The Quest for the Offline Left with Cecilia Guerrero: Organizing the South
Nov 3, 2024
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Cecilia Guerrero, a Nashville-based Communist organizer, dives into grassroots movements in the South. She shares insights on organizing challenges in Tennessee, highlighting a groundbreaking union of rideshare drivers. The discussion also covers the innovative Aluta Sigue model, designed to empower marginalized communities. Cecilia critiques the Democratic Party’s disconnect from the working class and celebrates recent grassroots victories, including advancements in tenant rights. The conversation reveals the complexities of leadership in social movements and emphasizes the necessity for genuine, class-oriented engagement.
Cecilia Guerrero discusses the unique opportunity for socialists in the South to engage workers by focusing on economic issues rather than political affiliations.
Aluta Sigue serves as a model for grassroots organizing by empowering working-class leaders to take ownership of initiatives and challenge traditional non-profit structures.
The Tennessee Drivers Union exemplifies successful advocacy for gig workers, using direct actions to assert their rights and challenge misclassification despite legal limitations.
Deep dives
Innovative Labor Organizing in the South
Socialists in the South are adopting innovative methods of organizing workers, particularly in a politically conservative landscape. Cecilia Guerrero, an organizer in Nashville, highlights how the lack of a strong liberal establishment offers both opportunities and challenges for socialist movements. The absence of liberal influence allows for a clearer division between workers' rights and existing capitalist interests, enabling labor organizers to engage more effectively with workers who feel disenfranchised by the larger political framework. By focusing on practical economic issues, even conservative-minded individuals express frustration with the political class, allowing organizers to redirect this energy toward collective action.
Aluta Sigue as an Incubator for Worker Leadership
Aluta Sigue functions as an incubator for mass-based projects aimed at empowering workers and youth in the region. This organization recognizes the limitations of traditional non-profits and seeks to build a structure where workers take ownership of their initiatives, breaking away from the bureaucratic dynamics typically found in non-profits. By training leaders directly from the working class, Aluta Sigue aims to cultivate a new generation of organizers who are both knowledgeable and committed to their communities. The successful establishment of related organizations, such as the Southern Youth Solidarity Network and Nashville People Power, illustrates the effectiveness of this model in recognizing and nurturing grassroots leadership.
The Role of the Tennessee Drivers Union
The Tennessee Drivers Union has emerged as a significant force for rideshare drivers in Nashville, challenging the misclassification of gig workers. Although they do not have formal accreditation due to legal obstacles, the union operates effectively to empower drivers and advocate for their rights. The union has successfully executed direct actions, such as strikes that have disrupted transit at key locations like Nashville International Airport, thereby capturing public attention and raising awareness of drivers' struggles. This bold approach not only asserts their collective power but also challenges the prevailing narrative that gig workers are not 'real' workers.
Building Community through Immigrant Worker Organizing
Workers' organizing efforts have also focused on immigrant communities, specifically through the Nashville People Power initiative. This organization prioritizes tenant unions and collective action among immigrant workers, particularly in the construction industry where conditions can be precarious. By addressing deeply felt housing issues, these initiatives create a platform for immigrant workers to connect and build solidarity both as renters and as laborers. This dual approach highlights the interconnectedness of living and working conditions and demonstrates that organizing can effectively leverage everyday struggles to empower workers.
Lessons Learned in Labor Organizing
Cecilia Guerrero reflects on her experiences and the lessons learned throughout her organizing journey, particularly from her time at Workers' Dignity. She emphasizes the importance of developing genuine leadership within worker-led organizations, advocating against tokenism and superficial representation. By fostering a deep understanding of organizational practices and empowering members with education and experience, the chances of sustainability and effectiveness significantly increase. Guerrero’s insights stress that successful organizing requires a transparent structure that values both experience and informed decision-making, rather than relying solely on identity or college credentials.
In Episode 72, we’re joined by Cecilia Guerrero, an organizer in Nashville, Tennessee, helping to innovate a new generation of socialist movement-building deep in the American South. We discuss what it’s like organizing in Tennessee, the fantastic gains being made by the new network of organizations springing up there — including an unprecendented wildcat union of Uber and Lyft drivers — and the many lessons to be learned for socialists operating in such an environment.
Jay Lesoleil is a writer, artist, and shelter worker from Montréal with a background in political anthropology. Jay is also one half of the podcast Fucking Cancelled.
Clementine Morrigan is a writer, zinester, and public intellectual based in Montréal. She writes essays and literay nonfiction on culture, politics, ethics, relationships, sexuality, spirituality, and trauma. She is one half of Fucking Cancelled.
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