Many of the groups organizing for the potential event of a Trump coup were social justice union organizers. This type of organizing is important because it allows rank-and-file members to push for the specific causes that align with their beliefs. While a more cautious educational union may consider election-related politics to be unrelated to education, many educational organizers, particularly social justice organizers, recognize that national and local politics alike have a deep impact on students.

What is social justice union organizing?

-Social justice union organizing utilizes frameworks of Ella Baker’s people power through rank-and-file governance and Paulo Freire’s problem-posing model of education in their transformations as well as their organizing structures. 

-Social justice unions align under the common purpose of advancing social justice goals in their communities through the power of rank-and-file educators. The transformation of unions into social justice unions generates the people power to make substantial changes.⁴

-Rank-and-file educators must play active roles in their unions and in these mobilizations in order to transform not only their specific institutions but also their communities and our society as a whole.⁶

Why is social justice union organizing important right now?

-Politicians don’t run the country, people do! When we use our people-power in the form of nonviolent mass noncooperation, history and logic say we win.³

-“Labor unions are a bedrock institution in any democracy and have always had a special role to play in defending democracy in society” (Carl Rosen, via LaborNotes)

-As workers, students, and educators, we need to stand up to a coup attempt with our most powerful tool: ourselves.⁴

-Educators teach BIPOC students, students who are immigrants and Dreamers, disabled students, and LGBT students. In the event of a coup enabling another Trump presidency, says union organizer Darrin Hoop, “there’s gonna be blowback that will affect our kids.”⁷

What are social justice unions doing?

-Preparing themselves and their members for mobilization of mass nonviolent noncooperation that will grant the people a bottom-up legitimacy by turning the public against the usurpers through a rhetoric of steady control versus weak illegitimacy.³

-Calling emergency meetings and engaging with their communities to plan and organize around decisive action.⁵

-Using every moment as an opportunity to advance multiple forms of justice.⁴