Session 4 - Socialists in the Labor Movement Now

Written By East Bay DSA

Materials for Session Four

0:00 – 10 minutes

I. Check in

0:10 – 15 minutes

II. Debs Speech
Large Group Discussion

Prompt: How does Debs see the relationship between unions and the Socialist Party?  

Key Points

  • Union struggles build the class consciousness of workers and this will bring them to socialism.

  • Socialists should support all union struggles.

  • Debs sees unions as strictly economic while the Socialist Party is the political and electoral representative of the working class.

0:25 – 25 minutes

III. Socialists and Unions

Large Group Discussion

We will draw on the Worthen and Berry article for a final look at the relationship between socialists and a strong labor movement. 

Prompt: Are there any comments or questions you had about that article? (5 minutes)

Prompt: Socialists are necessary in building a strong labor movement. Why? What key roles did they play in our two case studies last week? (10 minutes)

  • Give some examples (e.g. CPers in the FE and in the Flint sit-downs, ISers in TDU). State that there are a lot of answers, then repeat: Why? 

Key Points 

  • Political vision and analysis about unions and organizing strategy

  • Provided leadership and/or acted as a catalyst for change

  • Connections to other workplaces, unions, and activists

  • Help build a sense of collective power and agency

  • A commitment to breaking down racial divisions and other divisions in the working class through struggle

  • Individual commitment 

  • Staying active during the inevitable downturns in the struggle

Prompt: Why do socialists see a strong labor movement as necessary to moving toward socialism? (10 minutes)

  • Link back to questions in Session 1, “who is the working class?” and “why is the working class important?”

Key Points

  • Only institutions capable of halting production – stops the system in its tracks

  • A school of class struggle for the working class

    • Worker / working class agency – through struggle, build workers’ confidence in speaking out and standing up for themselves

    • Class consciousness – through struggle, workers can come to see themselves as part of a class

    • Build power – learn how to build, acquire, and exercise power over their lives and the world; learn how to organize, administer, and lead

  • Can bridge racial, gender, ethnic, and other divide through struggle

  • Promote mutuality and cooperation 

  • Can change the balance of power between classes

0:50 – 5 minutes

IV. Break

0:55 – 30 minutes

V. Current Issues in Labor

Large Group Discussion

Discuss an article about a local and / or current labor struggle, chosen by the group leader. 

Prompt: Can we apply some of the ideas we have discussed in this group? 

1:25 – 15 minutes

VI. Getting Involved

Large Group Discussion

Prompt: Can you see yourself being active in the labor movement, either as a worker organizer or in supporting organizing workers?

  • List on whiteboard if available

  • Insert any local resources you think appropriate or useful to mention

How you can get involved:

  • Organize in your workplace (and your union if there is one)

  • If you’d like to organize your workplace into a union, DSA is a sponsor of a national Emergency Workers Organizing Committee (EWOC) to help you do that. EBDSA has its own branch of this effort.

  • EBDSA has a Labor Solidarity Committee. (Does your chapter have any effort like this? Is there another local strike support organization?)

  • You can also just show up at picket lines and talk to strikers. They’ll feel supported and you’ll learn more about unions.

  • Read Labor Notes— there is an online newsletter or a larger subscription newsletter.

1:40 – 20 minutes

VII. Closing

  • Solicit feedback on the whole series

    • Possible questions to spark feedback:

      • What did you learn that was new? 

      • How might this series change how you will function as a socialist on your job(s) in the future? 

      • How could we make this series better?

  • Let participants know a survey will be distributed in the near future

East Bay DSA https://www.eastbaydsa.org
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Session 3 - Class Struggle Strategies in Unions