Working out the Kinks with Tash the Doula
My name is Tash and I have many roles in life. I'm a doula. An herbalist. An advocate. I'm also a wife, sister, daughter, aunt, and friend. My goal is to have some real and honest conversations I just want people to know you're not alone. Personally, I went through different situations in life, feeling like I was the only one having bad thoughts, and when I finally started opening up, I realize I was one of many. Follow me on Instagram: @tashthedoula
Working out the Kinks with Tash the Doula
Standing Together: The Impact of Unionization on Workers and Democracy
Ever wondered how a single voice can stand up against corporate giants like Starbucks and Amazon? Our latest episode takes you through the heart of organized labor, where collective voices echo louder than ever. We share a narrative that's not just about unions, but about the irreplaceable shield they offer to workers' rights and job security, all while exploring how our united front as voters can influence the political landscape and protect our interests.
This conversation isn't just another discussion; it's a journey through personal triumphs and societal challenges. With guests who've been on the frontlines, we celebrate the first unionized Amazon warehouse in Staten Island and draw strength from their stories. These insights help us understand the crucial role unions play, from preventing unfair dismissals to providing life-changing educational resources. The episode underscores the power of unionization in fostering employee empowerment and the far-reaching benefits for community welfare.
Closing with an intimate reflection on the bond between labor rights and civil movements, we're moved by tales of generational activism. These stories of relentless pursuit for betterment remind us that the quest for equality and justice is perpetual. Join us as we honor the legacies that shape our nation and challenge each other to stay alert and engaged, ensuring that the values we hold dear are never left unguarded.
We do not want to become a country where all of our freedoms to organize are taken away. We run a danger that becomes a factor when efforts by large companies like Starbucks, like Amazon, if these efforts take hold, then we are in big trouble. And so it's up to people like myself, who you know, we know the work that the union does, we know the importance of organizing under collective bargaining agreement. We have to sound the alarm and we have to make sure that we are educating as many people as possible about the benefits of of a union. The union has a long history in the United States, going back to the turn of the century, when the first immigrants came over from Europe to work in the sweatshops of New York City and and they were really, really under some horrible working conditions and that gave way to the union, the organized labor movement, because it was about safety. You know, we need to have job security, we need to have safe, good working conditions, and those were the efforts that those initial workers organized under. And it wasn't easy. People got killed, people sacrificed a lot to make the union possible. So we can't let all that blood, sweat and tears over centuries, over years, go by the wayside. We, you know we can't do that and allow our right to bargain and good faith be decimated by big business. We need to like sub Jeff basos by the CEOs of Starbucks telling their workers oh well, you know, you don't need this union. You know, and just so in these seeds of misinformation to our, to our brothers and sisters in labor.
Speaker 1:And that's not a good thing, because when we have an organized workforce, we have power, we have the ability to, to decide what happens in this country. We are a voting block and 90% of our members of voters, so we get get to say what happens in in our cities. We, you know, we work with our elected officials. We make them understand what our needs are, and that's very important. And they hear us because we are a force, we are, we're coming. For example, the union that I'm a part of, we have close to 150,000 members, so that's a. That's a lot of power, that's a lot of influence, especially when it comes to the things that we need when we have to bargain for salaries, for pay scales, for benefits.
Speaker 1:And it's very important that we make sure we keep our right to organize alive and we do that by not succumbing to what, what they say, anyone that's trying to silence you. It's not good, because our Constitution gives us a right to speak up and to speak out. So it's not about silence. It's not about that, but an organized workforce. I'm, you know, a part of a grand organization, but my workforce is organized. Our teachers are organized, our cooks, our custodians, we're all under collective bargaining agreement. That allows us a voice. It allows us to have a better salaries, then some shops and some places that are not organized. So it's a big difference in everything that we get and just everything that we do, and it's about dignity, equity and respect.
Speaker 2:At the end of the day, so what do you feel I guess will be a benefit of being a part of a union?
Speaker 1:Okay. Well, the main benefit is job security. It gives the worker a grievance machinery, if you will. Okay, now, without a union, a boss can come in and say you're fired. Okay, well, that goes deeper.
