For the past five years, Tevita Uhatafe of TWU Local 567 has dedicated himself to advancing the labor movement. Known affectionately as “Mic Guy,” Uhatafe has traveled from coast to coast to rally in solidarity with striking workers in multiple states. Uhatafe entered the union movement as an outsider without family connections, but has nevertheless risen as a rank-and-file leader. He is now the Vice President of the Texas AFL-CIO. Vince Quiles, lead organizer of Home Depot Workers United, sits down with Tefita Uhatafe for an organizer-to-organizer conversation on their respective stories, the barriers impeding deeper solidarity in the labor movement, and why unions so desperately need rank-and-file leadership today.
Read the transcript here: https://therealnews.com/tevita-uhatafe-explains-how-rank-and-file-labor-organizers-can-transform-unions
Post-Production: Adam Coley
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** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **
You are following God's will brother, you are an inspiration to me and our class struggle.
✊♥ï¸
He seems like a good guy who genuinely cares. That being said, I've been a Teamster for 33 years and our local is worthless! I have made many grievances in those years and never used our Shop Stewards because they are usually compromised or unknowledgeable. Most of the workers are afraid to speak out, but I have gathered many of their signatures on grievances. Our union reps try to sway people to vote a certain way. They are thugs! Fifteen years ago we were making twice minimum wage! Now we ARE making minimum wage and paying $50 a month dues! It's just sad when the unions are in the back pockets of the companies.
god bless the volunteers that deal with people and conflicts
Good video Vince! Thanks for having Tevita on
Solidarity, preach on Tevita
Why don’t y’all state your grievances to the legislature and stop organizing and or marching cause that doesn’t get results. Ifn you are a union worker you could organize to state your grievances the right way to the LEGISLATURE
Ayy toko, keep doing your thing, keep fighting for workers. That PI culture of community, togetherness, and solidarity (my mom is from Samoa) should spread and be central to the labor movement. It fosters greater numbers and attract more people, which builds more power for the movement. Numbers are the biggest strength to movements
I don't remember subbing to this channel but damn… glad I did… HI VINCE! ðŸ˜ðŸ¤£
Tavita is awesome! I hope to see him succeed in his efforts. What a great modern day working-class hero.
Unions here in Australia have become very political so many deserting them in their droves, if you want to see a Union going against its members watch "Battleground Melbourne" by Topher Field other than all the other dreadful stuff, you also experience the CMFEU turn on its members for a Government policy.
Really enjoy this subject! great interview! Thank you very much from way up here in Cdn!
The title should be “From ordinary scumbag to union boss SCUMBAG!â€
Two union “leaders†…Twice as Useless
🗣Lazy union SCUM
I stopped watching after the last zillion of "u know.." some peoples really need to hear themselves.
Thank you Haku.
The problem is a lot of unions vote Democrat and the Democrats in the big companies and inner cities hire a lot of illegals thru contractors to choke the unions out.
Legend!
I had to fight to get involved as well and it has payed off cause I have earned the respect of my local superiors. It’s been about 4 years of activism and things have happened for the best for our local overall
I see where you come from about ups not having ac did our ancestors have air conditioning like with we are not raising flowers secondly I love this guy he don't care about anything but helping people and wants equality for all his teamsters
I just QUIT and walk out .