Dealing with pushback

As you connect with workers on other apps, you’ll probably find that some communities are more receptive to having these conversations than others. That’s OK. And not every person you talk to is going to want to be involved in the fight. That’s OK too.

Particularly online, people sometimes respond negatively to organizing. Why? There’s a ton of reasons…

  • It’s hard to believe things can change

  • We’re asking people to get on board with an incredibly optimistic vision of what could be, and it’s a hard leap for people to make from how rough things currently are

  • People all have their own ideas about the best ways to fight, and they may not align with ours

  • Most people in our economy & political landscape don’t actually have the experience of being able to come together with a large group of people to make real change happen

  • They may just not want to share their contact info

So how do you respond when you’re dealing with these types of pushback?

  • Keep in mind that they may be coming into this blind. Where were you at when you first heard about the campaign? Did it all make sense to you right away? Think about some of the concerns & hesitations you might have had — and use that knowledge to empathize with how others just being asked to come on board may feel.

  • Ask questions and really listen to the answers. People don’t need to — and shouldn’t — agree all the time! Getting a wide range of perspectives is valuable, and engaging people in real conversations about this stuff matters.

  • Share your story. Organizing is hard work and it sometimes feels impossible — but if anyone has proven that a large group of workers acting collectively can get stuff done, it’s Instacart workers. Let them know how Instacart workers have come together to push the company to make change, and that it’s possible for us to make change at an even broader level if we all come together & work strategically.

  • Let them know who we are & what we do. If people are wary about sharing their contact info with us, let them know about Working WA — we’re a statewide workers’ rights org who organized alongside Instacart workers to stop tip theft & underpayment, and we’re working on a national campaign to create new laws that would benefit workers. If people share their info with us, we’ll use it to reach out to them & get them involved — it will not be publicized or shared anywhere.

  • Remember that it’s OK to leave the conversation. Not every single worker you talk to is going to want to be part of the #PayUp campaign. There might be some good reasons why they don’t want to be involved. If they aren’t interested, you don’t need to keep pushing them — there are tens of thousands of workers out there who see a need for change, and it’s OK to leave a conversation and move on to the next one if you’re talking to someone who just isn’t interested.