Strategic Research and Strategic Campaigning

1. Strategic Research and Strategic Campaigning Eli Kasargod-Staub Research Director ACTU

2. Goals of Presentation • Overview - goals of strategic campaigning • Overview - role of research in strategic campaigning • Tell the amazing story of how 8,000 aged care workers in Chicago won power, a decent contract, and rebuilt their union – thanks (in significant part) to strategic research

3. Animating Questions • How can we raise standards for workers across entire companies/industries at once? • Answer: grow power for workers through unions! • How can we grow power for workers? • Answer: Organizing! Not just recruitment, but growing worker power through engagement in building the union and winning campaigns. • How can we amplify and direct worker power to win union recognition and better standards across the board? • Answer: Strategic Campaigning!

4. The Way of Strategic Campaigning • Understand how you could organize/bargain “on scale” in an industry • Identify the key people whose decisions affect the fate of workers “on scale,” and understand what they care about • Utilize all available forms of power to impact those decision makers • “Clear Choice”

5. Goals of Strategic Research 2. Figure out what those key decision makers care about & how to impact those concerns 1. Figure out which key decision makers control the fate of organizing/bargaining

6. Goals of Strategic Research • Understand the business fundamentals and strategies like an insider • Understand the dynamics of power within a company (or an entire industry) to identify strategies for organizing/bargaining “on scale” • Identify opportunities to impact that company/industry – carrots and sticks • Produce credible materials about issues for non-worker audiences (financial, regulatory, etc.)

7. How Do We Look at Companies?

8. A Company’s “Web”

9. Chicago Nursing Homes: Background • ~150 nursing homes in Chicago area, 8,000 + workers • Many different owners, no big chains • Union present in 115 homes, 100% density, with one contract for all facilities • Union and contract very weak

10. Chicago Nursing Homes: Analysis • Facilities totally dependent on state money • Facilities would not be able to deliver improvements for workers without increased funding • Led to joint union/industry lobbying for increased funding

11. Chicago Nursing Homes: Accountability Campaign • Owners still claiming poverty for new contract • Research uncovers hidden profits & terrible care • Accountability campaign: • Bargaining • Field • Media • Legislation • Strike vote

12. Chicago Nursing Homes: Victory! • Reinvigorated union at both the shop and local (branch) levels • Stronger contract • Strong organizing rights enshrined in contract • Industry educated about union/worker power

13. Key Lessons from Chicago • Do your homework about the industry - what does power really look like in the industry? • Recruitment does not automatically equal power -- we must build robust workplace organizations • Workers must understand the campaign and how they fit in • Innoculate workers against blowback from the boss • Credibility in tactics comes from worker engagement • Listen to workers’ issues and turn problems into tactics: • Who would care about the problems I’m finding? • Why would they care? • What can they do about it?

14. Strategic Research @ ACTU • Engaged in long-term, multi-union work • Focus is on ways to transform power in industries • Telstra campaign • Green Jobs

15. Questions for Discussion • Who has power in your industry? • What do the bosses you deal with care about most right now? • Who are some other stakeholders in the company/industry you deal with? How are they treated? • How can you amplify worker power through your union’s relationships?