For a Unified Efling, Lead by Workers Sæþór Benjamín Randalsson skrifar 15. febrúar 2022 08:00 I have wanted to participate in a union ever since I began working in my home country, the USA. As a worker in the USA, I had to negotiate contracts by myself, and watch as salaries, benefits, and free time declined due to right-wing and neoliberal governments and the unchecked power of capital. I longed for the collective bargaining power of the pre-McCarthy era. I first met Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir in 2020 when I showed up with other Efling members at Iðnó to make a sign and march into City Hall on strike. It was invigorating, like living a history book. Not only was inspiring, it also brought meaningful concrete results. In the negotiations with Reykjavík City, Efling members gained a far better contract due to strong leadership and member unity than would otherwise have been obtained. In the last weeks, there has been one breathless hit piece after the other in the media from the perspective of the opponents of the B-list. Curiously, these are largely the staff of Efling and other unions – if they are not nameless, that is. But what I haven’t seen is an interview with a member of the union itself, a dues-paying working class person. I’ve also seen in these articles an implied condescension, removing the agency of the working class members that endorse Sólveig Anna repeatedly. Unfortunately, we live in a class based society. Workers need a leadership that understands the nature of class division, that can pull in more people to participate, and who understands how to make bold demands and then achieve them. Sólveig Anna is not the only person on earth with these skills, but she is the only one running for chair of Efling. I have seen with my own eyes what can be achieved with capable and passionate leadership with unified mass backing. The Battle List, which I am proud to be part of, wants to continue to build our union in this direction: firm leadership closely followed by active rank-and-file members. I stand with Sólveig Anna, her agenda, and I’m proud to be part of the Battle List! Sæþór Benjamín Randalsson is an Efling member and is running for the Battle List (the B-list) along with Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir. Viltu birta grein á Vísi? Sendu okkur póst. Senda grein Ólga innan Eflingar Stéttarfélög Athugið. Vísir hvetur lesendur til að skiptast á skoðunum. Allar athugasemdir eru á ábyrgð þeirra er þær rita. Lesendur skulu halda sig við málefnalega og hófstillta umræðu og áskilur Vísir sér rétt til að fjarlægja ummæli og/eða umræðu sem fer út fyrir þau mörk. Vísir mun loka á aðgang þeirra sem tjá sig ekki undir eigin nafni eða gerast ítrekað brotlegir við ofangreindar umgengnisreglur. Mest lesið Heilbrigðiskerfi Íslands - Tími fyrir lausnir! Victor Gudmundsson Skoðun Bréf frá móður Berglind Fríða Viggósdóttir Skoðun Forsetaframbjóðendur undir áhrifum Kremlverja? Bjarni Már Magnússon Skoðun Fjöldi fyrirtækja hætta með Rapyd Oddný Björg Rafnsdóttir Skoðun „Ég skal baka fyrir Gunnar en ég kýs Kristján“ Páll Magnússon Skoðun Fjallkonan nýja, hún Katrín Þorvaldur Logason Skoðun Forseti Íslands, Baldur Þórhallsson Friðrik Erlingsson Skoðun Njótum reynslu Katrínar Valgerður Bjarnadóttir Skoðun Sagan sem verður að segja Drífa Snædal Skoðun Vill ekki lengur íslenzkan her? Hjörtur J. Guðmundsson Skoðun Skoðun Skoðun Neikvæð áhrif þess að útiloka forsetaframbjóðendur frá kappræðum strax komin í ljós Ástþór Magnússon skrifar Skoðun Nýtt sveitarfélag Halla Signý Kristjánsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Stafrænn ójöfnuður á upplýsingaöld Stella Samúelsdóttir,Alma Ýr Ingólfsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Varfærnisleg fagnaðarlæti Berglind Sunna Bragadóttir skrifar Skoðun „Ég skal baka fyrir Gunnar en ég kýs Kristján“ Páll Magnússon skrifar Skoðun Daðrað við sölu Björn Sævar Einarsson skrifar Skoðun Rannsóknir á söfnum skapa dýrmæta þekkingu Arndís Bergsdóttr skrifar Skoðun Sagan sem verður að segja Drífa Snædal skrifar Skoðun Nýsköpun innviða Jóhanna Ýr Jóhannsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Fjöldi fyrirtækja hætta með Rapyd Oddný Björg Rafnsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Forsetaframbjóðendur undir áhrifum Kremlverja? Bjarni Már Magnússon skrifar Skoðun Bréf frá móður Berglind Fríða Viggósdóttir skrifar Skoðun Vill ekki lengur íslenzkan her? Hjörtur J. Guðmundsson skrifar Skoðun Hafa íslensk fjarskiptafélög málað sig út í horn? Aron Heiðar Steinsson skrifar Skoðun Á Ísland framtíð í NATO? Hilmar Þór Hilmarsson skrifar Skoðun Fjallkonan nýja, hún Katrín Þorvaldur Logason skrifar Skoðun Heilsa íslenskrar þjóðar, samofin framþróun í læknisfræði á Íslandi Theódór Skúli Sigurðsson skrifar Skoðun Njótum reynslu Katrínar Valgerður Bjarnadóttir skrifar Skoðun Katrínu á Bessastaði Brynja Þorbjörnsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Eru stjórnvöld að virða réttindi barna á flótta? Hópur fólks í ungmennaráði UNICEF á Íslandi skrifar Skoðun Forseti Íslands, Baldur Þórhallsson Friðrik Erlingsson skrifar Skoðun Algeng mistök við fasteignakaup og hvernig þú forðast þau Kristín Ósk Þórðardóttir skrifar Skoðun Er ungum mönnum sama um sjófólk? Kjartan Sveinn Guðmundsson skrifar Skoðun Þörfin fyrir heimilislækna Bjarni Jónsson skrifar Skoðun Um lýðræði — Þrjár spurningar til forsetaframbjóðenda Hjörtur Hjartarson skrifar Skoðun 30% kaupmáttaraukning með evru Guðmundur Ragnarsson skrifar Skoðun Halla Tómasdóttir yrði góður forseti Rannveig Guðmundsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Forsetinn má ekki fara á taugum Gísli Jökull Gíslason skrifar Skoðun „Brandarinn er búinn!“ María Heba Þorkelsdóttir skrifar Skoðun Katrín kann sig Aðalheiður Björk Olgudóttir skrifar Sjá meira
I have wanted to participate in a union ever since I began working in my home country, the USA. As a worker in the USA, I had to negotiate contracts by myself, and watch as salaries, benefits, and free time declined due to right-wing and neoliberal governments and the unchecked power of capital. I longed for the collective bargaining power of the pre-McCarthy era. I first met Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir in 2020 when I showed up with other Efling members at Iðnó to make a sign and march into City Hall on strike. It was invigorating, like living a history book. Not only was inspiring, it also brought meaningful concrete results. In the negotiations with Reykjavík City, Efling members gained a far better contract due to strong leadership and member unity than would otherwise have been obtained. In the last weeks, there has been one breathless hit piece after the other in the media from the perspective of the opponents of the B-list. Curiously, these are largely the staff of Efling and other unions – if they are not nameless, that is. But what I haven’t seen is an interview with a member of the union itself, a dues-paying working class person. I’ve also seen in these articles an implied condescension, removing the agency of the working class members that endorse Sólveig Anna repeatedly. Unfortunately, we live in a class based society. Workers need a leadership that understands the nature of class division, that can pull in more people to participate, and who understands how to make bold demands and then achieve them. Sólveig Anna is not the only person on earth with these skills, but she is the only one running for chair of Efling. I have seen with my own eyes what can be achieved with capable and passionate leadership with unified mass backing. The Battle List, which I am proud to be part of, wants to continue to build our union in this direction: firm leadership closely followed by active rank-and-file members. I stand with Sólveig Anna, her agenda, and I’m proud to be part of the Battle List! Sæþór Benjamín Randalsson is an Efling member and is running for the Battle List (the B-list) along with Sólveig Anna Jónsdóttir.
Skoðun Neikvæð áhrif þess að útiloka forsetaframbjóðendur frá kappræðum strax komin í ljós Ástþór Magnússon skrifar
Skoðun Heilsa íslenskrar þjóðar, samofin framþróun í læknisfræði á Íslandi Theódór Skúli Sigurðsson skrifar
Skoðun Eru stjórnvöld að virða réttindi barna á flótta? Hópur fólks í ungmennaráði UNICEF á Íslandi skrifar
Skoðun Algeng mistök við fasteignakaup og hvernig þú forðast þau Kristín Ósk Þórðardóttir skrifar