Another Reason to Take the Online Labor Movement Seriously

Puke Alert!

Have you heard of the Labor Relations Institute?  It's a very informative website.  If you're interested in finding out what the anti-worker clan is thinking and sharing with others who hold similar values, you should definitely spend some time reading the various articles and "reports" to keep abreast of their modus operandi. Just be sure to have some Pepto, wine, valium, beer - whatever works for you - close by, because trust me, you're gonna need it.

A very smart and covert union operative sent me the following email he received from LRI.  He signed up so he would get their email blasts and stay current with their latest diatribes. Knowing me very well, and having been harassed personally by me about his local's lacking website, he knew this one was worth sharing with me.

You'll notice there is no date or time included. Was this on purpose, or just a moronic mistake?  Sign up for their alerts if you want to receive these kinds of notices delivered straight to your inbox.  My contact signed up for them and clearly noted the union organization he represents. Oh, and by the way, the link doesn't work, either.

Dear *******,

We Must Have Struck A Nerve!

We ran an article in INK last week about recent social media use in union organizing strategies, and offered a free social media strategy call. The response has been tremendous, so we thought we should highlight the offer, just in case you missed it the first time around. 

Here’s what inspired our offer: 

Two weeks ago we had an interesting conversation with the HR director of a large company that recently defeated a union organizing drive. When we asked her about the use of social media and technology in the counter-organizing campaign, she laughed and described how her efforts were trounced by the union. Their internal email systems were constantly taken over by those working on behalf of the union, text messages and voice mails were left on employees cell phones at two o’clock in the morning, and web sites and social media pages in support of the union effort flourished. She had to adopt a strategy of simply conceding the social media/technology effort to the union, and apologizing to the employees for the unauthorized messaging they were receiving through supposedly protected, internal channels. 

In the couple of weeks prior to this, we had run two related stories: one involving the NLRB’s categorization of Facebook conversations as “protected concerted activity”, and another about the successful use of social media strategy against Dr. Pepper Snapple. In the latter article we pointed to the November convention of the International Labor Communications Association (ILCA), which will feature a special panel on “Winning Campaigns with Social Media.” 

We encourage you to seriously evaluate your social media strategy. A proper evaluation should include such questions as:

Am I familiar with all or most of the potential venues that could be used in a campaign against my company? 
Do I have people on staff that understand how to navigate in these venues? If not, have I identified resources who can help fill that gap? 
Have we developed a proactive strategy to engage ourworkforce using social media? 
Have we considered adefensive strategy for social media used against us? 

Again, LRI is offering a FREE SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY CALL for those wishing some expert help assessing their preparedness for social media campaigns. Phil Wilson, president of LRI, will conduct a 30-minute conference call to help you answer questions like those above. More important, Phil provides pointers on how to respond to social media attacks during an organizing campaign and even offers some surprising “old school” tactics that are very effective counter-attacks. Phil will take the mystery out of this new communications venue for you and your team. 

Some of what will be covered:

 • What is the original “killer app,” and how can you make it work for you? (hint: you don’t need to be a technology expert to use it effectively) 

• What is the surface vs. the “deep” web? 

• How do you automate “listening in” to the web? 

• Do you have a Twibe? Do those who are working against you? 

• Can social media policies backfire? How do you prevent it? 

• Where’s your social media leverage? 

Copy and paste the link below into your browser to sign up for your FREE 30-minute call. (We use the process to confirm you are a member of management. The call is not for union representatives!) http://www.1shoppingcart.com/SecureCart/SecureCart.aspx?mid=99BAC904-9C2D-4F57-94A0-BFAC05D1CC8F&pid=7986c0c442ca4d47a0e7383a47bc716e&bn=1 (If Link is broken, copy and paste to a word document to create a single line link.) 

If you have any difficulties, call Tammy at 918-455-9995. 

Labor Relations Institute 

7850 South Elm Place - Suite E 

Broken Arrow, OK 74011 US

Re-Branding the Labor Movement: A Post-Election Lesson

If last week's elections proved anything, it proved that the labor movement would be well advised to focus on creating change from within, rather than trying to create it by hitching our trailer up to a politician's vehicle and hoping they'll have enough horsepower to advance us forward.  In case you haven't noticed, we have yet to go anywhere in the last few decades.  We're actually rolling in reverse on several fronts.  It's time we put all of our money into an F-650, and let the politicians hitch up to us.  Perhaps then, when they actually win an election, we'll get much better results from our investments.


