Anatomy of A Contract Victory: Communication and Solidarity

How did SEIU turn tough contract negotiations into a strong new contract? According to Jeff Massey, a Chief Steward and member of the Bargaining Committee, it was solidarity and communication that won the day.
 
“Management was openly bashing the union by saying that we weren’t giving workers the whole truth about negotiations, but that blew up in their face,” Massey says. “We were putting out email blasts and text messages to members while we were at the negotiating table, we had bulletins and updates in the workplace almost every day, and we had videos up on YouTube that clearly explained all of Management’s and the Union’s proposals. We also invited rank-and-file members to come sit in at negotiating sessions. Many did and that helped verify everything we were saying to the workers. But the secret weapon was solidarity. Once Management realized how many people were engaged in the negotiations, how many people in the community turned out to our Rally, how many people saw supportive stories in the newspapers and on TV, and once they saw that 97% of our co-workers were ready to strike, they knew they had to make concessions”.

“The company didn’t know what to do,” says Kay Golden, a Chief Steward at MMC. “Once they saw that we were ready to strike in support of our CNA’s—who are some of the lowest paid workers in the hospital—they knew they were beaten. It’s all about standing together”.