Secrets of a Successful Organizer

by Alexandra Bradbury, Mark Brenner, Jane Slaughter

Are there problems where you work? Maybe your pay is too low, conditions are unsafe, or your boss has it in for someone you work with... and you’re ready to do something about it.

This book will show you how to fight back where you work and win. You’ll learn how to identify the key issues in your workplace, build campaigns to tackle them, anticipate management’s tricks and traps, and inspire your co-workers to stand together despite their fears. It’s a step-by-step guide to building power on the job.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Labor, Activism, Self Help, Social Issues, Theory

265 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bible of organizing is, of course, Saul Alinsky’s Rules for Radicals: A Pragmatic Primer for Realistic Radicals; that said, the greatest how-to manual is Secrets of a Successful Organizer. Like the actual Bible, it’s a book to keep by your bedside to read and reread. Whether you’re in a moribund union or an active one, whether you’re in a union at all, Secrets of a Successful Organizer will show you how to achieve a fair, dignified workplace and, even more importantly, how to achieve social change.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

brb going to help organize my workplace

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good basic primer on strengthening a union for the purposes of improving working conditions. The personal stories and examples are inspiring, but it doesn't really fit the fight I am involved in to become a recognized union, but the basic principles of organizing are important to internalize. The idea that sometimes you will lose is something Jane McAlevey would disagree with. If you are all together, which is very difficult to do, you won't lose. McAlevey is brilliant and she trains people to organize themselves and analyze social reproductive aspects of work as well. I will read her book next or watch more of her trainings, but this was a good start.

[Sean Estelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of pithy lessons and case studies about shop-floor + union organizing, but there’s lots of important lessons no matter where you’re doing your work.

“From Mother Jones to Martin Luther King, Jr., the best organizers have been reviled as troublemakers, because they were bringing people together and building strength in numbers that threatened the power of the few.”

[Galina Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok! Plenty of good advice in it and I like the bullseye model especially (including applying that to other similar problem spaces). Just felt a little light on content, somehow. Quick to breeze through.

[Gracie Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great resource for any organizer. Many great things to pull and discuss with fellow union members. I will be sure to go back to this in the future for guidance.

[Dani Kass · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me so fired up to organize. A lot of it was review, and it really interesting to learn how things I’d picked up from union staff are rooted in such deep-seated strategy that spans decades and industries. I’d recommend this to anyone just starting to organize, and as review for anyone trying to keep their union strong. I got a ton of mobilization ideas out of it.

[Janis Yue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I will be revisiting over and over again probably. So practical and well-organized!

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent introduction to organizing primarily focused on contract fights and mobilizing unionized workers. The Labor Notes website also has a ton of great resources (pamphlets, handouts, etc.) that are very useful for organizing meetings. It's always great to see different materials that are used for workplace mapping and first meetings. I do wish there was more expansion on what to expect in a union busting campaign and how to prepare for organizing to fight union busters during both RC elections and issue based campaigns. Anyway- I highly recommend this book for organizers, union members, and non unionized workers since its a very easy read that has many practical uses for organizing.

[Shaun Richman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't read this book alone.

While I could quibble with an item here or there, this is a very good distillation of the consensus best practices for workplace organizing, particularly with a view towards revitalizing existing union shops.

[amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So useful. Just gonna re-read this every year forever.

[W. Minkadrew]

Like with the book Zero to One: Notes on Startup Companies, this book might be best approached with a hypothetical example “organizing” project to reflect on as you read. Flipping through the pages, my first impression was that the perspective might be sick. I read, “It’s all about power” and “You’re different but that’s okay” and thought, “oh, this is that ungrateful management philosophy that would never uplift Jesus from enduring hell because it isn’t HIS project and HE’s such a weird relationship / contribution. This first impression was wrong, though, and a little unwell of me to have expected. The simplicity of the organizing model makes the starting point of one’s efforts easier to embrace. The book shares some good ideas. An acknowledgement of how you probably felt like you were the only one who cared if you’d tried organizing people before. The book is real. I’m enjoying it.

