Labor Strategy: Rank-and-File Jobs Program, Strike Support, and Workers’ Circles

Whereas:

The socialist movement will not be able to achieve its demands without a militant labor movement and class-conscious workers willing to strike;

Too many labor unions are stagnant due to low member participation, lack of internal democracy, and bureaucratic or collaborationist leaders who are unwilling to fight for the working class as a whole;

Union density is at a historic low in the U.S. and the majority of workers are unorganized;

Socialists have historically played an important role in radicalizing, organizing, and leading the labor movement, but today’s left has lost its connection to working-class institutions; and

Other DSA chapters have begun to bridge the gap by recruiting DSA members to take union jobs as well as recruiting union members to the DSA, in part through strong strike support;

Be it resolved:

Rhode Island DSA shall prioritize building a socialist base in the labor movement — with a particular focus on strategic industries such as logistics — in order to help orient unions toward class struggle, win workers to the socialist cause, and organize the unorganized.

Long-Term Goals

Rhode Island DSA will organize to establish the following practices within unions:  

  1. Rank-and-file democracy. Union members must control contract negotiations (meaning an elected bargaining committee, open bargaining sessions, and a majority membership vote to approve or reject a contract), decide when to authorize and end a strike, democratically determine the political activities of the union, and democratically elect all union officers. Union officers should be subject to recall and receive wages no higher than the highest-paid rank-and-file worker. 

  2. Militancy against the boss. Workers and owners have opposing interests. Unions should reject “win-win” class-collaboration schemes that increase the boss’s profits, and instead use militant actions such as strikes to extract more from capitalists.

  3. Uniting the working class. A class-struggle union fights for demands that benefit the working class as a whole — Medicare for all, immigrant rights, etc. — and acts in solidarity with all workers across employers, industries, and the world.

  4. Political independence from capitalists. Socialists must organize to break unions from their subordination to the Democratic Party and convince union members to support socialist political candidates and union officers instead. Though unions should remain institutionally independent, a strong socialist party will require a close relationship with the labor movement.

Rhode Island DSA aims to organize the unorganized through a militant and revitalized labor movement — with the ultimate goal of unionizing the vast majority of workplaces. 

Tactic: Workers’ Circles

Rhode Island DSA will continue holding monthly meetings for workers who are engaged in labor organizing at their workplace or who are interested in becoming engaged. The purpose of these workers’ circles is as follows:

  • To be a resource for people not in existing unions who are looking to start a union at their workplace.

  • To be a resource for people in existing unions looking to better their conditions or democratize their union.

  • To provide basic socialist political education for workers in order to avoid the pitfalls of economism and to ensure that socialist principles are front and center in the labor movement. 

  • To be a means to recruit working-class people who might be depoliticized or who are not typically associated with current political institutions. Attendees are asked to bring co-workers or friends to meetings.

Rank-and-file coordinators and strike support captains (described below) are expected to attend workers’ circles in order to receive political education relevant to the labor movement.

Tactic: Rank-and-File Jobs Program 

Rhode Island DSA’s labor committee will assess which industries and union locals to prioritize for rank-and-file organizing. A tiered list of R.I. union locals in target industries will be compiled, taking into account the research the chapter has already conducted — which includes information on economic significance (i.e., the potential impact of strikes), membership size, political power, internal democracy, and the politics of the membership and leadership of unions.

Two or more DSA volunteers will be recruited by the labor committee to serve as rank-and-file coordinators. Tasks include:

  • Maintaining a list of unionized workplaces in R.I. that are affiliated with the prioritized unions, to be used in matching DSA members to appropriate jobs.

  • Ongoing recruitment of Rhode Island DSA and YDSA members who are looking for work. Whenever possible, placing members together in cohorts in the same workplaces and in the highest-priority unions.

  • Arranging meetups (retreats, informational sessions, etc.) for DSA members interested in or entering union jobs, and using these events to teach the basics of socialist rank-and-file unionism (the long-term goals listed above).

  • Connecting union members in Rhode Island DSA to the workers’ circle program, where they can receive education in workplace organizing and ongoing mentorship. Workers’ circles should also be advertised to non-union DSA members who may want to unionize their workplaces.

  • Connecting union members to the nationwide networks of socialists within each union or industry.

  • Arranging DSA social events at which non-DSA union members can meet DSA union members.

Tactic: Strike Support

Strike support is not intended to create friendly relationships with union officers or to send DSA members to pickets individually and anonymously. Rather, it should be designed to provide meaningful and visible support to workers on the picket line — establishing Rhode Island DSA’s reputation as a reliable friend to workers, recruiting union members to the chapter, and educating all DSA members through engagement with the labor movement. Two or more DSA volunteers will serve as strike support captains, with the following tasks:

  • Keeping track of union contract expiration dates in R.I., monitoring local media and chapter contacts for news of worker actions, and informing the chapter of current or upcoming worker struggles.

  • Turning out DSA members (including endorsed politicians) to picket lines, recording attendance, and recruiting other members to contribute to these tasks.

  • Bringing DSA buttons or apparel for all DSA members to wear — as well as a banner or picket signs when appropriate — and explaining best practices for talking to workers about socialism.

  • Taking and collecting photos and videos for the chapter’s social media.

  • Establishing contacts with the workers and gathering information on the assistance they need — for example, snacks, a megaphone, late-night shifts, planning picket line activities, etc. — and then following through with this support.

  • Inviting workers to DSA events — for example, asking workers to speak at Rhode Island DSA meetings or join a social event (which could include getting a meal or drinks together after a picket line shift).

  • Whenever possible, maintaining contact with rank-and-file worker-leaders after a struggle and inviting them to get involved in Rhode Island DSA.

  • Inviting DSA members who attend strike support to also come to workers’ circles if they are interested in workplace organizing.