The Chinese worker educator Rita Kwok, says union activists need to watch out for the A4 D=s@. She says management will meet effective union leadership with delay, denial, discrediting and division.
By delay, she means the pattern of postponing action on an issue until the members have lost interest or hope.
By denial, she means refusing to recognize that there is even a problem to be addressed.
By discrediting, she means undermining the ability and moral authority of the union activists, often by spreading rumours.
By division, she means finding a group of workers who aren=t concerned about this particular issue, and pitting them against the union leadership.
Each of these is a challenge to our creativity and skill. They should be expected, they should be prepared for, they should be fought with strategy as well as outrage.
D'Arcy Martin
July, 1998
By delay, she means the pattern of postponing action on an issue until the members have lost interest or hope.
By denial, she means refusing to recognize that there is even a problem to be addressed.
By discrediting, she means undermining the ability and moral authority of the union activists, often by spreading rumours.
By division, she means finding a group of workers who aren=t concerned about this particular issue, and pitting them against the union leadership.
Each of these is a challenge to our creativity and skill. They should be expected, they should be prepared for, they should be fought with strategy as well as outrage.
D'Arcy Martin
July, 1998