Change to Win Executive Director Greg Tarpinian received a standing ovation from delegates at the Utility Workers Union of America’s annual convention in Cincinnati, OH last Friday as he detailed Change to Win’s plan to bring the American Dream to a new generation of American workers.
Tarpinian told the 500 Utility Workers delegates that the seven Change to Win partner unions have committed to developing comprehensive strategic organizing programs for workers in their key industries.
Fifteen of the top twenty occupations in the new American economy are in the jurisdiction of Change to Win unions. Over 75% of the Change to Win budget is dedicated to new organizing.
“Change to Win unions are organizing the future,” declared Tarpinian.
He outlined Change to Win’s approach:
- Maximize worker bargaining power through industry-wide organizing
- Establish the Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) to develop capacity and manage campaigns that can impact growing industries
- Use political leverage to help workers gain a voice on the job, as with the Employee Free Choice Act and the misclassification of workers as independent contractors.
- Organize workers' capital into an effective voice for corporate accountability
- Take a global perspective and build international relationships in order to lift up workers everywhere.