, Local 506, reported on how each of their locals had used marches on the boss to fight and prevent unjust firings. Licinia Ochoa and Cesar Moreira, Local 115, shared how Refresco workers used a mass petition drive to protect work authorizations and reverse Ochoa’s termination.
Frank Wu, Local 150, told how members of Local 150 joined forces with Local 625 to rally and deliver a petition at Hitachi corporate headquarters during Local 625’s contract campaign last fall. Lauren Chau and Sophie Coppieters, Local 256 (MIT-GSU), presented about their local’s successful campaign to reverse the firings of 13 Local 256 members, a campaign that culminated in a traffic-blocking mass march to the home of MIT's president. Finally, Local 150 President Willie Brown, described the year-long campaign that took Durham City Workers from being disinterested in union involvement to winning $28 million in raises and the support of the entire Durham community.