Are Women and Young People Leaving the Labor Movement?

Some folks think activism is sexy. I happen to be one of the people who think it's honest hard work, and I don't really dig glamorizing getting your hands dirty. You do what you need to do, and you hope at the end of the day, your work pays off. But what if you're feeling left out of your movement? Do you walk away? Do you have the option to stay and re-engage?

A new report from the Berger-Marks Foundation, which supports women who work in organizing, suggests that women and young people are considering abandoning the labor movement if it doesn't become more reflective of their needs. The report, based on the findings from a meeting of 30 activist women in New Orleans in March, demonstrates some of the problems young people (those under 35) and women face in labor organizing. It also offers suggestions on how to keep the movement diversified and how to appeal to members who might otherwise feel disenfranchised and leave for other causes. Women of all ages from 20 different unions and progressive organizations were present for the two-day talks.

The study's conclusion won't surprise many already working in labor organizing: unions are at a tipping point. While generally speaking, women have gained ground in the workplace and in unions, there is a lot of work to still be done. The women who attended the summit put together a list of 12 ways labor organizers could recruit and keep more young, female activists in their ranks, which included developing a broader social justice agenda, being open to new ways of communicating and teaching young activists basic skills of organizing that they may not already possess. There was also a focus on retraining older activists to be more inclusive of young people, such as learning new vocabulary and valuing new models of organizing. That's a long to-do list.

The Berger-Marks Foundation has put together similar data in the past. Its 2005 report, "Women Organizing Women: How to Rock the Boat Without Being Thrown Overboard," (pdf) was compiled in the same way: through frank discussions in a safe space with women organizers. What stands out about all of these publications is not just how they can help women continue to feel included in labor organizing; it seems like every goal they lay out could be applied to organizers everywhere. I hope that this tipping point turns out to be one that pushes more young women into organizing. It sounds like the movement has a lot to offer its own, as well as models for other organizers to borrow and learn from.

Photo credit: luckywhitegirl