I Just Got Elected--Now What‪?‬

This is an aggressive guide to building a strong and effective local union. Don’t buy this book if your goal is simply to be a local union officer like "Old Joe" was before you, doing things the way they’ve always been done and skating by as things just bump along. That, the author says, is what has weakened unions and made them less the force than they once were, and can be again. Rather than one or maybe a handful of officers running your local from the top, Barry says, you’ve got to educate and involve your members at every level, using the organizing model of unionism – and he shows you how to do it.


In straightforward language the author explains how to create a union that can be strong, grow and thrive in any environment. Chapters explain the organizing model (vs. the servicing model) of unionism; how to do the kind of strategic planning needed to build your union; analyze the various functions of the union and its finances, and build a communications network that involves and rallies the members. It explains the laws you have to look out for, how to deal with other officers and union staff, and how to organize yourself to do what needs to be done to pull it together and make it all work.


Bill Barry is a veteran union activist and, until recently, labor studies program director at the Community College of Baltimore County’s Dundalk campus, where he taught leadership skills, organizing, labor law, political action and other core subjects. If you’re a local officer who seriously wants to see your union become more effective, this book is a good place to start.