June CAPSule Issue 04-2024

Fifty-eight CAPS-UAW members, activists, and leaders recently joined counterparts from 70 countries for online education sessions drawing from organizer Jane McAlevey’s “Organizing for Power” series.

The participants attended global lectures and group breakout sessions every Tuesday evening from May 7 to June 11. On Monday evenings, they met for a CAPS-UAW-specific huddle. The group practiced semantics to talk about our union and collective power in personal terms, discussed the “Six Step Organizing Conversation,” learned how to identify organic leaders, developed organizing conversation scripts or “raps,” talked about the differences between types of organizing groups, and learned the necessary elements of a plan to win our demands.

Here’s what some of your colleagues said about the experience:

“The O4P trainers are so inspiring and knowledgeable. I learned so much about how union organizing works, how to have respectful and effective organizing conversations, and how my colleagues and I can better track our progress to see how much we’ve accomplished and where we need to do more work. It was super helpful to have designated time to practice all these skills with other state scientists, and it was a great opportunity to meet members from other departments and worksites. After this training, I feel empowered to talk to my colleagues about using collective action to demonstrate our strength and solidarity!” – Alessandra Moyer, Environmental Scientist, Water Resources Control Board

In the past, I’ve been involved in group efforts around issues that are meaningful to me. It never felt like I was contributing to real change, and that left me hesitant and less than fully optimistic about what we could achieve for Scientists through organizing. Through Organizing for Power I learned I had actually been involved in mobilizing, which is quite different from organizing, and cannot achieve the same gains that you and I can achieve through organizing. In O4P, I learned how to methodically approach organizing and came to believe in the power of the approach and the power we can get from organizing, and this has completely changed my perspective on what you and I can achieve together. – Sara Ebrahim Keeler, Environmental Scientist, Fish and Wildlife

“(The training) can increase enthusiasm and drive to do the tedious (but also fun!) groundwork to educate and organize co-workers. It should help at least somewhat in our current contract negotiations. But I feel the greatest power is that we’ll be able to really build our membership and organizing infrastructure to empower us going forward. I can envision a time just a few years from now when we are a force to be reckoned with, and the State takes us VERY seriously, pays us fairly, and treats us with respect, and members say, “Remember back when the State used to stonewall and push us around? Not anymore!” – Kelly Parrish, Research Scientist III, Public Health

CAPS-UAW Director-At-Large Mia Roberts, who also chairs the Membership and Communications Committee, served as the group’s point person during the six-week training. She said these sessions were successful, and your leaders are committed to more.

“We have budgeted for future organizing trainings this year and will continue to do so,” Roberts said. “We will also continue to look for opportunities for organizing training through UAW Region 6 and the International Union.”

Look for details about upcoming training opportunities on CAPS-UAW’s social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, and X), member e-mails, and this newsletter.