Often our best opportunity to strengthen the union—to build activism, solidarity, and leadership—comes during contract negotiations. Under most U.S. union contracts, this is the only time we are legally free to use our greatest power, the strike. But during the years between negotiations, it’s easy to revert to a sleepy “business union” model. We may reinforce passivity or dependence among the members we “serve” by handling their day-to-day problems “for” them instead of mobilizing their power and true ownership of the local.