Speaker 1:Because even with the union, if a boss, you know, just comes with no good reason and says, oh, I want to fire you, oh, the union shop, oh really, well, under what grounds? Now you have a structure and you have the ability to fight. So you know this unjust movement, this under this, this firing, that is unjust because unless it's justified, so why are you firing me? Oh well, I don't like that. You're wearing a purple today. Well, that's not a good enough reason to fight. Now, without a union, the boss doesn't have to give a great reason and they could just go on and fire you. There's no recourse in a union shop. You have recourse. Well, well, I'm doing my work and there's nothing in my contract that says I can't wear purple, I don't have a uniform or whatever. So you get an opportunity and you have grounds that to stand on. That cannot be easily violated. That's what I want to say.
Speaker 1:So you have a machinery, you have a movement behind you, because most unions we have a legal department. We have a structure where you even have a lot of support for even education. Like myself, I'm a teacher. There's a battery of tests that most teachers that all teachers actually and New York have to take for a New York State certification and my union gives the courses, the prep courses, free of charge to union members. If I wasn't a part of the union and I had to take those courses on my own, I'd be out there paying $5, $600 for a prep course yeah, out of pocket for a test that I have to take. We also have scholarships. We have many unions have what they call welfare funds. Now the welfare fund is basically set up for medical and additional benefits like dental vision and here you know and those types of benefits. But some of the you know around the city because in New York we are a union town. We have unions that have education funds where you can get your tuition paid for school and get your degree. Most unions have scholarship funds.
Speaker 1:So there's so many benefits to being an organized workforce. You know it comes with so many protections, so many safeguards. You have access to these things and we also have access to other outreach. Like many of our members want to buy homes. We have workshops, you know. We get someone to come in to talk about the process of purchasing your first home, how to get approved for mortgage, what do you need to do to clear up your credit, and things like that, things that actually benefit the member as a whole. You know, and when we have a happy member, a member in a workforce who has their needs met, that member is going to produce more at the job, they're going to be satisfied, they're going to be more willing to take on more responsibility and it's a win-win on both sides. So I encourage and I promote and support unionization organization. I support it with everything that I am.
Speaker 1:I've seen the benefits over the years. I've seen both sides of the coin. I've seen organized labor and I've seen the other side and I hear the stories. For example, amazon.
Speaker 1:Amazon runs many warehouses around the country. These warehouses are huge and a worker could be on the line and their job is to pack the box, to put 15 items in box A or whatever, and they're on an assembly line Okay, well. Oh, I need to use the bathroom. Okay, well, the break that they get is 20 minutes. Now these warehouses are so big that it may take 20 minutes to get to the restroom from where they are, and I've heard stories about people working on the line you're an eight-man bottle and all manner of just crazy because they don't have the human element has left the building. They just want the work done and that's nice that they have a quota, and we know that everybody and their brother and mama has Amazon Prime and I can order a dress tonight and get it the next morning and get it put into the locker and that's awesome. But what's behind that time and that speed? Is somebody's son or somebody's daughter getting violated to get that dress to the Amazon locker? So you know, when I think about that, when I hear these horror stories, it gives me even more resolve. It gives me even, you know, it makes me even that much more diligent and poised when I speak to young people, just to get that message of empowerment out to them that you want a union. If they come around with the union card, you sign it.
Speaker 1:A young man out of New York last year he decided enough was enough and he, you know, without a whole lot of infrastructure, he decided to just walk out on his promise and look, we're going to have a union here and I got a chance to meet that young man. That young man is dynamic. He, you know, he started the first union shop in Staten, I think, one of the warehouses in Staten Island. A young brother, he's dynamic. If you see him he's dressed up like a gang member now he's got a bandana or whatever. But what he did is that he was, I guess, eking out his own way through this to this and as a result, he a lot of attention got called to the issue of organized labor and organizing Amazon in particular, because they are one of the biggest.
Speaker 1:So from Amazon we also hear that Starbucks, the next big multinational company, is also getting unionized, shop by shop. Sometimes that's what it takes. It's not always the whole group, but little bit by little bit. So in their regard to them, I think they're going shop by shop until they get to the day that all the shops are organized under one umbrella. But they had to start somewhere and they are getting a lot of pushback, because it's not easy when you have a mega giant it's like David and Goliath, you know, and this is such a big industry and they are so small. This is like one person up against this big machine with all these resources, and they have tried let me tell you, they have put it all out there to break the union.
Speaker 1:But that's okay, because what we say is, the more you throw at us, the more we're going to fight. You know, we're going to get our biggest ball back and we're going to just keep batting those balls, rock stones, whatever you throw at us, we're going to hit it and we're going to keep coming, and that's how that's. The attitude you have to have is that these efforts cannot deter us. Oh, they're paying people $1,000. Okay, well, how? $1,000? In theory sounds like a lot of money, but when rents are two and three thousand and four thousand a month, especially here in New York, $1,000 begins to become like maybe $50 or $100, and we can put it into perspective and we can figure out. You know what.
