Sharing information and building relationships between coworkers is at the core of everything we do. Think about it: unions themselves rose out of the idea that sharing information among workers could allow them to band together to fight for changes to their situation.
That’s why active Worksite Organizers (WSOs) are absolutely essential to a strong chapter. WSOs greet new hires, build relationships in their workplace, update workroom bulletin boards and share union updates and information with their coworkers. Chapter and state leadership physically can’t be everywhere all the time, so WSOs act as the conduit between chapter and state leadership and coworkers on the ground.
“To me, as a president, (WSOs) are an integral part of the team that keeps the information out there; they let people know we care about them,” Crook County Chapter 85 President Toni Harvey said.
Harvey said her chapter’s WSOs make sure things like recognitions for School Bus Driver Week or Nutrition Staff Day are delivered in person and with a smile or a hug and a thank you for the work.
“The executive board by itself could never effectively get all of those things done and still do their own jobs,” Harvey said. “I send out emails and talk to people, but it’s hard for me to build a relationship with every single person in your building.”
Creating those connections and getting to know everybody is the top reason Woodburn Chapter 25 member Carol Kramer loves being a WSO.
“It is an absolute gas, I love it,” she said. The custodian who now greets her by name every day, the admins in other schools who put up union materials for her, the coworkers who just didn’t know anything about our union – all new connections that make Kramer feel more connected to her workplace and her coworkers.
You don’t need to have just one worksite to be a WSO – in fact, it can be handy to be a WSO in a position where you visit multiple worksites. Amber Racette in Silver Falls Chapter 148 does just that – she’s a custodian and being on the move means that she has access to multiple places to share information in multiple worksites as part of her job.
It’s a pretty straightforward role – talk to your coworkers, update your bulletin board and generally remind people of what our union does – but it’s absolutely vital.
“It might be one of the most important beginning spots for new people who organize with our union,” Harvey said.
Sign up here for one of our monthly WSO trainings, held virtually on the first Thursday of every month.
After you become a WSO, you can join the WSO Ideas Issues Stories Experiences (WIISE) forum, which is a space for WSOs to talk about successes and challenges with other WSOs from across the state. WIISE meets virtually every other month. You’ll be able to register through the same link once you’ve completed your training.