It is safe to say that if you live in America, you know what a strike is. However, chances are that you have no idea what a REAL strike is. You may even know that the workers’ issues are not the most important component of a strike, but be surprised to know that it has very little to actually do with the workers’ issues at all.

As union organizers, we had very specific goals; to win “by any means necessary”. We won by persuasion, we won with the strongest of fear tactics. When a strike did happen, some of the activities that initiated were disturbing and troublesome and sometimes absolutely shocking.

A strike will happen for numerous reasons when management doesn’t meet workers’ demands. Those demands are what the union organizer will “influence” to their advantage. Most of the issues are valid; however, the organizer will always use persuasion to create the illusion that things were far worse than they actually were.

Every strike calls for strike duty by the union members. This means that no matter what time of day or night, it is mandatory to report for whatever hours your union official requires of you. The single mother of three still had to report to strike duty at night if that’s what was required. Actually, the only time a union organizer is concerned about the single mother of three is when they are trying to unionize. You see, we provided babysitting services so that mom is able to attend meetings to become a member. But after the union was in, that no longer mattered. Actually, union members on strike still have ALL of their union obligations, which sometimes included paying union dues, even though they are out on strike and are no longer getting paid. Of course the union organizer always gets paid. If a union member on strike doesn’t pay dues, or refuses to perform strike duty they can be fined and taken to court and their strike pay will be cut.

Most people think that a strike means picket lines and rallies. They believe that it’s part of the “American way”. A worker on strike is standing up for values and beliefs, fighting for rights. It does begin that way, but sometimes there are “other” activities, such as “Meet Your Neighbor Day”. It is a very organized and planned day or night (sometimes both) which the organizer mandates for all of the union members.

I called a meeting for the members on strike on a Tuesday afternoon, chalkboard in hand. The chalkboard is used because there could NEVER be evidence of my meetings. No paperwork, no PowerPoint, no tape recorders, and certainly no notes. When someone was caught taking notes in my meetings, they were thrown out immediately. Cell phones were shut off also. On the Monday before my meeting, we had a picket line outside of the organization where my union members worked. Someone we had been “watching” crossed our picket line. What he didn’t know that morning was that he would regret that decision.

Of course, I already knew where he lived, and what route he took to get home. I told everyone in my meeting this man’s name and address. I then assigned shifts for people to sit in front of his house. Not 5 or 6 people, but 150 or more people. Yes, they were assigned strike duty to someone’s house, where they would walk up and down the block on the sidewalk for hours with signs, whistles, bull horns and photographers. Cars were parked up and down the block, causing traffic backups and a terrible scene.

A union has to control their membership and I had to make an example of these members who dared to cross the picket line. Now, the people in front of the house would think again before they crossed the line because I would put them through hell. They would not enjoy a “Meet the Neighbor Day” at their home.

We would succeed in our mission, at whatever cost necessary. If your shift was 9pm-5am, then that’s where you would be, like it or not. Imagine for a moment that you’re in your home, with your family, and 150 people or more are on the sidewalk in front of your home, on your block. We weren’t breaking any laws, because the sidewalk is public property and we have the right to picket as long as we keep walking. There was no recourse for these people. We did this at each “scab” house for a couple of nights, but the magnitude of this event lasted for a much longer time.

But, after all, I was helping. I was the reason the union members would have better work conditions. I was their answer but most importantly I had to win. This was my job as a professional union organizer. My job was to maintain control over the membership and I was very good at it.