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At many workplaces several unions represent different groups of workers: at universities, airlines, railroads, hospitals, governments, construction sites. When the unions don't work together, it's easy for management to divide and conquer. We talked with two groups of locals that do work together to confront the same employer, one at the U.S. Postal Service in Iowa and the other at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. Both have achieved some success, and both have suffered setbacks.

THE IOWA POSTAL COUNCIL
In 1997, local presidents of the American Postal Workers Union, the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, and the National Association of Letter Carriers in Iowa formed the Iowa Postal Council (IPC). It meets every three months to discuss tactics to fight management. Then Council members meet collectively with management, presenting a united front. The Council collects no dues, but raises donations from locals as necessary to fund rallies, pickets, and other activities.

"The biggest thing that frustrates management is that we do labor-management meetings together," says Lance Coles, president of APWU Local 44 in Des Moines and a leader of the IPC. "The locals had been in labor-management meetings together for years, but the Council brought them together in a new way that surprised management. In the past, each local submitted its own labor-management agenda items, which the other unions did not see until the meeting. Management used this lack of coordination to pit the unions against each other and control the meeting.

"Now we submit one collective agenda, mixing up the order so that management cannot tell which union submitted which item. This lets the locals deal privately with inter-union issues and prevents management from interfering with our business. We walk into the labor-management meetings together in solidarity and defend each other at the table, even when the agenda items do not affect our own union. This makes it clear that we are acting collectively, and that keeps management from controlling the meetings."

The Council's solidarity is remarkable given the poor relations between the unions at the national level. Against the objections of the APWU and the Mail Handlers, leaders of the NALC have signed on to the Postal Service's Transformation Plan, which threatens jobs, wages, and working conditions. The national ill will sometimes spills over locally, as when the NALC local declined to participate in a Des Moines protest against the Transformation Plan, but on these few occasions the locals agree to disagree.

"The Council tries to handle issues before they become grievances," says Coles. "At a meeting with management we might complain about renegade postmasters who are out of control, dictatorial. If management does not respond, the Council will organize pickets, a petition, media attention, and political activity to get something done."

The Council is not an arena for jurisdictional disputes. Those are handled by another meeting among the locals.

The IPC unions, except the NALC, created a joint newsletter that goes to all their members. It discusses common problems and common solutions. The APWU and NALC work with the Postal Service on an Employee Assistance Program. Even though the Mail Handlers do not have this language in their contract, they have been invited as guests and receive reports of committee activities, because the committee's actions impact their members.

To start an inter-union council, Coles suggests finding a "doer," someone who will set up the meetings, do the mailings, and handle the nitty-gritty. Though the IPC is a local officers' organization, Coles suggests including members if possible to get fresh ideas and encourage new leaders. "Send out invitations to everyone, not just the local officers," he says. "Make the council open to all union members. Then make it clear that this is not a meeting to circumvent the elected officers of any union, but just a means to share problems and find ways to work together."

He points out that you can expect obstacles, including the indifference or opposition of officers and members, especially when there are long-festering disagreements and jurisdictional issues. If there's a lot of bad blood, pick one thing that you know the unions' members have in common and start by talking about that.

"You really have to be focused on issues that are common and not issues that could divide the council," Coles suggests. "And funding is always an issue. We established a fund through donations from locals. The meetings are on our own time and expense, unless a local decides to pick up some cost."

A UNIVERSITY ALL-UNION
The Eastern Michigan University All-Union Council has been around for 16 years. It is a rank-and-file-led organization that includes members from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP); United Auto Workers Local 1975, representing about 300 clerical workers; UAW Local 1976, representing about 400 maintenance, administrative, and technical workers; AFSCME Local 1666; EMU Lecturers Organizing Congress; and two police unions.

Unlike the IPC, the EMU Council does not bargain with the university. It's more of a support group for union activities, including strikes and contract campaigns. The Council mobilizes campus workers for these events, since local officials often do not, especially if their unions are not directly involved. The Council also pushes for coordinated bargaining and more joint activity by the unions.

When the AAUP went on strike in 2000, the Council helped double and triple the size of the picket lines by mobilizing other campus unions, and the Council helped the lecturers win recognition in 2001. "We walked informational picket lines, passed petitions, wore armbands and ribbons, and protested at football games and graduation," says Malcolm Marts, a Local 1976 member who is the Council chair. "We argued that all campus workers would benefit from a better AAUP contract and the unionization of more workers."

At other times, the Council has mobilized pickets of the Board of Regents and letter-writing campaigns.

"The activity ebbs and flows," says Marts. "When nothing is happening, we meet less often, but we still meet. We might share information about an unfair labor practice or discuss how to solve a grievance. We share arbitration and university financial information. Generally, the UAW and AFSCME reps are not familiar enough with the financial systems to get the information. We are, and campus workers can use the information against the university in grievances or if they are on a bargaining committee."

The Council produces a regular newsletter for all campus workers, but especially for those in locals like Marts's, which does not send out a newsletter. A library of contracts going back 15 years helps Council members learn about bargaining strategy, as do the lawyers and health care experts the Council brings to campus for educational forums.

The Council has an ambiguous and evolving relationship with local officials. In the past, officials were more active and supportive of the Council. Currently, a few provide some support, but most ignore it. "Local officials sometimes come to the Council meetings and report on what they are doing, but they don't really participate in the collective effort," Marts explains. "The Council can have some influence with officials because we have knowledge about the university. When we have more workers participating, we have more influence."

Asked what others interested in starting a union council should do, Marts suggests that members not stand on protocol. He says, "Start meeting informally and talk about common problems. Don't jump into a formal organization. Just brainstorm. Look at the past labor history of your workplace and industry. Develop common ground on shared issues. Go out to lunch. Meet in union offices. Call meetings well in advance of bargaining. Make resources available to each other—people and information. These are seeds that can get things moving."

"Just because things slow down, don't let the council fall apart," concludes Marts. "You never know when things will pick up again and members will be looking for solidarity. Keep meeting, even just to share experiences."

[Aaron Brenner is a labor historian, researcher, writer, and editor in New York City. He has written about international labor solidarity, union reform movements, and rank-and-file rebellions by Teamsters, telephone workers, and postal workers. He authored the Troublemaker's Handbook chapter on Union Solidarity.]