Former Union Organizers Speak Out
The Labor Relations Institute posted snippets of video online that shows former union organizers speaking out about the tactics and techniques they have used to get employees to sign union authorization cards (“card check”). I believe these are excerpts from longer videos which LRI produces and sells that can be shown to employee populations for educational purposes.
Here’s the description from You Tube:
Former union organizers “spill the beans” on the employee free choice act and the intimidation tactics used by unions to “psychologically batter” employees into signing union cards.
The video describes fairly rough and tumble tactics that will probably fall outside of the normal experience of employee communicators. Hence, it’s eye opening for those in HR and internal communications who are wondering how union organizing might unfold under EFCA, the Employee Free Choice Act.
What are the organizers tried and true tactics mentioned in the video?
- get “in your face”
- peer pressure
- exploit vulnerabilities
- manipulate people
- recruit employee leaders
- show that co-workers have signed cards
- harass people at home
- psychological battering
[...] Former Union Organizers Speak. The Organizer Video on Organizing Teamsters, Steelworkers, Service Employees and Electrical Workers. Salvatore Clemente is Electrical Workers Organizers and is very self-aware. This is a 2.5 minute video. Mr. Clemente speaks at 2 minutes. Very interesting to see real world organizers, you know, like “community organizer.” Think Saul Alinsky and Rules for Radicals. [...]
[...] of workers and small business people. The Union “organizer” can come to every worker’s home to ‘ask’ for support. “Intimidation goes a long way” Mr. Clemente lays it out at about two [...]