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Union BuildingThe essenTials for

Please visit the link below to register to receive updates of revised chapters of The Essentials for Union Building:

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American Federation of Teachers, afl-cio

AFT TeachersAFT PSRPAFT Higher EducationAFT Public EmployeesAFT Healthcare

Randi Weingarten, PresidentAntonia Cortese, Secretary-TreasurerLorretta Johnson, Executive Vice President

AFT Vice Presidents

Shelvy Y. AbramsMary J. ArmstrongBarbara BowenLinda BridgesKenneth BrynienElsie P. BurkhalterStacey Caruso-SharpeKathy ChavezLee CutlerEdward DohertyKathleen M. DonahueThomas A. DooherEric FeaverAndy FordEd Geppert, Jr.David GrayJudy HaleDavid HeckerRichard IannuzziJerry T. Jordan

Dennis KellyTed KirschFrancine LawrenceAlan LubinLouis MalfaroMerlene MartinMichael MulgrewMaria NeiraRuby NewboldCandice OwleySharon M. PalmerMarcia B. RebackLaura K. RicoPat SanteramoSandra SchroederPhillip H. SmithMarilyn StewartAnn TwomeyAdam Urbanski

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Section I: Building an effective union

Introduction

Chapter 1. Organizing around issues

Chapter 2. Developing an effective work-site structure

Chapter 3. Managing data

Chapter 4. Reaching out to new employees

Section II: Managing key union functions Chapter 5. Strategic planning

Chapter 6. Governance and administration

Chapter 7. Collective bargaining and contract administration

Chapter 8. Community coalitions

Chapter 9. Political action

Chapter 10. Effective communications

Chapter 11. Professional issues

Table of contents

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Introduction

Why do we organize?

INTRODUCTION | PAGE 1

We organize for power.

The power to achieve meaningful collective bargaining agreements. The power to pass legislation in support of quality education, healthcare and other public services. The power to adequately represent our members’ professional interests with employers, regulators, and lawmakers. The power to effect real change. The power to make a difference.

Where does that power come from?

It comes from our members.

At the local level, our membership base, and the rights we receive under applicable state laws, are usually enough to open the doors to many of the places where members need to be heard. The same is true at the state and national levels.

Getting in the door and having a chance to present our side of an argument is not the same thing as having the power to effect change. Unions often are on the right side of important issues with strong arguments but still fail to achieve an acceptable outcome. Too often we mistakenly believe that a logically compelling argument, backed up by irrefutable facts, will be sufficient to move our members’ agenda forward. Far too often we are proven wrong.

Real power does not come solely from a well-constructed argument, or from being “right” on an issue or from a simple numerical counting of the people we represent. Real power is achieved by demonstrating the union’s strength to mobilize its members and the community around the members’ goals. Power is achieved when members are motivated to be involved and to take action on issues of common concern.

Building this kind of membership commitment should be central to all that the union does. It is developed by listening to our members’ concerns and questions, by ensuring that members have a real sense of ownership in their union, by creating opportunities for their involvement in union causes and activities, and by continuously building on their involvement to turn members into activists and activists into leaders.

That is what this handbook is all about: providing guidance and resources to leaders in administering their local unions in ways that continuously engage and involve members to maximize the union’s power to represent and advance their interests.

real power is achieved by demonstrat-ing the union’s strength to mobilize its members and the community around the members’ goals.

INTRODUCTION | PAGE 2

This handbook will help you connect the dots, showing how to build a local union that can leverage the maximum power necessary for winning strong collective bargaining agreements, enforcing contracts, achieving fair professional standards and succeeding as an effective force for social and economic justice in the workplace and community.

Section I of this handbook focuses on the fundamentals of building an effective union program, such as issues-based organizing, work-site structure, data management and reaching out to new potential members. Section II covers the day-to-day key union functions that include contract negotiation and community activism, communications, and political and legislative action. A companion manual, Essentials for Union Administration, is also available from AFT and covers administrative issues such as union constitutions, election of officers, compliance with national mandates and other related issues.

Many of the resources cited in this manual can be found on

leadernet, afT’s special Web site for affiliate leaders, staff and activists. To register for leadernet, go to http://leadernet.aft.org/register

SECTION I | PAGE 3

A strong, effective union empowers members to:Protect their rights;•Secure benefits;•Achieve workplace and societal aspirations;•Represent their interests with employers and local, •

state and national lawmakers; andAdvocate for their profession and the people they serve.•

Through activities like contract negotiations, lobbying and advocating for professional rights, membership involvement is key to demonstrating the collective power needed to effect change. This involvement is also essential to ensuring that members know what the union stands for and their role in helping to achieve common goals.

Solving problems without member involvement results in a membership that views the union as something akin to an insurance company; members pay their dues and expect the union to be there for them, but they do not see themselves as having an active role in achieving meaningful change. Over time, these members come to view the union as a service organization, a place where they can go for help and are entitled to services based on the dues they pay. While the service component of the union is extremely important, it must go hand in hand with true membership involvement, engagement and mobilization. In fact, membership involvement and the power that comes from it are crucial to protecting and advancing member rights.

A better model is to think of the union as a cause: it is a way for colleagues to come together collectively under the legal and structural umbrella of the union, to protect their rights, improve their benefits and to ensure that they have a voice in decisions that affect their jobs and the people they serve. This “union-as-a-cause” model implies that the responsibility of membership goes beyond paying dues to include an active role in determining the union’s goals and priorities, and engaging in actions aimed at achieving these goals.

The AFT has conducted considerable research, through both focus groups and polling, about members and potential members. This research shows that members and potential members want a union that listens to their concerns, engages them in setting the union’s priorities and actively seeks their participation.

Building an effective, member-centered local is a critical function for union officers. It begins with a commitment to membership involvement and then building the union program around several key elements, including:

Organizing around issues;•Developing an effective work-site structure;•Practicing good data management; and•Reaching out to new employees.•

Section I: Building an

effective union

SECTION I | PAGE 4

CHAPTER 1 | PAGE 1

1 Organizing around issues

Issues-based organizing

Identifying issues

Developing and implementing an effective campaign plan

Mobilizing readiness checklist

Sample planning worksheet

CHAPTER 1 | PAGE 2

CHAPTER 1 | PAGE 3

An issues-based orga-nizing campaign is a planned effort to involve and empower workers to address and/or resolve issues of concern to them.

Involvement can be defined in myriad ways, from simply attending a meeting or completing a survey to participating in a lobby day or passing out leaflets at a shopping mall. This involvement, in turn, builds relationships among workers that leads to union membership, greater com-mitment and increased activism.

The approach works because:

Issues-based organizing •creates urgency. (Your mem-bership/activism is needed right now.)

Issues-based organizing •defines the union. (This is what we care about. This is what we do.)

Issues-based organizing •has the potential to activate members and potential members. (This is your fight!)

Issues-based organiz-•ing builds ownership of the union when members and potential members are acti-vated. (We did this together!)

Every issues-based orga-nizing campaign begins with a powerful idea that resonates with members; follows a written plan (goals, timelines, mile-stones, benchmarks, etc.); is conducted through a comprehensive work-site structure; involves mem-bers and potential mem-bers by asking questions and making participation easy; and is guided by measurable data (lists, charts, maps, tests, assess-ments). But how do you get started?

Issues-based organizing

every issues-based organizing campaign begins with a powerful idea that resonates with members.

CHAPTER 1 | PAGE 4

The most common issues-based organiz-ing campaigns are rooted in contract campaigns, contract enforcement, political and legislative actions and professional development.

Issues around which you can organize and mobilize members may be as simple as helping members in one location resolve a problem or as complicated as run-ning a public campaign to defeat a plan to contract out services. The point is that potential issues involve the full spectrum of what members are con-cerned about.

How can you find out what issues members think are most important? The short answer: Ask them! People need to know that their union listens to their con-cerns and acts upon them. A healthy union goes out of its way to provide many opportunities for member input. Here are some tools to help achieve this:

Use the work-site leader structure. A good work-site leader structure works not only to bring the message of the union to

members but also to bring the concerns of members to the attention of elected union leaders. This two-way communication, based on direct one-on-one conversations in the work site, provides the most valuable and effec-tive way for union leaders to get input from members and potential members. (See Chapter 2 for more information.)

Survey members. Unions commonly survey mem-bers through paper surveys distributed either by mail or work-site leaders.

Distributing your survey through your work-site leader structure is the most effective way to ensure par-ticipation and often serves as an opportunity for lead-ers to engage in one-on-one conversations with members and potential members. As a supplement to using your work-site leader structure, your local can consider creating an electronic survey using the survey creation tool avail-able at the AFT LeaderNet site. Neither paper nor electronic surveys are statistically accurate, but they are excellent vehicles for giving members and

potential members the opportunity to share their concerns.

Use informal focus groups. Some local unions periodically hold informal focus groups with mem-bers and potential mem-bers to explore their views on issues and on their union.

Provide opportunities for members to bring up new ideas at membership meetings. Membership meetings should provide opportunities for new issues to be raised and discussed. Members want and need the ability to help shape the union’s agenda.

Get out into the work sites. If your local is large enough to have release time for leaders or hired staff, make a point of having a union representative visit each work site several times a year. There is no substitute for personal contact. While this can be particularly challenging for statewide locals or locals that cover large geographical regions, it is nevertheless critical to give members an oppor-tunity to meet with their union’s officers.

Identifying issues

Answer e-mails and return phone calls. For many members, the quick-est way to reach the union is by phone or e-mail. But if the union is hard to reach (no one ever answers the phone) or unrespon-sive (no one replies to e-mails), members will give up and have a nega-tive impression of their union. The union also will lose one of its key means

of keeping on top of what’s going on at the work sites.

What issues are usu-ally raised by members? Generally speaking, mem-ber concerns will fall into one of three categories:

Bread-and-butter •concerns. The most impor-tant function of the union is to improve members’ livelihoods. Not surpris-ingly, then, members turn

to their union to address wages, benefits, working conditions and job secu-rity. These battles usually take place in the political or negotiations arenas and, more often than not, involve extensive commu-nity outreach and public relations.

Professional concerns• . Wages and benefits are not always the top issues for members. Increasingly,

CHAPTER 1 | PAGE 5

What makes a good organizing issue?

One that communicates to the heart as well as the mind. The issue has a dimension that allows it to be communicated in a way that builds passion and excitement about the cause.

One that unites rather than divides. Resolution of the issue for one group should not adversely affect another.

One that can be brought to an acceptable resolution. Winning isn’t always possible or necessary. The union can gain a lot by fighting the right fight well.

One that can be clearly communicated. Messages related to the issue provide clear and concise answers to the following: What is the issue? Why is it important? How does it affect me? What do we want? How will we get it? What can I do?

One that can be used to create a range of involvement opportunities. The union can brainstorm a range of actions fo members and potential members that will appeal to all levels of commitment and ability to participate.

One that can be the focus of sustained activity. The issue will hold the attention of workers long enough to develop and implement a campaign.

CHAPTER 1 | PAGE 6

professional issues are paramount, particularly among younger, newer em-ployees. Career advance-ment, employee evalua-tions, workloads and the need to acquire new skills are just some of the many professional concerns members expect their union to address. Many AFT locals have established standing committees on professional issues to help guide the union in this area. These committees help identify issues, edu-cate members and evaluate potential solutions.

Threats to quality• . Most employees want to do the best job they can, but this becomes difficult in the face of budget cuts and misguided policies. Mem-bers expect the union to be a strong voice in the fight for quality in the services they provide. At the nation-al level, the AFT is one of the nation’s leading voices for education reform ideas that work, and the AFT Healthcare and AFT Public Employees divisions each sponsor national programs aimed at promoting qual-ity healthcare and quality public services. Some of the most important work to protect the quality of pub-lic service is done at the

state level. Locals should play an active role in their state federation, state AFL-CIO and central labor bodies by helping set state goals and objectives and by supporting state efforts with grass-roots lobbying campaigns.

Members expect the union to be a strong voice in the fight for quality in the services they provide.

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The following is a step-by-step guide to devel-oping and executing an effective issues-based campaign.

Develop a consensus on the challenges and opportunities facing the unionUnion leaders are often called upon to develop and execute campaigns aimed at advancing or protecting members’ rights and ben-efits. Sometimes issues will be thrust upon the union unexpectedly, like a battle over contracting out. At other times, challenges can be anticipated, like tough contract negotiations. In any event, as a local union officer you will need to talk through every aspect of this challenge with your local leadership, staff and membership as a precur-sor to developing a specific written plan for action. Some of the questions you will need to address are obvious. Does everyone on your leadership team agree about the need to address the challenge? Is there agreement on goals and tactics needed to achieve the union’s goal? What will the local need to do to achieve the goal? What is

realistic? What will be the most effective tactics? Who is on the union’s side? Op-posed? What is your mes-sage? How can the union get members involved? The answers to these questions begin with discussions among your officers, activ-ists, members and staff. Here are some questions that can help you begin those conversations.

What are the challenge facing members?The union might be facing an upcoming collective bargaining campaign, advocating for employer action on a specific issue or seeking to pass or defeat specific legislation. Discus-sions with officers, activists and members also may determine that there may be the larger challenge of electing new, pro-union candidates to public office.

What are the union’s goals?In most cases your pri-mary goal is going to be to solve a particular problem. That may mean defeating legislation, winning con-cessions at the bargaining table or reaching agree-ment with the employer over professional issues. As part of the process, how-ever, your leadership team

should discuss the range of possible acceptable outcomes.

While “solving the prob-lem” is almost always the primary goal of every cam-paign, it should not be the only goal. When evaluating whether or not to launch an issues-based campaign, the union needs to ask a critical question: Can this issue be used to get more members involved in the union? By becom-ing involved in a union issues-based campaign, members increasingly will view the union as a cause. Involvement leads to com-mitment, and commitment leads to power.

Are you ready to take on a challenge? The “mobilizing readiness checklist” (see Chapter 1, page 15) provides an overview of the things you should have in place. Few unions achieve all of the things on this checklist, but thought should be given to how the campaign might be used to improve those areas on the checklist where the union is deficient.

What decision-makers will need to be influenced? When developing an is-

Developing and implementing an effective campaign plan

While “solving the problem” is almost always the primary goal of every campaign, it should not be the only goal.

CHAPTER 1 | PAGE 8

sues-based campaign, con-sider which individuals or groups of individuals need to be influenced to achieve an acceptable outcome. Usually they are politicians, employers or other people who are responsible for making decisions that af-fect members’ careers and the people they serve. Who are the individu-als and groups who have influence over the decision makers? Decisions that involve competing interests may pit the union against groups such as self-pro-claimed tax watchdog or business groups, or other special interest groups. The union must have a strategy for putting pressure on decision-makers by edu-cating and informing those individuals and groups who have influence over the decision-makers.

What research will you need?In contract negotiations and legislative battles, standard research usually includes an analysis of the budgetary impact of pro-posals as well as the impact of proposals on the quality of services. This kind of research is usually helpful in promoting or defending the union’s position on an

issue. Increasingly, how-ever, local affiliates find they must do more exten-sive research on proposals advanced by opponents. The union needs to ask key questions such as: Who is behind a proposal? What do they stand to gain? Are there business ties between decision-makers and those who might benefit from their decisions? How will the union structure the campaign?Every campaign needs someone who is in charge—a campaign direc-tor who is responsible and accountable to the officers for developing and carry-ing out the approved plan. In addition, the campaign will need a committee of leaders to help develop the plan and to put it into action. This committee should be representative of the union in terms of age, gender and ethnicity as well as occupation, depart-ment, work sites and shift. Those on the campaign committee work with the director to develop strate-gies and tactics; commu-nicate with members and potential members; enlist fellow workers in campaign activities; and report con-cerns, problems and suc-

cesses back to the director and the committee as a whole. Depending on the size of the unit, the entire committee may consist of work-site leaders.

How will you create opportunities for membership involvement?The campaign plan should include numerous ideas for activities that will engage the membership. One of the challenges to member in-volvement, however, is that members generally don’t have a lot of extra time to volunteer for union activi-ties. This presents a chal-lenge to the union to come up with ways for members to participate without re-quiring too much time and effort. Here are some “easy lift” ideas for membership involvement:

Membership surveys• . Surveys give members an opportunity to voice their opinion on issues of concern and are an excel-lent vehicle through which the union can demon-strate to members that it wants to hear their ideas and opinions on issues. Survey respondents can be recruited to assist in member-to-member con-tact programs regarding the survey results. AFT’s

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LeaderNet site provides an excellent, easy-to-use sur-vey creation tool for online and e-mail surveys. (The survey can also be printed out for distribution.)

Petitions• . Petitions are a good way to promote in-teraction and conversation between work-site leaders and members and poten-tial members, as well as excellent vehicles for gaug-ing support for the union’s position on selected issues.

COPE contributions• . Participation in your union’s COPE program can be a way for members to demonstrate their support for union ef-forts without a substantial time commitment.

Displays of support• . Unions often ask members to wear buttons or stickers to demonstrate their sup-port for the union’s posi-tion on a particular issue. Again, by wearing a button, pin or sticker, individual members can express support for the union’s campaign and are taking an active, albeit limited, role in campaign efforts.

Work-site meetings• . Participation in small group work-site meetings can also be an easy way for members to become involved in a union campaign.

These and other “easy lift” activities should be de-signed primarily as ways to give members ownership of the union’s effort and to encourage dialogue at work sites. There are larger roles for which your local union will need to seek vol-unteers, however, includ-ing phone banks, attending school board meetings or even attending rallies at the state legislature. How do you get members to make these bigger commitments of time? Remember that volunteers are not born; they are nurtured. Those mem-bers who get involved in small activities, like petition drives and displays of sup-port, are far more likely to get involved in bigger efforts like phone banks and rallies. Small commitments lead to larger commitments.

