Union Site in the Spotlight for the Week of May 1, 2011

New Labor Media's

This week I have the pleasure of critiquing Transportation Workers Local 568, straight out of sunny Florida. They represent American Airlines workers out of Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa. The website was developed by Unionactive.com, with internet service provided by Unionactive.com's sister company, Unions-America.com.

If you've ever taken the time to notice what website designers are used by other unions, Unions-America.com is a commonly seen logo at the bottom right hand corner of many online labor union halls. This particular company has three very straightforward packages that are advertised on their website: basic, standard and advanced. Each level includes a one-time website set-up fee, along with a monthly maintenance fee for hosting the site. Be forewarned: Once the website is initially set-up, it is up to you to update and add content to it. It's very user friendly, but if you're expecting someone from Unionactive.com to do it for you (which I suspect they are willing to do), this would be an additional service with additional fees involved.

Now, let's review the website. My first impression was a good one. I like the heading, the graphics, the overview color scheme. It's very easy on the eyes. The three column layout works well and the graphics and fonts are high resolution within the two outside columns. I am very pleased to see that they have a members-only portal, event calendar AND a vote registration/congressional contact link. In addition, TWU Local 568 has prominently displayed links to its social media profiles on Facebook and Twitter. This site also appears to be kept up-to-date. If you want to show the world how relevant unions still are today, make sure your home page has current information. It doesn't help your case if the most recent article or headline is still advertising ticket sales for the upcoming 2008 Labor Day picnic bonanza. 

We've taken a look at the good features, now let's consider the not-so-good as well. First, the home page is a mile long. As I've mentioned in previous articles, don't feel like you have to throw everything up on the home page. The home page should not require scrolling to read articles. Think of it as the facade of a home. It's the first thing anyone sees. It is the first impression to the world. It might be the only part of the home most people see, so you want to keep it looking good! What would it start to look like if you starting planting annuals without pulling up the dead ones from last year first? No matter how pretty they are, people will only notice the dead ones and how unkept it looks. If you're like me and don't have the time or patience for keeping the front, back and side lawns impeccable, then keep the front looking ship-shape, and let the back yard go if necessary.  The same goes for websites! Don't let article after article build up. Keep the most recent article on it, and retire the others to a secondary page.

Second, if you look at the screen capture above, you can see I've made a few notes. The left-hand menu has too many options for visitors to choose from. Narrow the options down to broad categories on the home page, and then throw as many menu options on the secondary pages as your heart desires. For instance, all of the member-only pages that have their own menu buttons should be found in the members-only section of the site that requires sign-in. There should be one menu button on the home page for members-only pages, one "portal" if you will - not five different links requiring signing in to view the material. Also, I'm not a big fan of the first notice on the page being one that highlights web site access issues. It can be just as noticeable by being strategically placed in the right hand column, with simplified text to grab the attention of those who need that information.

I'm not advocating that the home page be perfect (think well manicured lawn) and the rest of the pages be a hot mess (as in the A&E show "Hoarders"), but if you have limited time and experience, make sure your first priority is a professional looking home page. Then slowly start chipping away at the others.

Just remember, keep web pages clean and neat, and easy to read! Don't overwhelm your visitors with content. Organize it well, and it will be easy for them to find what they want.

RATING:

New Labor Media's Website of the Week!

New Labor Media is adding a new weekly series that will highlight and critique the best - and worst - union websites. The intent is not to humiliate or embarrass any organization. This is a teaching tool that will help union leaders take a closer look at their own websites, and hopefully make needed changes if necessary. Each site will receive a star rating based on the following criteria:

Why is a website important for a labor union?

