LABOR DAY TOPIC: creative alternatives (or additions) to striking?

[yurbud]

My union of college instructors has a tough time get faculty to strike because we actually care more about our students than the money we make, so I'm wondering if anyone has had luck with some creative strategies that we might be able to borrow.

[Warpy]

1. The historical alternatives have been

slowdowns, sickouts, and monkeywrenching. I'd suggest only the first two are possible in a teaching environment, unless there's paperwork to be monkeywrenched that wouldn't cause students grief later.

Slowdowns mean just that, and would apply more to the administrative bullshit than to actual teaching.

Sickouts are one day strikes accomplished by sick calls.

Leafleting is another alternative, I guess, as is the lunchtime, off school property but at the entrance picketing. Those can inform voters that the local school board needs to be replaced.

Nurses are in the same sort of bind. Our patients end up dead rather than just ignorant, though, if we retaliate on the job. Strikes are often the only way to get through to management that they have a problem.

[yurbud]

2. I've tried to drum up interest in the sickout since it has the advantage

of creating paranoia--"How many people are really sick? How many are faking?" And those who are really sick inadvertantly help the cause.

I think we can post stuff on campus, we just can't talk to students about it during class time.

[sweetheart]

3. discount an expensive profession

To disrupt a labour market, dump expensive advise that most people can't afford for free,
and force the market leaders to change their business model towards open service.