On Turning Activism into Ownership<\/a><\/h1>\n6-1-2024<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\nOn Turning Activism into Ownership:\u00a0 At a union meeting the other night one of our activist members pressed for the union leadership to endorse a particular candidate he supported.\u00a0 The problem is that this candidate is at odds with some very basic needs of our membership.\u00a0 When I responded that our member could play a role in gaining an endorsement by working with his candidate to resolve the differences that divided us, he seemed surprised.\u00a0 I was asking him to move beyond activism and take personal ownership of the union\u2019s relationship with this candidate.<\/p>\n
Most people start down the path to being activists when an issue grabs their attention enough to motivate them to \u201cdo something\u201d.\u00a0 Often, we feel if we go holler at the people we perceive to be in power, we can change what we don\u2019t like.\u00a0 Some folks never get beyond this kind of \u201cdemand activism\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing wrong with using collective action to influence leadership.\u00a0 That\u2019s what freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are all about.\u00a0 There\u2019s no question that mass protests can and have influenced policy and the direction of our nation.\u00a0 However, there are limits to what we can accomplish this way.\u00a0 Many of our challenges can\u2019t be solved by single actions pressuring one leader, a company or organization.\u00a0 Those activists that realize the limitations of pure protest, and make a commitment to work on solutions, have begun the transformation to \u201cowning\u201d a problem.<\/p>\n
\n\n\nThanks for reading Ike’s Work in Progress! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nPledge your support<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhen I and a group of our USW Local Union members ran for leadership positions in our Local, we were activists.\u00a0 We had a host of complaints that we were sure needed \u201cpush\u201d to get \u201cthose in power\u201d to solve for us.\u00a0 We were young, knew how to holler, and sure these positions would give us the platform to get others to address our complaints.\u00a0 Once we were elected to Local Leadership, we realized our Plant was seriously in danger of being shut down.\u00a0 It slowly dawned on us that we had responsibility for 2,100 members and their family\u2019s futures.\u00a0 We also found that \u201cthe people in power\u201d we\u2019re pretty busy and were swamped with very difficult challenges.\u00a0 We had a choice of deciding to blame \u201cthe system\u201d as a response, or figure out how we could do something about the trajectory of our own futures.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t know it at the time, but we had shifted from \u201cactivists\u201d to slowly assuming \u201cownership\u201d of our issues.<\/p>\n
In today\u2019s political environment we have all too many politicians who are happy to tell us they will solve our problems for us.\u00a0 How often have we heard a candidate, from all Parties, tell us about all the things they will do if elected, \u201con Day 1\u201d.\u00a0 That\u2019s what we want to hear.\u00a0 All we had to do was complain and someone else will fix it for us.\u00a0 And fast!\u00a0 Except that there are tons of issues that can\u2019t and won\u2019t get solved on \u201cDay 1\u201d.\u00a0 And we really do know it!\u00a0 Often the \u201cDay 1\u201d solution that is being proposed isn\u2019t a viable solution.\u00a0 There are lots of soundbites on quick fixes and easy answers.\u00a0 But as we found out, once we assumed Local Union Leadership, most problems need to be worked through, a consensus built around what to do, and then actually making something happen.\u00a0 Those that decide to get beyond the soundbites have stepped into the ownership level of activism.<\/p>\n
What \u201cownership\u201d looks like has to do with several courses of action.\u00a0 First, we have to prioritize what we want to change.\u00a0 There\u2019s only so much time and energy, so we have to pick the top stuff.\u00a0 This is part of a strategic approach where we create a plan of action that methodically tackles issues.\u00a0 Within that strategic plan are the steps that those working on the problem can do themselves to make change happen.\u00a0 In our Local Union work, we knew we had to work on the Mill\u2019s profitability to attract scarce investment dollars that the company had to spend.\u00a0 As our former International President Lynn Williams often told us, \u201cmanagement is too important to leave to management alone\u201d.\u00a0 The activist demands the company manage well.\u00a0 The activist\/ownership model says we\u2019re stepping in and doing what you aren\u2019t doing well.<\/strong><\/p>\nThis \u201cownership\u201d approach has all kinds of applications in our daily lives.\u00a0 Those that set up a \u201cGo Fund Me\u201d site for a person in the community facing an expensive operation, have taken \u201cownership\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 Workers who step up and organize their workplaces have decided to \u201cown\u201d their working conditions and compensation.\u00a0 Groups that are collecting funds and building facilities for the homeless, are going beyond the basic activist.\u00a0 In many political issues, people go beyond \u201cdemands\u201d to actively working to educate, develop consensus, work out plausible solutions and then lobby for legislative or administrative change.\u00a0 Most of us look around at election time to see if someone is running for office that supports our issues.