Solidarity Sunday: Oliver's Twist
"I've been sellin' my soul, workin' all day
Overtime hours for bullshit pay"
Since the last edition of Solidarity Sunday, young Oliver Anthony has become a household name and an American folk hero with "Rich Men North of Richmond" an earnest hard-hitting song about the plight of working people in this country.
As you may have already witnessed, Anthony stormed into the American zeitgeist 11 days ago and straight to #1 on Apple Music. To say he has struck a chord with working people is an understatement. This humble part-time musician and former factory worker from Farmville, Virginia is cutting across political, race, and gender lines to illuminate what most of your members are feeling…the guys on both sides of the aisle in DC are taking our money and they think we're stupid.
Lord knows they all just wanna have total control.
Wanna know what you think, wanna know what you do
And they don't think you know, but I know that you do"
Those who think it's a partisan thing are not paying attention to what is really going on. The song taps into the palpable feeling that working people of all stripes are getting screwed, and most importantly, they know it. Not only has the song itself blown up, social media exploded with reaction videos, and commentary about this phenomenon.
It's also an illustration of the golden opportunity organized labor has right now (if we choose to see it) to be the beacon of hope for working people. To be a bulwark against unfettered capitalism and government corruption. To stand for working people, because we are working people. While our local union members may be divided on some issues, we are united in the cause to stand for decent wages, benefits, and working conditions for the working men and women of this country.
We should be flooding our own local union social media feeds with stories that resonate with our fellow workers, whether you utilize a trackable marketing system like Organize 24/7 or you do it yourself. Authentic stories will help us in organizing and recruiting, but more importantly, it will help us bring more people to our cause. For organized labor, the proverbial iron has never been hotter.
WHO ARE WE?
One of our Local Union's Stories
Who are we?
We are the men and women who are at work before dawn and after the fall of night.
We are the ones who bring power and lighting to the CSRA.
We are who you call when you want the impossible done right the first time.
Who are we?
We are those in the ditches and trenches, the cable trays and transformers making sure others sleep comfortably each and every night.
We are the proud souls that light the path for the middle class.
We are the middle class, always striving for more and better conditions for those that will follow in our footsteps.
Who are we?
We are Savannah River Site, Plant Vogtle, Fort Gordon, every county, city and town and municipality within the states of Georgia and South Carolina.
We are friends and neighbors.
We are the Code of Excellence always seeking perfection.
Who are we you ask?
We are the Brothers and Sisters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local Union 1579, Augusta, GA.
