[WS:} "Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win" - Sun Tzu
It seems that this wisdom escapes organized labor, and or that matter, much of the left. Strike, as well as any other form of direct action, is an act of war, and if one decides to engage in it, one needs to be pretty sure that one will prevail. This requires a lot of efforts and capacity building way before any hostilities are likely to break out. This requires a lot of public support and coalition building, influencing public opinion, and publicizing interpretative frames sympathetic to labor causes. The right does it rather well, the left and organized labor suck at this.
Some of this capacity building may include: 1. Development of national pro-labor *mainstream* media - TV, radio, and newspapers (like the Guardian) - something that systematically projects pro-labor view points in a leftist jargon free manner. 2. Development of labor-friendly non-profits and policy think tanks (one EPI is not enough) 3. Development of labor friendly educational programs free of left identity politics jargon and stigma 4. Development of labor friendly economic institutions, ESOPs, coops, including housing, etc. 5. A systematic outreach program aimed to build coalitions among all kinds of private, public and even religious institutions that are labor friendly (e.g. Progressive Maryland) 6. Organizing regular events (festivals, concerts, shows, fairs, retreats) etc. bringing together labor activists and people from other walks of life and promoting pro-labor viewpoints 7. Development of a political arm of the organized labor that is independent from the two major parties but willing to collaborate with them on specific issues.
I understand that some of it is already being done, but much more is needed. I would go as far as suggesting a moratorium on all direct action until sufficient organizational capacity is being built and divert all resources to such capacity building.
-- Wojtek
"An anarchist is a neoliberal without money."