Speaker 1:This thousand dollars is not going to last me very long, but a union contract that comes with benefits, that comes with respect, dignity, that comes with all these great things, not just for the here and now, but for the future, for future contract negotiations. Oh, I've got a 7% raise in this contract. Maybe the next contract, two years down the line, we'll get an 8% raise or 20% raise or whatever it might be going forward. You know, are we going to get this or we're going to get that. So it is. You know, the exchange rate doesn't even match up. So that would be my message to anyone that is faced with that choice. Yes, the union is a good thing. The union is under attack in this country, but it's a good thing.
Speaker 2:So I was wondering you kind of spoke about it briefly but what a way that companies are trying to convince new employees to not be a part of the union Like. Are there more than one tactic that they may use?
Speaker 1:Sure, sure. There's many ways. Money is one Also. What they'll do is sow falsehoods and false narratives about the union. Oh, the union, they don't care about you, they're just trying to get your money. The union, oh, they can't help you. We can do better for you. But you see, this is the thing. If you've been on a job so many years and you see things go in a certain way and you see that they usually double down on the things, that the tactics that they, you know that they propagate nine chances out of 10, they're not going to get better at taking care of you on their own. They need motivation to treat the worker with respect. It doesn't always happen automatically.
Speaker 1:Then there's some places. You know I'm not going to say all employers are bad there are some good companies out there that are trying to do the right thing and they will step up to the plate. Those are so few and far between the bigger companies, the multinational companies, those companies that fall outside of the mom and pop model, those places that are employing anywhere from 30 to 1,000 members or people. These are the places that we have to watch, because it's almost guaranteed that there's going to be a civil rights violation or human rights violation or any kind of violation, you name it. Something is going to happen at one of these workplaces that is going to be beyond the scope of the person to deal with on their own, and I think that there's many tactics that an employer will use to discourage members. One of them is fear, fear of the unknown. Basically, this is why I encourage people to read about the union, especially the history of the union, to see where it came from, to see why, why a union. Once you have that history, once you're on with the back story of where this comes from in this country, then we will be more willing and able to embrace it, I think for this generation who the school system has kind of neglected, in essence, whereas history is concerned. I'm an educator so I know that the history lessons are not the same now and they've always been thin Depending on where you went to school and what education you had. So anything outside of the script you had to go and seek on your own. So the history of the union also cross sections the civil rights movement, because it was somewhat of a parallel fight civil rights coming out of the 50s and the 60s and those movements led by Dr Martin Luther King Jr and Malcolm X, and even going in the international realm. The Pan-African movement was all about calling attention to workers' rights. Case in point, cesar Chavez becomes the poster child for farm workers. That is also a history that is very key to understanding how a union is derived and the importance of organized labor and protections on the worker. We're getting ready.
Speaker 1:I heard something that's troubling to my ears. I'm going to put this out here because it's something for us to watch, especially in big cities. We live in New York right now. We have a migrant crisis. I think you've heard about it via the news. Well, it's serious here Now. This is what's happening.
Speaker 1:We have a leadership here in the form of a governor who believes and this is why we have to use our intellect and we have to use our listening ears to really, really dissect and disseminate what people are saying. That's what we said out of her mouth that we need the migrants, because who is going to pick our fruit? Who's gonna take care of your elderly and sick? Who's gonna take care of this? Who's gonna do the cleaning and the cooking and all those menial jobs? Right? And it hit my ears like a ton of bricks because she sounded like a slave master of 1830 or something. It was no difference between her words and probably the words of anybody who was looking, who was sponsoring a slave ship from Africa and during the highest heights of the slave trade.
Speaker 1:And this is a governor, is a Democrat. This is a Democratic governor who was catapulted into office through many, many people of color that promoted her throughout this whole all five boroughs, including upstate New York, because she's from upstate New York. But she said this out of her mouth about two weeks ago. I could have hit the floor because I'm like, wow, so now that brings me back to union. We must fight to make sure that we are keeping these jobs union jobs, industries organized, because we have an element out here that will exploit us all.