How will you take the campaign into the work sites? As previously mentioned, the key to success of any issues-based campaign is the involvement of work-site leaders to help educate and mobilize members and potential members. This is the most effective way of engaging members and re-cruiting them to action. But it only works if the issues-

based campaign includes a plan for engaging your work-site leader. Consider:

How are you going to •use your union’s structure to promote two-way com-munications? This means not just using work-site leaders to carry the union’s message to the member-ship but also using the representative structure to gather feedback from members that they in turn take to the leadership.

How will the union mo-•tivate work-site leaders to do the job that needs to be done within the work sites?

What kind of literature •or other support will work-site leaders need?

How are you going •to track the work of your work-site leaders?

See Chapter 2 for more information on develop-ing an effective work-site structure.

Assessments and tests. Throughout the cam-paign, you should rely on the work-site structure to collect data on members and potential members that will help you gauge whether or not efforts to in-form, engage and mobilize members are successful. In general, assessments

CHAPTER 1 | PAGE 10

require work-site leaders to engage in structured organizing conversations with members/potential members and to report the results of those conversa-tions back to the campaign director. Campaign “tests” generally refer to efforts to get members engaged in activities that demon-strate their support for the union’s campaign. Did a unit member come to a rally, wear a button, sign a petition or engage in other campaign activities? As-sessments and tests can help determine where the union’s structure is performing as expected and where it is not. Campaigns often engage in “mapping,” creating visual displays of concentrations of membership engagement in activities and where assess-ment are strong, weak or nonexistent.

The internal communications plan.The union’s campaign plan should be fully supported by an internal communi-cation plan designed to educate members on the issue; recruit and identify activists; mobilize mem-bers to action; track their involvement; and reward their commitment.

The external communication plan.The media matters! How campaign issues are de-fined to the general public can have a significant im-pact on the union’s success or failure. The media can be the union’s greatest tool or its worst nightmare. The union will need a plan for reaching out to the media to promote your members’ point of view and also to understand the support you have within the com-munity. There is never a guarantee that the union will get favorable media coverage, but if you don’t try, it’s a guarantee that you won’t. See Chapter 10 for more information on de-veloping an external media campaign. The union’s message. Your leadership team will need to think through your message. This involves understanding the three key points that will appeal to your membership, po-tential allies, the press and the community at large. Also, understand what your opponent’s messages will be on this issue so that the union can respond. Be pre-pared for your opponents to attack the union not just on the merits of the argu-

ment but on the union’s credibility. More on mes-sage development can be found in Chapter 10.

A coalition around your issue. Coalitions help demonstrate that the union has broad-based support on an issue, including from community groups and leading institutions. Coalitions can also help the union respond to opposition charges that the union’s actions are self-serving and do not have the best interests of the community at heart. See Chapter 8 for more information on developing community coalitions.

Additional strategic decisions. Campaign plan-ning should include a dis-cussion on how the union will measure success. Is solving the crisis or dealing with the problem sufficient grounds for declaring vic-tory, or do you also want to measure success based on the number of members and potential members who become active in your campaign? Another measure of success could be how many coalition partners you are able to bring to your side. Also, the plan should include a

Coalitions help demonstrate that the union has broad-based support on an issue

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discussion of how to lever-age participation in your campaign into member-ship growth or into increas-ing the pool of activists that you can rely on for the next union battle.

Develop clear, measurable goalsInternal discussions with the leadership should yield a general consensus about what you want to achieve with your campaign. You will next need to refine that consensus into a set of clear, measurable, agreed-upon goals.

A goal is a specific, measur-able achievement that is linked to an identified time frame. For example, your union might be faced with a plan to contract out some services members current-ly provide. In discussions with your leadership, you might achieve a consensus that the union needs “to beat back the proposal.” While this might be the ul-timate objective, it is not a clearly defined goal. A goal would be something more along the following lines: “To secure four votes (out of seven) against contract-ing out at the Feb. 7 school board meeting.”

This statement is measur-able (four of seven votes) and has a clear time frame (at the Feb. 7 school board meeting). Your goal might be even more specific by mentioning which board members you will count among your votes.

Keep in mind that while solving the problem is always the ultimate goal, it should not be your only goal. Every challenge is an opportunity to organize—to recruit new members and to convert members into activists. Given this, you may also want to have goal statements along the following lines: “To secure signatures on an anti-con-tracting out petition from 75 percent of the unit members, with the petitions to be pre-sented to the board on Feb. 7,” or “To turn out 30 percent of unit members for a rally at the school administration office to be held the week be-fore the school board vote.”

This is also an opportunity to build support within the community, such as: “To de-velop a coalition of six com-munity groups (list groups) who will make statements in support of the union’s posi-tion at the Feb. 7 board meet-ing and who will also attend

separate meetings with each board member during the week preceding the school board vote.”

Identify tasks, who will be responsible and what resources are needed Developing clear, measur-able goals is a good starting point. The next step is to determine what will be done, who will do it and what resources will be needed.

The discussions with lead-ers and staff during the first step should yield good ideas for activities that will help to achieve the iden-tified goals. Next, refine those ideas. Write down all of the ideas the union would like to engage in as part of its efforts to achieve the stated goals. Generally, these ideas will fall into a number of key categories: membership mobilization; internal communications; external communica-tions; coalition building; research; and political action.

Each of these ideas is likely to involve a series of tasks. For example, one idea might be to hold a rally at

every challenge is an opportunity to organize—to recruit new members and to convert members into activists.

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the employer’s headquar-ters. However, making this a reality will require completion of a series of tasks, such as engaging the work-site leaders in efforts to inform members about the issue and to recruit participants for the rally; conducting phone banks to secure member partici-pation and answer ques-tions about the issue; and arranging transportation from the work site to the rally site.

Each task might also have a series of sub-tasks. For example, engaging work-site leaders might involve bringing them together to:

Educate them on •the issue;

Explain the overall cam-•paign goals and tasks;

Train them on the or-•ganizing conversation and on how to conduct assess-ments;

Review their role •and the union’s expecta-tions; and

Solicit their feed- •back on the overall cam-paign plan.

For each task, be as specific as possible. For example, “holding a rally” is a task, but “turning out 500 people to a rally on [specific date]”

is a measurable task. Estab-lishing measurable tasks makes it easier to com-municate expectations and monitor progress. For each of these tasks and sub-tasks, determine who is going to be responsible for carry-ing out the task and what resources it will take.

Once the list of tasks has been developed (along with an idea of what resources will be required and who will be responsible for each activity), prioritize the list based on which tasks are critical to success, which are desirable, and those that might be too costly, complicated or staff/volunteer-intensive.

Create a campaign calendarBy this point, the plan should have clearly stated goals as well as a compre-hensive list of tasks that need to be accomplished.

The next step is to build a campaign calendar. First, identify critical dates. In the contracting-out example above, the school board is scheduled to vote on the issue at its Feb. 7 meeting. This is the date that will drive the rest of

the calendar, serving as the point from which you can work backwards to sched-ule key activities. Similarly, contract campaigns are usually driven by the date negotiations begin as well as the date the current contract expires. Legisla-tive campaigns are driven by the legislative calendar. Election dates may be criti-cal in any campaign involv-ing election of lawmakers.

Next, add the major tasks and related sub-tasks to the calendar. Note those tasks that are interrelated. For example, certain mail-ers might need to go out before phone banks begin, or meetings with work-site leaders might need to take place prior to launching a petition drive.

Finally, mark the criti-cal tasks that can serve as milestones to evaluate whether or not you are making adequate progress toward your goals.

Create a written planThe identified goals and tasks (along with identi-fied responsibilities and allocated resources) of the campaign, as well as the

establishing measurable tasks makes it easier to communicate expectations and monitor progress.

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calendar/timeline, should be compiled into a written plan.

This document should be shared with key leadership and those responsible for implementing the plan. Do not distribute it so widely, however, that you risk hav-ing your plan fall into the hands of your opponents.

Implement and monitor your campaign planThe campaign goals, tasks (with assigned responsibil-ities) and calendar are your road map to success.

But a road map only works if it is followed. As the campaign is implemented, continuously monitor and evaluate efforts to make sure everything is proceed-ing along the path to suc-cess and to adapt the plan as needed.

Evaluate your successOnce the campaign has concluded, it’s time to evaluate its success.

This should involve a criti-cal and detailed analysis that explores:

Whether the campaign •achieved its goals;

What worked and •what didn’t;

Unexpected issues that •arose during the campaign and how they were ad-dressed;

The performance of •staff and volunteers who served on the campaign team;

The engagement of •the work-site leaders as it relates to campaign activi-ties; and

Ideas for improving •future campaigns.

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Are all leadership and committee positions (such as COPE, grievance, professional issues, community outreach, social activities) filled and active?

Are there reliable work-site leaders (or members of work-site leadership teams) in an approximate ratio of one to every 10 to 15 unit members?

Is there an accurate building-by-building list of members and potential members and how to reach them?

Is each workplace mapped to show the physical prox-imities between and among all unit members?

Have work-site leaders been trained in conducting organizing conversations (see Chapter 2) and keeping accurate data on the unit members for whom they are responsible?

Is there a supervisory structure responsible for overseeing and coordinating the activities of work-site leaders?

Is there a written campaign plan, and do the leaders, campaign supervisors and work-site leaders know what it is and how they fit in?

Mobilizing readiness checklist

Every member mobilization plan begins with an evaluation of the local’s preparedness for conducting a successful campaign.

This checklist provides an assessment of an affiliate’s readiness to proceed:

Does the local produce and distribute a regular publication, operate an updated Web site and communicate with unit members by e-mail when appropriate?

Do leaders and work-site leaders actively conduct outreach to potential community and political allies?

Is someone in charge of actively conducting external communications and maintaining media relationships?

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Sample planning

worksheet

Goal:

Tactics:

For each tactic and action:

Who is responsible?

What needs to be done?

When does it need to be accomplished?

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CHAPTER 2 | PAGE 1

2 Developing an effective work-site structure

Functions of the union at the work site

Developing a work-site structure

Expectations of work-site leaders

Work-site leader training

Recognition of work-site leaders

Work-site structure checklist

The organizing conversation

CHAPTER 2 | PAGE 2

CHAPTER 2 | PAGE 3

Union strength starts with workplace structure.

Having a good structure gives the local the ability to mobilize employees around contract negotiations and enforcement, professional issues and legislative/political mobilization.

Moreover, this structure ensures regular two-way communication between union leadership and members and potential members. The foundation of a work-site structure is the work-site leader (or “steward” or “building leader”). The work-site leader is key to the criti-cal union functions in the workplace and to building the foundation for a strong local union.

Introduction

CHAPTER 2 | PAGE 4

It takes specific tasks to build union structure within the work site.

No individual is respon-sible for all of these tasks. Instead, the work-site leader is responsible for organizing the workplace, building a work-site team and involving members so that tasks are shared and are performed on a regular basis. The list below covers the key tasks.

Document “who we are in

this workplace.”Documenting who we are in the workplace allows the union to better target priority areas. This means:

Keeping good re-•cords. Develop a list of the employees at the work site that includes names, job titles, contact information, daily schedule and other information that will make it easy to contact them.

Mapping• . This means literally drawing a map of the work site; identify-ing who works in each location; and including relevant information such as membership status. This visual depiction of the work site often provides an eye-opening representa-tion of the union’s strength in each building.

Charting• . Create and post wall charts that col-lect, group and analyze characteristics of the mem-bers and potential mem-bers at the work site, such as is the person a member, when this person was last spoken to, has this person signed a petition during a recent campaign, etc.

Build relationships through repeated contact. Work-site leaders should conduct regular conversa-tions with members and potential members. In larg-er work sites, they will need to identify fellow union members who are able and willing to also initiate some of these conversations with their colleagues. The point of these conversa-tions will vary. Sometimes, the conversation with a member is just for build-ing the relationship—you are doing no more than asking someone “how are you doing?” At other times, it provides an opportunity to transmit information or discuss issues that the union is trying to address. Finally, sometimes the or-ganizing conversation is a way to gather information, move the member or po-tential member to action, and plug them into some

larger union activity. During these conversations with members and poten-tial members, the work-site leader should try to identify members whose skills can contribute to the work-site team’s success and convey the union’s support on professional and personal matters.

An effective work-site leader will develop a plan of sustained, regu-lar, personal contact that touches each member and potential member in the workplace throughout the year. Keep in mind that the work-site leader should not have to do this alone; other members should be asked to play a role in contacting, supporting and mentor-ing their co-workers. Then follow up on these conver-sations, find out what hap-pened and (if appropriate) enter the information on to your list, map or chart.

Help solve problems in the work site.Many problems and contractual disputes can be solved quickly—or prevented altogether—by effective work-site lead-ers. It is up to your local union to determine what

Functions of the union at the work site

an effective work-site leader will develop a plan of sustained, regular, personal contact that touches each member and potential member in the workplace throughout the year.

CHAPTER 2 | PAGE 5

degree of problem-solving responsibility should be carried out by the work-site leaders. This could include monitoring and reporting contract violations and identifying problems at the work site and seeking solutions before they be-come grievances. Work-site leaders often are asked to handle grievances, most commonly at the informal and first-level stages, and intervene in member-to-member disputes. See Chapter 7 for more infor-mation on contract admin-istration.

Develop and implement work-site-specific plans and ensure regular and comprehensive commu-nication. Work-site leaders should work to raise union visibility by:

Holding regularly •scheduled and well-publicized meetings in the workplace;

Updating bulletin •boards on a regular basis, posting union items in common areas, break rooms and lounges, and checking that these items stay current and visible; and

Participating in the •formal orientation process for new employees.

Work-site leaders should work to improve the social climate of the work site by establishing a social com-mittee to plan and imple-ment work-site and off-site social events for members and potential members. Hold ceremonies and cele-brations and give awards to mark personal and profes-sional milestones among members and potential members. Work-site lead-ers can also serve as a first friend and a best friend to new members and poten-tial members. See Chapter 4 for details.

In addition, work-site leaders should help to implement issues-based campaigns (see Chapter 1 for more information).

A local union needs at least one work-site leader per work site, but sometimes this is not enough.

A work site may have too many members and/or potential members for one person to handle ad-equately. The work-related duties or physical location may limit the ability of a leader to have contact with everyone at the work site. A single work-site leader also may not have enough in common with all employee classifications or depart-ments at a given location to be fully effective.

For this reason, many lo-cals establish other ways to decide how many work-site leaders are needed at each site. Some establish a ratio, such as one work-site lead-er per 15 to 20 employees. This is usually an adequate ratio to allow one-on-one conversations within a short time frame. Mapping work sites can help deter-mine the best allocation of leaders among distinct sub-groups of workers, such as by location, job classification or depart-ment. Statewide locals may also need a regional or agency-wide representa-

tive to provide service to members who work alone or on the road.

Area coordinators. The AFT recommends that larger locals appoint area coordinators to serve as liaisons between the local union and work-site lead-ers to ensure good commu-nication and membership involvement. In an area coordinator structure, the bargaining unit and the work site can be divided into geographic regions, or based on job classifica-tions, employer, units/shifts or other variables, and then designate coor-dinators for each region. Regions should be small enough so that area coor-dinators can handle the responsibilities. In many unions, vice presidents serve in the role of area coordinators.

The area coordinator should make sure that information from the local union reaches the work-site leader and then reaches employees in a timely manner and that the work-site leaders are well-trained and effective.

Area coordinators can also take the lead and monitor the progress of member-

ship recruitment drives and other activities. Area coordinators also can be helpful in recruiting activ-ists for work parties, rallies, phone banks and other union activities.

As with work-site leaders, area coordinators need continuous support and training. Leaders and staff at your state and national affiliates can help guide you in the kind of training and support you need.

Building leadership teams. Among all AFT constituencies, the growth in participatory manage-ment and quality initiatives has greatly broadened the scope of challenges that the union faces. This in turn has increased the workload of work-site leaders, often turning the position into more than one person can handle. To better manage this, many AFT local unions are using teams—led by a chief work-site leader—at the workplace. Teams can be structured loosely around the needs of any given day, or team mem-bers can take on distinct duties, such as recruiter, problem solver, communi-cator, political action coor-dinator, professional issues

CHAPTER 2 | PAGE 6

Developing a work-site structure

CHAPTER 2 | PAGE 7

chair or health and safety liaison. The advantages of a team system are:

The union’s pool of •activists expands dramati-cally;

There is a lower ratio of •members to leaders, which facilitates more com-munication and member involvement;

The work is broken into •more manageable chunks, which improves recruit-ment and retention of volunteers;

Team members can •choose tasks they feel most confident performing; and

The union can better •target training and support to develop team members’ expertise or talents.

If your local wants to take the “leadership team” ap-proach, beware of “overspe-cialization” among team members, which can isolate them from each other and inhibit their ability to un-derstand and promote the “big picture” of the union’s program.

Building and manag-ing an effective struc-ture for work-site leaders begins with an understanding of the functions for work-site leaders. But those functions need to be translated into a set of clear expectations. A formal written job descrip-tion that is shared with the work-site leaders is essen-tial. A typical job descrip-tion could include:

Purpose. Use a few sen-tences to describe the role of the work-site leader. Provide just a general picture here, since specific duties will be described later. Here’s an example: “The work-site leader will work to unite members and potential members in the support of their mutual and collective interests; build a team of members and potential members that performs the func-tions of the union in the workplace, and, to the best of his/her ability, bond together the members and potential members in the work site into a cohesive union community.” Your description may include:

Issues facing the union •at local, state and national levels;

Political and legislative •action;

Efforts related to profes-•sional development and workplace improvement; and

Identifying and devel-•oping the talents of aspir-ing union leaders.

