Special Message from the Business Manager

Tentative Bargaining Agreement Summary

Between FairPoint Communications and IBEW
Locals 2320, 2326, & 2327 Revised 3-23-08

How Do You Organize a Labor Union?

Labor balladeer Pete Seeger has been a musician, songwriter, political activist, and union organizer since the 1 930s. He wrote the song "Talking Union" with Millard Lampell, Lee Hays, and other members of the Almanac Singers, while they were helping to organize CIO unions in 1941. It is recorded on the album Talking Union.

This song explains to workers how and why they should join a union. Like contemporary "rap music," it is a "talking" song with music in the background. Students should read and/or listen to the song and discuss why workers organized unions and why songs were important in organizing drives. As a follow-up activity, students should write their own "talking songs" or "raps," using them to convince a new generation of workers to organize unions.

Talking Union Song MP3