Where Art Meets Union Activism

by James Parks, Jun 20, 2006

What do you get when you mix a certified clown, a Bricklayer who plays an Indian tabla drum and a Motown diva?

You get three reasons why the Great Labor Arts Exchange and the Conference on Creative Organizing, June 18–20 at the National Labor College (NLC) in Silver Spring, Md., are two unique gatherings in the union movement.

First, the Labor Arts Exchange. Elise Bryant, interim director of the Labor Heritage Foundation, says “the beauty of the Great Labor Arts Exchange” is:

It brings together artists from various traditions, from the novice to the professional, to tell their stories and the stories of the labor movement through art, spoken word and song.

For 28 years, the Great Labor Arts Exchange has celebrated the rich cultural heritage of working people and served as a forum that brings together about 100 eclectic and talented labor artists, activists, cultural workers, educators and students who use songs, skits, art, poetry, theater, posters, cartoons and film to strengthen the union movement.

This year’s participants are no different. First, there is the Bricklayers member who is sculpting a relief of famed labor organizer Mother Jones on the NLC lawn. But when he lays down his carving tools and washes his hands, he grabs his tabla drum, an instrument unique to northern India, and accompanies his friend, another bricklayer, who plays the banjo. “You don’t see a banjo and a tabla drum play together anywhere else but here,” Bryant says.

Then there’s Lynn Marie Smith, an organizer for the Michigan Federation of Teachers, who dons a Motown diva outfit, complete with wig to belt out some soulful union songs based on old Motown hits. A big favorite this year was “U-N-I-O-N,” based on the Village People’s hit “Y-M-C-A.”

Now, over to the conference on creative organizing. Smith is one of two instructors at the annual Conference on Creative Organizing, which began in 1998, to train organizers how to use songs, chants, skits, game shows, costume theater and other creative strategies to put a zing in their campaigns.

The organizers exchange experiences and ideas for creative campaigns and return home with a battery of skills to make their campaigns more compelling.

This year, participants also discussed the past, present and future of union organizing during a special panel featuring three generations of organizers: 91-year-old Julius Margolis, a New York City musician and organizer; AFL-CIO Organizing Director Stewart Acuff; and Sarah Wallace-Keeshan, an organizer for United Students Against Sweatshops. 

Another highlight of the dual conferences is presentation of the Joe Hill Award, which honors a creative activist who most exemplifies union activism and culture. This year’s recipient, Joe Uehlein, has been a labor organizer, former AFL-CIO staff member and arts activist for more than three decades. He also is the founder of the Labor Heritage Foundation. Previous recipients of the Joe Hill Award include Pete Seeger, Hazel Dickens, Baldemar Velasquez, Utah Phillips, Faith Petric and Anne Feeney.

And, oh, about the clown. That’s Chris Bricker, an organizer in San Diego for the unaffiliated UNITE HERE and a Ringling Brothers Clown College graduate. He’s the other creative organizing instructor. 

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