O4P's Core Fundamentals is a six-week intensive training program that provides union members with the skills they need to build the organizing skills necessary to win contract fights and unionization efforts.
Over these six weeks off weekly sessions, you will strengthen your knowledge and practice of leadership identification, semantics, one-on-one conversations, charting and structure tests. Classes are every Wednesday Feb 8-Mar 15 for two hours. Choice of noon or 8pm EST to take the class. Maine Team orientation is on Feb 1 for one hour.
DETAILS:
Organizing for Power: The Core Fundamentals will take place on 6 consecutive Wednesdays in February and March. Our Maine AFL-CIO Team will meet together once before the class starts for one hour on Wednesday, February 1 to prepare, and we will meet for 1-hour debrief and homework sessions weekly during the class, and will meet once after the class.
Classes will take place on six consecutive Wednesdays beginning February 8 and running through March 15, with a choice to participate at noon (Track A) or at 8pm (Track B) Each class runs for 2 hours and the same material is covered in both tracks.
To get the most out of the training, Maine Team's weekly one-hour debrief/planning sessions on a different day will help you prepare for class and then apply what you are learning in the Wednesday classes to your own organizing goals, whether working within your union or organizing new workers and community members.
We highly recommend participating in both the classes and the debrief sessions. You won't regret it and your organizing will be stronger for it - but if you really cannot commit the additional hour for the debrief we have a "class session only" option to attend only the orientation and then the six Wednesday classes.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM:
This training will focus on the five core organizing fundamentals:
- Leader identification, or: understanding who can move people (it’s often not who you first think);
- Semantics, or: the words we use matter - they have to center each worker’s active participation as key to winning;
- Structured organizing conversations, or: what it takes to recruit the hardest-to-recruit leaders; Charting, or: a simple method to understand human social relationships, and to prioritize and systematize outreach;
- Structure tests, or: mini campaigns to build solidarity and site structure, and to know when you are ready to win.
These essential skills serve as the building blocks of all winning campaigns. The Core Fundamentals uses the same curriculum as past Organizing for Power trainings for the simple reason that the fundamentals of success do not change; the real key is our ability to master them.
Since September 2019, O4P has hosted nearly 25,000 organizers from 110 countries (over 120 people have participated in our Maine Teams). 75% of these attendees have been first-time O4P participants, while the rest are returning participants who understand that practice makes perfect. After all, if lead trainer Jane McAlevey never stops practicing the fundamentals, then neither should you! In The Core Fundamentals, she and a growing team of trainers from across the globe will lead you through a program to better prepare you for the struggles, and victories, to come.
For more information about joining the Maine Team to take this class contact Cynthia Phinney at 207-491-9928 or cynthia at maineaflcio dot org.
Applications for Maine Team will close January 27. If you need help with the form reach out right away :-)
For more information and to apply go to https://airtable.com/shrOwHts81pXezYvV