Organization. Who will leaders report to? Who will answer representatives’ questions? Who will help organize their work and provide them with the sup-port they need?

Duties. List the functions of the union in the work-place. Reinforce to the work-site leaders that it is not their job to perform these functions; it is their job to organize members and potential members to perform these functions.

Knowledge, skills and abilities. List the re-quirements for the job. This could include good standing as a member, good communication and listening skills, and an abil-ity to organize and conduct meetings. It could also include having a demon-strated knowledge of union and work-site issues and attendance at union-pro-vided leader training.

Time commitment.What is the term of the leader’s service? How many estimated hours per week will the job require? What are the time require-ments outside the work day, such as attendance at evening meetings and union functions?

Benefits. List any incen-tives that come with the job. This can be as simple as the training you provide and the “insider status” that comes with the job. Some locals, however, provide significant benefits to their leaders, such as attendance at state federa-tion and AFT conferences, funding for work-site social events organized by the representative, or even modest stipends. (Be careful: Once the union begins paying any of its volunteers, the spirit of volunteerism can be compromised. Also, most unions cannot afford to pay leaders what their service is truly worth!) Other locals have successfully negoti-ated special contractual benefits for leaders, such as release time for union duties.

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Expectations of work-site leaders

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Since work-site lead-ers are so important to the union, locals should invest time and resources to their training and give them the respect and recognition that their work deserves.

It is important to that locals make training regular, meaningful and specific. Many locals offer a one-day training workshop once a year (usually in connection with the opening of school, the installation of new officers or leaders, or the launching of a major mem-bership drive). Others hold intensive training at an an-nual retreat. In reality, nei-ther approach is probably enough. Consider some kind of regularly scheduled training, perhaps every two or three months.

Training must be mean-ingful and geared to the skill level of each leader. Assess the various levels of expertise of your work-site leaders. At the least, the union’s training programs should provide both a basic training program for newly appointed leaders and a more sophisticated program for experienced leaders.

Whatever form the training takes, it should be perfor-mance based, meaning that it helps individuals perform specific expecta-tions of the job and pro-vides opportunities for practice and feedback on their performance. Here are some examples of training topics for work-site leaders:

List-building, mapping •and charting;

Telling your union •story—conveying in per-sonal terms how you came to value participation in the union;

Conducting the orga-•nizing conversation;

Making assessments •based on objective measures;

Planning and imple-•menting systematic outreach to members and potential members in the workplace;

Helping to implement •issues-based organizing campaigns;

How to solve work-site •problems informally;

How to recognize and •handle a contract violation;

How to handle griev-•ances (if applicable); and

How to run a meeting.•

Work-site leader training

Training must be meaningful and geared to the skill level of each leader.

It is important to rec-ognize the contribu-tions made by work-site leaders. Special recognition can take a variety of forms.

AFT can provide special “leader pins” that serve both as a form of identi-fication and as recogni-tion. Consider honoring a “leader of the month” in the newsletter. Plan special social events for work-site leaders, provide them with tickets to political dinners or arrange for them to par-ticipate in ACE (Activists for Congressional Educa-tion) meetings with their legislators or congressio-nal leaders. Above all, try to spend time with them individually, give them feedback on their work and let them know how impor-tant they are to the union’s success.

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Recognition of work-site leaders

above all, let work-site leaders know how important they are to the union’s success.

CHAPTER 2 | PAGE 11

Produce a handbook for your stewards/leader.

Sponsor an annual leader workshop or retreat (most education locals will want to conduct this at the beginning of the school year).

Give recognition to leaders.

Have leaders organize a leadership team at each work site.

Establish an effective system of two-way communication with leaders.

Develop a leadership training plan for your work-site leaders, executive council, area coordinators and staff.

Is there a written campaign plan, and do the leaders, campaign supervisors and work-site leaders know what it is and how they fit in?

Work-site structure checklist

Organizing is not solely about recruit-ing new members.

It is also about organiz-ing existing and potential members into collective action around common issues and concerns. Both activities, recruiting new members and turning members into activists, involve ongoing one-on-one contact between employees and local or work-site leaders. To be most effective, these union leaders need to have a clear understanding of the basic elements of the “organizing conversation.”

Think of the one-on-one organizing conversation as a way to create opportuni-ties. Every personal contact between a work-site leader or supporter and a mem-ber or potential member is a chance to establish or strengthen a personal rela-tionship, elicit information that advances the union’s campaign goals, provide information that builds support for the union and move the unit member to take action that builds the union.

The organizing conversa-tion is not about selling benefits and services of

membership or the attri-butes of the union organi-zation. It is about building a relationship through which the work-site leader moves the member or potential member to action on behalf of self- and col-lective interest.

Remember to respect the 70/30 principle (the orga-nizer generally spends 70 percent of his or her time listening and 30 percent talking) and use good listening skills: Look at people when they speak to you; don’t assume you know what they are trying to say; and, for clarifica-tion, paraphrase back to them what they said.

During the organizing conversation, organizers are doing five things (not necessarily in this order):

Telling their own •“union story.” This in-cludes why they joined the union, why they feel it is important to be involved and how they have ben-efited from the union.

Getting employees to •take action in support of the union. By taking action in support of their union, employees emerge with some degree of ownership in the union and its cause.

The nature of the “action” will vary based on the situation, but union lead-ers and activists should always strive to insert an “ask” into every work-site conversation, as well as every leaflet or other form of communication that the union sends to employees. And, especially with people who are new to the union, the “ask” should include some activities that aren’t difficult or intimidating.

Assessing support for •the union. This means determining, based on the conversation and a co-worker’s subsequent actions, whether the co-worker (1) is a strong union supporter; (2) is a soft union supporter; (3) opposes the union; or (4) strongly opposes the union.

Identifying leaders. •Part of any assessment should be a determination of whether the person you are having a conversation with is a potential leader or is willing to take on any activist roles in the union.

‘Inoculating’ against •attacks on the union. In-oculation is what the union does to prepare employees for how the employer is likely to react to the union’s efforts. It usually involves

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The organizing conversation

The organizing conversation is not about selling benefits and services of membership. it is about building a relationship ...

CHAPTER 2 | PAGE 13

raising and addressing the employer’s argument as an issue.

How to conduct an organizing conversationThe organizing conversa-tion generally consists of five key elements:

Introduction. Establish who you are and why you are having the conversa-tion. A “calling card,” such as a flier or palm card, is helpful to begin the conversation, especially for inexperienced organizers, but the flier should not be handed out until the end of the conversation.

Know the purpose of the conversation. Use the con-versation to gather infor-mation and identify issues (“gathering the facts and getting the story”). Sample questions include: What do you do (if the work-site leader does not already know this)? How would you describe a typical day at work? How have things at work changed for you over (selected timeframe)? What do you like/dislike about your job? Do condi-tions at work allow you to be/to do your best? How

do you feel about (selected issue)?

Ask “who decides?” Examine the “power-versus-powerlessness” dynamic at work. Sample questions could include: Why are things this way? Who makes these deci-sions? Why do they decide things the ways they do? Why don’t they listen to people like us? If you were in charge, what would you do? How do you feel about this?

Ask “what could be?” Ask the member or potential member to imagine the possibilities of having power. Sample questions include: What would you change at work if you had a chance? What would it take or what would need to happen for you to do a better job at your profes-sion? What do you wish the future could be like at work?

Take a stand. This final part invites co-workers to take action, taking them out of their comfort zones (“putting the worker at the crossroads”).

Use the conversation to gather information and identify issues.

CHAPTER 2 | PAGE 14

CHAPTER 3 | PAGE 1

3 Managing data

Acquiring lists

Selecting a database for storing your local’s information

Reporting membership data to the AFT

Getting the most out out of your data

CHAPTER 3 | PAGE 2

CHAPTER 3 | PAGE 3

The key to effective communication and membership mobi-lization is good data management.

Knowing who your mem-bers and potential mem-bers are is critical to the union’s ability to reach out to members and poten-tial members to get them involved in union activities.

At a minimum, your union should keep an accurate da-tabase of all members that includes all contact infor-mation (mailing address, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses) and as much in-formation about their place of work, job classification, dues category, etc., as you can accumulate (especially a unique identifier, such as payroll ID). Your union should also collect this kind of information on potential members. This is especially important in states without agency fee or fair share laws.

Many AFT locals are also moving beyond simply tracking the basic contact information as referenced above and are now track-ing members’ attitudes and opinions on major issues as well as their participa-tion in union activities. In the long run, gathering this kind of data makes it easier for local unions to identify people who have partici-pated in selected union activities and to nurture their involvement toward more active roles.

Introduction

Knowing who your members and potential members are is critical to the union’s ability to reach out to members and potential members to get them involved in union activities.

Getting access to accurate lists of members and poten-tial members varies greatly, depending on applicable state laws and specific agreements negoti-ated with employers, usually as contract language.

On the one end of the scale are those locals with col-lective bargaining agree-ments and the legal right to receive updated lists on members and agency fee payers from employers on a regular basis. At the other end are new unit organiz-ing campaigns, where lists are not usually available and have to be developed through one-on-one con-tacts in the field. Falling in the middle are those local unions that receive regular dues deduction lists from the employer with basic information on members. The challenge for many of these locals is getting accurate lists of potential members. Here are several ideas for acquiring data on potential members:

File a Freedom of •Information Act request. Many state laws allow public employee locals

to file FOIA requests for information on public employees. While FOIA is the name of the national law, states have similar laws for allowing for public access to government information. These are often termed “open records acts.” In most cases, the information will be limited to names, job titles and possibly work sites. Private information, such as home addresses, is most often considered confidential and therefore will not be provided. However, even a list of names and work sites is a good starting point.

Harvest data from the •Web. In the preK-12 teach-ing environments as well as in higher education locals, employers commonly pro-vide lists of instructors on their Web sites. This is an excellent resource for list building.

Engage your work-site •leader. There is no sub-stitute for just talking with people on the job. A union activist or member can ask co-workers for their con-tact information.

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Acquiring lists

CHAPTER 3 | PAGE 5

AFT provides several tools to assist with data management.

These include Member-ship Suite, Membership Lite and Individual Man-ager. Each of these tools helps locals track a variety of information on their members and potential members. When using these applications, locals automatically receive “val-ue-added” information, such as address standard-ization, address corrections and updates from the U.S. Postal Service, and con-gressional or state legisla-tive district information.

The information is stored in the AFT’s Central Data Base (CDB), the national union’s database of record, which is used for member validations for insurance, member cards, Web access and other member services and benefits. In addition, the AFT’s information tech-nology department will work with local affiliates to provide routine updating of lists acquired from employ-ers. AFT also offers the Assessment and Analysis (A&A) tools, a suite of ap-plications that make it easy to track members and po-tential members’ attitudes and opinions on issues as well as their participation in union activities. AFT will help you determine which membership application best suits your needs.

Selecting a database for storing your local’s information

The AFT has a con-stitutional mandate requiring a local to report its current membership.

A local is considered out of compliance if it has not reported its current mem-bership in three months. AFT offers a Compliance Scorecard, available through the Affiliate Main-tenance System (AMS), that allows a local to view its current compliance standing. Membership data can be reported using one of AFT’s applications, through a file transfer, or even on paper.

Note that several AFT state federations, including New York, Minnesota and Florida, have developed their own systems for mem-bership tracking. In these cases, AFT receives updates on members directly from the state federations.

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Reporting membership data to the AFT

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A database is a valuable tool for making organizing and membership mobilization easier, but it’s only as good as the data that is entered and tracked.

Furthermore, its true value is in how the data is used. As mentioned earlier, many AFT locals now routinely use their databases to track assessment information (members’ and poten-tial members’ attitudes and opinions on issues as well as their participa-tion in union activities). This information becomes valuable when it is used to target communication and mobilization efforts to recruit new members, turn members into activ-ists and turn activists into leaders. Many locals have also gone beyond collect-ing assessments and are using their databases to help map the work sites. Mapping involves creating a diagram of each work site and indicating the work locations of all members/activists and potential members. This visual rep-resentation shows where the union is strongest and indicates those areas where the union needs additional

organizing efforts.Wall charts are also an invaluable planning tool; they provide a graphic rep-resentation of union sup-port at any point in time and serve both for moti-vational and evaluative purposes. At a minimum, the charts should include every unit member’s name, along with job title, shift, work location, department or grade, union member-ship status, campaign status (e.g., on the organiz-ing committee) and most recent assessment.

The AFT’s information technology department can assist locals in determining which options best meet their needs. For more in-formation on data manage-ment, contact the AFT Staff and Affiliate Support (SAS) Desk at 800/238-1133, ext. 4504, or by e-mail, SASdesk@aft.org.

Getting the most out of your data

Mapping involves creating a diagram of each work site and indicating the work locations of all members/activists and potential members.

CHAPTER 3 | PAGE 8

CHAPTER 4 | PAGE 1

4 Reaching out to new employees

Involving new employees in union activities

Characteristics of new employees

Making the union a ‘first and best friend’

CHAPTER 4 | PAGE 2

CHAPTER 4 | PAGE 3

Our union is undergo-ing dramatic change. Over the next few years, an entire gen-eration of committed union leaders and activists will retire.

Behind them is a new gen-eration of AFT members and potential members. These new members are less likely to have union backgrounds or the experi-ence of organizing a union, winning recognition and collective bargaining, or achieving many of the rights and benefits now taken for granted.

In both collective bargain-ing and non-collective bargaining states, we see evidence that unions are not involving and engag-ing younger workers; as a result, many of these work-ers view the union only as protection and do not see the connection between their personal involvement and the effectiveness and strength of the union.

The good news is that newer, younger workers are not opposed to unions; they just have a limited un-derstanding of what unions are all about. They can become committed union members, but it takes effort and attention on the part of the union, specifically by involving new employees in union activities; empha-sizing the union as a cause, a vehicle for colleagues to work together to address the issues they face on the job and within their careers; and understanding the characteristics of new employees.

Introduction

The good news is that newer, younger workers are not opposed to unions; they just have a limited understanding of what unions are all about.

By becoming involved in union activities, especially actions that are built around issue-specific cam-paigns, newer work-ers will develop a bet-ter understanding of the goals of the union and how colleagues need to work together to achieve them. Whenever possible, union publications and direct contacts between work-site leaders and mem-bers should include an “ask”—an opportunity for involvement. Keep in mind that involvement does not need to be focused solely on activities that require a signified commitment of time, such as serving on a committee or working phone banks. The union should create “easy-lift” activities, like signing peti-tions or answering surveys. Participating in these smaller activities helps give new employees a sense of shared ownership of the union’s activities and can also lead to greater com-mitments of time and effort on behalf of these younger members.

Emphasizing the union as a causeYour union publications and other communica-tions should portray the union as a cause in which colleagues, by working to-gether through their union, can achieve meaningful changes and improve-ments. That means focus-ing communications on issues of common concern, member activities aimed at improving their profession or protecting and expand-ing rights, and other ac-tions that build a sense of solidarity.

CHAPTER 4 | PAGE 4

Involving new employees in union activities

Characteristics of new employees

CHAPTER 4 | PAGE 5

The AFT has conduct-ed extensive opinion research among mem-bers and potential members after their first year on the job.

From this research emerge some general characteris-tics of new employees that work-site leaders should consider when introduc-ing new employees to the union:

Their primary interest is survival and success on the job. Everything else runs a distant second.

Time is their most pre-cious commodity. Re-specting this is critical to everything the union does with them. They will give us minutes, not hours. They are much more likely to interact with the union at the work site—not off site or at the union office.

They are open to union membership and involve-ment if they see the union as directly relevant to their professional needs and concerns. If we do not make a good first impres-sion on this basis, they will turn away from the union, perhaps forever.

They are not anti-union; many simply are indif-ferent or unfamiliar with unions. Unions and union people are not disliked or distrusted; they are just not well-known.

Their technological savvy does not mean a prefer-ence for non-human contact. They want to see a human face on the union. They want role models, mentors and supportive colleagues—a part we and our fellow members can play.

They will not come to us; we must reach out to them. Many see union work-site leaders only as people to go to when they are in trouble, not when they have a ques-tion, concern or just need a little help.

They want us to listen to them. Asking them ques-tions (“How are you doing? Is there anything you need?”) strongly commu-nicates a positive message for the union.

The union’s history and achievements prior to their arrival are largely irrelevant to them. Their connection to the union will be based on their own

experiences, not those of others, although someday they might become inter-ested enough to listen.

Your efforts to reach out to these new employees should also include:

A plan for active one-•on-one contact between work-site leaders and new workers (see “Making the union a ‘first and best friend,’” next page).

A personal introduc-•tion to the union that not only explains the goals, programs and activities of the union but also provides ample time for new work-ers to express their con-cerns and questions about the workplace (see “The organizing conversation,” Chapter 2).

Programs that provide •assistance directly relevant to new employees, such as hotlines, mentor and buddy systems, support groups, tours and orienta-tion.

The AFT has con-ducted extensive focus group research among recently hired teachers who have chosen not to join or become active in the union.

Although teachers were the focus of this study, many of the suggestions apply to members in other divisions. The point of this research was to figure out how our union could bet-ter make the connections with new employees that lead to lifelong member-ship and activism. Based on the research findings, a key conclusion was that the local should develop a variety of programs and activities that establish the union as new employees’ “first and best friend” in their difficult first years on the job.

Nearly all new teachers quickly discover that their preparation was inad-equate for the realties of today’s public schools, for example. “Stressful,” “overwhelming” and “frightening” are typical of the words AFT focus group participants use to de-scribe that first year on the job. Few find the employer

to be an adequate source of support and guidance in overcoming difficulties—from learning how to better manage the demands of their job, to completing paperwork, to figuring out how to get photocopies made. More often than not, new employees report that the most valuable assis-tance they received, to the extent that they received any, was support they themselves sought out, not support that came looking for them.

