Open Source Unionism

“open source unionism,” = a way to describe unionization via Web technology.

Description

1.

From the article Online Education, Contigent Faculty, and Open-Source Unionism, by Eileen Schell :

"Like the open source software movement—“open source unionism embraces the utopian, collaborative ethos of the Internet revolution”. As Julie Schmid notes in her excellent article “Open Source Unionism: New Workers, New Strategies.” [r]ather than depend on the traditional means of union organizing—leafleting at the plant gate, holding organizing meetings in the break from, or ‘house visiting’ workers after hours. . . open source union organizing relief on cybertools such as listservs, chat rooms, and web Sites. These tools help bring together people who as a result of the new economy, are employed at separate locations, often as temporary or contract workers, and lack a common work experience.” There is great potential here to organize workers across borders through open-source unionism, and there is also great potential here to organize students as compatriots in the struggle." (http://www.edu-factory.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44&Itemid=33)

2. From the Wikipedia:

"Open-source unionism is a term coined by academics Richard B. Freeman and Joel Rogers to explain a possible new model for organizing workers. In the June 24, 2002 of The Nation magazine they explained:

- A labor movement that embraced this vision - taking its own historical lessons with diversified membership seriously and relying more heavily on the Internet in membership communication and servicing - would be practicing what we call "open-source unionism"." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_unionism)

Example

1.

Open-sourcing labour conflicts against global neo-liberalism, Justice for Janitors: New forms of shared strategy and campaigning are taking on the worst effects of fiercely competitive neoliberal service economies. Globalization from above can be fought and resisted effectively by processes of globalization from below

2.

"The Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor (COCAL) has involved higher education contingent workers from the U.S. Canada, and Mexico, and the movement has been successful in building solidarity and resulting in increased visibility and gains for wages through local unionizing campaigns." (http://www.edu-factory.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44&Itemid=33)

More Information

For updates, see http://www.delicious.com/mbauwens/P2P-Labor

Lloyd, John P. “Outsource U: Globalization, Outsourcing, and the Implications for Contingent Academic Labor.” Accessed March 5, 2005. Available as a PDF Download at <http://www.chicagococal.org/downloads/conference-papers/John- Llloyd.pdf.>

Schmid, Julie. “Open Source Unionism: New Workers, New Strategies.” Academe. (January-February 2004). Accessed March 7, 2005. http://www.aaup.org/publications/Academe/2004/04jf/04jfschm.htm

Freeman, Richard B. & Joel Rogers. 2004. "A Proposal to American Labor." The Nation, June 24, 2002 issue.