{"id":2776,"date":"2021-12-07T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uniontrack.com\/blog\/?p=2776"},"modified":"2022-01-21T16:35:12","modified_gmt":"2022-01-21T16:35:12","slug":"digital-tools-unionizing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniontrack.com\/blog\/digital-tools-unionizing","title":{"rendered":"How To Use Digital Tools To Gauge Support for Unionizing Your Workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ken Green
CEO & Founder
UnionTrack<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unionizing starts with conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initiating conversations with coworkers to gauge their interest in forming a union may be the most important step in the unionization process. Without the support and solidarity of coworkers, efforts to organize will fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, how do you find coworkers that are sympathetic to unionizing and willing to go on that journey? How do you start that conversation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The short answer: very discreetly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discretion is Key to Early Conversations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may want to shout through the halls at work that you are fed up and are organizing a union, but don\u2019t. Now is not the time to go public with your intent to unionize. Quite the opposite, in fact. At this point, you will want to be as discreet as possible to keep management from finding out for as long as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s because even though most workers have a legally protected right to join a union, most employers don\u2019t support the idea of their employees forming unions. The sooner management finds out about such an effort, the more time they will have to push back against organizing and the sooner they will engage in union-busting activities. This makes it much more difficult to build support among your coworkers, especially in this early stage of the unionization process, notes the Communication Workers of America (CWA)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The element of surprise is the greatest advantage organizers have at the beginning. \u201cThe only thing that you can do on an organizing campaign is operate under surprise,\u201d says Marc Perrone<\/a>, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW). \u201cIf an employer knows that you\u2019re signing cards and doing things like that, they will come after them tooth and toenail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of this step in the unionization process as a fact-finding mission in which the goal is to gather as much intel as possible as quietly as you can before embarking on the more public parts of the journey. That starts with connecting with sympathizers and building an issues platform that resonates with the majority of workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Find and Engage Sympathetic Coworkers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first task in this mission is to find coworkers who have grievances at work and\/or those who look favorably on unions. They are the ones who will be most likely to join an organizing drive. That said, don\u2019t discount anyone. The key to success here is not assuming anything about how someone may feel about organizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And remember, you aren\u2019t trying to build up a majority support just yet. You simply need a small group of employees who are dedicated to forming a union in the workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to talk to people and open up,\u201d says Molly Katchpole<\/a> of the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE). \u201cOne big benefit [to unionizing] is that you get to know people that you didn\u2019t know before and it breaks down silos that the company has in place, to its benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But finding the \u201cright\u201d people to talk to can be challenging, especially when working under a cloak of secrecy. Data and digital tools can help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark Zuckerman<\/a>, president of The Century Foundation, suggests looking at places where people advocate for better working conditions like Glassdoor, Coworker.org, and other employer review sites. There you can find people who are speaking out so you can learn more about what issues workers in your workplace or industry are talking about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media feeds can also be a source of information on others\u2019 feelings towards a company or unions in general. Mining coworkers’ feeds for that kind of information may require extra time and effort, but can increase your chances of finding those sympathetic to unionizing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you have a good idea of who to talk to, you\u2019ll want to engage them without making them feel uncomfortable. Prepare yourself with talking points that may garner their interest. You will also want to be prepared to ask questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, you are not making a sales pitch for joining a union, yet. At this point, it\u2019s about building a relationship and connecting a person\u2019s self-interests with the work of a union, according to the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)<\/a>. In doing so, you plant the seed of possibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Right Questions to Ask<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Approaching the subject of unionizing from an issues perspective is the safest way to gauge interest without pushing the idea. The Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 29<\/a> suggests questions such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n