{"id":1077,"date":"2018-09-18T09:00:44","date_gmt":"2018-09-18T09:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uniontrack.com\/blog\/?p=1077"},"modified":"2018-09-18T06:36:18","modified_gmt":"2018-09-18T06:36:18","slug":"digital-local","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniontrack.com\/blog\/digital-local","title":{"rendered":"Stronger, Modern Unions: 4 Steps to Becoming a Digital Local"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ken Green
\nCEO\/Founder
\nUnionTrack, Inc.<\/a><\/p>\n

Unions in America are at a turning point.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnions get a bad rap,\u201d writes Rana Foroohar<\/a> at the Financial Times. But the business columnist doesn\u2019t stop there. She also clarifies that a \u201crevitalized labor movement is exactly what the US needs right now.\u201d David Broder<\/a> explains that \u201cstrong unions raise wages, improve health care, and expand retirement security for all workers, union and non-union.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, reinvigorated and savvy union leadership is what US workers need right now \u2014 but what does that leadership look like, exactly? <\/p>\n

That\u2019s the question that guides this step-by-step playbook. We\u2019re going to show how unions can continue to play a critical role in labor, provided their locals do their due diligence in going digital.<\/p>\n

Philip Jennings<\/a>, the General Secretary of the UNI Global Union, puts it unequivocally: \u201cThere is a vitality to the union efforts which is drawing new generations to our movement and attracting the attention of governments who realise that neither they, nor employers, have all the answers.\u201d <\/p>\n

Jennings goes on to specify exactly why unions will be so important to the future of work: \u201cFor too many of the new economic actors, labour is a commodity, a data set to be monitored, manipulated and dehumanised. Our task is to make this digital age human-centred and this report illustrates how unions are \u2018making it happen.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

This is the heart of what it means to become a digital local \u2014 putting people first. And union leaders have the tools at their fingertips to make that happen.<\/p>\n

Below are four steps union leaders need to take to get those tools in the hands of local members.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Do Your Homework <\/h2>\n

First things first. Union leaders need to have a clear idea of the pressures organized labor faces<\/a> as well as how they and their unions can respond.<\/p>\n

And don\u2019t just rely on news. Academia is also exploring questions like how labor organization fits into a digitized world. For example, Mark Graham, Isis Hjorth and Vili Lehdonvirta<\/a> at the Oxford Internet Institute recently looked into four strategies for improving the conditions and livelihoods for digital workers.<\/p>\n

Great research is taking place outside of academia, too. Bridget Ansel and Heather Boushey<\/a> from the Washington Center for Equitable Growth had an excellent proposal in 2017 on how to modernize US labor standards. <\/p>\n

Resources like these may not give you the specific digital tools that you need \u2014 that\u2019s what we\u2019re here for \u2014 but they will give you the right foundation to move confidently forward. <\/p>\n

This combination of awareness and confidence will be key because, as Matthew Karnitschnig<\/a> at Politico notes, there \u201cis a growing acceptance within the labor movement that the nature of work will fundamentally change in the coming digital age.\u201d <\/p>\n

Automation and digitalization are creating unknown futures for workers today. Doing your homework means transcending a reactionist approach to the quickly changing workforce and organization of work. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s needed today is leadership that can proactively engage union members to ensure everyone remains in the loop. <\/p>\n

\"phone<\/p>\n

Step 2: Ask Your Union and Get Feedback<\/h2>\n

No tools or strategies will be effective unless you take the time to listen to the needs of your union members. <\/p>\n

In this step, union leaders can look to local government. \u201cDigitalisation seen through the eyes of citizens is a great improvement in their relationship with local and regional governments,\u201d writes the European Public Service Union<\/a>. It means \u201cfaster communication, more transparency in the decision-making process and more involvement in the design of new public services.\u201d <\/p>\n

The goal for unions in this regard is simple enough: Match that improvement by creating clear channels of communication with members. Asking your union membership what they want to see out of leadership before <\/em>enacting changes will ensure you are heading in the right direction. <\/p>\n

Of course, the followup here is to get feedback on digitalization and modernization efforts. In fact, in their study for the International Journal of Management, Economics and Social Sciences<\/em>, researchers Melvin J. Rivers and Tim Truitt<\/a> identified increased communication with union leadership as one of the top three concerns among today\u2019s union members. Again, using the right digital tools will be key here. <\/p>\n

Not all digital efforts have to be explicitly about engagement or communication to work some transformative magic. One unique example is the Culinary Workers Union\u2019s efforts in Nevada to digitize their history, which Jasmin Bryant<\/a> reports brought a new voice to modern efforts from members. <\/p>\n

\u201cTake the 106 babies born to Culinary Union members during the Frontier Strike, who are now young adults,\u201d Bryant writes. \u201cTheir early childhood memories are an important part of Southern Nevada history as well as the greater American labor movement. Not only is their collection easily accessible to family members far away and down the road, but also to a larger audience, making for a universal experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Step 3: Find the Right Tools \u2014 and Don\u2019t Be Afraid to Start Small <\/h2>\n

Early on in 2018, the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees<\/a> (MAPE) launched a digital campaign designed to highlight how unions are bettering the lives of union members. The campaign was launched ahead of the Janus v. AFSCME decision, with a focus on the major benefits of unions for individual members, including equitable wages, accessible health care, paid parental leave, student debt and retirement security.<\/p>\n

The digital campaign is a great example of how union leaders can use the tools available to them to directly address member concerns and needs. It is also a good indicator of how leaders looking to create a digital local can start small. You don\u2019t need to transform overnight to start communicating to members over digital channels \u2014 but it\u2019s a good place to start. <\/p>\n

With social platforms for communication and a modernized way for members to provide feedback, you can look into wider digital platforms for union engagement. For example, the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) launched the SMART program as a means of digitizing member communication, dues collection and grievance submission. You can learn more about IAFF and the online portal in this video from the union:<\/p>\n