Organizer Training

There’s no “right” or “wrong” time to organize, because we must ALWAYS be organizing our locals. This work cannot stop for pandemics, political elections, or any other reason. We are committed to helping strengthen your union local through good old fashioned organizing, and we are creating this page to help share useful resources related to that goal. VCORE offers virtual organizer training designed for education workers, and to date have trained over 100 union leaders across Virginia. If you and your co-workers would like to schedule a FREE organizer training for your local, contact VCORE by emailing [email protected] 

Tutorial videos:

• Intro to structure tests: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jlvSrIWLZhBC34SQCpAEumDUOuuT6wlB/view
• Intro to workplace mapping: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1W-Yfa_FeX5F4-FdRvMQzAmWxPVNQ6nSE/view
• ​Intro to Agitate and Educate: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vFu6Ien9ajXqhSRMHyvTuoRrGOCL9QEm/view
• IWW Training Session: https://vimeo.com/408171248/6caad8276f

Important templates for organizing your local:

• Structure test tracker and social mapping template: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ew2QJ0-Qf87u8kvuXlWSLjDYTzceIwM3/view?usp=sharing 
• Leader characteristics: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1l5Qz6T3W6H4VIMOzcCqitdp8lSbHd0a6/view?usp=sharing 
• ​Categories of workers to map in your workplace: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CcvirET7n38ZiEyXS7ZoWyR6Fzkb35FR/view?usp=sharing 

Podcasts:

• How the Los Angeles Teachers organized to win: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/jacobin-radio-from-jacobin-magazine/jacobin-radio/e/58389192?autoplay=true 
• Organizing to win (aka- organizing for the strike): https://www.thedigradio.com/podcast/strike-with-jane-mcalevey/ 

Recommended Literature:

• How to overcome fear in organizing part 1: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UjXJ9fpj6eHENs_wB-IbjqXeIX9SLWzF/view?usp=sharing 
• ​How to overcome fear in organizing part 2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cPfQHDE29yeWgf0N4SH9ha2LnpAFtK0h/view?usp=sharing 
• ​Alinsky for teacher organizers: https://drive.google.com/file/d/106dgFMOxAB_Ln_gT4lKYmIbIg9cX1vBl/view?usp=sharing

Labor Notes

• https://labornotes.org/secrets/handouts
• https://uale.org/document-table/resources/resources-for-activism/543-secrets-trainers-guide-labor-notes/file
• https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/497-the-future-of-our-schools
• https://www.versobooks.com/books/1569-strike-for-america
• https://share.riseup.net/#7iJhG5QZIWWZx8EgInlQyA  

Books:

• Jane McALevy, A Collective Bargain: Unions, Organizing, and the Fight for Democracy
• John Steuben, Strike Strategy
• Micah Uetrich, Strike for America: Chicago Teachers Against Austerity