If I were going to organize temps, I'd be tempted to do it along craft lines-- at least with those in specialized fields. It wouldn't be so difficult, would it, to tie up a vast majority of the computer programmers in a geographical area? OK, it would be difficult, but a union could offer access to bennies at a better price for health care, couldn't it? That's a coalescing force.
And I wouldn't be so quick to go to an existing union. The posters on this list have the necessary intelligence and experience to propel a union movement. (The NLRB will wring its collective hands just as effectively whether you rely on them for legal help or not.) If it's the Greater Philadelphia Computer Worker Union, you'll be able to chart your own course, definitely a consciousness-raising method, until you get big enough for a health plan. Then you might want to merge with an existing union.
If I were going to use an existing union, I'd try to pattern the structure after the National Writers Union-- a national local of the UAW. Temp workers have much in common with freelance writers. Again it's the search for bennies, respect, and legal help.
In any case, if you tried to attract members by offering lower-price bennies, then at some point you might find that you have a significant share of Manpower's workforce in a particular area. Then you might could force Manpower to pay for the bennies and also have some say in the number of temps they're allowed to add to their force in an effort to keep your members working.
Just some thinking out loud on the subject.
James in Philly
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