KEY POINTS:
- Sharing resources can open the door to long-lasting relationships.
- Take a look at organizations in your community that turn out people to events.
When Joe Mayhew heard CWA President Larry Cohen speak about labor’s shrinking power at the 2008 Convention, he starting thinking more about how his local could join forces with like-minded groups. Not sure how to begin, he asked Rachel Estroff, an activist he’d met at meetings of the New York City Working Families Party.
Rachel chaired Westchester for Change, a community-based organization in the vicinity of Local 1103. She and Joe met several times, initially sharing stories about themselves and their activism. They were both deeply concerned about economic justice and shared many of the same goals. They decided to jointly reach out to other organizations and form a coalition.
One challenge of building a coalition means understanding that each organization has its own agenda, in spite of the shared goals. Westchester for Change had a volunteer base that worked mainly on electoral campaigns. They held meetings at members’ homes and often worked through issues by consensus, rather than leaving decisions to elected leaders. Other community groups were restricted to certain types of advocacy work.
Joe and Rachel decided they would stress three things in their first meetings with other organizational leaders: 1) unions and community groups have different things to offer and can complement one another; 2) we must respect each organization’s changing needs; and 3) any organization can opt in or out of planned events.
The coalition grew to include Move On.org, the local chapter of NAACP, Mt.Vernon Tenants Association, Take 19, Westchester Disabled on the Move, SEIU, Hunger Action Network and others. Local 1103 often provided meeting space while community partners came out in support of the Verizon strike.
Since its formation in 2010, the coalition has written letters to the editor, participated in congressional visits, organized People’s Town Halls, pushed for the Millionaire’s Tax, held press conferences and rallied together during August Accountability Month in 2011. In early 2012, members formally chose a name: the Hudson Valley Coalition for a Fair Economy.
The model of this coalition is one without paid staff or a formal charter/mission statement. It relies on dedicated volunteers like Joe and Rachel to communicate with member organizations. It keeps a Google Calendar of partner events and emphasizes that they are a coalition of activists to “make things happen” in the fight for economic justice.