Fleur
Fleur is eighteen years old, and has just got her first job as a bookshop assistant. When applying for the job she was asked if she wanted to join the union. Worried about prejudicing her application, she said no. There do not appear to be any other union members in the shop. She's 'Net savvy though, and through joining new unionism» she came to speak with others in the same position, and found out about her rights. She now knows the name and contact details of the relevant union, and has discussed with them how she might join without her employer finding out. She is excited about the discussions on social justice she is having on the network, and is considering approaching others at work to see if they want to join the union too. This young woman has energy, drive and ideas which the union movement needs.

Jorge
After two years of unemployment Jorge has landed some part-time work on a construction site. His contract has been renewed twice, but he has now been told there is little chance of this happening again unless he takes a drop in pay. He hasn't considered joining a union, largely because of the cost. His wife, however, is a member of the new unionism» network. She makes a few enquiries and finds there is a good chance that her husband's contract is illegal. Jorge goes down to the union office and finds his membership fee is the best money he ever spent (except for his marriage license!). Dozens of other workers are in the same situation at work, and together they unite in the union and negotiate a fair employment contract, which provides for more job security and the right to participate in decision-making processes.

Farida
Farida is being harassed at work. She is a union member, and her representative is negotiating a solution on her behalf, but in the meantime the offender's behaviour is growing worse day by day. Her confidence has been badly shaken, and her work performance is now being questioned. She is taking anti-depressants and her social life has been adversely affected. Through the new unionism» forums and ongoing dialogue by email she is starting to network with dozens of people like her, people who have lived through similar nightmares and survived to tell the tale. She receives sympathy and discusses a wide range of coping mechanisms. She hears inspiring stories, and once she knows how widespread the problem is, it ceases to effect her so harshly at a personal level. She now has the neccessary tools to keep the problem in perspective while the union negotiates a proper solution.

Beano
Beano is an anarchist, or he would be if he believed in labels. His greatest claim to fame is being able to play Inna Gadda Da Vida on the accordeon. He is passionate, erratic, intelligent and obsessive. He is also determined to change the world. He works in a large galvanizing plant, but despite (or because of) his fiery convictions there is no way he will ever get elected workplace representative. He has a wide circle of friends, all of whom see the union movement as irrelevant. However through new unionism» he meets others with similar interests (environmentalism, debt relief, tropicalia) and finds out about such things as the links between international financial institutions and the failure of health systems in the developing world. He starts thinking about what can be done, and the network provides a wealth of knowledge and experience to call on. The HR crisis in African health shows clearly how important trade unionism is, and he comes to see how union solidarity programmes are helping. He decides to sign up for idealistic reasons. He also does volunteer work for a local NGO. Meanwhile someone, somewhere, quietly punctures his accordeon.

Jonas
Jonas is a probation officer working for the Italian government. Recently a new CEO launched a programme which involved installing millions of dollars worth of new computers to run a quirky database which records exhaustive details of all client vists. The problem is that this effectively adds two hours to his working day. Jonas works with dangerous people, and he feels that one of them, a child molester, is likely to reoffend unless there is some determined intervention. For this reason he refuses to spend too much time on the new system. The union is in the middle of pay negotiations, and he is reluctant to add this problem to their list of demands. He speaks to other probation officers in the new unionism» network and finds that the same computer programme has caused problems elsewhere in the world. An alternative has been found which is both cheaper and faster. He takes this information to the union, and with the support of both colleagues and clients, the union and management initiate a joint review. Most improtantly of all, Jonas can now do his job. The client receives extra visits, and his condition stabilises. And what about the money saved? Christmas bonuses all round!!

new unionism» can provide communications with "people on the ground" who can describe the day-to-day conditions and reality of lives from which so many of us are sheltered;
new.unionism's» online library can be used as a repository for codes of conduct, framework agreements, innovative contracts and tripartite agreements;
new unionism» facilities can put the fun and humour back into meetings (if it was ever there). And if you get bored, you can leave without anybody noticing! If you want to say something radical, don't worry about hierarchies or pecking orders - just say it!
new unionism» can and will come up with a whole lot of stuff which none of us have yet even guessed at!

new.unionism» acts as a center of gravity which attracts workers in the informal sector and those engaged in precarious work into the trade union orbit.
new unionism» is setting up a solidarity fund and discussing strategic alliances with accountable, labour-friendly NGOs so that when disaster strikes we can offer instant support, both in terms of money and voluntary labour;
new unionism» forums can be established by workers and their unions to monitor, compare and discuss the behaviour of multinationals and other transnational (or national) employers;
new unionism» forums can be set up by workplace reps to collect members' views prior to the commencement of collective bargaining;
new unionism» mentoring services can be used by inexperienced reps to help them cope with difficult situations...

