Need Advice
Hey brothers and sisters,
I’m looking for some quick tactical advice from seasoned stewards and organizers.
I work for a municipal DPW in Massachusetts and I’m in line to become the Shop Steward. Our contract expired two years ago. We’ve been working without an agreement because the town’s last offer was a flat 2% with zero new perks or benefits. Our negotiators walked away, and we are officially heading to mediation.
Here is my immediate crisis: We have a picket (since public sector strikes are illegal in Massachusetts and our previous contract had a no strike clause) scheduled for next Tuesday at 6:00pm.
I’ve reached out to a few friends in outside locals (neighboring town DPWs, transit unions, electricians) to let them know what's going on. They said they would spread the word and try to come down to support us.
The problem? My own guys are dragging their feet. Our shop has gone 5 to 10 years without a single major contract win, and the guys suffer from total learned helplessness. They think 2% is our inevitable fate, they are terrified of being singled out by management, and they value their free time over everything.
To jumpstart things and eliminate excuses, I personally bought shirts for my guys out of my own pocket. No union dues, my own hard-earned cash. Everyone took the shirts. But now that Tuesday is getting closer, I’m getting hit with a wall of excuses: "maybe," "it's my anniversary," "I'm going to be away for the long weekend." Some are valid excuses, but if outside union guys actually take the time to show up for us and our own rank-and-file is invisible, it’s going to look completely pathetic. Management will laugh at us, the other locals will be embarrassed they even tried to help, and our yard will be permanently labeled as soft.
My questions for you all:
How do you break a decade-long mindset of defeatism in a stubborn yard, especially when they’ve been out of contract for two years?
For those who have dealt with "free riders" who take the gear but skip the pavement, how do you handle the accountability piece without alienating coworkers you have to work with every day?
What are some tactical moves I can make over the next 5 days to turn these "maybes" into bodies on the sidewalk for that crucial 30-minute window?
Appreciate any insight or old steward wisdom you can throw my way. Stay strong.