The Power of Direct Action in Our Schools
Too often, Rank & File members think of their union as the elected officials. Organizing direct action in your workplace empowers every worker and build solidarity.
How do unionized workers go about effecting change? One common way is through the service model, which has become the predominant mode of union operations. For many, this is the only way they’ve ever understood union work.
The service model relies on a few (usually elected) members of a local taking problems to management on behalf of the group. These leaders use the strength of membership numbers to legitimize their position and negotiate solutions. When issues become too big, too complex, or too legal, the state affiliate often steps in to take a seat at the table. Larger state affiliates like OEA, OFT, and OAPSE also operate within this model. They also use the service model through lobbying efforts at the state and federal levels.
The service model can be effective, but only when both sides are committed to reaching a common goal. Problems arise when management stops listening and members have grown accustomed to relying on leadership to speak for them. When the collective voice of educators isn’t being used, cracks in this model begin to show, and the rank-and-file feels the pain.
That’s where direct action comes in.
Direct action is what it sounds like: when an entire building or unit says, “This issue matters, and we’re going to do something about it.” It is more powerful than passing a concern to someone else who wasn’t there and can only speak on our behalf. Direct action comes from the people who are directly affected, using their own voices and standing together as one.
One building in Central Ohio recently showed the strength of this approach when staff members felt mistreated by a district administrator. Instead of waiting for someone else to intervene, they took matters into their own hands and drafted an open letter. Over 80% of members in the building signed it, and they sent it directly to district leadership. Within one week the administration responded, and the superintendent was held accountable.
At a Central Ohio high school, an enrollment increase led to vastly inequitable class sizes when compared to other schools in the same district. Members drafted emails and scheduled them to be delivered to their school board all at the same time. Their unified message could not be ignored, and the staff was allocated several more teachers.
In several Central Ohio districts, union members have utilized the classic march on the boss: showing up to a board meeting in union shirts. Whether it’s Columbus, Westerville, South-Western, or Delaware City, this tried and true tactic always shows power and solidarity in the room, and has been especially popular in the last year.
Direct action is about more than solving one issue. It is about standing together, making our voices impossible to dismiss, and showing that we understand the power we hold as a group. This is why collective bargaining matters so deeply: our right to speak and act together is protected. When we exercise that right, we make our schools better places for educators and students alike.
When an issue comes up in your building, ask yourself and your colleagues: Is this important enough to take action on? Is the issue deeply and widely felt? If the answers are yes, stand together, act together, and make your voices heard. If you need help organizing a direct action, or want to talk an idea through, reach out to info@core4ed.org.