Essential Voice
an Essential Workers for Democracy newspaper to share with your coworkers!
Issue #7 - Summer 2026
Five Unions With One Member One Vote
One member one vote is a basic democratic principle that every member of a union should get to vote directly for executive officers such as President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Vice Presidents.
While some unions have more insular undemocratic processes, more and more unions are moving toward a one member one vote model. Check out these five big unions that have one member one vote and how they conduct their elections.
Labor Notes: What to Do When Your Union Leaders Break Your Heart
If you’re a union member, unfortunately the chances are good that you’ve had, or will have, your heart broken at least once by one of your own leaders.Maybe it happened when you first tried to get active in your union, but found that leaders didn’t welcome you into their inner circle. You wondered whether there was some special skill you lacked, and you ended up confused and self-doubting. Maybe you just gave up.
UFCW Members Demanding Pro-Democracy Changes to Union Constitution
UFCW Locals from around the nation are proposing a major overhaul of their Washington, DC-based union leadership. Through 17 different constitutional amendments, UFCW locals from Seattle to Denver to Los Angeles are demanding a vote on proposals to increase members' power and voices in their union.
Busting The Top Five Myths About One Member One Vote
Here are the top five things you might hear from #1M1V haters and to respond.
Essential Workers Fighting For Union Democracy
To fight back against the agenda of corporate elites we need strong unions. To have strong unions, we need thousands of rank-and-file leaders and leadership that reflects the desires of workers.
The UFCW's Broken Strike Sanctions
Workers know that a strike is a powerful tool. So, with a strong labor market, massive workplace issues presented by the pandemic, and workers around the country who are fired up, why are strikes in the UFCW so rare?