So, how do we begin building the F-650? Well, as you can probably imagine, there are many, many components required, both mechanical and technological.  The F-650 is a powerful vehicle, and it's pretty overwhelming to figure out how to transform a travel trailer into one of these monsters.  It's no wonder why it hasn't been done before.  However, if you focus on one piece at a time, the upgrading process is much more palatable.


One piece that I believe is of utmost importance to the labor movement is that of public relations/marketing/advertising/communications - however you want to categorize it.  It is the most ignored, overlooked, underfunded and/or ill-conceived yet fundamental element within the labor framework.  The labor movement is by and large made up of those in skilled trades - not media experts and public relations consultants - so it's no surprise that this is an area of need.   Labor needs to figure out how to fulfill it - and fast.


This is not to say that advancements haven't been made in this respect.  There are very positive examples here and there of labor organizations and individuals that are starting to get it.  It's time  that labor organizations, from internationals to locals and everyone in between, start constructing well written, organized and purposeful strategic communication/public relations plans that address not only our members, but the general public as well.  If we don't take measured steps to proactively control our image and brand awareness by focusing on brand strategy development, then the Tea Parties, Glenn Becks and Sarah Palins of the world certainly will - as they already have.


Hold on one second - brand strategy development? What the *@$#? This is not a phrase commonly heard at the hall over coffee among the retirees, at the monthly union meetings, or in apprentice classes.  If it is discussed, it's probably limited to the upper echelon of the AFL-CIO and the Internationals, who desperately need to develop and provide educational resources that can arm their locals with an arsenal of branding tools that impart a consistent message throughout the country.  Examples include: Instruction on how to develop and implement a communication/marketing plan; the importance of having an online presence that provides value through a quality website and social media profiles; how to significantly improve internal communications so that members become more invested in their local's efforts. However, in order to provide these types of resources and guidance, the upper echelon needs to figure it out for themselves first.  


In private industry circles, particularly those with names that end in Inc. or Corp., a "brand" is not simply a product name. It's an intangible impression of thoughts and feelings about your organization that can be indelibly left on a person.  

"Whatever your business, your brand is who you are, what you do, and how you build relationships with customers, prospects and influencers. Your brand is how you motivate your people. Your brand is how you fulfill the promise of your company and its products. Your brand is how you define customer experiences, make them memorable, and build brand value." (The Latham Guide, Latham and Company, LLC)

Further, your brand has significant power over your ability to shape your organization and its future - or lack thereof.  Organizations of all types spend large sums of money every year to develop, improve and  protect their brands - organizations that in some cases are much smaller, have much less at stake, or provide significantly less value to society. Consider this: Kentucky Fried Chicken spent millions to "rebrand" their image to become KFC.  Which has more societal impact?  Fried chicken or labor unions? If we based our answer on public relations budgets, the Colonel would win, hands down.

You're probably thinking that labor doesn't have the kind of money that a re-branding campaign would require.   Remind me again how much the AFL-CIO spent on election campaigns this go-around with very little to show for it?  Over $200 million?  Is it really cost effective to use union dues in the 11th hour for an election that most people felt was a waste of time anyway?   Perhaps if the international unions and the AFL-CIO had dedicated a chunk of change towards waging an intensive re-branding/marketing/communications campaign years ago, aimed at the general public and designed to introduce the 21st Century Labor Movement to the masses, it would have made life a little easier come election time.


Bottom line: Perception is everything, whether it's true or not.  The public's perception of Labor needs to change, but this will never happen unless labor organizations realize how vital public relations efforts are today for the existence of our unions tomorrow.

Unions & Technology: A Marriage That MUST Happen

The following is an article written by Web Connectivity -Just for Unions.  They are creating fantastic websites and software - just for unions.  This article illustrates the point I continue to make through this website, and with their permission, have posted their words here for New Labor Media readers.  Thanks, Web Connectivity, for sharing this resource!

It’s not everyday we hear the two used in the same sentence; unions and technology. They aren’t exactly synonymous with each other! However, technology isn’t going away and it’s changing the way people get their information. The internet is pervasive; it’s in every part of our lives from paying bills to keeping up with friends to learning about issues that affect our lives.