In this day and age, if you're not online, you don't exist to the people you want to communicate with. Like it or not, the vast majority of people in this country turn to the internet for practically everything. Examples:

1. An 18 year old high school senior (and future apprentice of the year) graduated in the top 20% of his class, but he can't go to college because he's raising his brothers. The first thing he'll do to find information about his post-secondary options? He will search job postings online. The first postings he'll choose? The ones that have website links rather than just phone numbers, because Generation Y doesn't call, they text and email. Will he contact you?
2. A reporter working on a story about an upcoming rally wants to get a few quotes from labor leaders to use. Her first step is to google the unions in the region to find contact information and perhaps usable information that is already online. Will your quote end up in the paper?
3. A moderately conservative mom is surfing the internet after the kids go to bed, catching up on her favorite blogs. Not knowing much about unions except what she hears about on Fox News, she stumbles upon a labor blog article about a local union's apprenticeship program and reads it. It opens her mind enough that she sends it to a few friends who are looking for jobs. Will it be your article that makes an impact?
4. A daughter brings home her new boyfriend to meet her parents, and his first impression upon them is a good one. He mentions that he's a journeyman with the local union. The father is suddenly skeptical and wants to find out more about this "boy" who is leering at his little girl. He goes online to look up the union to see if this guy is legit. Will he find your union's website filled with broken links and old updates, or one that's slick and easy to navigate? Will your union's website represent your member as well as he is representing you?
5. 50% of the members of a local union are habitually late in paying their dues because they have to go out of their way to pay them at the union hall.  This puts a financial strain on the union and forces an already overworked secretary to spend half of her time chasing down dues. Can your members pay for their dues online through your website for more timely and efficient results?

Your website is often the first impression you'll make on many people. Do you feel that it represents your union and its members well? Check back each week to learn some new ideas about how to make your website stand out.

The Wisconsin Protests: A Lesson in Union Communications

Take note of the date February 15, 2011. It is the day that the American labor movement finally awoke from a long coma, and it did so on the steps of the Wisconsin Capital this week.

Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill Protest from Matt Wisniewski on Vimeo.

Every union member in this country owes Governor Walker a huge thank you. If it weren't for his moronic short-sidedness and political greed, these protests would never have happened - but they desperately needed to. These protests are serving as the spark that sets labor's passion on fire again - a passion that has waxed and waned for far too long. Let's hope that Wisconsin's fire spreads from state to state, because the middle class has taken a serious beating, and something has to change.

There are some important lessons to glean from these events. There is a very strong force that has driven so many thousands of protesters to Madison from all over the country.  This has become a national focus, and it happened at the speed of light. The driving force behind it is none other than social media in various forms, and demonstrates the enormous power that this medium has. An estimated fifty to sixty thousand people showed up today, which never would have happened in less than a week by setting up phone banks and sending out email blasts. Word spread virally in large part due to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the like.  There is no denying the existence of a very strong online labor movement anymore, because it is (almost) singlehandedly fueling the events unfolding as we speak.

Labor leaders, please learn this lesson if you haven't already. Social media is creating a much greater level of solidarity and unity among those in the labor movement, which has been sorely lacking for decades. Union leaders and members are connecting with each other from one end of the country to the other, and coming together to support the cause. From Richard Trumka down to John Smith, a first year apprentice, and everyone in between - social media has created a new mechanism for connecting and communicating with labor folks from all walks of life, at all levels - and you and your labor organization needs to be an important part of it.

If your organization is dragging its heels because of aging leaders who barely use email, then take the initiative to recommend ways to get them involved. Oftentimes the fear of the unknown is far more stifling than the reality.  If they don't want to learn, if they don't want to encourage social media as a vital outreach tool for your local, then so be it - but at least you tried. Keep trying, stay involved - and one day you'll find that it's your turn to be the aging leader - but one that is tuned into the rank and file and national developments long before it hits the papers. It's far better (and sometimes easier) to lead others when you understand who they are, what they want, and what drives them as people.  

Conversely, you can't call them to action and expect an overwhelming response when they barely know who you are and you only connect with them personally a couple of times a year, at a union meeting or Labor Day picnic.

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.

Why Should Unions Care About the Online Labor Movement?

I was delving into the Digg and Squidoo sites just now. If you're not familiar with them, think of Digg as a 21st century e-version of the "recommendation letter" (http://digg.com) that's also informative. You see little Digg buttons or widgets all over the web. The idea is that if you read something that you like/love/support you click on the Digg button (usually at the top or bottom of the article). The Digg site tracks the number of Diggs each article gets, and as the number of Diggs grows, so does the prominence of that information in search engines, like Google.  There are many labor-related items to be searched via Digg.

