Union Building

Editorial by James Ritchie (from May 07 DairyWorker)

The May 2007 edition of The Dairy Worker had plenty of news about events that have impacted on our members both good and bad. Workers have lost their jobs through closures and restructurings and this is always distressing, even if new jobs are found and incomes maintained. The NZDWU works hard to assist members and get them the best possible deal in these situations. Many workers have received a wage increase and conditions improvements through collective bargaining and the union has delivered better than inflation in these outcomes.
Collective bargaining and making sure the agreements reached are honoured by employers is our bread and butter work. It is why most people join unions and the NZDWU has to deliver gains in this area.
Delegates and organisers do a great job in delivering this 'service' to members.
But does delivering a 'service' build a stronger union and does this way of perceiving the union lift wages and conditions across the NZ economy?

The Dairy Worker argues that we could make much better progress if more workers thought of themselves as unionists and not just as union members employed where there is a union present.

The predominant culture in NZ (and elsewhere in the western world) driven by a free market economic agenda and supported by the media for the last 25 years has been one of placing individual interests above all others. The theory goes that somehow the world will be best served if each individual pursues their own economic interests without regard to the needs of others. Companies and other organisations will compete on who can deliver the best price, quality and service and the market will act in the best interests of all.

Unfortunately what we have ended up with is a huge and increasing gap between rich and poor in NZ and all around the world by following this philosophy.

This is the real reason for poverty, addiction, violence, abuse, and family, social and environmental breakdown. It has nothing to do with the decline in morality (although that is sometimes a consequence of other social ills.)

So what has 'user pays' and 'me first' meant for unions?

It has meant that most union members see their union as an external body that delivers a service.
There is nothing wrong with delivering a service, that is what we are required to do. We are also here to 'organise'. I will come back to 'organising' a little later.

What does it mean to be a unionist?

It means thinking that workers are best served by a collective rather than an individual approach to issues.
It means looking out for everyone else in your workplace and supporting those in need of assistance. The old union slogan is "an injury to one is an injury to all."
It means learning about problems and issues and participating in discussions with your workmates about the best way forward.
It means electing and supporting workplace leaders (delegates) to represent your collective views.

It means giving support to workers from other worksites within your union, your industry, other industries and in other countries.

It means joining the union when you leave and go to another job.

Unions must service and they must organise. Organising means not just joining people up into the union but also providing the tools, knowledge and support to empower workers to have a greater say over their working lives including their pay and conditions.

None of the above should prevent the union from always striving to improve its services to members. However servicing members is limiting, servicing unionists would give us so much more power over our working lives and would contribute to the building of a more supportive and better society.

What we need is more active unionists and less passive members.
What do you think?
Letters to the editor are welcome.