Open Source: UFCW reform manifesto

I have argued here, without a lot of success, that we should think of "open source" unionism not only in terms of union leaders bringing in new categories of members, or taking on broader social issues, but also in terms of making the union's own "source code" and "architecture" open to the members.

Sounds abstract. Here's a small example that I hope will grow.

UFCW members have drafted an 'Open Source Manifesto' for reform in their union. The manifesto contains many familiar reform ideas, which are valuable in their own right. What stands out to me is the idea of making the manifesto non-proprietary (not the official statement of one group, but a statement of/for reformers across the union) and a draft that is open to revision and discussion. (It would make a good Wiki)

Does it matter?

A union's mission statement, most often the preamble to the union constitution, usually bears little or no relation to the union's actual mission and practices. (See the 19th century commonwealth of Labor language in many building trades constitutions.)

But mission statements -- and the priorities, principles, and objectives they delineate -- play an important role in the formation of reform groups/movements, where forging a common perspective is often a difficult process.