"Unions Cannot Win On Our Own" Says Aussie Activist
Thursday, August 26, 2010(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
“While coalitions are not an absolute solution to changing the
dynamic of a hostile political environment – and an economy that only serves
the interests of large corporations – they are paramount to strengthening the
brawn and brains of unions,” said Australian labor activist and author Amanda
Tattersall (r) at yesterday’s lunchtime discussion at the AFL-CIO. “Unions
cannot win on our own – it is vital that we bring others to the movement
around social change issues not isolated to collective bargaining.” Tattersall
reflected on experiences based on campaigns in Australia, Canada and the United
States and explored five key lessons to sustain an effective social movement,
which are the focus of her new book, Power In Coalition: Strategies For
Strong Unions And Social Change. She is the founder and Director of the
Sydney Alliance – a diverse coalition of unions, community organizations and
religious organizations – and is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Unions New
South Wales, the central labor council in Sydney representing 600,000 workers.
– report/photo by Adam Wright