[Anna Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely geared more toward worker leaders than staff organizers but I really appreciated the focus on day to day nuts and bolts in this book. Most books about labor organizing tend to focus on either new organizing or contract campaigns/strikes, but this one focuses more on building strength and structure longer term which is one of the toughest things to do. This is a great resource to use for training stewards as well and has lots of stories/examples. However it’s at times a bit over simplistic and I wish there were more variety of types of workplaces represented in the examples besides the usual (teachers, nurses, factory workers).

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really excellent book that is easy to read, both in small chunks and large. Its target audience is mainly workers/organizers in existing unions but its lessons are so applicable to any organizer, whether it be someone organizing a union or someone not even in labor! A must-read for any and every organizer.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid intro to workplace organizing, although meant more for someone organizing their own workplace as opposed to a union organizer with many workplaces. I appreciated the step by step approach. also I was shocked to find there's a picture of me in it! so there's that.

[Siobhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Organizing is totally new to me so I found this incredibly helpful and lucid. So generous, too: Labornotes includes lots of checklists and handouts, which they've made available for free at labornotes.org.

[Kelbaenor (Dan) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic little handbook full of easy to understand examples and guides on the basics of organizing. Designed for union workers but applicable to any sort of working class organizing, not just a book of reflections, but a guide to immediate action. Highly recommended.

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great resource for workplace-based union leaders and those who want to get involved in making change at work. The majority of this book's wisdom, tips, and strategies translate to any workplace in any country. There are only a couple short sections and references to US rights and laws.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid intro to why unions matter, step-by-step ways to protect worker rights, and how to resolve conflicts before escalating tensions.

[Echantal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un livre essentiel pour les syndicalistes.

[Jesse Ginsburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book can easily be used as a reference book. But it is a necessary reference book for anyone interested in organizing, but particularly union organizing. Worth reading.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this while taking union training this summer. Finally has the chance to finish it. It’s a great resource for new union leaders or seasoned ones who need a refresher.

[Subliminal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eher ein Handbuch zum Nachschlagen als Lektüre zum Durcharbeiten. Randvoll mit guten Tipps und Ideen und darum nützlich und inspirierend.

[Angie Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

So. Much. Information.

[Torie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this a few months ago—really practical and helpful in unionizing and bargaining our first contract!

[Sanjay Narayanan · Rating 3 out of 5]

read this book with my org and we had some good convos. however, i found this book to be too wordy for me.

[10thumbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good, quick and accessible read about tactics rank-and-file organizers have used to build their local union. Read this first to see if it was a good starting point for our local's new steward program. Look forward to reading it a second time — and going through the exercises and supplemental materials — with my co-workers.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic introduction to the basic principles of organizing (if you're new to the concept) and a useful refresher for those of us who have been at it for a little while.

I think any union or workplace activist will get something out of this accessible and easy-to-understand little volume. Plenty of successful and non-successful case studies are included in a way that brings the theoretical pieces alive.

A quick note: Anyone who is interested in using social media for organizing, this is not the book for you, as it focuses on the proven principles of one-on-one conversations, concrete actions, and building collective power for change through demonstrated solidarity. (Remember, social media is just a tool that enables real-world action!)

[Mrtfalls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ive read this at least 3 times and have always dip back into it as I find it an immensely useful resource. Ive a trade union activist in courier work and as an education worker (TA and Science Technician). Whatever your workplace might I think you will find this book to be a useful tool.

With some education worker trade unionists we did a one-off reading of chapter 1. It generated a lot of discussion and was really well-received by the group. So definitely one to read as a group if you can.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it once through, and will absolutely re-read it, reference it, recommend it, gift it, and use it to organize and improve material conditions in the short-term while contributing to a bigger movement that fights injustice and challenges the structures of power.

It's inspiring, it's practical, and it's been proven to aid workers in organizing, seizing power, and democratizing workplaces.