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Organizing Chaos

None of us sends ourselves into the world. We are all here to complete the errands assigned to us by our ancestors. And while each individual's purpose is unique, we share a common goal, which is to bring about the Good Condition. And so, leadership means communicating the shared vision in ways that everyone can see themselves. Furthermore, great leadership means organizing resources in ways that enable complementary interaction between individuals and groups. 

• Using resources available to you, learn about the daily routines of working people in your community. What do they do at work? What are their work-related concerns? List, briefly describe and give examples of at least EIGHT concerns of working class people in your community. These may include, but are not limited to, working conditions, safety, hours, wages, seniority, job security, equal-opportunity employment, discrimination, automation, unemployment, layoffs, outsourcing, and employee benefits such as health care, child care, profit sharing, and retirement benefits.

• Visit the office or attend a meeting of a local labor union, a central labor council, or an employee organization, or contact one of these organizations online. Then do EACH of the following:
1. Find out what the organization does.
   
2. Share the list of issues and concerns you made earlier. Ask the people you communicate with which issues are of greatest interest or concern to them and why.
   
3. Draw a diagram showing how the organization is structured, from the local to the national level, if applicable.

• Organize a meeting with your spiritual community. Explain what labor unions are, what they do, and what services they provide to members. In your discussion, show that you understand the concepts of labor, management, collective bargaining, negotiation, union shops, open (nonunion) shops, grievance procedures, mediation, arbitration, work stoppages, strikes, and lockouts.
  
• Explain what is meant by the adversarial model of labor-management relations, compared with a cooperative-bargaining style.
• Do ONE of the following:
1. Develop a time line of significant events in the history of the American labor movement from the 1770s to the present.
   
2. Prepare an exhibit, a scrapbook, or a computer presentation, such as a slide show, illustrating three major achievements of the American labor movement and how those achievements affect American workers.
3. Read a biography of an African American who has made a contribution to the American labor movement. Explain what contribution this person has made to the American labor movement.
• Explain the term globalization. Discuss with your spiritual community some effects of globalization on the workforce in the United States. Explain how this global workforce fits into the economic system of this country.
  
• Choose a labor issue of widespread interest to American workers. Bring together your friends, family and members of your spiritual community to argue both sides of the issue, first taking management’s side, then presenting labor’s or the employee’s point of view. In your presentation, summarize the basic rights and responsibilities of employers and employees, including union members and nonunion members.
  
• Discuss with your friends, family and members of your spiritual community the different goals that may motivate the owners of a business, its stockholders, its customers, its employees, the employees’ representatives, the community, and public officials. Explain why agreements and compromises are made and how they affect each group in achieving its goals.