This is an opportunity for our union to create a posi-tive first impression and become the “first and best friend” to new and recently hired employees. Ideas for effective outreach can be as simple as:

Personal assistance in •how best to prepare and schedule lesson plans;

Opportunities to ob-•serve other, more veteran employees;

Stress management •workshops;

Training in realistic and •practical discipline and classroom management;

“Low-stakes” opportu-•nities for observation and feedback (outside of formal evaluation);

Access to a resource li-•brary of teaching materials;

Opportunities to con-•sult with subject matter or job-specific experts;

Help in understanding •paperwork requirements and how to comply;

“Rules of the road,” in-•formation on where to find things/get things, practical “survive and thrive” tips for getting along, getting ahead;

Help in dealing with •parents or clients (e.g., what you can/should say versus what you can’t/shouldn’t say);

Instruction in legal dos •and don’ts;

A handbook that is an •up-to-date and reliable source of definitive infor-mation;

Support groups, rap •sessions;

Help in understanding •state and federal policies and procedures;

Orientation that is also •available to employees who are hired after the begin-ning of the school year, that is ongoing throughout the year, and that does not ignore basics like a walk-around tour of the school or facility;

Special time set aside •during the workday for new employees to plan, reflect,

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Making the union a ‘first and best friend’

CHAPTER 4 | PAGE 7

brainstorm and consult with others;

Feedback, especially •positive feedback (several participants lamented that they never had direct com-munication about “How am I doing?”);

A compilation of hands-•on, meaningful classroom activities to use on “rainy days” or when an assem-bly is cancelled at the last minute;

Help in understanding •the evaluation process;

Information and advice •in understanding and fully taking advantage of em-ployee benefits;

Regular meetings of •new employees that are at-tended by helpful veterans;

Grade and curriculum •workshops that are hands-on, realistic and practical;

Access to people—not •just handbooks—who can provide basic, practical in-formation and advice (e.g., how to make a phone call during school day, where to get supplies);

An informal “buddy •system” to check in with new employees, show them around, provide feedback and build morale; and

More time for basic •orientation.

CHAPTER 4 | PAGE 8

SECTION II | PAGE 1

Section II: Managing key union functions

SECTION II | PAGE 2

CHAPTER 5 | PAGE 1

5 Strategic planning

Analyzing strengths, weaknesses, opportunites and threats

Assessing the union’s current program

Developing a plan

Setting a budget to fit your plan

Organizing the unorganized

CHAPTER 5 | PAGE 2

CHAPTER 5 | PAGE 3

Strategic planning should be undertaken every few years by every local union.

It should bring together your local leaders and activists to analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats confronting the union and its members and identify your priorities. You should assess the current union program to determine if your local can meet the challenges, then determine what areas need improve-ment, particularly as they relate to issues-based organizing, data man-agement, new employee outreach, community rela-tions, political action and communication. Finally, the plan should include specific, measurable goals and a budget that allocates both financial and human resources to achieve your objectives.

Check with your state federation, which may be able to offer assistance, before beginning the stra-tegic planning process. If possible, include the state federation in the process to ensure that your goals will work in tandem with those set by the state federation.

Introduction

Your local union lead-ership should have periodic discussions to identify the chal-lenges likely to face your affiliate in the coming months and years.

Do you anticipate tough contract negotiations? Anti-union schemes brew-ing in the state legislature? Budget cuts? Challenges from cheap dues orga-nizations? Rising health insurance costs or other problems? This could be a long list.

The leadership also should discuss the obstacles and opportunities the union faces in addressing these issues. Does your union have a weak image among members? In the commu-nity? What is your relation-ship with management? Do you lack the resources needed to put together an effective program? Do you have trouble getting mem-bers excited and involved in the union? This, too, could be a long list.

CHAPTER 5 | PAGE 4

Analyzing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

Assessing the union’s current program

CHAPTER 5 | PAGE 5

Are you fully pre-pared to tackle your problems, overcome your obstacles and take advantage of op-portunities that might present themselves?

If not, take a critical look at your union. The follow-ing are the key ingredi-ents of an effective union that should be discussed among your leadership.

Organizing. Does your union have an internal organizing plan that goes beyond simply “signing up” people—a plan built around issues-based cam-paigns that create activities to involve both members and potential members in all aspects of union work? Do members and potential members see our union as an organization that fights for their issues and con-cerns? Do members feel part of a movement rather than just purchasers of a service? (See Chapter 1 for more information.)

Work-site structure. Does your union have an effec-tive work-site structure? Trained, motivated, effec-tive work-site leaders? (See Chapter 2 for more infor-mation.)

Governance and admin-istration. Does your union manage finances and resources efficiently and economically? Is the local governed democratically and are all the stakeholders involved in decision-mak-ing? Does your budget re-flect your priorities? If you have staff, are they well-managed? (See Chapter 6 for more information.)

Political action. Does your union work with your state federation to educate your members on issues? Do you have a Committee on Political Education (COPE) program? Do you have a network of volunteer politi-cal activists? Do you sup-port pro-union candidates and issues? Does your lo-cal union participate in the Activists for Congressional Education (ACE) program? (See Chapter 9 for more information.)

Legislative and other pub-lic policy representation. Are you effectively repre-sented at meetings of the employer, in the legislature and with other policymak-ing groups? Do you work with your state federation on lobbying and political action efforts, and do you have a grass-roots mem-

bership network to sup-port the state federation’s lobbying program? Have you formed coalitions with other groups that share your political agenda? Does the public perceive your union as standing for something more than self-interest?

Services and benefits. Does your union have an effective grievance struc-ture? A member benefits program? Do your mem-bers know who to turn to for help?

Leadership development. Does your union have a plan to identify and cultivate new leaders in your local? Do you provide ample opportuni-ties for members to become activists? What training op-portunities do you provide for new leaders?

Professional development. Does your union offer professional development for members or work with the employer to ensure that it’s available and relevant? Do you know what your state federation is doing in professional development?

Communications and technology. Is your newsletter/newspaper

CHAPTER 5 | PAGE 6

published regularly and on time? Is it centered on how members are work-ing together through their union to solve issues of common concern? Do you have a mechanism for two-way communications to ensure that concerns of members are brought to the attention of leader-ship? How effective is your public relations effort? Do you keep accurate lists of members and potential members? Is this informa-tion regularly shared with the AFT’s national office? Do you have the technol-ogy needed to reach your goals? (See Chapter 3 for more information on man-aging data.)

No union has the resources needed to tackle all prob-lems at once. You need to prioritize, perhaps by iden-tifying the two or three big-gest weaknesses or threats. Then determine how you can use your strengths and opportunities to address the identified issues.

CHAPTER 5 | PAGE 7

How will you meet the challenges and over-come the obstacles?

With a workable plan!

Working with your leader-ship, develop a plan that focuses on the union’s priorities. The plan should include measurable objec-tives, such as:

Increase membership •by ___ percent;

Increase COPE contri-•butions by ___ percent;

Recruit ____ volunteers •for political activities; or

Get ___ percent more •members to attend union meetings or to turn out for other union events.

Your plan should provide a road map for achieving your goals, as well as a way to periodically and regu-larly measure progress. It should include detailed information about what specifically will be done, by whom and when. When developing your plan, look to your state federation and the national AFT for resources and assistance.

Developing a plan

Most union budgets evolve over time, with little thought given to the union’s overall goals.

Yet, if your local goes through a strategic plan-ning process, you can use the plan to guide how the union allocates its resourc-es. For example, if you de-termine that organizing is a priority for your union but find that very little money is allocated for member-ship recruitment, this could indicate that your union needs to rethink how it allocates its resources.

CHAPTER 5 | PAGE 8

Setting a budget to fit your plan

The AFT is an organizing union—both internally and externally.

Although this manual concentrates on organizing new members and encouraging activism in our existing bargaining units, we must not forget that we are also a union that continually organizes new groups of workers.

There are many good reasons for the AFT, our state federations and local unions to organize those who are not represented by a union:

The unorganized need •a union.

There are many unor-•ganized employees in our core industries—educa-tion, public services and healthcare.

As long as there are •unorganized workers, the gains we have won can be eroded.

Strength as a union •comes not only from the activism of our members but also from our growth as a union. Today, the AFT represents more than 1.4 million workers. There is power in those numbers.

Sometimes the unorga-nized are under our noses. Don’t forget to look close to home for groups of unorga-nized workers. These could include summer, “tempo-rary” or substitute employ-ees; newly created posi-tions; subcontracted work that should be done by our members; and workers in other units who have the same employer.

In bargaining situations, we can use negotiations to organize these work-ers. For more information on bargaining to organize, contact the AFT’s Center for Collective Bargaining in the research and informa-tion services department.

Local unions and organiz-ing the unorganized. Your local union will determine when and how to conduct organizing campaigns. There may be a number of factors to consider:

Is there a strategic rea-•son to organize these work-ers? For example, some local unions have decided to offer charter school teachers the opportunity to organize with our union.

Are the workers asking •to be represented by AFT, and are we the right union to assist them? For exam-

ple, we might recommend that an unorganized airline pilot seek assistance from a union that represents that profession. On the other hand, if a group of workers connected to education, public services or health-care contacted us, we would likely help such a group organize with our union.

What resources can we •devote to organizing the unorganized? Further, what resources are avail-able from our state federa-tion and the national AFT?

First steps in organizing the unorganized. Should your local union determine there are either strategic reasons for organizing a group or workers or if a group of workers has con-tacted your union about organizing with AFT, call your state federation and AFT regional director.

Your state federation and the AFT will work with you and your local to determine the viability of an organiz-ing drive and an organizing plan, and what resources are necessary to launch the organizing effort.

Organizing the unorganized

CHAPTER 5 | PAGE 9

CHAPTER 5 | PAGE 10

CHAPTER 6 | PAGE 1

6 Governance and administration

Election of officers

Membership/representative assemblies

Duties of officers

Your union constitution

AFT constitutional mandates

Establishing an office and keeping records

Setting dues

Developing a budget

Member benefits

Union affiliations

Organizing a retirees chapter

CHAPTER 6 | PAGE 2

CHAPTER 6 | PAGE 3

Governance is a system of rights, responsibilities and authority for estab-lishing the policies of the union. It rests upon a contract between the membership and the leadership that is codified in the union’s constitution and bylaws. In essence, governance is how the union decides to set goals, objectives and policies.

Administration is a system of procedures for implementing the policies of the union. It has three major components—finance, personnel and operations. The essence of administration is “doing things right.”

Like nations, the way unions govern and admin-ister themselves reflects their values. Your union has the responsibility to estab-lish and carry out policies that will benefit the entire membership and that will be consistent with the high-est standards we advocate for our professions.

This section on governance and administration covers many topics, including things that your local either must do—or should do—to be organizationally sound and in compliance with the AFT constitution. For example, your local union must:

File a copy of its con-•stitution with the AFT secretary-treasurer;

Conduct union elec-•tions in accordance with the Landrum-Griffin Act;

Pay payroll taxes, •deduct withholdings and report expense stipends to the Internal Revenue Service;

Keep per capita pay-•ments to the AFT and your state federation up to date and ensure that both have an accurate list of your membership;

Have your financial re-•cords audited or reviewed annually by an outside

auditor or audit committee and make the review/audit available to the member-ship and the national office;

Include a dues pass-•through provision in your local’s constitution.

In addition, your local union should have fire, casualty and theft insur-ance if the local has an office and office equip-ment, whether owned or rented, and ensure that any officers or staff who handle union funds are bonded.

Introduction

The AFT constitution requires that elec-tions of local union officers shall be con-ducted in compliance with standards devel-oped under Title IV of Landrum-Griffin.

These standards are not difficult to follow, and they will ensure the fairness and credibility of any union elec-tions. They are as follows:

Each member must •receive at least 15 days’ notice of the procedures and deadlines to file as a candidate for office and at least 15 days’ notice of the date, time and place of the election. The information should be sent to the mem-ber’s last known home address. The nomination notice may be combined with the election notice if the requirements of both are met.

There must be no unfair •and unreasonable impedi-ment to the participation of every member.

Voting must be by •secret ballot. The U.S. Department of Labor has expressed a preference for the dual-envelope process. The secret ballot is placed inside an unmarked en-velope that is then placed inside an external envelope

that contains any required identifying information. During counting, the ex-ternal envelope is used to verify the voter’s eligibility and, if verified, the enve-lope containing the ballot is separated and co-min-gled with others prior to its opening and counting, thereby maintaining the secrecy of the ballot.

In a contested election, •candidates must be al-lowed to station observers at the polling sites. Repre-sentatives of the compet-ing candidates should be allowed to observe, but not actually participate in, the counting of ballots.

Documents related •to the election should be safely stored for one year in case there is a challenge to the election. This includes the used, unused and chal-lenged ballots, plus the envelopes used to return ballots, as well as the mem-bership list.

No union funds or •resources may be used to support any candidate. The union should comply with reasonable requests to distribute campaign literature at the candidate’s expense.

Candidates have the •right to inspect, not copy, the membership list once

within 30 days prior to the election. No candidate can have preferential access to the list.

Elections for officers •of the local union must be held at least every three years. (Elections for officers of the state federation must be held at least every four years.)

There must not be any •campaigning within a poll-ing place.

Nomination proceduresBe sure members know the eligibility and timeliness requirements for candi-dates and the procedures for nominating officers. Although candidates are often nominated by a nominating committee, nominations from the floor are usually in order. Dur-ing the campaign period, scrupulously ensure that no candidates are able to use union facilities or union staff for partisan purposes.

CHAPTER 6 | PAGE 4

Election of officers

Membership/representative assemblies

CHAPTER 6 | PAGE 5

The membership is the ultimate authority in all unions.

A vehicle must be available to allow members to communicate with the union leadership and to assert that authority. The AFT constitution requires that the constitution and bylaws of each affiliated local provide for regular meetings of an executive body and regular meetings of the general membership or a representative body thereof. Some locals (usually small ones) use a regular general membership meeting for this purpose. Others (usually large ones) use a representative assembly (sometimes known as a delegate assembly). In addition, most constitutions allow the president to call special meetings when needed.

Governance by representative assembly. Many larger locals have representative assemblies that serve as the primary vehicle for membership involvement and feedback. In the representative assembly structure, the representatives (or delegates) are elected by the work-site membership

through a proportional formula (i.e., one delegate for 25 or 50 members in a building). A delegate/representative may also serve as the work-site representative at his or her job site.

There are several advantages of the representative assembly structure. Work-site representatives are vested with more authority and prestige, which encourages representatives to take their work more seriously. Also, the structure achieves greater democracy. In many large locals, for example, most members won’t attend regular meetings, leaving the meeting—and the union—vulnerable to manipulation by a minority. The delegate assembly better assures that union decisions will represent the desires of the broad membership.

Governance by membership meeting. On the other hand, for small and medium-sized locals, a regular membership meeting guarantees that every member can bring his or her concerns to the union. In a small local, a membership meeting

can assure direct contact between members and officers.

Some unions have successfully combined the two approaches: Members elect delegates who meet at regular representative assembly meetings; in addition, however, two or three general membership meetings are held each year. If your local is small, a membership meeting may be the appropriate way to go, but make every effort to ensure that sufficient members turn out.

Whether you hold general membership meetings or representative assembly meetings, schedule the meetings on a regular date at a regular time. Hold the meetings at a place and time that is convenient for your members/delegates. Attendance and attitudes will be better if you do the following:

Send an agenda and •timely notice of the meet-ing;

Start the meeting on •time, keep it as short as possible and end it at a reasonable hour;

Keep the focus of meet-•ings on the issues of top concern to members;

CHAPTER 6 | PAGE 6

Use the meeting as an •opportunity to enlist mem-bership involvement in all union activities;

Have officers and com-•mittees prepare written reports, whenever possible;

Structure your meetings •to encourage debate and discussion at appropriate times and expedite proce-dural matters;

Use your strategic plan •(see Chapter 5) as a guide in developing the agenda for your meeting; and

Make reasonable ac-•commodations to facilitate attendance and comfort-able participation. (i.e., free parking, meals or refresh-ments, child care, adequate lighting and sound equip-ment, and adequate copies of all print materials to be used during the meeting).

Work-site representative meetings. In addition to representative assembly or general membership meetings, local unions should also hold regular meetings of work-site representatives to get feedback on member concerns and to discuss the union’s goals and program.

Duties of officers

CHAPTER 6 | PAGE 7

Your local should have elected officers to oversee the union’s day-to-day activities and to establish long-term goals.

Most locals include the positions of president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Many locals in-clude several vice president positions that carry specific responsibilities.

President’s dutiesMost constitutions desig-nate the president as the chief executive and charge him or her with carrying out the policies established by the membership. The president may delegate au-thority but not the respon-sibility of the office. The president’s responsibilities include overseeing:

A broad program of •union activities that will help the union build the loyalty and confidence of its members, especially based on their support for the union in matters affect-ing the quality of profes-sional practice and the well-being of the institu-tions in which they work;

Development and •implementation of cam-paigns aimed at addressing the specific concerns of

members;Negotiation and en-•

forcement of the collective bargaining contract;

Programs that involve •the members in all aspects of the union;

Accurate membership •recordkeeping;

An effective member-•ship recruitment program;

An effective internal •and external communica-tions program;

An effective political •action program and;

An organizational •structure that allows the union to effectively de-liver services and carry out union policies to ensure the efficient, honest use of all union funds. Specific responsibilities of the president include presiding at membership meetings, delegate assem-blies and special meetings (most unions designate the first vice president to conduct the meeting in the president’s absence); purchasing insurance for members and the local; establishing effective office procedures to track griev-ances and contract time-tables, correspondence, membership records and other information and records; ensuring that

membership involvement is a key part of all union activities and programs; monitoring the decision-making bodies of employ-ing institutions; supervis-ing staff; and participating actively in the local AFL-CIO council. In meeting these respon-sibilities, the president must always act within the confines of the constitution and the policies estab-lished by the membership/representative assembly and the executive board (which may have author-ity to act for the member-ship between meetings). If it’s not possible to call a meeting, the president may be able to poll the executive board. If that is not possible, the president may act on his or her own and report these actions as soon as possible to the executive board and/or general membership/rep-resentative assembly. The president also is responsible for ensur-ing that the union vigor-ously defends any member whose civil or job rights are threatened. If the union incurs legal expenses while defending a member’s rights, it may be eligible

The president also is responsible for ensuring that the union vigorously defends any member whose civil or job rights are threatened.

