Geight

Several times I tried to make some sort of “why/how you should organize your workplace” effort post here, but the scale always spiraled out of what I was really qualified to speak on and I would end up just shelving it while I tried to learn more. It was my genuine hope that one day in the not-too-distant future I would be able to share with everyone here the wonderful news of securing our first contract, which would also conveniently free me from several restrictions on what I'm allowed to post about publicly. Now I can only say to you the same thing I've had to say to more coworkers than I'd like to count at this point: I'm sorry we couldn't get it done fast enough for you to see it.

My last, best gambit is this: If you liked Cohost and wish for a world where things like it can exist, the most impactful thing you personally can do is try to organize your workplace. Don't let anyone, especially yourself, tell you that it's a futile effort to try and make the lives of other people a little less miserable. It's not fast, it's not easy, but there is simply no better feeling in the world than knowing in your heart that you are fighting for others, alongside others, and being able to see even the smallest positive change come from that is more fulfilling than anything else you could put your time into, I feel.

Maybe the improvements we win under our contract will give someone or another the little bit of time, money, or dignity they need to start a project similar to cohost. Maybe it'll be someone else's win that happens after ours. No matter what, I will keep fighting and I hope you'll consider doing the same.

The amount of good news this week for our specific movement has been staggering, we're actually not supposed to be posting the full scope online due to concerns about message control and premature celebration (shouldn't say "we won" until we actually win) but since I'm scrolling past other people just blabbing about it now I may as well allow myself a bit of positivity. It's funny, for the past three months basically I've been maxed out on hours/workload and loathing it and March is when it's finally supposed to go back to normal levels and now I know I'm about to have a bunch of extra legwork to do, but because it's going to actually help all my coworkers I'm actually looking forward to it quite a bit.

Well we went and did it. As always the nerves left me when I woke up in the morning, and I simply set to preparing our table, signs, and other assorted supplies with the same cadence as I would just getting together my apron and making lunch for a shift. Dos and I decided to take our unmade signs up to the store yesterday in an attempt to try and make it feel like more of a group project, and a friend who did a print shop run for our fliers stopped by to drop them off and revealed his hidden talent for sharp-looking lettering. Another friend provided snacks & water by way of a costco run, and also came down to support us the day of. This is not the first time that I have felt as though the only special quality I possess is that I am in the company of more talented and generous people than I could possibly deserve to be, and I'm grateful for every one of them in my life. Past the cut I've recounted the picket action itself in broad strokes.

Every year, my employer (I know there's no reason to be coy about who it is but at this point it's a habit) picks a day in mid November to give away free plastic red cups to customers who purchase holiday drinks, and every year it's an absolute disaster of a day, even for old hands like me who are fully entrenched in the "embrace the chaos" mindset. Last year, the union launched a surprise strike action on the day of, and while we weren't yet unionized it was all customers could talk about as they came in by the dozens. This year, the element of surprise has been foregone for trying to hit them as hard as we possibly can, and this year my store is unionized, so maybe we can join in?