Unite and Win: The Workplace Organizer’s Handbook

by Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC)

Overworked? Underpaid? Frustrated with your boss? 




This guide, based on the collective experience of organizers and workers in non-unionized workplaces, is a critical tool to help you and your coworkers organize for justice at work. 




Unite and Win covers the core elements of organizing at work — developing an organizing committee, having organizing conversations, taking collective action, and inoculating yourselves against the boss’s inevitable response. 




The Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) provides support and training to non-union workers organizing for better working conditions, with a goal of building a stronger, worker-led labor movement. EWOC was founded in March 2020 as a joint project of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE). Since its founding, EWOC has trained and supported thousands of workers who want better working conditions through their Foundational Training Program. This book is a companion to that program, along with other online and video-based resources.

Genres: Labor, Nonfiction

56 pages, Paperback

Published April 30, 2024

Reviews

[Jung · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4 stars] A practical introduction to workplace union organizing, published through a partnership between Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE). As someone who has not been involved in union organizing where I’ve worked but is interested in it for the future, I found this short illustrated guide to have helpful general framing and tips. I appreciated its grounding in grassroots, relationship-centered base building and attention to proactive opposition planning though wish the information on race and identity had more depth. Highly recommended for those unfamiliar with how to start or build a union campaign, and would be useful as a group study guide (only $1.50 for the ebook) alongside other materials on organizing campaigns, direct action escalation, and workplace rights.

Publication Info: Haymarket Books, April 2024
Goodreads Challenge 2024: 34/48
Nonfiction Reading Challenge: about the future

[Andrew Wehrheim · Rating 4 out of 5]

EWOC has provided a helpful introductory booklet to educate and guide any worker looking to organize their workplace. Not only that, but it is an excellent resource for any workplace organizer to hand off to fellow workers as they become interested in organizing and unionizing. The booklet's concise nature makes it easy to work through and its simple presentation makes it easy to follow and understand. Unite & Win's most important characteristic, in my opinion, is its presentation of uni0nism as a fundamentally democratic endeavor and its emphasis on the fact that the workers are the union. Rather than waiting on a union bureaucracy to come in to save the day workers can take action in their workplaces now to organize their coworkers and build a democratic and militant union.

After decades of union decline, but with increased interest and favorable opinions of unions, this booklet fills an important need within the labor movement. I suggest watching EWOC's training videos while reading through the booklet: https://workerorganizing.org/resource...

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

(8/10 rounded up to increase average rating due to it being a great resource)

If you want to learn the basics of how to organize an action, this is it! While the focus of the book is on creating a union, it's great for learning the strategies to organize any group. I would have liked to have seen a section for people already in a unionized workplace, but that's a fairly small ask as there's typically already resources available from the union itself.

TLDR: Get this book if you want to start doing union work, but don't have the time to read multiple hundred pages. It's short and straight to the point.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic little expedited summary of how to organize your workplace. I understand the need to keep it brief, given workers and organizers this is targeted toward have so little time to spare—but I think this would have benefited from more detail to one-on-one conversations, organizing conversations, how those should be structured, also more on striking!

[Emma Ghanem · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is great for first-time organizers, but is pretty USA-centric. Reading this as a Canadian adds a layer of complexity because of the difference in labour laws. However, the core message is the same: organizing is all about building community and building relationships. It starts and ends there.

[Emily Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

All power to the workers

[Terence Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A user friendly workbook guide to organizing your workplace. Practical, and something I see myself turning back to often in the future.

[Jace Deininger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for people who are looking to start a union in their workplace! Would have loved more about the bargaining process and striking.

[Brittany]

Super helpful and informative, I highly recommend <3

[Meghan Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easily digestible guide to understanding union organizing, especially for newbies. Power to the people ✊🏻

[Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought the epub from haymarket books to support them while it's on sale. I ended up reading it via the "Glossarie" which translates many words to Spanish to help you learn. It was a nice simple starter book. I already know a good bit about the topic but still enjoyed it. Union Power!