Last Friday I posted this very brief but well-rec'd diary: "
A Fast-Growing, New Labor Union For People WITHOUT Jobs!" It was all about a story running on Alternet concerning the new "
Union of the Unemployed," formed just five weeks ago.
The Unemployed Now Have Their Own Union, and It's Catching on Quickly
Alternet.org
By Harry Kelber
February 24, 2010
...The idea is that if millions of jobless join together and act as an organization, they are more likely to get Congress and the White House to provide the jobs that are urgently needed. They can also apply pressure for health insurance coverage, unemployment insurance and COBRA benefits and food stamps. An unemployed worker is virtually helpless if he or she has to act alone.
Joining a Cube is as simple as it is important. (Please check the union web site: http://www.unionofunemployed.com). Six people who live in the same zip code address can form a Ucube. Nine such UCubes make a neighborhood. Three neighborhood UCubes form a power block that cntains 162 activists. Politicians cannot easily ignore a multitude of power blocks, nor can merchants avoid them.
The union is built from the ground up. Cube activists will select their own leadership in each cube, neighborhood, block and higher group as well.
I also reported:
Kelber tells us that the UCubed organization is spreading like wildfire in just its first month in existence, with members having joined the group from 43 states and over 300 zip codes. 75 "Cubes" are already up and running!
Well, this past Monday, this appeared on the top of their website:
A Fast-growing, New Labor Union for People WITHOUT Jobs!
March 1, 2010 in Homepage, Recent News by Joyce Bond
Check out Friday, February 26th Daily Kos, Bobswern comment about Labor educator Harry Kelber's Alternet article. Bobswern calls attention to the 43 states, over 300 zip codes and 75 "Cubes" are already up and running! This morning (Monday, March 1), there are 286 cubes in 49 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.
The organization is still very much in its embryonic stages, but it certainly looks like they're catching on, bigtime! (381% growth in 72 hours; and, that was five days ago.)
This has kept a smile on my face all week!
More importantly, it was personal proof positive that blogging matters!
This week, the UCubed folks dramatically upgraded their website, and now have much more in terms of resources and information for the jobless, too.
If you didn't check it out last weekend, you might want to give it a click now.
Most importantly, don't lose sight of this truth: What you post here on DKos DOES matter.
Write on!