Introduction to the Local 89 Organizing Department

Organizing Victories

Organizing is the most difficult and important challenge facing the labor movement today. Our goal in organizing at Local 89 is twofold: to increase our membership, especially in our core areas, and to increase our bargaining power.

Organizing Creates Bargaining Power: Local 89’s ability to win good contracts is based on bargaining power. Bargaining power is the reflection of the solidarity and degree of organization in a geographic location or industry. Union members must constantly reach out to non-union workers in order to increase their own bargaining power.

Organizing also helps protect union wages and conditions even if organizing campaigns do not immediately lead to winning bargaining rights for the unorganized workers. When Unions are actively organizing, employers are pressured to match union wages, benefits and conditions. Non-union employers who pay their employees less pass on high percentages of health care premiums to the employees are able to undercut the union employers by performing less dependable services for less.

If you are interested in volunteering in the Organizing Department or if you have a friend or family member working in an unorganized work place contact Local 89 Organizing Director Kevin Evans.

Your Local 89 Organizers

S. Kevin Evans, Organizing Director
David Swift
Herman Veltman

IBT Organizing Department