Squidoo is different. It is similar to Digg in that it's content can be provided by anyone by developing a "lense". Here is their explanation of the site. "Squidoo is the popular publishing platform and community that makes it easy for you to create "lenses" online. Lenses are pages, kind of like flyers or sign posts or overview articles, that gather everything you know about your topic of interest--and snap it all into focus. Like the lens of a camera, your perspective on something." (http://www.squidoo.com) The user gets a complete overview of a specific topic that includes an article/summary along with any and all relevant links that support it. It is widely popular, and according to the site, gets close to a million hits per day.


So, I proceeded to search union-related terms.  Union. Labor movement.  Labor union.  Trade union.  Guess what the two most popular results were?  One lens about Jimmy Hoffa, and another that was anti-labor.  There was surprisingly very little on the site about labor unions.  Yet the one lens that came up time and time again was anti-union.  What's wrong with this picture?


I also tested Urban Dictionary (http://www.urbandictionary.com) for labor-related entries.  For those of you that aren't familiar with it, this is a site that definitely appeals to a younger crowd.  It is an online dictionary of all words and phrases slang, and anyone can submit definitions.  A few examples include: 

• Aluminum Digger - A younger version of a gold digger.
• Thanksgiving Beard - An unintentional beard started over the 4 day Thanksgiving weekend, where you're too lazy to shave it off monday morning. Usually continues until Christmas or New Year's Day. Also known as a Holiday Beard.
• Textpectation - The anticipation one feels when waiting for a response to a text message.

It should be pointed out that many of the entries can be considered raunchy, but there are many that are not slang.  When I searched the word "union" there were four pages of results, but the majority were anti-union.  However, the pro-labor view was represented more here than on Squidoo.  You may think this site is ridiculous, but it has a huge following by teens and young adults.  

My point is this.  There is an online labor movement as well as offline.  It's out there, it's growing, but the non-union proponents are online as well, and much more vocal.  Labor leaders, whether you're ready for it or not, the internet is yet another battlefield that needs your troops on the front line to protect and advance us forward.  You need to strongly encourage your members to help spread the word online, to comment on articles and blogs that warrant a union viewpoint.  (For example, check out this article, "Labor Agreements Make No Sense," posted last weekend on Boston.com, and read the comments in particular.)  Labor organizations at all levels need to get involved, because here, online, we have access to untold numbers of the U.S. population that we don't traditionally have.  Think about it for a second and let that sink in.  We need to see the internet for what it is, and what opponents have already figured out.  It's an open mic!  We can recruit new members! Attract new contractors and employers!  Voice our opinions in so many different online communities that it's mind boggling!  And think about this.  Can you imagine how the internet could have a huge influence over organizing campaigns?


Don't get me wrong.  I don't think that the web is the answer to all of our problems by any means.  However, it might just be the key to exerting enough unbalanced force that the pendulum can begin to swing the other way.  That won't happen, though, unless every union organization from Seattle to Miami understands this concept and takes steps to get involved in the online labor movement.  Locals, I'm talking to you, because you can't expect the internationals to do it for you.  An online labor movement is a grassroots effort, just like every other campaign we're involved with.  It's simply a new component of our traditional efforts - with the potential of being a very, very powerful one.  There is certainly pro-labor activity online.  We're slowly seeing more and more locals with their own websites, there are union fan pages on Facebook and we're tweeting to a degree, but not nearly enough.  


I have one more point before I call it a night.  Internationals, you're doing pretty well.  Most of you are out there with good websites (although some are better than others, but that's a blog post for another day), you're tweeting, etc. - but you have to help your locals get to where you are.  I urge you to start thinking about developing a component of your local leadership training and organizing curriculum that addresses new media outreach tactics: Email, text messaging, blogging, quality website content and design, social network websites.  Give your locals the tools and training to ensure that they grow familiar with all of these mediums.  These all define "new media" and it is imperative that you begin to make utilizing them a priority method of outreach and advocacy.


  


(For those that might already be doing this, I applaud you.  I'd also like to hear all about it, so email me or comment below.)