United in Struggle

Organizing conversations are an important part of building the East Van Workers Assembly! The East Van Workers Assembly Research, Agitation, and Propaganda team and the Solidarity Workers Picket Line team go out together to have organizing conversations with workers at their workplaces and actions.

Talking face-to-face with workers is a basic organizing practice that helps us:

• Take snapshots of industries from the perspective of workers.
• Build contacts with advanced workers, both unionised and non-unionised. Gauge popular consciousness and readiness to struggle.
• Learn about the state of the worker’s movement.
• Train ourselves as effective organisers.

An organising conversation follows a basic flow: experience, analysis, action. These are some guiding questions and talking points.

Introduce yourself as from the EVWA, pass the worker an EVWA leaflet during conversation.

Experience:

• How long have you worked here?
• How many jobs do you have?
• How much do you make? Hourly, monthly.
• How do you get to work? Drive? Transit? How far?
• Do you own or rent?
• How are you getting by?

Analysis:

• That __ (problem) sucks! When we’re talking to workers we hear problems like this over and over again. We do the work that makes profits for the bosses, but we’re told that we’re lucky for a job, and the boss takes all the risks. We know this isn’t true! Things have gotten to this point because the bosses are organised and we’re not.
• What do you think about worker organising?
• Are you unionised? How is your experience with your union?

Action:

• We’re from the East Van Workers Assembly. We’re organising workers across East Van to build a popular workers movement that fights for our class interests.
• Our next assembly is __, it would be great to see you there! Tell your coworkers!