What does your website say about who you are?
What’s it saying to the public? To your members? Like it or not, this is your public face. It frames the way you are perceived. When that 25 year old drives by the JATC and wonders what it is, how does he/she find more information about you? No, he does NOT go home and type a letter of inquiry on his typewriter and mail it to you!! He searches you on the internet. His world is dominated by the internet and tools such as Facebook. The messages he receives are dictated by technology. Does your website communicate with him? OR, does it reinforce misperceptions about unions? Does it look old and tattered? Does it present a compelling message for this person to want to learn more about your organization? Is the content up-to-date and relevant? Is there a secure sign-in for members to access? Can he follow you on Facebook? Twitter? Like it or not, this is your brand; it’s how you are seen by more people everyday than other form of exposure. It is your primary tool for communicating with the world.

And for the members of your local?
If the only reason they have a checkbook is so they can pay their dues, it might be time to consider simple things like online dues payment. Can your members login to a secure site to check the out-of-work list? Can they login and see a private calendar or documents that don’t need to be public? Can they modify their benefits? Check their grades? If you think about the volume of calls received at a typical local, how many could be eliminated if members could go online to get the information? Is it unrealistic to offer your members basic features that are available on virtually every other site they use? In today’s world it’s simply a part of doing business.

Oh but wait, your members don’t use the internet??? Though unlikely, it’s possible – much like it was possible that some people didn’t have a television in their home 60 years ago. Adoption rates are much different today than they were 60 years ago. It took television 13 years to reach 50 million viewers. It took the internet 4 years to reach 50 million users. Facebook added over 50 million new users in just January and February of 2010. Google has over 620 million daily visitors. Today’s technology is developing rapidly and the rates of adoption are far faster than for any other medium we have witnessed.

But MORE IMPORTANTLY, what about the FUTURE of Labor?
It’s conceivable your members aren’t quite there yet but it’s hard to argue that without reaching the under 30 population, labor will continue to dwindle. How does this population communicate? Barack Obama captured 66% of voters age 18-30. He has over 8 million ‘friends’ on Facebook and is still one of the top 6 most followed on Twitter. His campaign heavily leveraged YouTube and virtually any other ‘new media’ they could find. To communicate with this audience Labor must change the way it thinks and the tools it uses. Hand bills and post cards will remain UNREAD. And if you’re mailing this audience something, it better say ‘Pay to the order of’ or it will not get opened – ever.

The tools available to us as Labor are vast and can be confusing. Walk before you run. Your website is the foundation for your communication. Like it or not, it is your lifeline; the single most valuable communication tool available to your organization. Get a website that you can easily update with new content (photos, articles, links, videos, etc.). Make sure your site offers members the ability to login and manage/see their information. When members can login, they’ll continue to come back to the site which gives you the opportunity to better communicate with them. And, as more members begin using the site, you’ll see a significant decrease in phone calls and window visits. Huh, a service to them and a benefit to you; sounds like a great combination!

Labor has to change the way it communicates.
Websites, search engines, Facebook, Twitter, email, etc. – these aren’t trendy fads that will soon go away. In fact, these tools are redefining communication. 500 million Facebook users aren’t a goof. Over 90% of internet sessions begin with a search engine inquiry; 85% of the time via Google. It’s time to leverage these tools; not just for the sake of your members but for the future of Labor itself.


For more information about websites and communication strategies, contact Web Connectivity. We are an IBEW Signatory Contractor and proud union members. Our goal is to help our clients figure out which tools are best for their goals. We work with hundreds of locals across the country to help them interact with their membership from the Business Office to the Training Center to Benefits Administration – and many areas beyond. We stand firmly on the side of Labor and are here to support in any way we can.

About New Labor Media

The Brain Behind the Blog

Heather Stefan

After getting a taste of the labor movement through her membership with the Louisiana Federation of Teachers when teaching first grade, Ms. Stefan spent several years as a union representative and lobbyist for the Louisiana AFL-CIO. She continues to work closely with labor organizations throughout the state of Louisiana. She is or has been a member of AFSCME, AFT, OPEIU and the UA over the years, and greatly enjoys utilizing her teaching and communication skills in front of labor organizations.

