After contract, Southwest flight attendants now highest paid in industry
cross-posted from: sh.itjust.works/post/18679716
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How can I convince a bunch of brainwashed conservative anti-woke pro-trump blue collar rednecks who operate and maintain my combined cycle power plant that unions aren’t just bullshit where you’re not allowed to get anything done and you wind up making less money due to union dues and with no new benefits to show for it? We already make good money and have good benefits and mostly have it pretty easy, but we lack support in terms of training and managers and coverage personnel. I don’t think they’re aware that it could be a lot better. I for one am not a fan of frequently rotating 12 hour shift work in addition to the hour commute each way, and that commute length is par for the course because of the cost of living any closer to the plant. They don’t want a union because they “already know that a union is a scam” and will tune out if I try to explain that some unions are really great, some are meh, but there is a propaganda campaign run by companies that stand to lose a lot from unions winning good contracts for their labor force, and that propaganda exists to convince people like them to cede power to these companies.
I’ve tried to explain lots of progressive and innovative ideas, but they’re stuck in chasing how great shit was in the 80s and 90s. They don’t even want to learn how to use a computer, despite some of these guys literally sitting in front of computers for those entire aforementioned 12 hour shifts. I’ve even automated populating in a solid chunk of our shift reports, and they just whine that I changed it. But it takes two mouse clicks.
There so goddamn frustrating.
Reaching conservatives is very difficult, so I totally emphasize with your situation. From my experience, we can’t reach them by talking about high minded ideas, we have to keep things related directly to their personal lives. We also need to spend much more time to flip them, so I’d start with people that are more empathetic to the cause so you can build an organizing committee, and then try to flip conservatives. An Organizing Committee isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s absolutely necessary. An OC will allow for people the conservatives know and like to try to flip them, rather than you doing all the heavy lifting. OC’s should aim to be roughly 10% of the workplace, but that’s just a goal, not a requirement.
Organizing is also 70% listening, 30% talking. If you’re doing all the talking, then you’ll have a harder time reaching people, and it will be especially hard to reach them. Ask about what they want to see changed at work; ignore the con bs they will likely spew, and then ask more about the actual work grievances they mention. Ask what they think it would take to change things, rather than using the “U” word; it’s like a pavlovian response to them. You will probably need to have several conversations with them before you can even name collective action.
Good luck and god speed!
Unions don’t work…for the boss.
Management will now proceed to bankrupt the company out of spite.
They were already headed there. Private equity already removed everything that made them a unique cool airline. Now they’re the same as the big three but more limited and not as good.
Drive up prices, cram seats together so only 4’6” passengers are comfortable, bump up their bonuses, THEN bankrupt the company and blame their low-level employees for wanting to pay rent and eat.
Oh that’s just the surface. First they’ll sell off all their equipment to their douchy frat bros, then lease said equipment back at exorbitant rates. Then they’ll load the company with debt to pay massive bonuses to themselves. Then they’ll blame it on the stewardess.
If you think about it though it all seems fair and just. How dare the hourly wagies want fair pay for honest work!? Peasants just aren’t what they used to be. Fucking capitalism is just tedious…
Remember that when your boss tells you you cannot have social security or Medicare. At least the brownies and the fags get the stick worse right? Right?
I’ve formed a union, ama