In order to achieve our vision we will, through purposeful development and planning, have an active membership with leadership reflective of the union.
To do this we will:
- Use this moment in our history as an opportunity to engage our members and recruit and develop new leadership.
- Promote the union as a resource for members to learn about our rights and gain skills to help us with the broader issues in our lives.
- Invest in members, upcoming leaders and workplace leaders as the dynamic force behind our union's success.
- Engage in creative and pro-active problem solving that demonstrates the power of members to take action and win.
- Recruit and develop a first rate staff that has the skills and support to enable us all to do the work we believe in.
In order to achieve our vision we will develop effective organizing strategies and will campaign aggressively to build power in our industries. To do this we will:
- Develop local union and workplace committees in support of organizing.
- Pass legislation that guarantees the rights of workers to form unions, and then move quickly to campaign at unprecedented levels in order to provide the opportunity to claim these rights.
- Develop innovative strategies for whole market, multi-national and cross-industry campaigns that build on the strength of our members.
- Work in partnership with other unions to organize common employers and breakthrough industries.
In order to achieve our vision we will use collective bargaining and the rights of members in the workplace to improve our lives. To do this we will:
- Use member orientation, education, and action to communicate the rights of the membership.
- Promote inclusion by translating contracts into user-friendly language and the languages of our members.
- Improve wages and benefits, protect jobs, win card check neutrality, and in other ways promote the interests of workers in our industries.
- Work in partnership with those employers who share our vision and convince those who do not to do the right thing.
- Strengthen workers rights by prioritizing the use of unionized labor with all outside contractors hired by our employers.
In order to achieve our vision we will be an active force for positive social change through political, community and workplace involvement. To do this we will:
- Elect pro-worker officials and hold them accountable.
- Strengthen ties in our communities through membership connections, shared resources and mutual support.
- Increase our visibility and influence through political organizing, lobbying and fundraising.
- Support organizations who share our goals through solidarity activities and charitable contributions.
- Work to advance the goals of our union and the entire labor movement through active participation in Change to Win and other strategic alliances.
To effectively carry out this platform we will set standards and hold ourselves accountable through measurement and reflection. In doing this, we, as members and leaders of Workers United, will maintain the trust that we have placed in each other through these extraordinary times.
Vision & Platform Committee
March 20, 2009