CHAPTER 6 | PAGE 8

for financial assistance from its state affiliate and/or from the AFT Defense Fund. If the union is forced to strike, it may be eligible for assistance from the AFT Militancy Fund.

Purchasing insurance for members and the local. If your local purchases professional occupational liability or accidental death and dismemberment insurance through the AFT, make sure that the mem-bership list you have on file at the AFT is accurate and that your per capita payments are up to date. Otherwise your members may not be covered! If your local’s membership is a constituency other than teachers, check the cover-age carefully to ensure that it meets the needs of your members. Also, the AFT provides li-ability insurance for affiliate officers. This policy covers negligence, slander and li-bel, as well as “duty-of-fair-representation” lawsuits. Locals should make sure, however, that any officer who handles funds is bond-ed (see information below). If the local owns or rents an office and/or owns or rents office equipment, it should

have fire, casualty and theft insurance coverage.

Overseeing the treasury and budget. Although the union will have an office of treasurer, the president still is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the union has sufficient resources to carry out its mission; that union funds are handled in an honest and efficient way (the president should act as a co-signer, with the treasurer, on all financial instruments); that dues are properly collected; that the union’s budget is properly prepared; and that proper accounting procedures and internal financial controls are used. Make sure that any person who handles union funds is bonded. For informa-tion about purchasing a bond through the AFT, contact the AFT account-ing department or send an e-mail to billinginquiry@aft.org. If you represent private-sector employees, your bond must conform to U.S. Department of Labor specifications.

Monitoring the decision-making bodies of em-ploying institutions. The president should monitor

all decision-making bodies related to the institution(s) in which members are employed. This includes school boards, boards of trustees, state agencies, city and county councils, com-missions and, of course, the state legislature. When these bodies meet, there is no substitute for the president’s personal atten-dance, since no other union officer commands the same authority. Through regular attendance, the president makes the union presence felt and has the opportu-nity to participate in the policymaking decisions of management. At these meetings, always speak with civility and decorum, but don’t hesitate to disagree if necessary. Also be helpful and supportive when ap-propriate.

Supervising staff. Most unions operate their pro-gram based on the volun-tary work of members and activists. However, at some point it may be best to hire staff. Options include:

Release time. • Some union contracts allow members to be “released” from their regular duties to work part- or full-time for the union. The union then

CHAPTER 6 | PAGE 9

reimburses the member at his or her regular rate of pay. An officer might go on release time status, for ex-ample, to handle member-ship grievances.

Temporary stipend for •an officer. Ask a particu-larly competent executive board member or the chair of a major committee to work for the union on a temporary, as-needed basis. The membership chairman could be hired for a short time to plan and execute a membership campaign, for example, or the treasurer could be hired temporarily to prepare the budget and fi-nancial records for a major membership meeting.

Expenses for regu-•lar activists. Some larger locals pay their work-site representatives a monthly stipend, contingent on their attendance at monthly building rep meetings and/or their performance of defined duties. This may tug at the volunteer ethic, but it often works. You may want to pay the members of your negotiating team and your area coordinators a small stipend to defray their ex-penses and to compensate for the long hours spent preparing for and partici-pating in negotiations.

Part-time jobs.• Many unions will hire one or more members on a part-time basis to moni-tor phone calls and act as problem solvers. These part-time staff often work afternoons, after their nor-mal work hours. The AFT’s organization and field services department offers a formal Membership Ser-vice Specialist assistance program. It has been highly successful, particularly with PSRP locals. Other possibilities for part-time jobs might include griev-ance chair, professional development coordinator or editor of the local union newsletter.

Full-time staff. • At some point, you may need to hire full-time staff. If your local can only afford one staff person, it is probably wise to hire the president. In some cases, however, a local may prefer to hire an executive director, an orga-nizer or a grievance handler as its single staff person. Some locals also have an office manger to assist with paperwork, reports and data management. As you consider your op-tions, keep in mind that the strength of the local is in the commitment

and involvement of your members. Actively seek membership involvement in all union activities. Staff should supplement vol-unteer efforts, not replace them, and any money paid to volunteers should be regarded as a stipend or expenses, not as wages. Also, making a staff struc-ture work requires that the president (or someone else with this designated authority) supervise them well and provide them with the training and educa-tion they need to perform effectively. If you pay salaries to staff or stipends to officers, you must pay payroll taxes, deduct the appropriate withholdings and report all stipends to the Inter-nal Revenue Service. Get advice from a qualified accountant regarding your recordkeeping and report-ing responsibilities. Finally, when the union acts as employer, it must abide by all laws regulating employment practices and maintain a work environ-ment that is free of dis-crimination or bias. Seek out training and counsel in the myriad considerations

CHAPTER 6 | PAGE 10

in personnel management, including those related to hiring, evaluation and discipline.

Treasurer’s dutiesThe treasurer administers the finances of the union. He or she has direct, fidu-ciary responsibility for col-lecting and expending the members’ dues honestly and competently. This is probably the position of greatest trust within the union, requiring a person with integrity and honesty and who is willing to take on a serious responsibil-ity. Members entrust the union with their money; it’s the treasurer’s job to ensure that this trust is not violated. He or she must keep scrupulously accurate financial records—both to ensure the integrity of the union accounts and to fa-cilitate the union’s budget-making process. The duties of the treasurer include:

Filing the necessary re-•ports with the IRS, includ-ing a Form 990 if the local is above a certain size;

Filing LM-1 and LM-2 •reports if necessary. The Labor Department requires all locals with members in the private sector that are represented for purposes of bargaining and grievances,

as well as any state federa-tion that has at least one such local, to file annual LM reports. Larger locals with more than $250,000 in annual revenues are required to file the LM-2 report. Smaller locals must file the shorter LM-3. Contact AFT’s legal depart-ment if you are not sure if your union needs to file LM reports;

Paying per capita dues •to the AFT, the state federa-tion, the state AFL-CIO and your central labor council;

Making a regular report •at representative assem-blies/membership meet-ings and making an annual financial report available to the membership;

Serving as a co-signato-•ry with the president on all financial instruments and checks for the local;

Preparing a budget and •working to make sure that the union lives within the budget; and

Ensuring that financial •records are audited every year by an outside audi-tor or an audit committee and providing a copy of the audit to the AFT (in compliance with the AFT constitution).

Establishing a budget. The treasurer should work with the president and other of-ficers to establish a budget and work to ensure that the union lives within the bud-get. In developing a budget proposal, the treasurer should first look at the union’s strategic plan and make recommendations for expenditures based on the resources needed to achieve the plan’s goals. Review financial records from previous years to de-termine the amounts spent for budget line items in the past. Once adopted by the appropriate union body, the budget is the union’s guide for future spend-ing. Any major changes in budget projections should be reviewed and cleared with the appropriate union body.

The secretary’s dutiesThe secretary takes careful minutes that accurately re-cord all actions of member-ship/rep meetings and at executive board meetings. At meetings, the secre-tary should distribute the minutes from the previous meeting and report on any official correspondence the union has received.

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The executive board/committee/ council The constitution outlines the composition and responsibilities of the executive board (some-times known as an execu-tive council or executive committee). The executive board usually includes the president, secretary, treasurer (in some locals the latter two positions are combined) and a num-ber of vice presidents or at-large members. The vice presidents may be elected by the membership at large; each constituency group (i.e., paraprofession-als, high school teachers, a certain state agency); by discipline or work sites; or by region. Sometimes vice presidents have mandated responsibilities; the first vice president may be responsible for member-ship, for example, and the second vice president for political action. In most locals, the ex-ecutive board meets more frequently (usually once or twice a month) and is empowered to act on be-half of members between the regular membership or delegate meetings. Some constitutions allow the

executive board to act on anything except constitu-tional amendments. Other constitutions may reserve certain matters for the membership. Most often, the executive board will conduct the most substantive discus-sions of union policies and plans. Following these discussions, the execu-tive board will normally make policy, program and budget recommendations to the membership. Being able to work well with your executive board is key to running an effective, pro-ductive local.

Responsibilities of the ex-ecutive board. No matter how the executive board is composed and its responsi-bilities defined, don’t place too much emphasis on the “executive” part of being a member of this body. A member of the execu-tive board is more a super member than executive. It is important for executive board members to be team players who collectively adopt a “can-do” attitude and are willing to pitch in to get the union’s work done. Individual executive board members should pledge to:

Participate actively in •meetings and board activi-ties and serve willingly on committees when ap-pointed;

Keep informed on •issues affecting the mem-bership and the work they perform;

Raise issues of concern •to their constituents;

Consider their role as •that of a “trustee” to ensure the union’s long- term growth, success, security and fiscal integrity;

Assist in political •education and community outreach;

Recognize that the •designated officers should direct the day-to-day operation of the union, such as directing staff and overseeing finances, subject to the direction and approval of the board when it is meeting a legally called session;

Respect and support •the majority decisions of the board;

Declare when conflicts •of interest occur and ab-stain from voting in those circumstances; and

Refrain from criticizing •fellow board members, dis-cussing confidential pro-ceedings outside of board meetings or interfering in the duties of the officers.

CHAPTER 6 | PAGE 12

Establishing union committeesThe union constitution may set up standing committees (permanent committees with ongoing responsibili-ties) to carry out a variety of functions. The constitu-tion may mandate who chairs these committees or the president may appoint a chair. In most cases, the president, the committee chair or both will choose the committee’s members. Temporary, ad hoc com-mittees can be set up at any time by motion of the ex-ecutive board or initiative of the president to address specific problems, tasks or issues. Committee chairs should be directly responsible for their committee’s work, but the president remains ultimately responsible. The president may participate “ex-officio” on any commit-tee and should always keep abreast of committee work. At times, the president’s influence is needed to cor-rect a committee’s course, provide guidance or ensure that union goals are met. Like members of the ex-ecutive board, members of committees need to share a strong work ethic and

sense of responsibility for the success of the union. Specifically, they should pledge to:

Attend all meetings and •arrive on time;

Come to meetings pre-•pared to perform the work of the committee;

Participate in the •committee deliberations without monopolizing the debate; and

Remain flexible and •practice the art of compro-mise when it can be done without sacrificing the interests of constituents.

Conducting meetingsWhether your local con-ducts general membership meetings or representative assemblies, the purpose is the same: two-way com-munication between the leadership and the mem-bership. The presiding officer must conduct the meeting fairly and do what is necessary to expedite the meeting’s business. If the president wants to enter the discussion, he/she must relinquish the chair. Procedural deci-sions (known as “decisions of the chair”) are subject to challenge and can be overturned by a major-ity vote. To expedite the

meeting’s business, most constitutions specify that Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised (or another set of generally accepted rules) should be used. You are then bound to run the meeting by those rules unless there are specific exceptions in the constitu-tion and bylaws. The rules are designed to facilitate a smooth, democratic meet-ing; they should not be misused to stifle debate or promote a particular point of view. Some locals des-ignate a parliamentarian for meetings to point out if rules are being violated and to resolve procedural disputes. Be wary of relaxing the rules to allow informal dis-cussion; it may be difficult to revert to the rules if a controversial issue is raised or if the discussion gets out of hand. At any meet-ing where legally binding votes are taken, be sure the secretary takes accurate minutes. These minutes may have legal significance if a dispute arises. It is important to develop a plan for soliciting mem-ber attendance. Notify members of the meeting schedule (several times)

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and convey the importance of the meeting and what will be discussed. Many locals provide child care during the meeting to make it easier for members to attend. Some locals even provide food.

The meeting agenda. The general requirements for a meeting agenda are listed below. You should consider bringing in an interesting speaker or holding a train-ing program that addresses a workplace concern; these can increase attendance at a meeting. It also is impor-tant to have a social aspect to some meetings. Mem-bers should be notified of meetings well in advance of the date.

The secretary’s report. The minutes of the previous meeting should be distrib-uted. After additions or corrections are made from the floor, the minutes as a whole are approved by a vote. If there is a disagree-ment about the accuracy of the minutes, the issue may be decided by major-ity vote.

The treasurer’s report. The treasurer accounts for the expenditure of all union money during the previ-

ous period and should be prepared to answer any questions regarding spe-cific expenditures.

The president’s report. This is the time and place for the president to report on the union’s programs and activities and to inform members/delegates of important issues at the local, state and national levels. Normally, no votes are taken at this point on the agenda.

Officers’ reports. Other officers can make reports if appropriate.

Committee reports. Com-mittees can report on their progress and plans.

Old business. A previ-ous discussion can be continued or specific old business can be taken up. For example, a previously tabled motion can be re-considered, or an amend-ment that requires two successful passages can be considered.

New business. In some cases, the executive com-mittee or the president may be authorized to place specific issues at the top of the new business agenda.

Otherwise, any motion that receives a second is in order. This is where you should bring up new issues that require a membership vote.

Good and welfare. Under good and welfare, mem-bers may inform the chair and their colleagues of any issue they deem relevant.

Your local is required to have a constitution and to file it with the AFT secretary-trea-surer.

The constitution estab-lishes the framework for electing union leaders and making union policy. If your local does not have a constitution, consult with other locals, your state fed-eration or the AFT for help and advice in developing one. If your local already has a constitution, review it on a regular basis to ensure that the union is abiding by its constitution and that it meets the current needs of the union. Your constitution should spell out your local’s governance structure (i.e., through a general membership meeting or a delegate assembly); the titles and duties of officers; the titles and responsibili-ties of standing commit-tees; the terms of officers and the rules governing their election; the criteria for membership and, if there is more than one type of membership, the rights that flow from that mem-bership; the frequency of executive board, gen-eral membership and/or

delegate assembly meet-ings; the rules governing meetings if different from Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised; and the procedures for amending the constitution. Consider which rules you want in the constitution, where a two-thirds vote and advance notice is normally needed for amendment, and those you want in the bylaws, which normally require only a majority vote to amend. Most locals put meeting rules and dues provisions in the bylaws. The constitution and bylaws must be approved by the membership.

Elements of the constitutionIn writing a constitution, your goal should be to create workable, fair and efficient procedures that promote good communi-cation between the union and its members and allow members to participate smoothly and effectively in policymaking. The follow-ing is a framework to guide the development of your constitution, if you don’t already have one, or to help you evaluate your current constitution.

ARTICLE I—NAMEThis article provides the of-ficial name of the organiza-tion and local number. If your local is a bargaining local, your official name should correspond with the name on the bargaining agent certification and the name in the recognition clause of your contract.

ARTICLE II—OBJECTIVESThis lists the purposes, goals and objectives of the local union. This could include:

To bring members •together for mutual assis-tance and cooperation;

To promote the welfare •of the membership;

To promote improve-•ment in the standards of the profession;

To promote the welfare •of the community served by the membership; and

To promote a close •relationship and mutual cooperation with the labor community.

ARTICLE III— MEMBERSHIPThis provides the criteria for membership in the union and also states which categories of em-ployees are excluded from membership. It may:

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Your union constitution

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List those employees •who are eligible for mem-bership;

List supervisory or man-•agement personnel who are ineligible for membership;

Provide a statement of •nondiscrimination toward members and applicants; and

Provide for removal of •members after due process.

NOTE: If the union is the collective bargaining agent, removal of an employee category from membership should only be done after legal consultation.

ARTICLE IV—OFFICERSThis usually provides a listing of the officers of the union and any criteria for holding office.

ARTICLE V— OFFICERS’ DUTIESThis outlines the duties and responsibilities of the officers. For example, the president should:

Preside at all member-•ship meetings and execu-tive board meetings;

Serve as an ex-officio •member of all standing committees, except the audit committee and elec-tions committee;

Serve as a co-signatory •with the treasurer on all

financial investments and accounts controlled by the union; and

Make reports to the •membership on the status of the union.

The vice president should: Perform the duties of the •

president in the absence of that officer; and

Serve as the chair for cer-•tain standing committees.

The treasurer should:Keep all financial •

records of the organiza-tion and make a periodic report of such records to the membership and the executive board;

Chair the budget com-•mittee;

Be responsible for •the proper receipt and disbursement of union funds, as authorized by the adopted budget; and

Keep all membership •records.

The secretary should:Keep minutes at all of-•

ficial meetings;Issue all notices and •

handle correspondence at the direction of the presi-dent;

Be custodian of the seal •and charter of the union;

Record the minutes of •membership and executive board meetings; and

Keep all nonfinancial •records of the organization.

ARTICLE VI—ELECTIONSThis outlines the specific nomination and election procedures of the union. It should include:

Notification of nomi-•nation and election to all members;

Secret ballot election of •all officers and executive board members;

Criteria for determining •the margin necessary to win an election;

The date that winning •candidates take office;

Special elections to •fill vacancies or language stating that vacancies will be filled by the president or executive board;

Recall or impeachment •procedures;

Notification of mem-•bership and affiliates when there is a change in officers; and

Terms of office that are •no more than three years (four years maximum by law), or less if required by applicable state or federal law.

