Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/939681
In a role-playing scenario, students hold jobs at triangle-cutting companies, and have to cope with restrictive policies and difficult conditions in the workplace. Gail Watts, Regional UniServ Staff for CTA Human Rights, played the role of outside union organizer advising the nascent activists as they negotiated their first contracts. "Some wanted a lawyer to negotiate for them," Watts says. "I told them, 'No, union members negotiate their own contract. Lawyers charge $150 an hour — do you have the funds for that?' " As leaders thought through what they wanted in the contract, she reminded them to keep the broader membership in mind. "Are you being inclusive on holidays you want off ? What happens when bosses come back with counter offers?" 'I called my parents' e next day of the journey, the four groups held official union meetings to elect leadership, establish core values, and decide what to focus on. Each 10 minutes was still a workday, but four minutes of the day was devoted to "society," where workers left their rooms for a common area marked with anti-union posters and messages. At one point during soci- ety time, the Supreme Court decided in favor of Janus, meaning that no one needed to pay fair share fees to unions anymore. SCTA organizers had "plants" out in society who tried to con- vince the now-unionized workers to leave the union — and then have them organize to convince others to leave. Back at their jobs, union members would have to try to get those who had left the union back into the fold, to maintain solidarity and their bargaining power with bosses. At one of the final society moments, Manzanedo played the role of an anti-unionist, jumping on a chair to give an impassioned speech to the crowd. "I told them they didn't need unions. I tried to open their eyes: ' W hat are unions using y our mon ey for? For things you don't like! Your money is going for candi- dates you don't support.' " But it backfired. e entire group of workers decided to join in one giant union. "It was so exciting for me. We were concerned that people wouldn't grasp the concept of fair share. But when they went into a room to discuss forming a giant union, it made my heart feel full. I called my parents," says Manzanedo, whose parents are longtime educators and CTA members. " We were concerned that people wouldn't grasp the concept of fair share. but when they went into a room to discuss forming a giant union, it made my heart feel full." — STUDENT CTA PRESIDENT MIYUKI MANZANEDO 50 cta.org CTA & You