2025-04-26

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Organizing Method

LSWT organizing is heavily based on personal contact and grass root activism. Posochovas himself started organizing and is still personally involved.
According to Posochovas the organizing method is rather simple. First, it is important to find key persons in workplaces who are organized to union activists. Then these activists continue recruiting and organizing in the respective workplace. At the same time their work is supported from outside in different ways, like for instance, campaigning towards management. Outside actions help dismantle anti-union actions of employers.
Another important point is that the essence of organizing is to make sure that the form organization is sustainable and resources are used for common cause. LSWTU is clearly an organization of activists which is flexible and cost effective. The members are directly involved in activities. Only the chairman is fully employed by the union. Each sector has a chairman who is not employed by the union, but continues to work and gets salary from his own job.
LSWT is the only Baltic union where 100% of membership fees transferred to the center and later distributed upon the needs of sectors or local organizations. Resources are mainly used for legal services which cannot be done by activists. The union has 10 external lawyers who are used when members need help.

Future Plans

According to Posochovas increase in membership is continuing. The union has a significant potential to grow because of big number of unorganized workers in the service sector (see table above).
The long term aim is to create of independent and sustainable sector organization. As soon as continuing increase of membership creates enough resources the plan is to employ fulltime sector chairmen. In addition, intension is to employ professionals at the union office who would be responsible for tasks as public relations and research supporting grass root activists and organizing.

Need for International Support

LSWTU is a member of the global trade union federation Union Network International (UNI). Cooperation with UNI has worked well.
Posochavas stated that their organizing method is working without international support as such. They can manage without economic support from outside.
When Posochovas was asked about need for projects with Nordic sector confederations or unions he answered that LSWT is interested in joint organizing projects, but they must base on their method and mutual learning. Posochovas even joked that "we can teach you to organize".
According to Posochovas it would be beneficial if international trade union organizations could organize combined actions with LSWTU towards international corporations.
Sectors and Nordic companies with approx. organized and unorganized workers:
Commerce: Statoil union (150 members/600)
Commerce: Rimi Lietuva union (150 members/3500)
Hotel: Reval Vilnius union (30 members/100)
Transport: Vilnius national airport union (150 members/1500)
Finance: SEB Bank (Plan to organize)
Comparison with Anglo-American "Organizing Model"
It is interesting that even thought Posochovas was not aware of it, the LSWTU organizing model has strong similarities with successful Anglo-American methods used especially in the American Change to Win confederation and service sector unions like SEUI or UNITE HERE which are both increasing membership.
The "Organizing Model" is a concept which typically involves organizers, who work by building up confidence, strong networks and leaders within the workforce, and confrontational campaigns involving large numbers of union members. Principle underlying the organizing model is that of giving power directly to union members. In contrast to the collective strength of "organizing model" the "service model" focuses on the provision of services.
 
Conclusions

LSWT is an interesting example of practical organizing. Several conclusions can be drawn. Firstly, success of LSWTU shows that it is possible to organize in the Baltic States and engage young people. Thus, the arguments suggesting that the Baltic States would be an "impossible case to organize" because of extraordinary individualism and burden of trade unions' negative image are, in the light of the LSWTU, not credible.
Secondly, LSWTU gives a clear indication that the used methods of organizing must be suitable for the Baltic circumstances. The case of LSWT strongly suggests that successful Baltic organizing model is based on personal contact and grass root activism combined with external support campaigns.
Thirdly, it is important to understand the difference of recruiting and organizing. In the Nordic countries trade unions have functioning structures and organization. Recruiting new members is enough to maintain the organization. In contrast to the Nordic Countries, in the Baltic States the organization must often be built up from nothing in conditions that are more similar to Anglo-American situation. Recruiting is just a part of organizing. It must be secured that the form of organization in cost effective and viable. It would be reasonable to examine the concept of "Organizing Model" when planning future organizing projects in the Baltic States.
Fourthly, for Nordic unions and sector confederations one natural field of cooperation with LSWT would be support campaigns when the target company is based in one of the Nordic countries. This requires good contacts and a joint action plan.
To build up a readiness to support actions could be a subject for a project which could be followed by a combined organizing campaign at one of the Nordic companies operating in Lithuania.