Black Lives Matter at Work
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68<br />
HISTORY/PRACTICE<br />
Shifting the Culture of Organizing<br />
David Unger, Program Coordin<strong>at</strong>or, Murphy Institute for<br />
<strong>Work</strong>er Educ<strong>at</strong>ion and Labor Studies <strong>at</strong> CUNY<br />
Defining a strong culture is fundamental to forming a powerful union or<br />
organiz<strong>at</strong>ion. However, it also defines who gets left out. So, if we don’t<br />
have a respect, an analysis, and an understanding of how our cultures<br />
develop and why, and an appreci<strong>at</strong>ion for the necessity of them, we’re<br />
never going to be able to figure out how to change—or to change in a<br />
powerful way. Race, gender, and our intersecting identities have a huge<br />
influence on our ability to take and make power. At the end of the day,<br />
unions and unionists can’t just focus on money, economy, and work in the<br />
abstract. One has to deal with the real divisions and power structures<br />
inside and outside the workplace.<br />
These m<strong>at</strong>erials are from a course <strong>at</strong> Empire St<strong>at</strong>e College in New<br />
York, “Diversity in the <strong>Work</strong>place,” for bachelor’s students and<br />
members of IBEW Local 3. Contact dungerd@gmail.com for more info.
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