The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/137502
Get orGAnIzed: MIKe LYncH The Industrial Workers of the World's constitution opens with the line, "The working class and the employing class have nothing in common." And, as Oneonta Common Council member Mike Lynch says, "You either believe that or you don't. If you do, the IWW is the place for you." With his impeccable suit, shirt and tie, with his closecropped hair neatly combed, you might not have Mike Lynch pegged as a radical. You would be wrong. Lynch eats, sleeps and breathes the labor movement. In his "day job," he works with the New York State United Teachers union and the National Education Association. But his heart and soul are with the IWW, the radical union founded over 100 years ago on the principal outlined above. "My participation (in the IWW) is in many ways an homage, and it anchors me," Lynch explained. "But I don't do it casually." Reaching into his wallet, Lynch pulls out the "little red card" identifying him as an IWW member — the same card that got union members deported, jailed and killed 100 years ago. "I love that I have a ----ing red card that I can carry in my wallet that I can shove in people's faces," Lynch says. But the cultural baggage the "red card" carries can also scare people off. "It does freak people out at at times," he acknowledged. "So what you do is, you avoid the label and look at the work. I think if you looked at how the union functions, what their goals are, it's hard to imagine people having a problem with that." While the IWW may have had its heyday 100 years ago, to Lynch, the fight is still very much alive. Lynch was there in Wisconsin in 2011, when workers fought Gov. Scott Walker's efforts to strip public workers of their collective bargaining rights. He watched the Chicago teachers' strike in 2012 — one of the rare strike victories of recent years. And he is watching his own community now, to see if there are people here he can help. "People need to have hope that they can improve their lives," Lynch explains. "In many instances, they don't have that hope. When I talk about organizing, I'm not talking about enrolling in a union. I'm talking about collective action." And for Lynch, the models for that action come once 12 O-Town Scene May 9, 2013 Michael Lynch again from the IWW's past. He cites the famous 1912 "Bread and Roses" strike in Lawrence, Mass., as an example. "When people feel like there are too many challenges today, I just look back at history," Lynch says. "In Lawrence, the IWW didn't start that strike, but they came in to support the workers. And all (the workers') decisions were made collectively. We saw this again with the Occupy movement. But in Lawrence, you had workers speaking more than a dozen languages. Every single thing that was said had to be translated. But you know what? Every single time a decision had to be made, it was made by workers raising their hands. So don't tell me what it can't be done." BILL sIMons For the president of the Oneonta chapter of United University Professions, it's all about community. Simons has been heading up the union that serves the faculty and staff of the State University College at Oneonta for about 10 years. And it's not a responsibility he takes lightly. "Quite candidly, this is a difficult time for unions, and it's time to reach out, to have alliances, to make it clear that we can help create a more just society," he said. For Simons, this advocacy goes beyond what he call the "bread-and-butter" issues of his fellow union members, and extends the reach of the UUP out into the community. The chapter hosts a series of panel discussions on a variety of topics such as diversity and disabilities. And you'll see UUP members out in the community helping people in need, such as at the Saturday's Bread feeding program. Such volunteerism is, as Simons explained it, "a reminder that there is a thin and very permeable boundary between those who serve and those who are served." And such outreach helps, Simons said, to dispel some of the misconceptions people might have about union members. "If you're doing flood relief, and you've pulled out the flooded rugs and Sheetrock and insulation from someone's home, that creates an image for them," Simons explained. But he nevertheless has to fight against some people's ideas that his colleagues at the college are overpaid. "About 40 percent of the UUP faculty are adjunct. They get paid per course. The starting pay per course is $2,500. These people teach with dedication, they're skilled, and let's say they even did six courses during the year. Add that up. It's about $15,000. That's a reality for nearly half of our faculty." Beyond issues like pay, though, the future for Simons lies in cultivating the kinds of connections that he sees slipping away. "We look back at our legacy, and we need to recapture our roles within the community. It's very difficult now. You can very easily become lost in your silo. It can become lonely and dispiriting."