Her focus here is primarily to assist labor leaders and activists in becoming more comfortable with (and actively using) new media and online social networking as a strategic communication and public relations tool. "There is an online labor movement that is quickly developing as the primary mouthpiece for the entire labor movement as a whole.  Union organizations, from locals to internationals, can either ignore this trend or embrace it.  This is the future of the labor movement, so they need to either get on board and move ahead with it, or be left behind."

If your organization is interested in exploring the possibility of providing encouragement, training and materials for your members that will help them hop on board, send Heather an email: hstefan@newlabormedia.com for more information.

Why Labor Unions Aren't Using Social Media - Top 10 Revisited

If you are familiar with my article entitled The Top Ten Reasons Unions Aren't Using Social Media (which is conveniently posted right before this one in case you aren't), what follows is the kinder, gentler version of it.  Tom Campbell, publisher/editor of Western New York's online-line regional labor newspaper WNY Labor Today, encouraged me to soften up the original in order to publish it on his site. So, what you will find below is the result of taking the Top Ten article and mixing it well with a spoonful of sugar to ensure it was more palatable to a larger audience.  The final product, I must admit, is pretty damn good.  Tom, thank you for putting the finishing touches on it for better presentation!

I recently met the business manager for a U.A. Local out of Wisconsin and after we started chatting, I asked him (as I do almost all Labor Leaders these days) if his Local was on Facebook or Twitter.  He laughed out loud and said, “Are you kidding me?  Hell no, we’re not doing that!  Why would I want to tell people what we’re doing all the time?  No one cares about what we had for lunch or what kind of steel toe boots I’m wearing today.  Besides, why would we open ourselves up to possible attacks?  I don’t want any idiots contacting us.” 

I get this a lot. 

So I asked: “Do you maintain an e-mail list of all of your members and use it to blast e-mails out to the entire membership for organizing efforts, get-out-the-vote campaigns, newsletters, announcements, etc.?”

The answer in most instances is a resounding, “No.” 

However, this guy actually said, “Yes” – and meant it!  So I give him credit for that - I really do.

What I’ve found is that Local Unions are often led by older leaders who are steadfast in their unwavering dedication to upholding traditions of the past.  The Local is structured and managed in much the same way it was 20 or 30 years ago.  Work is down, membership is down and dues are down.  And not enough younger members are moving up the ranks fast enough to help influence or encourage change.

I’ve also found Labor Leaders to be satisfied with their techie prowess if they have an e-mail address and/or an iPhone and use it to read their e-mails.

I’ve also found that Labor Leaders consider their Local to be “progressive” if they have a website (even if it hasn’t changed in the past five years or more and still posts an announcement on its home page about an “upcoming” Labor Day picnic that occurred back in 2006). 

I’ve also found that Labor Leaders think Facebook and Twitter are for “kids” and are a fad.  They don’t trust the Internet and are afraid of putting their Local’s information out in a very public way.  And Labor Leaders who are not experienced in using the Internet and/or social networking may feel threatened by those who do. 

Those who aren’t familiar or comfortable with social media and networking assume that it would be cost-prohibitive.  Of course, operating funds are tight these days, so “playing” on the internet isn’t worth the imagined cost.  And the Internationals aren’t pushing social networking down to the local level. 

So, International leaders, listen up!  

It isn’t good enough to be incorporating social networking on just your level.

The excuses I usually hear concerning why a Local Union is not maintaining a social media presence includes: “I don’t know, we just don’t;” “No, we set up phone banks or we do a mass mailing;” “We tried e-mail alerts, but our older members often don’t have an e-mail address or they don’t want to give it our; “None of our members are on there; “Blog?  What in the world is a blog?,” and“Facebook is dangerous.” 

Oy vey - Social media is not a fad, folks.  It’s here to stay, and every expert will tell you that it has forever changed – significantly changed – the way we communicate in this country and around the world. 

The established Labor Movement needs to recognize and accept this if we want to take a step towards establishing relevancy to our members under the age of 45, corporate partners (those we currently have relationships with and those with which we want to), voters and future members. 

If we don’t, then we’re missing out on a very important and quickly growing component of our cause – the On-Line Labor Movement. 

It’s already happening. 

It’s already moving. 

