This post is an excerpt from “Unite & Win: The Workplace Organizer’s Handbook.”
Organizing in remote workplaces is based on the same principles of in-person organizing. There are even perks: no boss walking by your desk, no anti-union co-worker listening in. And you can talk to more people during the day on calls than you can at an office. But it can be daunting to reach out to people you’ve never interacted with or met in person.
Find Your People
Start with people you know and build your group from there! Find out who they know, what other teams you can connect with organically. Starting a conversation around a particular issue with a group of co-workers can be a tool to draw in new people.
Don’t worry about reaching out to someone you don’t know — it’s not as awkward as you think it might be. For the person on the other end of the line, having someone reach out to you to find out who you are, what you’re up to, and how you’re doing when you’re mostly isolated can be nice. You can simply ask if they have time for a chat about some work stuff you’d like to get their thoughts on.
Socialize Before You Organize
Move your conversations off company channels as soon as possible. And try to remember people’s communication preferences: Do they like email or text? What apps do they already have on their phones?
Make it fun: If you’re phone banking, set up a Zoom meeting with other members of your organizing committee (OC) and make your calls while you’re all together on Zoom. Create social and fun spaces for co-workers, bringing people together in person for social activities and organizing meetings. Or, make online meetings as engaging as you can. Sprinkle in fun social activities like online games or television viewing.
Consider opening a meme channel on Slack. Or, create a thread of “vibe checkers” for people to vote on how their day is going using emojis or GIFs, and message each other throughout the day about how they’re doing. Plan online “coffee breaks” during work. Invite co-workers to a holiday party with online gift-giving or a Secret Santa.
Act Collectively
Collective action is also possible online! You might want to create a salary spreadsheet where everyone shares what they are paid, or coordinate the answers to a company survey. You can change avatars or backgrounds to show support for the union or collect workers’ signatures and photos for a petition. You can plan slow-downs, work-to-rules, sick-outs, or even strike!
All of these tactics apply to in-person organizing; remote workplace organizing just takes a little more creativity. But building connections with your co-workers and learning what’s important to them is still the name of the game.
Get your copy of “Unite & Win: The Workplace Organizer’s Handbook” to learn more about organizing your workplace.