\u00a0 The activist\/ownership folks find qualified people and help them develop into viable candidates.\u00a0 In the activism I\u2019ve been part of, when we brought a plan and were able to show support, it was much easier to get \u201cthose in power\u201d to sign on and promote our priorities.\u00a0 The bottom line is that there really isn\u2019t a shortcut to fixing our big issues.\u00a0 There\u2019s real work to be done.<\/strong><\/p>\nI believe that much of the political divide that afflicts our nation comes from an expectation that all we have to be, are \u201cactivists\u201d.\u00a0 All too many of us feel like its enough to attend a rally, spit something out on social media or maybe vote, and then go back to our lives.\u00a0 Then we\u2019re frustrated that our \u201cparticipation\u201d didn\u2019t change our world.\u00a0 When people say democracy is work, this is what they mean.<\/p>\n
The other misconception we have way too much of is that by staying within our silo\u2019s, just talking and engaging with like-minded people, means we\u2019re doing something.\u00a0 Real change is a process of forming enough of a consensus to move an issue.\u00a0 A lot of us have dispensed with this need to reach out to people who differ with us, and work through what we can do together.\u00a0 Yet getting outside our comfort zones is another step from activism to ownership.<\/p>\n
Instead, we have huge efforts at imposing minority views on others.\u00a0 When that doesn\u2019t work, we try to cut others out of any decision-making power.\u00a0 We can be purists about our beliefs and try the \u201cI\u2019m gonna tell you what to do\u201d approach.\u00a0 The activist\/ownership way is to get out there and build solutions that folks adopt voluntarily and with enthusiasm.\u00a0 Imposed ideas only last as long as the minority holds power.\u00a0 We\u2019re ping-ponging back and forth, refusing to admit that we\u2019re stalled out on all sides.<\/p>\n
At the end of the day, unless we become activist\/ownership people, our problems won\u2019t get solved and our dissatisfactions will mount.\u00a0 We have a great need for leadership that asks us to \u201cown\u201d our problems and plays the role of the uniter and consensus builder.\u00a0\u00a0 As President John Kennedy said, \u201cask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country\u201d.\u00a0 It may take some bad experiences for us to realize that the \u201cI\u2019m gonna do it for you\u201d people can\u2019t deliver.\u00a0 That would be unfortunate because on several of our most pressing challenges, time is running out.<\/p>\n
ihg 6-1-2024\u00a0 If you like these commentaries, join my blog for free at:\u00a0https:\/\/ikegittlen.substack.com\/<\/a>\u00a0and share. Let\u2019s see what we can build together.<\/p>\n
On Turning Activism into Ownership:\u00a0 At a union meeting the other night one of our activist members pressed for the union leadership to endorse a particular candidate he supported.\u00a0 The problem is that this candidate is at odds with some very basic needs of our membership.\u00a0 When I responded that our member could play a role in gaining an endorsement by working with his candidate to resolve the differences that divided us, he seemed surprised.\u00a0 I was asking him to move beyond activism and take personal ownership of the union\u2019s relationship with this candidate.<\/p>\n
Most people start down the path to being activists when an issue grabs their attention enough to motivate them to \u201cdo something\u201d.\u00a0 Often, we feel if we go holler at the people we perceive to be in power, we can change what we don\u2019t like.\u00a0 Some folks never get beyond this kind of \u201cdemand activism\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 There\u2019s nothing wrong with using collective action to influence leadership.\u00a0 That\u2019s what freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are all about.\u00a0 There\u2019s no question that mass protests can and have influenced policy and the direction of our nation.\u00a0 However, there are limits to what we can accomplish this way.\u00a0 Many of our challenges can\u2019t be solved by single actions pressuring one leader, a company or organization.\u00a0 Those activists that realize the limitations of pure protest, and make a commitment to work on solutions, have begun the transformation to \u201cowning\u201d a problem.<\/p>\n
Thanks for reading Ike’s Work in Progress! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Pledge your support<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n When I and a group of our USW Local Union members ran for leadership positions in our Local, we were activists.\u00a0 We had a host of complaints that we were sure needed \u201cpush\u201d to get \u201cthose in power\u201d to solve for us.\u00a0 We were young, knew how to holler, and sure these positions would give us the platform to get others to address our complaints.\u00a0 Once we were elected to Local Leadership, we realized our Plant was seriously in danger of being shut down.\u00a0 It slowly dawned on us that we had responsibility for 2,100 members and their family\u2019s futures.\u00a0 We also found that \u201cthe people in power\u201d we\u2019re pretty busy and were swamped with very difficult challenges.\u00a0 We had a choice of deciding to blame \u201cthe system\u201d as a response, or figure out how we could do something about the trajectory of our own futures.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t know it at the time, but we had shifted from \u201cactivists\u201d to slowly assuming \u201cownership\u201d of our issues.