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ARTICLE VII— COMMITTEESThis lists the standing com-mittees of the union and provides for the creation of special ad hoc committees. In addition, this article should explain how com-mittee members are se-lected (appointed? elected? by whom?); state that the treasurer shall chair the budget committee; and state that no officers shall serve on the audit or elec-tion committees.

ARTICLE VIII—THE EXECUTIVE BOARDThis deals with the power and duties of the executive board of the union. The executive board may also be known as the executive council or the executive committee. If your union is governed through a repre-sentative assembly, include guidelines for that as well. This article should include:

The composition of the •executive board;

The role of the executive •board in administering the policies of the union;

Emergency power to act •where policy cannot be set by the membership;

The setting of executive •board meetings;

The power to make con-•tracts and incur liabilities

appropriate to the accom-plishment of its purposes; and

A reporting of execu-•tive board activities to the membership.

ARTICLE IX— AFFILIATIONSThis provides a statement of affiliation with the state and national AFT and with the local and state AFL-CIO. This article should also include provisions for selecting and sending delegates to each affiliate convention and/or meet-ing in accordance with the constitutions of these organizations. These del-egates should be members in good standing, and there should be requirements for their reporting to the executive board.

ARTICLE X—MEETINGSThis outlines the frequency of membership meetings, who can call such meet-ings and the criteria for a quorum (the minimum number of members that must be present for the meeting to be an official proceeding).

ARTICLE XI—FINANCEThis sets the dues for the union and deals with any other financial affairs. Fi-

nancial affairs that are like-ly to change frequently may be included in the bylaws, which are normally easier to change. This article should establish a “pass-through” dues structure as required by the AFT consti-tution (a provision that lo-cal dues are automatically increased as the local’s per capita payments to the AFT and the AFT state federa-tion are increased), as well as procedures for changing the dues.

ARTICLE XII— RULES OF ORDERMost constitutions estab-lish that Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern in all cases not covered by the constitution or the bylaws of the local union.

ARTICLE XIII— AMENDMENTThis establishes the pro-cedure for amending the constitution, including which union body (i.e., the executive committee or full membership) votes on amendments and whether a simple majority or a two-thirds vote is necessary.

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ARTICLE XIV— AVAILABILITY OF CONSTITUTIONThis outlines who shall receive copies and amend-ments of the constitution and bylaws. Usually copies are made available to membership and to affili-ated organizations. Under the AFT constitution, the local is required to keep a current copy of its consti-tution and bylaws on file with the AFT secretary-treasurer.

Bylaws The bylaws of the local union are rules that usually are easier to change than provisions of the consti-tution. Modification or amendment of the bylaws normally is accomplished by majority vote rather than the two-thirds or three-quarters that may be necessary to amend the constitution. Articles and sections of the bylaws may be set up in the same fash-ion as the constitution. The bylaws can outline addi-tional procedures, duties or methods of operation, but anything provided for in the constitution should not be repeated in the bylaws.

The AFT constitution establishes relatively few—but very impor-tant—mandates for local unions to ensure that affiliates and their members remain in good standing.

Nondiscrimination policy (Article III, Section 11). Each local is required to maintain nondiscrimina-tion policies and may not discriminate with regard to the race, creed, sex, social, political, economic status or national origin of its members.

Supervisory membership (Article III, Section 12). Locals are barred from admitting into or retaining in membership any nonteaching person who holds the position of principal or any higher position. Locals that represent persons who are not teachers should consult with the AFT legal department before admitting supervisors or managers as members. Where the exclusion of such supervisory members would legally bar a local from achieving exclusive representation for classroom teachers, the

AFT executive council may make an exception to this provision.

Affiliation with AFT state federations (Article XI, Section 2). Each local must affiliate with its state fed-eration and maintain good standing by paying state federation dues.

Affiliation with state and local AFL-CIO bodies (Article XI, Section 3). Each local must maintain affilia-tion in good standing with the state AFL-CIO and the local central labor body.

Timely payment of per capita dues (Article IX, Sections 4 and 5). AFT per capita dues must be paid by the 15th of the month for the preceding month. Failure to pay per capita for a three-month period places a local in bad standing. Per capita must be paid through the two months preceding the convention date to partici-pate in the AFT convention. Locals are also required each month to report mem-bers in good standing to the AFT (Article IX, Section 4). In addition, Article VIII, Sec-tion 1 (b) and (c) of the AFT bylaws outlines the proce-dures for notice, challenge and rebates for agency fee payers.

Election of delegates to the AFT convention according to Landrum-Griffin regulations (Article VIII, Section 1 (a)). Each lo-cal that sends delegates to the AFT convention must follow the rules outlined in the Landrum-Griffin Act (also known as the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act). This means that any member of the local in good standing may run for election, and all members must receive at least 15 days’ notice of the date, time and place of election of delegates. Members must receive at least 15 days’ notice of the procedures for nomina-tions. Contested elections must be by secret ballot, and ballots and election records should be kept for one year after the election.

Copy of local constitu-tions on file with the AFT (Article IV, Section 5). Each local must file a copy of its constitution and bylaws with the AFT secretary-treasurer and forward any changes in its constitu-tion to the same office. The provisions of the local constitution must not be in conflict with the AFT constitution.

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AFT constitutional mandates

failure to pay per capita for a three-month period places a local in bad standing.

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Dues pass-through (Article IV, Section 6). Each local must have a mechanism wherein dues are auto-matically increased when national AFT per capita dues are increased.

Financial audits (Bylaws, Article IX, Sections 1 and 2). Each affiliate with 1,000 or more members must have its financial records audited at least once a year by an independent CPA according to gener-ally accepted accounting principles. At least once a year, locals with fewer than 1,000 members must conduct either an audit as described above or a finan-cial review by an internal audit committee in accor-dance with AFT guidelines for audit committees. The audit or financial review must contain a certification that it was submitted to the AFT, the membership and the affiliate’s governing body.

Election of officers (Article IV, Section 5). Conduct-ing the election of union officers shall be consistent with the standards de-veloped under Title IV of Landrum-Griffin. Terms of office shall not exceed four years, or fewer if required

by applicable state or federal laws. (If your local represents any private sector worker, the terms of office cannot exceed three years.)

Good standing (Bylaws, Article X, Sections 1 and 2). Affiliates in good standing in the AFT are entitled to:

Send delegates to the •AFT convention;

Participate in the AFT •Occupational Liability program;

Submit requests for •coverage under the AFT Militancy/Defense Fund; and

Participate in programs •that include staff and fi-nancial assistance from the AFT.

For an affiliate to be in good standing with the AFT it must:

Pay applicable per •capita on all members to the AFT and the state federation, with arrears not to exceed two months for the AFT;

Submit an annual fi-•nancial audit or, where ap-plicable, financial review;

Submit current names •and addresses of the principal executive and financial officers;

Submit current names •and addresses of the af-filiate’s executive board members;

Submit a current mem-•bership roster; and

Remain current in •submission of the affiliate’s constitution.

Any union with more than a handful of members, especially one that acts as the bargaining agent, needs an office.

An office is a mark of stability and permanence. It allows the union to establish a presence, and it gives members a place to bring their concerns and questions without having to intrude on an officer’s personal time and space.

The office need not be elaborate; rented space or space shared with another union or a compatible business or organization can be sufficient. Some unions have purchased a building. If you plan to do this, obtain legal advice regarding the proper form of ownership and make sure that you protect your investment with compe-tent, regular maintenance.

The union office certainly will need basic equip-ment—telephone, answer-ing machine, desk, file cabinet, computer, printer, fax machine, copier, etc. Once again, the quan-tity and sophistication of your office needs will vary with the size of your local union, its resources and the demands placed upon it. Whatever your needs, consider all of the options before you buy or lease equipment or space.

If your union does not need an office, consider es-tablishing a post office box where union mail can be sent. If you conduct union business out of someone’s home, either install a separate phone line paid for by the union or have the union reimburse union-related telephone expenses billed to a personal phone. You may want to purchase a telephone answering machine. Office or no office, every union needs recordkeep-ing systems to save untold hours of frustration. It’s essential that your local union keep accurate and up-to-date membership information. AFT requests that locals use Membership Suite or Membership Lite or submit electronic files of members on a regular basis. Keeping accurate records on dues collection and payment of per capita dues is also essential. You also need an effective in-ternal mailing system and a grievance tracking system that monitors contractual timelines and allows you to retrieve substantive griev-ance information.

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Establishing an office and keeping records

it’s essential that your local union keep accurate and up-to-date membership information.

Members are willing to pay their fair share of union expenses if they feel the union is representing their interests.

Dues must be high enough to fund a quality union program. Union leaders often invite difficulty by setting dues too low; they then have to cut corners and are unable to meet membership needs. This results in frustrated mem-bers who register their displeasure by voting down needed dues increases or even dropping their union membership. On the other hand, if the union has an effective pro-gram or shows a willing-ness to establish one, and if it can clearly defend the cost of the program, your members will support the union. They understand that the costs of obtaining legal counsel, conducting arbitrations, maintaining a presence in the commu-nity, renting and equipping the office and providing staff and other services to help members are neces-sary for a union to function properly.

Union dues and the pro-cedures for changing them are usually established in the constitution or bylaws. Depending on your consti-tution, dues changes may be enacted at a member-ship meeting, a representa-tive assembly or through a referendum. In some cases, they are established by a two-thirds vote of those voting. In other cases, dues may be set by a simple majority on a second pas-sage (i.e., the motion to raise dues is made at one meeting and passed at the subsequent meeting). Most constitutions require that members receive advance notice of any proposed dues increase. Locals with private-sector members must conduct votes on dues by secret ballot; most public-sector locals follow this practice also. Whatever the proce-dure for setting dues, the process should be reason-able and open, with plenty of advance notice and op-portunity for discussion.

Setting dues

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Your union’s budget should be determined by its program.

Local leaders should work with their members to set goals and objectives for the union, then develop a budget that can support achieving these goals. Once this process is under way, someone has to figure out the numbers. Most constitutions say who is responsible for preparing the budget and which body (executive board or general membership) has the au-thority to adopt and amend the budget. The constitu-tion may also define the fiscal year. The fiscal year is the ac-counting year for the local. If the fiscal year is not defined in the constitu-tion, you may choose any 12-month period unless you have previously filed Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service. If you have previously filed Form 990, you must continue to use the fiscal year under which you filed that report until you receive written permission from the IRS to change your fiscal year. To change the fiscal year, ap-ply to the IRS using Form 1128.

Most constitutions assign the duty of preparing the budget to the treasurer or to a budget committee chaired by the treasurer. If the budget is the sole re-sponsibility of the treasur-er, consider appointing a budget committee to work with him or her. Doing so may bring some fresh ideas to the budgeting process for your local. It will also involve more people in the activities of the local, and people who are involved tend to be more enthu-siastic about the union. However the budget is prepared, make sure that those involved understand the union’s strategic plan (see Chapter 5) and have budgeted accordingly. The constitution usu-ally specifies whether the budget is to be approved by the executive board or the general member-ship. If your constitution is silent on the approval of the budget, your local will have to decide which of those two bodies has that power. While the size of the local is a factor, executive board approval gener-ally provides for a more streamlined operation. Re-gardless of who approves the budget, it should be

clear that the local officers have the authority to spend money within the parame-ters of that budget. Officers should not have to bring every expenditure to the approving body for autho-rization. Expenditures that cannot be made within the budget, however, must be approved by the body that adopts the budget. The treasurer should pre-pare comparative finan-cial statements each time that he or she is required to make a report. These reports should show the budgeted amount for each category, the amount spent to date in each category and the budget balance in each category. Throughout the year, based upon these reports, the body that ap-proves the budget initially has the authority to make changes in the budget as needed.

Preparing the budgetIn preparing the budget, you should strive toward assembling useful, ac-curate information. If this is your first attempt at preparing a budget, you may find that some of your underlying assumptions were invalid and that you

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Developing a budget

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will be frequently revising the budget throughout the year. As you gain experi-ence in budgeting and have prior years’ records to guide you, your expec-tations will be more on target. As you prepare your bud-get, keep a record of all of your calculations showing how you arrived at your budget figures. Save this worksheet so that you can answer questions about your figures. The work-sheet, as well as those that you create when amend-ing your budget during the year, will also be useful when preparing next year’s budget. After you have completed the budget worksheet and are satisfied with the budget figures, prepare a formal copy of the pro-posed budget to present to those who are responsible for adopting the budget.

Predicting incomeThe bulk of income is derived from membership dues and may be difficult to predict. Some local unions are in periods of fast growth, some locals are fairly stable and others are faced with declining

membership. Consider using the “worst pos-sible scenario” in making membership predictions. If events turn out better than conservative predictions, you can revise the budget later to accommodate the increased revenues. It’s an easier, more pleasant task than having to make cuts in expenditures because revenues are lower than projected. Include other income from all sources that can be identified: fundrais-ing activities, interest on savings and investments, newspaper or newsletter advertising revenue, etc. Do not include income that cannot be accurately pre-dicted, and certainly do not include unrealistic income for the sole purpose of balancing the budget.

Planning expendituresThe most accurate way to plan expenditures is to first decide which services and activities you want to provide and then deter-mine how much each of those will cost. Do this initially without regard to how much income is available to support your activities. In determining

the costs of your activities, don’t just “guesstimate.” Instead, break the activ-ity into component parts and assign costs for each of these as accurately as possible. If appropriate, seek assistance or advice from providers of related products and services. Basically, you will encoun-ter four different types of expenditures:

Those that are required •by law, such as taxes;

Those that are required •by local constitution, such as affiliation fees;

Those that are required •by contracts, such as leas-es, equipment rentals and employment contracts; and

Those that are associat-•ed with the local program. All of these expenditures are, at some point, deter-mined by the local. Some of them are fixed, and there is little that you can do to control them, although it does make it easier to bud-get for them. After determining the cost of each individual pro-gram, list them together and come up with a total cost. This amount is then compared to your total income.

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At this point, you will have one of three pos-sible outcomes: A surplus of income over expendi-tures, a balanced budget or a deficit. If you have a surplus, you can decide to bank it for future use or to expand your local’s programs. If you have a deficit, you must decide which activities must be reduced or eliminated or you must determine where the additional funds will come from to support your programs. It is primarily those items in the last bullet—those associated with the local program—that should concern you now, because those are the costs over which you have the most control. Because you en-gaged in detailed calcula-tions earlier (rather than “guesstimates”), you are prepared to make informed decisions about where to make budget cuts. For in-stance, because you know the cost of your newsletter in each of its alternative formats, you can decide to reduce the size of each issue or reduce the number of issues, depending upon the amount of money that you need to eliminate from the budget.

Preparing the budget involves a great deal of work (another reason for having a budget committee to share the burden). The experience that you gain in preparing your budget will make each budget easier in the following years. The work that you put into planning a budget can also eliminate later operating problems.

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The AFT + Member Benefits program is committed to provid-ing reliable services and financial protec-tion to AFT members and their families.

In places where there is no union security provi-sion and the union must compete for members, the ability to offer an extensive package of “members-on-ly” benefits is a big advan-tage for the union. Member benefits are concrete and easy to explain. Because they are available to mem-bers only, they provide a real incentive to join—and stay in—the union.

As in all union programs, diversity is the key to suc-cess. The needs and inter-ests of your members vary widely, and the union’s package of benefits should be sufficiently broad to provide something for everyone.

Building a benefits packageYour benefits package should incorporate the AFT + Member Benefits that come automatically with AFT membership: options for group insur-ance plans; no-annual-fee credit cards; mortgage programs; discounts on prescriptions, magazine subscriptions, hotels, car rentals and group travel packages; and many AFT publications, pamphlets and workshops. Members can access these benefits through the members-only section of the AFT Web site (www.aft.org). In addi-tion, your benefits package should include discounts your local has negotiated with area merchants (auto repair shops, tire shops, of-fice supply stores, restau-rants, clothing stores, etc.) and from area profession-als (dentists, optometrists, counselors, lawyers, estate planners, etc.).

The task of putting together a member benefits pack-age should be delegated to a volunteer or to the chairperson of your lo-cal’s economic services/member benefits com-mittee. Whoever develops the package should allow plenty of lead time.

Member benefits

Members can access these benefits through the members-only section of the afT Web site (www.aft.org).

The greater our numbers, the stronger our voice.

This is the basic premise of a union. In keeping with this philosophy, your local is affiliated with the AFT at the state and national level (unless the state has no federation) and with the AFL-CIO at the local, state and national levels.

American Federation of TeachersFounded in 1916, the AFT represents 1.4 million teachers, school-related personnel, early child-hood educators and child care providers, health-care professionals, higher education faculty and staff, and federal, state and local government employees. It helps elect candidates who support our issues. It lob-bies in Washington, D.C., for important legislation and provides assistance in organizing, legal defense and leadership train-ing. The AFT helps locals that are in crisis, works to strengthen state federa-tions, provides member-ship benefits and dissemi-nates helpful information on a variety of professional and union issues through workshops and conferenc-

es, newspapers, magazines, brochures, manuals and electronic media. The AFT is consistently in the fore-front of national discus-sions about many profes-sional issues. Locals participate in the governance of AFT by electing delegates to a biennial convention. Between conventions, the AFT is governed by the AFT executive council, which is elected by delegates to the convention. Information about AFT conventions and delegate selection is disseminated in the mail and through electronic communications. For more information, contact the AFT secretary-treasurer’s office.

AFT state federationsIn most states, AFT locals have joined together in a state federation. State federations are usually responsible for represent-ing member interests in the state legislature and assist locals with political action, public relations, leader-ship training, professional development, negotiations and membership services. Most state affiliates hold annual conventions at-

tended by local delegates. State per capita dues are usually determined at the convention. Policy and the range of programs and services are usually determined in part at the convention and in part at more frequent executive council meetings.

