The Question Remains -- How Do We Reach Union Members
I stumbled across Communicate or Die, though it's possible that my preoccupation with reaching my members -- and by that I really mean reaching and moving them -- might have led me here.
Lack of member participation, lack of member interest, lack of member understanding about their own union as well as the Labor Movement in general, are serious frustrations for me. We have a monthly newsletter, a website, and monthly meetings, and still have difficulty moving members to act in their own interests.
Despite our tools and efforts, we still miss the mark more often than not. People are busy with second jobs, raising children, school, and whatnot, and they can't be bothered with a single additional drain on their time or attention.
Given all that we know about the unequal American economy, the Wal-Mart wage structure, outsourcing, and a tax structure that favors the wealthy, it's kind of remarkable to me that many union members are so passive. Working people should be outraged at the wholesale theft that has been going on for a generation.
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Reaching Members
I have found in my experiences reaching out to members there are a few fundamental things to be aware of:
1. The members need to have a venue for which they can freely speak out about what is on their mind.
2. The members are reminded that they cannot watch their unions and working life pass them by as though they are taking in a film.
I am not sure what union you are with or where the union's site is up at, however, with the use of a Drupal-driven blog you can easily install the technology so that the members can speak out directly to the union. This is all easy to moderate. The same goes for a forum or message board ... and perhaps that either of the two would assist in getting the members active.
In regard to getting the members active ... give them a reason to that they can understand. Talking to the members about their needs is pivotal ... once a need is identified, the workers can be lead to carry out specific tasks (especially online). But you have to talk to them to find out what their deal is.
A lot of apathetic workers toward the union are used to the idea that the answer for everything is "Brother, you are lucky you got a job at all," and that needs to change in every union. In other words, if you want workers to be active in your union, let their voices be heard ... but not as a parrots for your union leadership, but their own.