The question is – do you want to be a part of it?

If you’re still skeptical, consider this: Almost 45% of Americans have a Facebook account.  This equals 128,936,800 U.S. residents and the top three age groups utilizing Facebook – combined - represent the ages of 18-44, making up 66% of all Facebook users.

Chances are that every single Labor Leader that is elected into office after the year 2030 is actively taking part in on-line social media right now. 

They learn about current events on-line, they send birthday cards on-line, pay their bills on-line, download their music on-line, order groceries on-line, talk to their friends on-line, find their spouses on-line, apply for mortgages on-line and look for employment on-line. 

Everything they do, learn, and seek out revolves around the internet – except possibly you.

So - how do you plan to reach, recruit and inspire our future Union Brothers and Sisters to join and lead this movement that we’ve fought so hard to preserve?  

Don’t be afraid to think out of the proverbial box on this one. 

Be progressive. 

Lead by example. 

Start to take steps to get Labor’s story out there, because if you don’t take the leap into social media, then you’ll be losing out on the best and brightest young minds that might one day be running this Labor Movement. 

Do you know who won’t lose out? 

You can be rest assured that the Walmarts, Mott’s, Dunkin Donuts, BPs, Microsofts, Starbucks, and Fed Ex’s of the world certainly won’t.

Internationals, you have to give your locals the tools necessary to utilize it. 

The next time you host a conference, convention or workshop for your local leaders and staff, add a Social Networking 101 break-out session to the mix. 

When you have all of your International Training Directors and Instructors in town for atrain-the-trainer conference, add Social Networking 101 to the agenda. 

You have to teach them how to do it and give them enough support and exposure to it so that they’ll be more comfortable with the topic. 

Show them examples of successful initiatives. 

Show them what you’re doing.

Put them in a classroom that is set up with laptops and walk them through the process, step-by-step of setting up a social networking profile. 

Explain the differences in social networking sites. 

Help them start to add friends and followers. 

Most importantly, ensure there’s someone on your International’s staff that is dedicated to social media and can provide guidance and assistance to Locals when they need it – training, troubleshooting, encouragement and referrals to other Labor Organizations that are doing well with it.

You - our leaders - are masters of your Trades: Plumbers, Electricians, Laborers, Teachers, Cooks, Painters, Operating Engineers, Nurses, Government Workers, Miners, Steelworkers, Sheet Metal Workers and Pilots.  They are Writers, Musicians, Bricklayers, Carpenters, Instrument Technicians, Actors, Barbers, Shipbuilders, Insulation Workers, Embalmers, Millwrights and Fitters. 

The list goes on and on.

What our leaders are not are Public Relations experts – nor should they be. 

We’re notorious for not telling our story in a pro-active way, because we’re always playing defense.  But given the current economic climate in this country, and a steadily declining percentage of the marketplace, we better become experts – and fast – and it’s up to the Internationals to see that we do. 

Social media and networking are tools for combating the negative reputation Labor Unions have carried on their backs for decades - true or not. 

They are very important tools that we cannot afford to ignore any longer.

The Top Ten List of Reasons Why Unions Aren't Using Social Media

I am continually surprised at the answers I typically get when I ask local union leaders the follow question:

“Do you maintain an email list of all of your members, and use it to blast emails out to the entire membership for organizing efforts, get-out-the-vote campaigns, newsletters, announcements, etc?” 

The answer in every instance has been: No.

The excuses:

“I don’t know, we just don’t.”   At least they’re honest.

“No, we set up phone banks or we do a mass mailing.”  Now this is what I call running a tight ship.  Let’s spend valuable staff time on the phone calling people, particularly when most don’t even answer their phones anymore.  Mass mailings are even more absurd.  On one hand, you can spend several hundred, if not thousands of dollars (and union dues) on postage for a mass mail out.  On the other hand, you can blast an email out for – free.  Where is the logic here?