<\/p>\n In today\u2019s political environment we have all too many politicians who are happy to tell us they will solve our problems for us.\u00a0 How often have we heard a candidate, from all Parties, tell us about all the things they will do if elected, \u201con Day 1\u201d.\u00a0 That\u2019s what we want to hear.\u00a0 All we had to do was complain and someone else will fix it for us.\u00a0 And fast!\u00a0 Except that there are tons of issues that can\u2019t and won\u2019t get solved on \u201cDay 1\u201d.\u00a0 And we really do know it!\u00a0 Often the \u201cDay 1\u201d solution that is being proposed isn\u2019t a viable solution.\u00a0 There are lots of soundbites on quick fixes and easy answers.\u00a0 But as we found out, once we assumed Local Union Leadership, most problems need to be worked through, a consensus built around what to do, and then actually making something happen.\u00a0 Those that decide to get beyond the soundbites have stepped into the ownership level of activism.<\/p>\n What \u201cownership\u201d looks like has to do with several courses of action.\u00a0 First, we have to prioritize what we want to change.\u00a0 There\u2019s only so much time and energy, so we have to pick the top stuff.\u00a0 This is part of a strategic approach where we create a plan of action that methodically tackles issues.\u00a0 Within that strategic plan are the steps that those working on the problem can do themselves to make change happen.\u00a0 In our Local Union work, we knew we had to work on the Mill\u2019s profitability to attract scarce investment dollars that the company had to spend.\u00a0 As our former International President Lynn Williams often told us, \u201cmanagement is too important to leave to management alone\u201d.\u00a0 The activist demands the company manage well.\u00a0 The activist\/ownership model says we\u2019re stepping in and doing what you aren\u2019t doing well.<\/strong><\/p>\n This \u201cownership\u201d approach has all kinds of applications in our daily lives.\u00a0 Those that set up a \u201cGo Fund Me\u201d site for a person in the community facing an expensive operation, have taken \u201cownership\u201d.\u00a0\u00a0 Workers who step up and organize their workplaces have decided to \u201cown\u201d their working conditions and compensation.\u00a0 Groups that are collecting funds and building facilities for the homeless, are going beyond the basic activist.\u00a0 In many political issues, people go beyond \u201cdemands\u201d to actively working to educate, develop consensus, work out plausible solutions and then lobby for legislative or administrative change.\u00a0 Most of us look around at election time to see if someone is running for office that supports our issues.\u00a0 The activist\/ownership folks find qualified people and help them develop into viable candidates.\u00a0 In the activism I\u2019ve been part of, when we brought a plan and were able to show support, it was much easier to get \u201cthose in power\u201d to sign on and promote our priorities.\u00a0 The bottom line is that there really isn\u2019t a shortcut to fixing our big issues.\u00a0 There\u2019s real work to be done.<\/strong><\/p>\n I believe that much of the political divide that afflicts our nation comes from an expectation that all we have to be, are \u201cactivists\u201d.\u00a0 All too many of us feel like its enough to attend a rally, spit something out on social media or maybe vote, and then go back to our lives.\u00a0 Then we\u2019re frustrated that our \u201cparticipation\u201d didn\u2019t change our world.\u00a0 When people say democracy is work, this is what they mean.<\/p>\n The other misconception we have way too much of is that by staying within our silo\u2019s, just talking and engaging with like-minded people, means we\u2019re doing something.\u00a0 Real change is a process of forming enough of a consensus to move an issue.\u00a0 A lot of us have dispensed with this need to reach out to people who differ with us, and work through what we can do together.\u00a0 Yet getting outside our comfort zones is another step from activism to ownership.<\/p>\n Instead, we have huge efforts at imposing minority views on others.\u00a0 When that doesn\u2019t work, we try to cut others out of any decision-making power.\u00a0 We can be purists about our beliefs and try the \u201cI\u2019m gonna tell you what to do\u201d approach.\u00a0 The activist\/ownership way is to get out there and build solutions that folks adopt voluntarily and with enthusiasm.\u00a0 Imposed ideas only last as long as the minority holds power.\u00a0 We\u2019re ping-ponging back and forth, refusing to admit that we\u2019re stalled out on all sides.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, unless we become activist\/ownership people, our problems won\u2019t get solved and our dissatisfactions will mount.\u00a0 We have a great need for leadership that asks us to \u201cown\u201d our problems and plays the role of the uniter and consensus builder.\u00a0\u00a0 As President John Kennedy said, \u201cask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country\u201d.\u00a0 It may take some bad experiences for us to realize that the \u201cI\u2019m gonna do it for you\u201d people can\u2019t deliver.\u00a0 That would be unfortunate because on several of our most pressing challenges, time is running out.<\/p>\n ihg 6-1-2024\u00a0 If you like these commentaries, join my blog for free at:\u00a0https:\/\/ikegittlen.substack.com\/<\/a>\u00a0and share. Let\u2019s see what we can build together.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/uawlocal2250.net\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/petition-6788862_1280-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n