Strike and counter-power unionism in a logistics company

Abstract

This article analyzes an experience of successful union organization and strike at a logistics distribution center for supermarkets, led by a highly precarious workforce, migrant and racialized. Against narratives that present these sectors as disorganized or difficult to mobilize, the case demonstrates that it is possible to articulate an effective counter-power strategy if the concrete reality of the worker collective is recognized, appropriate union resources are activated, and the structural conditions of the company are leveraged. The strike was strategically deployed at a critical moment in the production calendar –the Christmas season– affecting a key “chokepoint” in the flow of goods. This action not only achieved material gains but also strengthened the internal cohesion and bargaining power of the collective. Through the analysis of this conflict, the article advocates for a political conception of unionism, focused on power accumulation from below, and proposes rethinking the role of unions in contexts of labor segmentation and capitalist reorganization, particularly in logistics sectors where workers’ structural power can be reactivated..