“We tried, but our older members often don’t have an email address, or they don’t want to give it out.”  Well, then you simply won’t have an email address for them.  Do you let that stop you from gathering everyone else’s?  Here’s a suggestion. Ask for it when a new member fills out paperwork, right next to address and phone number.  I noticed last week that an IBEW local had it on their application, but they admitted that the don’t require it.  Make it mandatory.  The large majority of new members and apprentices will have an email address.  They probably have a Facebook and/or Twitter account as well, which is why you, my friend (and I say this with great respect and admiration) are missing the boat, stuck in the past and putting your local on life support in the not-to-distant future, if it isn’t already.  This may surprise a few people, but email is old school.  It’s slowly losing ground to the Facebooks and Twitters of the world.  My point?  If you’re not even doing mass email blasts yet, you’re very far behind the eight ball and have some serious catching up to do. 

Social media is not a fad, folks.  It’s here to stay, and every expert will tell you that it has forever changed – significantly changed – the way we communicate in this country and around the world.  The labor movement needs to get their collective social media act together pronto if we want to take a step towards establishing relevancy to our corporate partners, those we currently have relationships with, and those with which we want to.

If you’re still skeptical, consider this:

• Almost 45% of Americans have a Facebook account. This equals 128,936,800 U.S. residents.   
• The top three age groups utilizing Facebook combined represent the ages of 18-44, making up 66% of Facebook users.

Do you have one for your organization?  You or someone on staff should establish one, if you haven’t already. You’re missing out on a very vital communication strategy to reach your members and potential ones as well.  We’ll breakdown a few of the most popular social networking sites in the next few posts, to highlight the ways you can use these mediums to further your local’s goals.  You might just be surprised at all of the ways you can use it to benefit your organization.  Social networking isn’t just about “What are you doing?” status updates anymore. 

I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge a few cold, hard realities of our labor movement right now, particularly on the local level.  Yes, these are generalizations, so these won’t apply to all of you (we do have a number of rogue, progressive locals out there among us), but they will apply to many more locals than they should.

The Top 10 List of Reasons Why Unions Aren’t Using Social Media

1. Local unions are often led by older leaders who are steadfast in their unwavering dedication to upholding traditions of the past.  The local is structured and managed in much the same way it was 20 or 30 years ago.
2. Work is down, membership is down, dues are down.  Not enough younger members are moving up the ranks fast enough to help influence or encourage change.
3. Labor leaders consider themselves technologically savvy if they have an email address and/or an iPhone and use it to read their emails. While this is a good starting point, there is much more to learn.
4. Labor leaders consider their local to be “progressive” if they have a website (even if it hasn’t changed in five years or more and still has an announcement on the homepage about the “upcoming” Labor Day picnic back in 2006).  Your international’s site doesn’t count.
5. Labor leaders think that Facebook and Twitter are for “kids” and a fad.
6. Local leaders don’t trust the internet and are afraid of putting their local’s information out in a very public way.
7. Labor leaders who are not experienced in using the internet and/or social networking may feel threatened by those who do. 
8. Those who aren’t familiar or comfortable with social media and networking assume that it would be cost-prohibitive.  Operating funds are tight these days, so “playing” on the internet isn’t worth the imagined cost.
9. Internationals aren’t pushing social networking down to the local level.  International leaders, listen up!  It isn’t good enough to be incorporating social networking on just your level.
10. No one has taken the time to show them how. 

Internationals, you have to give your locals the tools necessary to utilize it.  The next time you host a conference, convention or workshop for your local leaders and staff, add a Social Networking 101 break out session to the mix.  When you have all of your international training directors and instructors in town for a train-the-trainer conference, add Social Networking 101 to the agenda.  You have to teach them how to do it and give them enough support and exposure to it so that they’ll be more comfortable with the topic.  Show them examples of successful initiatives.  Show them what you’re doing. Put them in a classroom that is set up with laptops, and walk them through the process, step by step, of setting up a social networking profile.  Explain the differences in social networking sites.  Help them start to add friends and followers.  Most importantly, ensure that there is someone on your International’s staff that is dedicated to social media and can provide guidance and assistance to locals when they need it – training, troubleshooting, encouragement and referrals to other labor organizations that are doing well with it.

Our leaders are masters of their trades - plumbers, electricians, laborers, teachers, cooks, painters, operating engineers, nurses, government workers, miners, steel workers, sheet metal workers and pilots.  They are writers, musicians, bricklayers, carpenters, instrument technicians, actors, barbers, shipbuilders, insulation workers, embalmers, millwrights and fitters.  The list goes on and on.

