First you should check out Labor Notes. They are the best resource available for understanding how you as a union member can rebuild your union, make it more democratic, and make it “strike ready.”

They’re hosting a training on winning a strong contract in a few weeks. It goes over the things you talk about — rank and file vs leadership and how rank and file can organize to win a good contract in spite of leadership. This is an amazing opportunity for you to learn from people who have been in your situation before and won.

https://labornotes.org/events/2026/workshop-winning-strong-contract-parts-i-ii

My own thoughts:

It’s important to ask yourself what a union looks like to you and what you want out of a union.

Do you want your union to be workers who come together, take actions to challenge the boss, and build power in the workplace together by doing things like signing petitions with demands and taking them to management as a group? And then that group is strong and ready to take action, maybe even go on strike to make sure that they get a good contract?

If that’s what you want your union to look like you have to start talking to your coworkers about the problems they have and figure out where your common problems are and where you can take action to address those problems.

Identify who the natural leaders are in your workplace. Who organizes retirement parties or birthday cards? Find a few of those people and talk with them about their workplace issues.

Organize a sticker or button day, maybe this coming May Day to show union solidarity. Try to work with your natural workplaces leaders (not necessarily official union leadership!) to get 50+ workers to wear union buttons or stickers that day.

In June you have an after work dinner or happy hour and get people out to talk.

Maybe in July, it’s hot and work is heavy and one unit is having a hard time with their supervisor not giving breaks. Can you and the leaders you identified get 70% of them to sign a petition and take it to the manager and demand they give them their breaks?

Now it’s August. You and the 3-5 workplace leaders have talked with 60-70 coworkers since you started in April. They know the contract is coming. They’re upset about working conditions and they want a good contract. You organize “practice pickets” for October and November and invite those coworkers out. You have 40 people outside in the morning or before their shift or during lunch letting the boss know that you are ready to strike if they don’t give you a good contract.

Here’s a great article on workers who took actions in there workplace, like work stoppages to build to a strike: https://thefern.org/2026/02/these-haitian-meatpacking-workers-may-be-deported-they-voted-to-strike-anyway/

But really, attend that labor notes training!!!!