I know the topic of contemporary trade unions and the AFL-CIO is a debatable one among anarchists; that being said lets not turn this into a discussion on whether or not modern day trade organized labor works. Anyway, a few months back three co-workers and myself started a push to unionize. I do inventory and auditing for a major retailer, and it's been a very tense campaign thus far. I wrote to the AFL-CIO back in November and they put me in contact with the retailers union of america who sent me a kit and offered support via phone and email. It's nearing a head and should go to a vote in the coming two weeks. Suprisingly nobody has been fired yet, but there have been some steps taken by management. They brought in a team of brainwashers to sit us down and explain the negatives of organized labor and how it would hurt us in the long run. I think this miseducation and bombardment on the behalf of corporate is starting to take it's toll on my co-workers who will need to vote on this. I've become somewhat skeptical we'll succeed.

Anyway, does anybody else have experience in unionization WITHIN the contexts of corporate america? If so, share, i'd like to know how everybody else's experience's worked out.

Union's are disgusting. They're like a second government.

Yes, I used to be member of one.

In someways they are, the state has effectively neutered them as revolutionary organizations and many unions now have more to do with collecting dues than actually sticking up for the worker.

I am currently part of a closed shop and had to join a union affiliated with the AFL-CIO. The fact that as terms of being hired I had to join a particular union told me too much.

I am thinking about joining IWW as well, does anyone think the AFL-CIO will take any disciplinary action against me?