Mukesh
Mukesh recently migrated to Australia, where he works as a driver and porter in a private hospital. Because he is not very confident in speaking English, and because he has come to see unions as sectarian party-political organisations, he has never even considered joining. However he recently witnessed the systematic abuse of an elderly patient. When he raised the matter with the offender he was threatened. He does not dare go to the police, nor to his employer, or fear of retribution. However the whistleblower forum at new unionism» allowed him to gain some perspective on his situation, while also helping him establish contacts who speak his own language. Mukesh's subsequent actions not only helped the patient who was being abused, but also lead him to join a wider network of support (including his union!).

Larissa
Larissa is perhaps the most widely-liked person in her workplace, and for that reason she was a natural choice as the union representative. However she is not nearly as self-confident as she appears. When problems arise she feels uncertain of whether she should contact her union organizer or not, as she knows how busy he is. Her employer is clearly willing to listen to her views, but he never seems to act on them. A recent case of unfair dismissal has left her disillusioned, and she wants to step down. A friend suggests she looks at new unionism» and soon she finds there are hundreds of people feeling the same way, experiencing the same self doubts, and wishing they could make a bigger difference. They bounce around ideas. They boost each other's confidence. They talk about how to make meetings work. They discuss and compare employment contracts. A year later, after a successful membership drive, the union is strong and independent enough to present the employer with a partnership protocol which leads to a radical overhaul in workplace culture.

Bella
Bella works in a Thai sweatshop. She spends 14 hours a day making components for elevator control systems, and sleeps, eats and raises her child on the premises. She is paid enough to get by, but has been unable to save anything. For the last two weeks she has been trying to help others in organizing a union on the site, but her employer has found out and is determined to get rid of her. Fortunately international NGOs and unions are monitoring the factory, and so the employer must tread carefully. His first step was to ban union visits to the site. Thanks to a combination of text messaging and the new unionism» network, she can get her story out directly to the people who can help. Fearing adverse publicity, the multinational company involved commissions as report into conditions, and higher pay, better accommodation and the freedom of association are introduced soon afterwards. There is a long way to go, but networking can help!

Team Rocket
Waste management in Bogusville is about to be privatized. The workers are almost all being laid off, although some have been invited to apply for work in the new company. They are all union members, but a bitter dispute and competition over coverage has left them divided. The new unionism» network helps them investigate the multinational which is bidding to provide the private service, and it turns out that there are significant performance problems and breaches of contract involving this company. They are able to network with both consumers and suppliers of the services concerned, and a joint union committee helps them put together a case to make a competing bid. Not only do they keep their jobs, but the service quality is radically improved, performance pay is abolished, and wages are adjusted more fairly. Although inter-union rivalries remain, they are becoming a relic of the past as a new solidarity develops around the delivery of quality services.

Luisa
Luisa is in her final year at school, and is considering whether to go to university to study sociology. She has had nothing to do with the union movement ever, and thinks unions are a thing of the past. new unionism» makes her think again. She joins the new music forum, and encourages some friends to submit an entry to the *Solidarity Idol* competition. She also creates a private forum of her own, in which young people discuss what to do about youth rates, unemployment, short-term contracts, and patronizing bosses. By the time Luisa gets her first job she is a committed unionist, and has developed the skills needed to work with the union rep in initiating a change process in workplace culture.

Please remember - these are just stories! Furthermore, the photos are all "public domain". They bear no relation to the character in the story told. Our point in creating these tales is to show you the kinds of things we are hoping to achieve with the new unionism›› network.

If you want to show some support for our work or are interested in becoming a founder member of the network please send your name and details to foundations@newunionism.net. We will be in touch straight away.