Speaker 1:I just gave an example of a sitting governor, a female governor First time we've had a female governor in the whole history of New York state, and this is what she said out of her mouth on a podium for all to hear, and she said it with pride and she'll probably say it again. So we have to be mindful of all of the moving parts that are going out here, that are set and designed to impoverish, because that's what she was pretty much saying. We are looking for the new underclass. So you see the motivation and so we have to be mindful. So all of these things and all of these sentiments play into the argument for a union, for protections around our work and the work that we do, because there's an element out here that is going to be a union and there's an element out here that are sitting at the ready to exploit us.
Speaker 2:The people in the workforce. That's a terrible statement to make. I mean, that's like wow, you're all in good, you like go do the jobs and nobody wants to do so terrible to say yeah, pretty much, and she said it with impunity and I was like whoa.
Speaker 1:And this is why we have to vote and we have to educate ourselves about what people's meaning is, what they stand for. What have they voted for? What have they supported in the past? What have they done? What's their track record? Because being a woman is not enough.
Speaker 1:Being black is not enough, being there saying a few buzz words and promise it oh, I'm going to do better, because Como was this and Como was that. That's not enough. And here we are, and this lady just took office less than a year ago. So we have four grueling years of her to go. So we're in a very, very serious spot. And what it does it gives me even more of a urgency to fight that we cannot rest on our laurels because, oh boy, we got people who say they are our friend and she says she's our friend. So if that's the friend, I would hate to see the enemy that's supposed to be our girl. This is our advocate. So we have to watch people. We have to definitely watch. Like I said, if the union card comes around, sign it. Someone says I wanna bring the organization here.
Speaker 1:Union is a good thing. You can use union, union, you want it. You want it. You want that protection, especially in times like this when there's so much being lost. We have so much stuff that's being outsourced out from under us. Union, I would say, is the American way. We're gonna take it. We gotta hold on to it, the things that are ours, because there's a movement out here that just wants to. I don't know. They just want to give everything away, and our children, our grandchildren, our great grandchildren will not know the good things that this country did and the protections, because all of them are being challenged. In this time we have to fight like no other, like we've never fought before, for our right to just live. So yes.
Speaker 2:So, what's the name of your union and how did you become a part?
Speaker 1:of that, okay, my union. Well, actually, I'm lucky, I'm part of a history of union people. My mom was a social worker. My mom came to New York from Virginia in 1963, and she lived in Jersey City at first but she moved to Brooklyn, new York, after she was married and she moved to Brooklyn in 1970. And we lived in Brownsville and we came to a place that needed a lot of help. Brooklyn at the time was rough to say the least burnt out buildings. We were in the wake of the last vestiges of the civil rights movement. A lot of these inner cities had suffered riots, unscrupulous landlords that were burning down their buildings for insurance money. That's the Brooklyn we inherited.
Speaker 1:My mom was blessed. She found a community that had said enough is enough. She joined Head Start as a family assistant. She worked, she found a church that was close by and she became an active member. She became an active member of the community and at the time we had a lot of Jewish brothers and sisters that were still in and around the city of New York and they came to her work site and said you know what we are into union organizing. Oh really, what is that? Well, they broke it down and explained and there was some pushback. Of course you have a boss, oh, what I've done for you, but what have you done for me? I mean, you know that's left to be seen, let's try this. So you know, they became organized and they started off with a district council that they built.
Speaker 1:My mom was the first shop steward. So I sent from a young kid of five, six years old I have been eating and sleeping union, union, union, and I saw it in action. I saw, you know, the camaraderie, I saw the brotherhood. My mother would go to union meetings. She was a shop steward. So the shop steward is a member of the staff. Who's that voice? Who's that liaison between management and the union at the workplace? She went to a shop steward training at Cornell University. They was having a shop steward training. So I remember her bringing home the certificates. Oh, you know, here from Cornell. And my mom has always been that voice and she's still at 83 years old, she's still an activist calling attention to different things in New York, here and in Brooklyn.
Speaker 1:So I came up into it, naturally, and it was when I joined where I'm working, when I joined Head Start, brooklyn, it was 1992. And the union was already there. So after my 90 day probation, signed this union card. And you know I'm just a rank and file member at that point. You know, not only did I sign this union card, you know, not really knowing all of the ins and outs, I do have a idea of it because I know what unions can do. But you know, just there signed that card.
