Workplace organizing isn’t just for unhappy employees—it’s a proven way to build dignity, security, and a true voice at work. In Get on the Job and Organize, Jaz Brisack, the Rhodes Scholar who helped lead the first unionized Starbucks store in the U.S., makes a compelling case for collective action even in jobs you love. Their core argument? Organizing protects rights, ensures long-term stability, and brings workplace democracy to the spaces where we spend most of our waking hours. From tech startups to coffee shops, workplace organizing empowers employees to shape their future rather than leaving it in the hands of corporate management.
Workplace Organizing Builds Real Power
Many benefits we take for granted today—paid parental leave, flexible work arrangements, quiet rooms, hybrid schedules—exist because workers organized for them. Organizing is about moving from being “consulted” to being a genuine partner in decision-making. It creates accountability, ensuring companies live up to their values rather than making promises they can easily withdraw. As Brisack notes, workplace democracy is a right, not a privilege. Organizing also helps protect human dignity, ensuring employees are valued as people, not just productivity metrics, in an era where automation and AI often reduce workers to numbers.
It’s Not Just About Unions
While formal unionization is a powerful tool, workplace organizing includes many forms of collective action. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), diversity committees, and coordinated advocacy campaigns all give workers leverage to negotiate for change. Even informal efforts—like coordinated feedback sessions or strategic resignations—can influence company policies. These strategies work across industries, and their benefits extend beyond the office walls. Communities with higher rates of organized workers often have better wages, stronger local economies, and more equitable public policies.
How to Start Organizing Your Workplace
Brisack advises beginning with listening—understand your colleagues’ concerns before launching any campaign. Build trust, identify natural leaders, and move strategically. Anticipate resistance, but remember that even organizing attempts that don’t “win” build lasting skills and networks for future efforts. The goal is more than better pay—it’s to make workers “more fully free, more fully human.” As job security declines and economic inequality rises, workplace organizing stands out as one of the most effective ways to create not only better jobs but a better society. By organizing together, workers become active participants in shaping the workplaces and communities of tomorrow.
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