A work action is an activity taken by co-workers to put pressure on the boss to affect the regular flow of your workplace. The goal of a work action is to escalate pressure on decision-makers that affect your working conditions, empower your co-workers to recognize their strength in collective action, and disrupt the profit mechanism of your business whenever possible.
Before taking action, though, workers first should complete an assessment of the action and who will join in.
What is an action assessment?
An action assessment is an evaluation of a work action conducted by the workers who are planning it. Workers make this assessment in order to evaluate which co-workers are willing to act and determine whether they are prepared.
It is hard to effectively put pressure on decision-makers at a worksite without majority participation. Assessments reduce the risk of acting without enough co-workers on board. The higher the number of participants, the stronger the action and the more protected the workers will be. Fifty-one percent is a majority, but 80% participation is a goal that can ensure bosses will take notice.
What happens after a work action?
Bosses may also retaliate after a work action, but an assessment helps build protection and prepare those involved by demonstrating to workers that they can count on each other. If only a minority of workers take action, retaliation is more likely.
If workers do not have a strong majority, an action can still be effective if they have a supermajority in those areas where action would be the most disruptive to decision-makers. Regardless of the number of workers involved, leaders should consider strategic points in the business’s regular workflow.
How to conduct an action assessment
- Prepare short talking points
Address the current crisis, including reasons why taking action is the only or best path to achieving your goal and questions to engage co-workers on the issue
- Make a contact list
Create a contact list for all the workers you are going to ask about taking action. Contact info could be used for in-person worksite visits, a phone tree or phone bank, a Zoom meeting, etc.
- Distribute the list
Divide up the contacts between the members of your core planning group.
- Talk with your co-workers
Drawing on the talking points, talk with the contacts and end by asking if they would be willing to participate in an action if there is majority interest among the larger group.
- Keep track of your conversations
Record assessments for each worker (yes or no). Track your findings in a workplace chart like this one.