What our leaders are not are public relations experts – nor should they be.  We are notorious for not telling our story in a proactive way, because we are always playing defense.  But given the current economic climate in this country, and a steadily declining percentage of the marketplace, they better become experts – and fast – and it’s up to the Internationals to see that they do.  Social media and networking are tools for combating the negative reputation labor unions have carried on their backs for decades, true or not.  They are very important tools that we cannot afford to ignore any longer.

What do Katrina, BP and Northrop Grumman have in Common?

For Louisiana, they have officially become examples of how bad things happen in groups of three.

I understand the economics behind the decision, I really do.  The economy is bleak all around, and companies have to do what they can to stay viable.  However, Northrop Grumman's decision to shut down their Avondale shipyard, particularly on the heels of the oil spill and drilling moratorium, is absolutely devastating.  It has been estimated that 11,000 jobs - well paying jobs, I might add - will disappear over the next couple of years as a result.  Northrop Grumman has about 5,000 employees, and there are roughly 6-7,000 jobs directly related to Northrop Grumman in the region that will also die off.  This includes everything from contractors and suppliers to restaurants, and everything in between.

Even the educational system in the region will be significantly hit.  Northrop Grumman has a phenomenal pre-apprenticeship program in local high schools which will vanish. They are also strongly tied to Delgado Community College and the University of New Orleans.  This shipyard has been the ultimate example of a forward-thinking employer who invests back into the community as much, if not more, than it receives.

Northrop Grumman's closing of the Avondale shipyard (for those of you not familiar with the region, the shipyard is located in Avondale, LA, right outside New Orleans, and is often referred to as simply "Avondale") is going to be devastating for the state economy, but on a more personal level, is going to cause serious financial hardships for their workers.  In stronger economic times, the region would have a better chance of providing decent re-employment opportunities for them.  However, I don't think I need to explain how that's not the case right now.  Far from it.  There are many instances where not just one family member works there, but two or three do.  Mothers, fathers, children and siblings will be in a situation where they won't have the support system in place to help them make it, because they all work for Avondale.  They have been such an excellent employer that their turnover is low, so many employees have been there for numerous years, even decades, before Northrop Grumman even bought the yard.  It is a way of life. It is a family.

So I ask you, where is the outrage?  While there is a great deal of talk, and some news coverage, the New Orleans region should be out there protesting!  The workers should be protesting!  Instead, it seems like they just sit back and take it.  They feel like nothing can be done.  This, my friends, is exactly the reason why the labor movement struggles.  We've (in most cases) lost our ability to get members motivated to take action.  Everyone is too afraid of being fired (particularly since this is a right-to-work state) over protests and strikes.  Without the threat (or action) of a very strong protest, in person or even online, then the powers-that-be hold all of the cards.  There is something to be said for very public, highly attended demonstrations.  I started a "Save Northrop Grumman" Facebook page/petition yesterday.  Only 20 people have joined it so far, and I advertised it with over 100 people initially who have a personal stake in this.  Pathetic. This is an IDEAL example of how labor should be using social media to connect with their members.  Email campaigns, Facebook and Twitter accounts with a continual feed of information on the status of the closing, while also using these online avenues to organize and gain support in the community for demonstrations.  If you've been following the "Boycott BP" Facebook page, or even just heard of it (because it's received TONS of press on CNN and the like), then you have seen the power of just what social media can do for a cause.  In the course of just a couple of months, this movement is 850,000 supporters strong, and many demonstrations against BP have taken place in various cities as a result.  This ONE Facebook page has had a tremendous affect on the BP Oil Spill reaction, and has generated a great deal of buzz, with examples here, here, here, and here - even a Diane Sawyer interview with the page's creator, Lee Perkins.

The Avondale workers and their local unions really have nothing to lose at this point.  It wouldn't be a strike, it would be a demonstration of support to keep the yard open!  Our politicians are supposedly trying to get involved, but we'll see how hard they try.  So, what would be the point?  Maybe, just maybe, a strong public relations campaign would buy the yard more time - more time for the economy to recover before flooding the market with the unemployed, more time to find a suitable buyer who could potentially keep a good percentage of employees in a job, more time for workers to figure out a game plan.  However, the first round of layoffs are rumored to be in the next few months.  Time is more scarce than it might seem, and the clock keeps ticking on this economic time bomb.