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.

What Happened to MLK Jr.'s Dream?

By Patriot-News Op-Ed 

At the apex of his life as a civil rights leader, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was traveling about 325,000 miles a year and gave as many as 450 speeches one year. However, the speech etched in the minds of millions, perhaps billions worldwide is the “I Have a Dream” speech.

What is it about this particular speech that makes it resonate with a variety of audiences?

Some are undoubtedly mesmerized by the colorful language and the poetic phrases. Others are struck by this speech because it expresses hope for a brighter tomorrow where everyone is judged on their merits and not their skin color, and by extension not their gender, age, religious belief or nonbelief, national origin or sexual orientation.

Still others are enamored with this speech because it occurred at such a time in history when people of all backgrounds, rich and poor, young and old, came together on a hot sweltering day in August to persuade the nation to live out the true meaning of its creed that all men (and women) are created equal. And then some are inspired by this speech because King was able to put into words the inequality a race and class of people were feeling and experiencing on a daily basis.

In 2008, there was a period of euphoria and optimism among Americans who felt they had lived to see irrefutable evidence of the fulfillment of King’s dream when we elected our first biracial president.

As it was in the days of President Kennedy, young people registered and voted in numbers not seen in 50 years. Civic engagement was at an all-time high. The outlook for race relations was promising, and the entire world applauded our willingness to look beyond color and see character and competence.

Two years later, the euphoria has worn off. Those who hoped for a fast turnaround of a faltering economy soon despaired as factories continued closing, the dollar continued declining, the unemployment rate continued rising and the federal deficit continued expanding. These conditions warrant dissatisfaction and dissent.

We are indeed within our First Amendment rights to protest for principles. We also have a duty to engage and express our discontent with government. What is troubling is the coded sentiments that threaten to undo much of the progress we’ve made to become a united federation of states and the poisonous rhetoric that attacks the person rather than their perspective.

We are devolving into a fractionalized nation of xenophobes, fearful and distrusting of anyone unlike us. Some flinch when they encounter an Indian Sikh wearing a turban, fearful that he might be an Islamic extremist. Some women clutch their purses when riding alone with an unknown man of color in the elevator, leery of being accosted, no matter how well he might be groomed and dressed.

Some are appalled at the notion of a military without a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy on sexual orientation regardless of the soldier’s professionalism.

King said that “racism is the myth of inferior people.” His ally, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, added: “Racism is man’s gravest threat to man — the maximum of hatred for a minimum of reason.”

If King’s commitment to equality and justice is worthy of emulation then each of us must resolve to do our part to affect the change we wish to see. Determine today to shine the light of reason into the dark recesses of intolerance until justice is illuminated.

In the corporate sphere this means choosing to advocate for people with potential, regardless how different from you they might look, act, think or worship. In health care it means regarding any malady as worthy of political and financial support even if the disease in question is most prevalent among blacks (sickle cell), Latinos (cystic fibrosis) or Jews (Tay-Sachs).

Two years ago, the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Development Institute spawned the “Blueprint for Prosperity,” a comprehensive community-based strategic planning model whose impact is measured through 15 years.

The Blueprint focuses on six critical areas with far-reaching impact: education, racial opportunity and harmony, economic development, quality of life, leadership and infrastructure.

With the assistance of many partners, United Way, Penn State Harrisburg, The Firm Foundation, PinnacleHealth, Messiah College, Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC and others, including media sponsors WITF, 95.3 FM the Touch and The Patriot-News, we are framing the issues and mobilizing resources for a concerted and united attack on these systemic challenges.

Join us and others in putting aside partisan distractions and see that our fortunes are “inextricably bound together.” Do it today for “Today is the tomorrow you spoke about yesterday.”

JOSEPH ROBINSON JR. is executive director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Development Institute and executive director of the South Central Pa. Sickle Cell Council.