AFL-CIOSince the Working Men’s Party called for free public schools in its platform of 1828, organized labor has been the most outspoken advocate of public educa-tion and social welfare in the country. The AFL-CIO is not a union but an organization of unions. It has no authority to set policy for its affili-ates; instead, it serves as a resource for its affiliates. The AFL-CIO focuses on lobbying, political action, organizing support and research—areas where combined effort can pay off handsomely. Through the Union Privilege program, the AFL-CIO also provides affiliates with a variety of member benefits and discount packages that are offered to union members across the country.

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Union affiliations

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Through the AFL-CIO, national unions join to influence Congress and state legislatures on issues that affect all working people. Collective bar-gaining rights, child labor, healthcare and pension rights and funding for public services are just a few issues that the AFL-CIO has championed over the years.

The AFL-CIO state fed-eration. Each state has an AFL-CIO state federation that helps coordinate the activities of all labor unions in their state. Generally, the state AFL-CIO concen-trates on legislative, regula-tory and political issues as well as media and com-munity outreach. The state federation often may also offer leadership training for union activists in the state.

The AFL-CIO central body. Often known as a central labor council or central labor union, this is a vol-untary federation of all the labor unions in a particular region. It is an arm of the AFL-CIO and is usu-ally most concerned with politics and community services and with offering assistance and support to locals in need.

The AFT constitution requires that all AFT locals affiliate with the AFL-CIO central body in their region as well as with their state AFL-CIO. Affiliation with the AFL-CIO is not just a matter of paying per capita dues, however; participa-tion is extremely impor-tant. A local president should ensure that the union is well-represented in meetings of the central labor council and conven-tions of the state federa-tion. Consider running for office in these bodies and help other unions when they need it. If your local is to have influence on AFL-CIO policy or be able to count on the AFL-CIO in times of need, begin build-ing relationships now with the leaders of the unions that make up your region’s AFL-CIO.

One of the greatest untapped resources of the union is its re-tired members.

Retired employees often want to keep up with the people and issues with whom they have spent their working lives. Re-tirees can be a valuable resource in helping to build the union. They are often among the most politi-cally active members of a local; they can staff phone banks, canvass door-to-door and help in other ways. The retirees chapter can also help develop a legislative program for the union on issues like pension improvements, healthcare and affordable transportation and housing for the elderly. The chapter

should also organize social activities like day trips, card games and hobby clubs. AFT retirees automatically remain members of the na-tional union; chapters may choose to charge chapter dues. For assistance or to order a special pamphlet on organizing retirees, contact the AFT Retirees program.

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Organizing a retirees chapter

retirees can be a valuable resource in helping to build the union.

7 Collective bargaining and contract administration

Contract negotiations

Developing a contract campaign

Administering the contract

Bargaining checklist

CHAPTER 7 | PAGE 1

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Assuming that your local is in a state that allows for collective bargaining rights, your local union will devote substantial re-sources to negotiating and implementing a collective bargaining agreement.

This is only natural, since making good the promise of collective bargaining is the central mission of any union. The local’s of-ficers have a responsibility to ensure that members secure the best possible economic and professional conditions. The contract provides a structure to help achieve these goals. While the bargaining process is a collective endeavor that requires division of labor, the local leader’s role is pivotal to success. The leader ensures that all members have a strong voice in developing proposals; provides oppor-tunities for members to be involved in efforts to secure the best possible contract; sets the tone and direction for the bargaining team; and may well serve as a member of the bargaining committee.

Keep in mind that suc-cess at the bargaining table comes from having the power to move your agenda. The foundation for that power is an active union membership. That means having an effec-tive, prepared bargaining team backed up by a well-thought-out and executed contract campaign that engages members in sup-port of the team.

Preparing for bargainingIn the negotiations process, the parties must prepare their demands, meet in a timely fashion to consider the proposals presented and bargain in good faith until an agreement is reached or impasse occurs. Once the parties have reached an agreement, the agreed-to contract language is drafted into final language, signed by both parties and presented to the members and to management for ratifica-tion and adoption. It then becomes a legally binding obligation of the parties on the terms and conditions of work. In negotiations, both sides may pursue whatever strategy and tactics seem

appropriate as long as they meet the test of bargain-ing in good faith. When the process works well, the talks lead to an agreement. When the process malfunc-tions or positions become hardened, the parties may declare an impasse. Various forms of impasse resolution may include mediation, fact-finding, arbitration or, sometimes, a strike. Unions gener-ally must provide notice of their intentions during impasse and follow the no-tice with efforts to educate and inform the employer and the public about their positions and concerns.

Know your bargaining law. Most AFT locals oper-ate under state laws. Some, however, particularly healthcare locals, fall under the National Labor Rela-tions Act. State bargaining laws vary widely, and they greatly affect your rights and obligations in bargain-ing. Before you enter nego-tiations, understand your state law and be certain your leadership team com-plies with its terms. Insist that your rights under the law are met as well and that management also complies with the law.

Contract Negotiations

Keep in mind that success at the bargaining table comes from having the power to move your agenda.

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Some states prohibit pub-lic-sector bargaining; some permit public employees to bargain but prohibit them from striking; some grant employees all the rights granted to private-sector employees; and some have no bargaining law at all but allow public employees to engage in bargaining at the discretion of a govern-ing body, such as a school board. Some states have “meet-and-confer” laws that require management to “consult” with the union but don’t require or permit formal negotiations. In recent years, governors in several states have signed executive orders granting limited collective bargain-ing rights to state em-ployees and other public workers. These executive orders vary greatly in terms of the rights granted to affected workers and can be easily overturned by the next governor. States that authorize bar-gaining typically stipulate general timelines and procedures for bargaining and for resolving impasses. Knowing the details of the impasse procedures mandated by the state is an important part of your bargaining strategy.

In some cases, public em-ployee unions can negoti-ate any issue they deem important; in other states the “scope of bargaining” is legally defined, and unions may be prohibited from negotiating professional is-sues and other matters not strictly related to “wages, hours and terms and con-ditions of employment.” Many locals negotiate professional issues and other matters even if their state law limits the scope. However, even in these circumstances, a union may be able to negotiate changes in policies, proce-dures or other professional issues. If your state has no law and is contemplat-ing one, lobby for a law with the broadest scope of bargaining that covers the full range of wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment, as well as professional interests. For those states without a law, remember that having no law at all may be better than having a bad law that is punitive or ineffective. Before taking a position on a state bargaining law, study it carefully and consult with your state federation and AFT staff.

The AFT’s organization and field services department, as well as the legislative and research departments, are all good sources of informa-tion on bargaining laws.

If your state has no bar-gaining law, you still may be able to negotiate, and you should certainly try to. In states without laws, AFT affiliates have secured bargaining rights through a combination of political pressure and persistent displays of collective strength. Your state federation or the AFT’s national office can help interpret your state’s bargaining law, provide advice about bargaining under NLRA rules or oth-erwise assist in your effort to bargain. Questions on representation rights and elections are often directed to the union’s department of organization and field services. Those with bar-gaining language questions can find resources in the AFT research and informa-tion services department and the AFT’s Center for Collective Bargaining Web site. The AFT legal depart-ment can help with inter-pretations of statutes, and our legislative department

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can help with drafting statutes and amendments, as well as providing advice on the legislative process to achieve a bargaining law.

Selecting a team. Ne-gotiating teams may be designated by your con-stitution; they may be elected or appointed by the president; or the function may be performed by the executive committee itself. A good team will include people who can work effectively together and can articulate the varying interests of your members. When appointing a team, choose well-respected union members who pos-sess self-control and who will understand the need to maintain discipline and orderly procedures when confronting the other side; negotiations are not the place for the hot-headed.

Team members must rec-ognize that their role is to represent members’ inter-ests, not personal feelings or personal issues. Partici-pants need to understand that the process cannot work unless discussions are conducted in a civil and unemotional environment and that criteria used to make decisions are ratio-nal, objective and fair. The

team cannot be effective unless it understands the need for internal discipline.

Ground rules should include whether team members will agree to publicly support a tenta-tive agreement, reached by consensus or majority vote, even if they voted against or otherwise oppose parts of the agreement.

The role of the local lead-ership. The leadership may choose the president to be chief spokesperson in negotiations or may recommend that a team member perform that function. Either way, the leadership has to assume the important roles of um-pire (making sure the rules are followed) and of referee (seeing that all points of view are heard and con-sidered); do whatever is necessary to ensure a fair, reasonable and effective process; and ensure that decisions are based on fair criteria. Throughout the process, maintain the union’s credibility and integrity with all interested parties and make sure the varied interests of all your members have been care-fully considered.

Developing a contract campaign. Good contracts are rarely won at the bar-gaining team. More often they are won as the result of a concerted campaign aimed at putting pressure on the employer to make concessions at the table. Contract campaigns are covered in more detail later in this chapter. In general, however, these types of campaigns usually involve:

Mobilizing the mem-•bership around escalating tactics aimed at pressuring the employer;

Securing support within •the community from influential individuals and organizations that share our concerns;

Engaging work-site •leaders in ongoing efforts to educate and mobilize members and potential members;

Extensive public rela-•tions and public outreach efforts aimed at defining the issues involved in ne-gotiations on terms favor-able to the membership.

Do your homework. Good research is essential to backing up your positions at the bargaining table. The AFT’s Center for Collec-tive Bargaining Web site is a good place to start.

a good team will include people who can work effectively together and can articulate the varying interests of your members.

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This site provides sample contract language from affiliates throughout the country. To find out how to register and access this site, contact Lynne Mingarelli at lmingare@aft.org. The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) can also provide helpful data. BLS prepares statistics on the Employment Cost Index of wages and benefits trends, consumer prices and area wages and publishes other special studies useful to bargainers. An abundance of information is available online at www.bls.gov, including news releases, reports and historical data series.

The AFT publishes infor-mation on salaries at the union’s Web site at www.aft.org; also, at http://www.bls.gov/cpi/home.htm you will find infor-mation on the Consumer Price Index. This index has been used to justify wage increases to keep up with inflation, but in recent years the Employment Cost Index has grown more popular due to its direct relationship to compensa-tion. Inflation can rise and people make consumption adjustments to accommo-date the changes, which weakens the arguments

tied to the CPI alone. A combination of data may provide the best opportu-nity to highlight the needs of members in relative wages and increases to offset elements of the CPI, such as healthcare or energy costs. Additional information on wages is posted at America’s Career Infonet, www.acinet.org.

Comparable salary data for teachers, paraprofessionals and school-related person-nel, state employees and healthcare employees in your state and around the country are available from your state federation or the AFT research and informa-tion services department. In many cases, the AFT or your state federation can also provide information on fringe benefits and impor-tant working conditions. Sometimes state school board associations, state departments of education, hospital associations and state employer associations also compile data. If the employer’s data makes the same point as your own, include it along with your credible sources for a com-plete view of the facts.

Consider enlisting a tech-nically and/or mathemati-cally inclined member to

assist you with the calcula-tions and spreadsheets to cost out your proposals. Someone needs to make these preparations as part of your duty to bargain. You cannot go to the table without knowing the cost of your proposals; going unprepared is a recipe for disaster.

If your proposals will have an impact on educa-tion, healthcare or public services, you are obligated to review the professional literature in that area and become familiar not only with the evidence in your favor but also the con-trary evidence. Anticipate management’s rebuttals and prepare answers using your team as a sounding board. Further hone your argument by role-playing the negotiations with other team members, with the state federation or with colleagues from nearby locals. It helps to hear how your argument sounds and to have your team hear the proposals and contract arguments before they get to the bargaining table.

When discussing local issues, be certain of your facts. Know when, where and how often a certain problem has occurred and

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if necessary be prepared to provide documentation from your records on griev-ances or reports about the issue.

Analyze the employer’s fiscal condition. Try to time your negotiations strate-gically so that they con-clude before the employer finalizes its annual budget. Your ability to time negotia-tions will vary according to statute and tradition, but working towards this goal should be an important part of your strategy.

In any case, thoroughly analyze the employer’s fis-cal situation before enter-ing negotiations. Manage-ment has always used the “closed budget” argument or some variation of the empty-pocket routine to rebuff the union’s eco-nomic demands. Recruit a mathematical volunteer (a member who is a business education teacher, an ac-countant or a treasurer of a community organization, for example) to research and verify the budgetary facts. You can also consult your state federation or the AFT for assistance with budget analysis.

In dealing with a public employer, all the impor-tant information should be contained in public documents. At the very least review the audits for recent years, the budget, any reports filed with the state and all estimates of revenue. Ask about ben-efits such as health insur-ance and find out when changes take effect, what cost increases have been communicated by the un-derwriters or carriers and what, if any, effect these are expected to have for you in the coming year.

In the private sector, it may be possible to learn some-thing about a not-for-profit employer’s budget by re-viewing the employer’s IRS Form 990 or publicly avail-able Medicare documents. Web sites such as Guid-estar.com provide access to the 990 forms and other useful information on not-for-profit groups. The AFT’s research and information services department and AFT Healthcare provide access to hospital data based on Medicare docu-ments but summarized by a private company. If the private-sector employer claims an inability to pay, the National Labor Rela-

tions Act guarantees the union access to additional financial documents, such as audits and other led-gers or account data. The AFT can help on how to organize and understand the data from these docu-ments, or local accountants or attorneys can provide assistance for a fee. The key to analyzing the fiscal conditions is or-ganization and analysis. You will not find bushel baskets sitting around, but by reviewing patterns of estimating revenues and expenditures over time, you will get a sense of the employer’s fiscal capac-ity to meet your demands. Look at several years of revenues and expenditures from the audit. Obtain budgets and use them when you can get actual, not just estimated, data for recent years. From state reports filed by employer, you can obtain informa-tion that is reviewed by the state for accuracy, but look at what is included in the categories you are comparing. Sometimes special definitions exclude items that are incorporated in the budget. The result is fiscal “apples and oranges” that, while useful for a fruit

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salad, won’t help at the bargaining table to bolster your demands. When organizing data, ideally on electronic spreadsheets to minimize errors and maximize efficiency, you can deter-mine the variance in the estimates used for rev-enues and expenditures. If a variance, the differ-ence between budget and actual, recurs over years, it can provide a point of leverage in negotiations. Look at each program area and item, highlighting those that rise to a level of importance based on size or percentage error too large to dismiss as chance. If trends occur, claim the positive advantage for your demands and insist that finances are not the reason for management’s refusal to reach agreement. Share your information with management, be prepared to defend the work and seek agreement on the numbers and methods used to get there. If you can use the analysis to elimi-nate mistrust on how much is available, then you have created an environment for building a settlement.

If you are in the public sec-tor, you also need a clear grasp of the community’s tax structure and its ability to raise revenue. Careful study of revenue sources will help you avoid being trapped by the “inability to pay” response. Call your state federation or the AFT for training and assistance in budget analysis. At the national union, the AFT research and information services department provides in-formation and assistance on fringe benefit surveys; costing out contracts; contract language; budget analysis; revenue and taxa-tion analysis; and statisti-cal databases for state and local governments. Also, the AFT Union Leadership Institute and the research department can provide training in budget analy-sis, contract research and negotiations.

Prepare a public rela-tions strategy. While good public relations are always valuable, it is essential dur-ing negotiations, especially in the public sector. You cannot generate public support with a last-minute offensive; an overnight PR campaign will appear self-serving and rarely will work. The message must go to the public and to your members to be effective.

Start early, long before bar-gaining begins, to develop and maintain a positive public image. Year in, year out, your union should be conscious of its public image. Publicize those union activities that benefit the community or your members’ service projects. (See Chapter 10 for more information.) As negotiations approach, identify union bargaining proposals that will strike a positive chord among the public. These could include proposals on stu-dent discipline, in-service training, healthcare cost containment, the high cost of contracting out, patient load and client load. Don’t hesitate to get the mes-sage out on the need for adequate wages that attract

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and retain workers and provide dignity in labor.

Send speakers to address community meetings about these issues, prepare guest editorials for the local paper and appear on radio and television talk shows. At times, you may even want to take out paid ads. For more information, see Chapter 10, “Effective communications.”

Conducting negotiationsBefore you begin negotia-tions, here are some gen-eral guidelines to consider:

Appoint one person as •the chief spokesperson and invest him or her with the authority to initial tentative agreements. Other team members who have ques-tions or suggestions should write a note to the chief spokesperson and request a caucus. Instruct the team that the agreed-upon spokesperson is the sole communicator at the table unless the chief negotiator defers to a team member.

Appoint one person to •keep careful, dated records of the negotiations and the other side’s responses.

Establish a common •policy of initialing or otherwise acknowledg-

ing those issues that have been tentatively agreed on, pending settlement on a complete package. Keep detailed notes and review before the next session.

If an informal agree-•ment has been made be-tween the parties, reduce it to writing and then sign off. The sign-off can occur dur-ing the bargaining session or at a later negotiations session.

Emphasize that tenta-•tive agreements or specific issues are tentative, pend-ing final agreement.

Work from language •that you have developed yourself.

Negotiate the clearest, •most precise and im-perative language possible (“shall” and “will,” not “may” and “should”). If you can’t negotiate the most precise and desirable lan-guage, carefully scrutinize the compromise language.

Although a few states have “sunshine laws” that require bargaining to be conducted in public, most states let the parties estab-lish their own ground rules for bargaining. The par-ties almost always choose closed bargaining sessions because these are more conducive to focused,

unemotional and objective discussions. In some cases, the parties determine that each side will have only one spokesperson and all discussions will be directed through that spokesper-son. (Regardless of ground rules, you should appoint a single person on your side as spokesperson, as noted above, and invest that per-son with the right to initial tentative agreements.)

