WORLD WORLDWIDE UNITED KINGDOM EUROPE - news journal UPDATE - (en) US, BRRN: Anarchists in the Labor Movement #5 - Public Schools (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 This is the fifth installment in our Anarchists in the Labor Movement

series. Click through the links to read installment #1 with an education
worker, #2 with healthcare workers, #3 with a metal worker, and #4 with
a public librarian. ---- In this interview we speak with Shan, a public
school teacher in North Carolina. ---- As the title suggests, this
series engages with anarchists who are active in workplace organizing.
Some of those we speak to in this series are buildng a militant minority
within the rank-and-file of their existing union, others are organizing
the unorganized through new union campaigns, while others still are
finding ways to build the capacity to win shop floor fights in contexts
where union support is not available.

In part, our aim with these interviews is simply to shine a light on the
presence of anarchist militants in the U.S. labor movement. More
substantively, we ask participants to critically reflect on their
experiences, including both successes and failures, to draw out
generalizable lessons.

Some, but not all of those interviewed in this series are members of
Black Rose / Rosa Negra (BRRN).

Answers have been edited for clarity and length.

Shan - Public School Teacher
BRRN: How would you summarize your politics in one sentence?

Shan: I believe in the power of everyday people to build a collective
society that meets basic needs and allows individuals to live fulfilling
lives.

BRRN: Share background about the campaign you are working on.

Shan: My teacher's union in North Carolina is working on a campaign
called "Commit to Majority" where organizers across the school district
are recruiting new members to become a majority union. This effort was
organized collectively by union membership to push for district and
statewide policies to improve working conditions.

BRRN: Are you working with an established union or going independent?

Shan: Established union. Even though I would like to join a
rank-and-file organizing committee, my school site does not have one.
Joining my union has helped me meet with other members who are in favor
of more militant tactics.

BRRN: How do you see your anarchist politics as relating to organizing
for power with coworkers?

Shan: My orientation toward anarchist politics, and specifically
organizing with coworkers, is building popular power through practice.
Because people don't just inherently know how to build collective power,
we must practice it by organizing with each other to win material gains.

BRRN: Do you ever talk about your anarchist or anti-authoritarian
politics with coworkers? Do you talk 'politics' (world events, local
power structures) with your coworkers at all?

Shan: I don't mention specifically "anarchist" politics because words
like that and others - like "socialism" - tend to be misinterpreted and
shut down conversations. However, I bring up concrete examples and ideas
that relate to such politics. For example, I often talk about how
management and district leaders get significant raises while we get next
to nothing. I also talk about how we can function as a school without
administration. Many people resonate with these ideas because they are
relevant to our jobs, not abstract theories.

BRRN: Does your campaign include others who see themselves as
'political', but are part of a different political tradition or
political organization?

Shan: Yes. Many people in our union are centrist or social democratic.
They often focus on electoral strategies and support democratic
candidates, which I disagree with. However, because we are organizing
based on material gains, even with ideological differences, we are
united in the demands we have for all workers.

BRRN: Does organizing in unions fit into your vision for transforming
society or for social revolution?

Shan: Organizing unions is important because workplaces are one of the
sites of struggle along with neighborhoods, prisons, and others. Labor
has a significant power over society, as capitalism cannot survive
without extracting value from labor. It is also a place where we can
practice popular power and reshape how to relate to each other. I don't
know the exact steps to a better society, but I know that we must know
how to build power among ourselves for it.

BRRN: What resources have helped you most as you've organized?

Shan: The most helpful resources have been people in the union and other
organizers. Their on-the-ground experiences are the most valuable
sources of inspiration, ideas and strategies. Of course, books always
provide insight, knowledge, and theories that give me wider perspectives
and better analyses.

BRRN: What advice can you share with anarchists looking to organize in a
union context? What do you wish you had known when you started?

Shan: If there is a union, even if their politics may not align with
yours, attend meetings and get to know people. The most important part
of a union organization is people.  If there isn't a union at all, build
relationships with people at work and identify those who question the
working conditions and are interested in talking about changing those
conditions. Regardless of the way you organize, building relationships
is the most important part of starting a union.

https://www.blackrosefed.org/anarchists-in-the-labor-movement-5/
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