Speaker 1:I was a young person at the time, my hair was black, but you know I was there, we're gonna enable, and I think I was on the job. I wanna stay maybe two weeks. And on my second week at the job my co-worker said come on, we're going to. We have a rally. We have a rally. We got to come to city hall. We're fighting for coal and money. We're fighting for it was something. And at the time we had a black man. We had Mayor David Dinkins. He was our first black man. We're on our second black man now in the form of Eric Adams, but he was our first and that was Mr David Dinkins.
Speaker 1:He occupied Gracie Mansion at the time and we went down to city hall and we were there. We had picket signs, we wanted better wages, people were asking for coal or money and whatever it was. So we went and I got my baptism by fire on that day. So I showed the microphone in my hand and I had to speak before I mean what looked like 500 people. It was a crowd. This is New York, so the crowds get big. I had a microphone and I had to do it. So I greeted the crowd and I had to give them my personal story and I let them know. Look, you know, yeah, we really need higher wages. I just recently started working here as an assistant. I started out as an assistant teacher and my wages are so low I can't afford to move out my mama's house. So that was my personal story. So with that, I got a lot of woo woo. You know, it was a lot of people that could identify with that. Right, that's real. I mean, when you get to a certain age, you have to. You want to leave home? Oh yes, so right, your mother raised you. Now it's your time to go off into the sunset and do what you have to do. So we definitely need a living wage. So that was my argument of the day. I had the crowd going and I guess the rest is history. So I, you know shortly thereafter, after, you know, being inundated by some mentors that are not with us anymore.
Speaker 1:I became very active in the union. I went to every union meeting. I was at the rallies. I became a shop steward. I moved on up through the ranks, was asked to be a board member of local 95 of the executive board. I served as a secretary first. I served a term, then I ran for vice president. I was elected as vice president, I ran again and got elected a second time. So, you know, I just thank God, you know, and the rest, like I said, is history. I'm here today thanks to a union I have.
Speaker 1:You know, I have met great people. I've had great fellowships over the years with these people. I still maintain great friendships and we are a brother and sisterhood. No, no different than the Eastern stars, and you know, you've heard of the lodge with the masons and it's very much like that. The sororities, the fraternities. We are brothers and sisters in labor. That's what we come together.
Speaker 1:And when you saw me, I was part, and I'm also part, of the CBTU, that is, the coalition for black trade unionists, and that is the black and people you know that were marginalized and left out of a lot of the mainstream things years ago formed. They're all formed their own union that encapsulates many locals and district councils across the United States and Canada. So when you met me, we were at our conference, our annual conference, and it was a real amazing time. Also, it just tells us, we got to continue to fight Right. We had great speakers that energized us, like Randy Wynne Gart. She is the president of the American Federation of Teachers. We have some powerful voices from the UAW you know that's the United Auto Workers Union. So we are union.
Speaker 1:Although we serve in different capacities, we all unite as one under labor. We are brothers and sisters in labor always. So this has been a great experience and it also lets you see something new. It also lets you see something bigger than yourself. We always we're here to make sure that we are leaving a legacy for the next generation. We don't want to come into this world and go out without leaving a legacy behind. We want to leave them with something that they can build on. We want to leave them empowered. We want to leave them empowered Right.
Speaker 2:We all stand on someone else's shoulders, right, Right, Exactly. Miss Beverly, thank you so much for your time. You're welcome. Thank you so much for talking to me and just educating my listeners and myself, because I just knew I had to talk to you. You just be talking so much passion and I was like I have to talk to her.
Speaker 1:Well, the pleasure was mine. Dear the pleasure was mine. I appreciate this moment to share what the union is with the next generation. It's a powerful thing and I think it needs to continue. We have to fight for it. It's not given, it's not automatic. We have many attacks on our way of life in this country and I just want to say that we must be always watchful and discerning and keep fighting. That would be my message to your listeners. Continue this fight. This model, this democracy we call America, is worth fighting for. This is our home.
Speaker 1:My parents were born here. My grandparents, my grandfather on my mother's side, was a sharecropper in the state of Virginia. So I'm blessed. I'm blessed. I have a great legacy of power for people who did not take the shortcut and they did not accept the word no and oh, you can't. No, I'm gonna show you that I can and I'm gonna show you that I will and that I am. So please, to your listening audience, go in power, don't be afraid. This is not a time for fear. This is a time to take action and to be about it.
Speaker 2:That's what I wanna say and that's how we ended. Thank you again so much, and, guys, I hope you got something from this. Y'all have a good day, thank you thank you for inviting me.
Speaker 1:Have a good day. Thank you, bye-bye.