2008 holds enormous organizing challenges for the Amalgamated Transit Union. These challenges, however, can lead to great successes.

That is why they mandated that the ATU provide dedicated funding for organizing and political drives in the transit and school bus industries.

The creation of the professionally-staffed ATU Organizing Department was the first step in this process. But even with a new department, how do we approach such a massive challenge?

By that we mean that we research employers’ strengths and weaknesses before campaigns are launched so that we can best evaluate which targets to focus on first, which companies will be most receptive to organizing, and which places will be most responsive to our bargaining leverage.

Each organizing drive must include an assessment of the workers’ support and commitment to the union campaign at every stage of the process. If the support is there, we will do the slow, hard work of developing representative rank and file leadership and giving them active roles in their campaigns. And we will recruit, train, and effectively use ATU member organizers.

We won’t move forward unless a representative committee is in place.

And we won’t file a petition for an election or demand recognition until we have majority support.

During the campaign, we identify and mobilize around issues which resonate with workers and the broader community, and engage in escalating internal and external pressure.

Building alliances and coalitions is necessary to create a more supportive environment for the workers who are organizing. These groups also help to bring the leverage necessary to restrain employers from more aggressive opposition to organizing efforts and put pressure on them to bargain in good faith for a first contract.

Last year, we won over 80% of our organizing drives throughout North America. This was the highest winning percentage in ATU’s history. The nature and intensity of the union campaigns played the most critical role in determining the differences in our win rates.

We will continue to organize in a smarter and more effective manner to bring the benefits of trade unionism to more and more transit workers and increase our leverage at the bargaining table and in the political arena.