Third Wave CyberUnions - or No Unions (cont.)

Gains To Date

Many gains have already been won, gains of which Organized labor has much reason to be proud: Consider this account from a very computer-savvy Research Director of a major international union:

       "I've saved thousands of jobs, thousands! We come into bargaining
        knowing more about the company than they do, by far. We've researched
        everything, I mean everything - their return on investment, their philanthropy
        profile, their executive profit-sharing payout ... like, I mean, everything!

        When they say they can't afford this or that, we come right back and show
        them how they can - and we show them what they will gain if they do. We
        give them a better analysis of their ability to pay than they ever thought
        possible. And when we've got the contract we were after, we sell it to our
        members, and begin to prove to the company they were right all along to
        go along."

Similarly, an activist with whom I talked after I gave a workshop on union and computer possibilities proudly explained his own situation:

      "Does it help? You bet it does! I've got my entire office in this little machine,
       all of my data decks. I can help a member right on the spot, no waiting, no
       fuss. They really are impressed, and I feel good about it. Heck, I've been a
       computer nerd since the 1970s, and I keep upgrading my stuff, so it's easy
       for me now. I can't remember how it was before I took this way, but it couldn't
       have been good enough."

Accordingly, Labor's record to date, put as a bumper sticker, might read - "Extraordinary possibilities under development."

Problems persist, of course, what with only 25% of unionists on-line, and even fewer clicking on Web sites other than that of their local or union. As well, all too many such Web sites are dull, static, top-down billboards, and far too many leaders (and large numbers of members) are comfortable with that.

Deep-reaching questions abound, as in this thought from the sage head of a very impressive computer-using local:

        "Part of what's happened is that the Labor Movement hasn't really decided
         how it wants to be, or what it want to look like. And so, it has a hard time
         setting up computer support systems. Because it is not sure what it wants
         to be."

Far more, in short, is required if Organized Labor is to soon maximize the potential of computer use, an adoption on which its survival may largely hinge.

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