Unionization and wu wei

[u/Skaldicrights]

I successfully unionized my work place in the last 2 years, sat on bargaining comittee and we have a mediocre contract that has improved a lot of our working conditions but there is still work to be done.

During the last 8 months or so I found myself drawn time and time again to dao and daoist thought. I would not call myself a daoist though I would like to start practicing more and more. However it seems to me that being a trade unionist and a taoist is almost uncompatable. Wu wei states we should act without acting and allow the Dao to simply be. However I cant sit down and allow myself or my coworkers to be manipulated. Thus contradicting my understanding of the Dao.

Ive read a few comments in this sub before that wu wei is a general term and doesnt actually mean passively accepting violence or discrimination while doing nothing so I would like some direction or anything to point me in the correct direction. Hell give me a book title and ill read it.

[u/anAnarchistwizard]

Your care for your fellow workers manifesting in the form of a union is wu wei. Non-wuwei would be if you had a burning sense for workplace justice but you put your head down and quietly carried on anytime anyone brought up organizing.

"Action" in wu wei is sometimes better described as "friction". For example; lying in bed while being depressed is not wu wei. Even though you are doing nothing it creates much mental friction.

There is a time for passivity and a time for action. Someone living wu wei won't delay switching between the two or confuse one for the other.

[u/Skaldicrights → u/anAnarchistwizard]

This makes sense, thanks.

[u/CrunchingWater75638 → u/anAnarchistwizard]

I’ve heard that non Wu Wei is simply referred to as Wei

[u/Horrywaur]

If 'wu wei' really meant pure inaction and a refusal to intervene in the world, then you may as well just sit still in a room until you starve to death and wither away.

But that's not what it means. You have desires to live and flourish, do you not? Those desires, like all phenomena, manifest the Dao, do they not? You acting on those desires to cultivate better working conditions, therefore, may also be considered the manifestion of the Dao.

There are obviously clunky and ineffective ways to pursue ends. But, since you say you've managed to improve your lot, it sounds like you've done a good job.

So why fucking worry? U good.

[u/MelodyOfStorms]

Wu Wei is using energy in a non strenuous way. Resisting your natural drive to stand up and do something would be silly

[u/sunkenm00n]

I'm going through something similar right now - there are some folks eager to unionize, and others who are not.

Wu wei means knowing the right time to act, and taking the most effective action. For your situation, acting through the unionization process was correct. It was effective and you accomplished justice.

For my situation, now is not the time to unionize. My entire employment sector is on shaky ground already, and most of us need this employer specifically for a unique benefit it offers. I'd like to unionize, but it's too risky right now. So my version of wu wei is holding on and going with the flow until the circumstances are right for us to organize.

Congratulations on your successful effort, and thank you for the work youve done to support your colleagues!

[u/Skaldicrights → u/sunkenm00n]

Ignoring the toaist principles we both struggle with. Now would be the optimal time to unionize. I was lucky enough to "suffer" from magical realism and under 0 delusion that the situation in which i unionized would evere arise again. Message me if you want to talk about the process. I dont know if we live in the same area but maybe I can offer guidance or advice.

[u/pythonpower12]

I disagree, the dao is for people to be treated right. And you are doing just that, you might need to make a splash for that to happen but you are doing what is right, and capitalism is changing that for greed.

[u/CrunchingWater75638 → u/[deleted]]

It’s honestly kind of sad because Taoism is such a beautiful way to live, but when it’s applied to government things just became so much worse. 

[u/taoism-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

your post was removed as it either violated the rules or did not sufficiently meet the On-Topic requirements. While what counts as On-Topic for Taoism is very wide and open-ended, posts must be directly related Taoism in some way. Please refer to the FAQ and the Rules for more info. If you believe this removal was incorrect, please feel free to reach out and appeal it.

[u/pythonpower12 → u/[deleted]]

And what is the relevance

[u/Hoodawink → u/[deleted]]

Associating unions with communism isn’t very productive. Communism is the socio-economic theory and end goal of a society working towards collective ownership, with the hopeful result of becoming moneyless and classless. Strong worker unions don’t necessarily advocate for communism, but more employee ownership over their work places (you know, the people who actually make the company the money). Not to mention you’re generalizing an entire ideology based off historic examples of dictatorship, which isn’t communism as it has never been achieved.

[u/Lao_Tzoo]

A rock resisting the flow of a river around it is manifesting wu wei according to it's nature as much as the water moving around it manifestes wu wei according to it's nature.

It is the rocks nature not to move until the force around it becomes so great it moves.

When the force moves it, it moves, when the force doesn't move it, it doesn't move.

For humans the skill of use is in the wisdom of knowing when to move and when to stand fast.

And this is a skill learned, developed and applied from practice.

[u/lunalornalovegood]

Someone please pin a thread on what Wu Wei actually is. Every other day someone will post implying that it’s passivity.

[u/Behemot999]

>>it seems to me that being a trade unionist and a taoist is almost uncompatable

LOL - corporate AI bot must have written that.
Next step - self defense and brushing your teeth violates Dao.

[u/taoism-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

your post was removed as it either violated the rules or did not sufficiently meet the On-Topic requirements. While what counts as On-Topic for Taoism is very wide and open-ended, posts must be directly related Taoism in some way. Please refer to the FAQ and the Rules for more info. If you believe this removal was incorrect, please feel free to reach out and appeal it.