Generally, the first session between management and the union is to establish ground rules. These rules will be signed off by both parties and may include rules for preparation of proposals. The parties usually agree on a format for exchanging propos-als and on an order for discussing economic and non-economic issues. Frequently, they will also agree on a common press policy. Know your facts, know your strategy, follow these guidelines, and you should do well.

Impasse. An impasse oc-curs when the parties can make no further progress toward agreement. Some-times a cooling-off period of two or three weeks away from bargaining can clear

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the air and constructive bargaining can resume.

But if your contact expira-tion date is fast approach-ing and a timely settlement seems unlikely, prepare for impasse intervention, a process that is usually mandated when negotia-tions stall. Formal impasse intervention can include mediation, fact-finding, arbitration and/or interest arbitration.

Keep in mind, however, that research has shown that more often than not, unions fare well in media-tion or arbitration.

Mediation. Mediation is one form of intervention that gives both sides a say in shaping the eventual set-tlement. Be cautious, as the goal of the mediator you invite in to your bargaining is to reach an agreement, to get a deal. There are times when a “deal” is not what you want, or what your members need, especially on key issues.

Mediation works best when the mediator is ex-perienced and knowledge-able and when the parties themselves are interested in setting aside emotions

and reaching a settlement. It also helps if you limit the number of issues that you submit; don’t expect the mediator to work through a laundry list.

If you have too many items on the table, you may find the important ones slip away and remaining ones are handed back to you as an intolerably bad deal. A better approach might be to clear out the items that don’t matter, package up the rest and let the media-tor work to get your entire package accepted. Be care-ful when presenting a pack-age, however; sometimes it can box in the union.

In working with a mediator, remember that his or her goal is to get you and man-agement to reach an agree-ment. Try to convince the mediator that your position is more worthy and sub-stantial than management’s and that your team and those you represent are not likely to be moved; this may help the mediator conclude that the road to settlement lies mostly in working to move the other side.

Well-substantiated propos-als supported by data are valuable in arguing your

position in front of the mediator. Tune in to the mediator’s leanings. Be cordial, frank, honest and helpful; disagree firmly when necessary, but try not to be disagreeable. Don’t be taken in by an overly friendly mediator.

As in negotiations, your side should have one spokesperson, and the team should adhere to team discipline.

Arbitration and fact-finding. If mediation fails, many states prescribe fact-finding or, if both union and management agree, binding interest arbitra-tion. In a very few states, binding interest arbitration may be compulsory. The arbitrator’s report is actual-ly a decision, and it is final, binding and enforceable in court. Fact-finding and arbitration are very similar, but they have one big dif-ference: The fact-finder’s report is advisory and has only moral authority.

In most cases, the parties are free to choose which pieces of the report they will accept and which they will reject.

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In some states, fact-finding exists under the guise of “advisory arbitration”; in other states, mediators are empowered to make a pub-lic report if the mediation ends with no settlement. Both situations are similar to fact-finding.

Selecting an arbitrator/fact finder. The parties usually have the chance to choose a mutually acceptable arbitrator or fact-finder. In some cases a panel will be prescribed, in which the parties select their choices and the chosen members select a third neutral.

You may find an arbitra-tor/fact finder through the American Arbitration Association or the Federal Mediation and Concilia-tion Service. Some states offer mediators, arbitrators and fact-finders through their appropriate state an agency, or you may ask as state official—the commis-sioner of labor or educa-tion—to appoint one. If two parties can’t agree, most states prescribe a method of appointment.

If you have a choice, select carefully. A good arbitrator is neutral and detached from the is-

sues and personalities involved; knowledgeable and capable of under-standing the thorny issues; and resourceful enough to craft a solution while maintaining the respect of the parties and the general public. Before selecting an arbitrator or fact-finder, get recommendations and check references with the state federation and other unions. Read previous decisions the arbitrators have written, find out from their resumes where they have worked and check with the parties who have seen them in action. One indicator of an arbitrator’s qualifications is whether he or she is a member of the National Academy of Arbitrators. Due diligence is required here as much as any place in the business of the union.

Preparing for fact-finding/arbitration. As with a me-diator, the union must be forthright and honest with the arbitrator or fact-finder. But in these more formal processes, your factual preparation must be more substantial. Most states have guidelines and stan-dards that arbitrators and fact-finders must follow in their decision-making.

These may include such criteria as management’s ability to pay; compa-rable salaries, fringes and conditions in similar or neighboring communities; cost of living; and the effect a proposal might have on delivery of services. These guidelines provide the framework for your case; use the most specific and valid evidence possible. Know all the facts, and carefully use those that support your case. Arbi-trators and fact-finders should be moved by the quality of your evidence. Don’t forget, however, that they may also be moved by political pressure.

The two sides will present their cases to the arbitrator or fact-finder in a quasi-judicial hearing similar to a grievance arbitration hear-ing. Both sides will be able to present documentary and sworn testimonial evi-dence and will usually have the opportunity to question the other side. Expert wit-nesses may appear and can be used by both parties to make a point. A list of wit-nesses and documents is often known in advance, so preparation may proceed in reviewing what may be presented by the other

a good arbitrator is neutral and detached from the issues and personalities involved.

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party. After the arbitrator or fact-finder has reviewed the material, he or she will issue a decision. In cases where the arbitration is binding, the decision will be final and not subject to legal challenge, except on the narrowest grounds (i.e., if fraud, corruption or abuse is discovered or if the arbitrator exceeded his/her authority). An emerging variation of com-pulsory binding arbitration is “last offer” arbitration. In this case, the arbitrator is required to consider and choose between the final positions of the two par-ties. In some cases, state law requires the choice be made between entire packages of outstanding issues; in others, the choice between the two sides is made item by item. In this type of arbitration, care-fully consider your final proposal. You don’t want to ask for so much that you risk losing everything; on the other hand, there’s no point in winning if you have already given every-thing away. Again, the best settlements for the union are usually gained through negotiations, not media-tion or any other type of impasse procedures.

Ratifying the contractOnce a tentative agreement has been reached with management, your mem-bers need to approve or reject it. Union constitutions often spell out policies and procedures for ratification; if not, workable ratification practices must be estab-lished and must be clearly understood by the member-ship and those nonmem-bers who will be covered by the terms of the agreement, even if they do not get to vote as nonmembers.

There are different routes to ratification. What is important is that the members fully understand the tentative settlement and that they have ample opportunity to voice their opinions. Most locals hold a single meeting where the proposed settlement is both discussed and voted on. Other unions hold a general information meeting and then conduct secret-ballot votes at each work site or by mail. Ad-vance notice of the terms of the agreement should be released shortly after the tentative agreement is reached so that questions can be identified and ad-dressed at the ratification meeting.

Be prepared for the ratifi-cation meeting. It is helpful to figure out the settlement dollar amount as well as percentage over the life of the agreement. Let people know about step increases, if included. Highlight the issues and opposition you faced at the table, as well as goals you sought. Be direct about what was achieved and what was left for an-other time. Pay, benefits, time and assignments are visceral issues, so be cer-tain you have highlighted changes and addressed the scope for those affected. Anticipate issues that may be raised during the meet-ing and be fully prepared. Your work-site leaders, ne-gotiations committee and executive board can alert you to challenges that may arise and the way they feel it should be addressed.

Who gets to ratify? Check your state law. Some states allow unions to permit only members to vote in con-tract ratifications. Others require the union to open participation to all mem-bers of the bargaining unit, whether or not they are members of the union.

If you have a choice, care-fully consider the conse-

The best settlements for the union are usually gained through negotiations, not mediation or any other type of impasse procedures.

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quences of who is allowed to vote. Some nonmembers may owe their allegiance to competing organizations, for example, and may be disruptive. On the other hand, if you exclude non-members, you may fuel a divisive, counterproductive debate. Most importantly, consider the strength of your union and consider the effect your decision will have on that strength.

The ratification meeting. Presiding fairly over a sometimes stormy discus-sion of the tentative agree-ment can be the supreme test of your leadership skills. It is not easy to remain calm and com-posed as the handiwork of your team is criticized, but members do have the right to question and to disagree. Don’t stifle de-bate or ram the settlement through (such a strategy would almost certainly be counterproductive). On the other hand, you shouldn’t be neutral in the debate. Presumably, the negotiat-ing team believes that the tentative agreement is the best possible settlement. Explain to the member-ship how the team arrived at its decision and why it is recommending ratification.

All members of the nego-tiating team should be on hand to speak in support of ratification.

To expedite a fair, smooth meeting, establish ground rules at the beginning and have the membership ap-prove them. Follow Roberts Rules of Order. Consider limiting each speaker to a certain number of minutes or the entire debate to a certain number of hours. Also, establish that no speaker can speak twice until everyone has had a chance to speak once. Some require speakers on both sides of the issue be heard, or at least that the opportunity is offered. Explain how the vote will be taken, what the proce-dure will be if the chair is not clear, and be prepared for every step of ratifica-tion, up to and including sergeants-at-arms to assist with a division of the house or ballots and observers if a written vote is needed at the meeting.

The ratification process should include handouts and other information that explain in detail the impli-cation of new language.

The bring-back gamble. At a critical point in nego-tiations, some negotiators will “bring back” manage-ment’s last offer, hoping that the membership will resoundingly reject it. The obvious gamble should be understood and carefully considered. You may end up with an unintended “ratification” and some-times even a close vote can weaken your position and credibility when you return to the bargaining table. Before going out on a limb, seek advice from those who have had experience.

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Over-organize and make sure that there are as few technical glitches as possible.

If possible, have written copies of the proposed settlement in the voters’ hands before the meeting. Otherwise, have copies available at the beginning of the meeting.

Hold the meeting in a room large enough to accommo-date more people than you expect. Ratification meetings tend to draw large crowds.

Facilitate check-in procedures: Have check-in lists ready, perhaps arranged alphabetically or by work site or department, and have enough check-in stations.

Alert voters in advance if they will need identification to vote.

If the meeting is large, make sure you have enough microphones on the floor and ensure that they are all working.

Appoint sergeants-at-arms to handle seating, distribute materials and generally keep order.

Ratification checklist

Consider having members speak to an issue who are knowledgeable and are outside the bargaining team (i.e., those who may serve on a healthcare benefits committee).

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Developing a contract campaign

Good contracts are won not only at the bargaining table but also in the workplace.

A good contract campaign involves and mobilizes members and potential members, takes advan-tage of their creativity and workplace knowledge and provides them with the reassurance and encour-agement they need to stick together. Through one-on-one contact and collective actions, members and potential members par-ticipate, stay informed, draw strength from each other and demonstrate the power of the union.

In a contract campaign, negotiating and mobilizing move along parallel tracks. The negotiating team drives bargaining at the table, and the campaign committee implements and oversees the contract campaign plan in the work sites and community. The two tracks complement and support each other.

Structure and characteristics of a contract campaignEvery effective contract campaign has similar characteristics that take ad-

vantage of the opportunity to gain a fair and positive contract settlement by ex-ercising the union’s power through membership involvement and mobiliza-tion. They include:

A campaign committee •charged with working with the bargaining team in de-veloping and implement-ing a campaign plan;

A functioning work-site •structure that can effective-ly communicate with and motivate members and potential members and that will bring the concerns of these members to the attention of the bargaining team and union leader-ship;

Involvement of mem-•bers and potential mem-bers, through one-on-one conversation and multiple, easy ways to participate;

An effective community •outreach and public rela-tions strategy; and

Effective use of data to •track the participation and involvement of members and potential members, measure the progress of the campaign, identify areas of weakness and areas of op-portunity, and guide cam-paign decision-making. Rarely will all of these characteristics be fully

evident at the beginning of a campaign. However, the campaign itself should be viewed as an opportunity to strengthen the union in each of these areas.

Establishing a campaign committeeThe campaign committee has three major responsi-bilities. First, with as much input as possible from members and potential members, it develops the written campaign plan. Second, it implements and oversees the campaign, according (as much as possible) to the written campaign plan. Finally, it actively works to involve and mobilize members and potential members in the effort to win a fair and positive contract.

Choose leaders who can engage and communicate with large numbers of members and potential members. Also, remember that the campaign com-mittee should be generally representative of the bar-gaining unit. Ensure that all work sites, job classes and demographics are included in the campaign committee.

a good contract campaign involves and mobilizes members and potential members, takes advantage of their creativity and workplace knowledge and provides them with the reassurance and encouragement they need to stick together.

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Depending on the struc-ture of your workplace, you may need a very large campaign committee, or multiple site-based cam-paign committees, to keep your members and po-tential members involved, informed and encouraged.

Your work-site leaders are the union’s critical link to members and potential members and need to either serve on the com-mittee or work closely with it. The goal should be quick and consistent communi-cation. If your campaign committee is able to com-municate with all your members and potential members, one-on-one, in 24 hours, then the cam-paign committee structure is probably sufficient.

Developing a written planThe written campaign plan identifies the goals of the campaign, the key mobilizing issues, plans for membership involvement, communication and mes-sage strategies, key tasks and responsibilities, and a calendar timeline.

Campaign goals are a key part of any written plan. The goals should be clear, measurable and should serve as a tool for evaluat-ing success.

Key issues are determined through a process of sur-veying members and po-tential members and by en-gaging them in other forms of conversation through the existing work-site leadership structure. The issues identified through this process should help determine the negotiat-ing team’s priorities at the table. Since the negotiat-ing team will need to have the negotiating position in place as bargaining starts, the surveying process and campaign planning clearly need to be completed be-fore the start of bargaining.

Key tasks help to establish priorities and to make clear what activities the union needs to engage in and when. They also serve as benchmarks to measure whether the campaign is on track.

Responsibilities should be clearly stated in the written campaign plan, including who will be responsible for specific tasks and what resources will be required to execute the activities.

Put together a plan as far in advance as possible. Get input from members and potential members, officers and others with experi-ence in contract campaigns (from different levels of the union and other unions).

When developing a theme for your campaign, identify something that inspires members and potential members, that draws paral-lels between the union’s bargaining positions and the needs of the communi-ty, and that sends manage-ment a message.

Planning is a continual process, and the changing circumstances of the cam-paign will require modi-fications and updates to the campaign plan. More information on develop-ing a written plan can be found in “Developing and implementing an effective campaign” in Chapter 1.

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Involving members and potential membersA contract campaign, like all campaigns, is successful to the extent that it involves and mobilizes members and potential members. In addition to expanding member involvement in the union, campaigns can also expand the leader-ship pool in your union; those who work as cam-paign committee members or take other important actions in support of the campaign may develop leadership skills of value to the union in other situa-tions.

The campaign committee and work-site leaders are key to getting members involved. These activists should be provided with:

Clear expectations of •their role in getting mem-bers involved in union activities;

Accurate lists of the •members and potential members they are expected to engage in a conversa-tion;

Training and instruc-•tions on how to engage in conversations with mem-bers (see “The organizing conversation” in Chapter 2); and

A process for assessing •the level of each individu-al’s interest in the issues of the campaign.

When developing your campaign, make sure you have a number of “easy-lift” opportunities for member-ship involvement, such as signing a petition, wearing a button or engaging in other activities that do not require a substantial commitment of time. Participation in easy-lift activities enable members and potential members to take some ownership in the campaign and often lead to greater volunteer commitments.

Plan to conduct campaign communications, when-ever possible, through one-on-one conversations. Small-group discussions, telephone discussions and large group meetings are also good ways to com-municate (if slightly less desirable than one-on-one communication).

One-on-one conversa-tions can take place in person or on the phone, at work or away from work. They are an opportunity to hear about the concerns of members and potential members, answer ques-

tions and, most impor-tantly, build the relation-ships among members and potential members that make the union strong.

E-mail exchanges may pro-vide a useful supplement to one-on-one commu-nication, but broadcast e-mails are no substitute for conversations and should not be confused with the sort of communication that builds relationships, involves members and potential members and strengthens the union.

Once the relationship has been established through one-on-one communica-tion, a range of other com-munication mechanisms—paper, electronic, phone banks—may play a useful role in disseminating infor-mation or directing mem-bers and potential mem-bers to new opportunities for union involvement.

Each communication tool should ask members and potential members to become more involved in the campaign. Each request should be realistic and geared toward moving members and potential members to take some action that builds solidar-

a contract campaign, like all campaigns, is successful to the extent that it involves and mobilizes members and potential members.

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ity, displays publicly their commitment to the goals of the campaign and builds the union.

Each communication tool also provides the campaign committee and work-site leader with the opportu-nity to engage members and potential members in a conversation over a particular issue or activ-ity, or merely to build the relationship between the union and the member. Thus, where possible, com-munication tools (fliers, leaflets, newsletters, testi-monials, petitions, surveys) should be delivered (and where applicable, col-lected) in person, by hand (with a “thank you!”).

If there are not enough committee members and work-site leaders in a loca-tion to get the job done, enlist help from other locations.

Keeping good records. Campaign committee members and work-site leaders should keep track of which members and potential members express an interest in particular issues and should engage those members and poten-tial members in ongoing

conversations aimed at moving them into acting on their interest. Individu-als who sign a petition, for example, should be invited to circulate a petition or otherwise escalate their level of involvement.

By tracking the response of every member and potential member to the range of conversations and opportunities, we develop a database that allows us to chart the progress of our campaign, more accurately predict which members and potential members may be ready to increase their union involvement, which areas or sites have low levels of union involve-ment, and where we have strength that can be lever-aged in other places.

Training and orientation. Many union tasks require some training. Local lead-ers and work-site leaders should be given training in the substance and issues involved in the campaign. They must be able to convey the compelling reasons for the campaign: why it matters, why we are right, and why our oppo-nents are wrong. Materials and training should be as focused and simple as pos-

sible. Activists should be told where they can obtain more detailed information if they need it.

For the tactics and skills of campaigning, activ-ists and work-site leaders may need to be trained in information management (list building, charting and mapping); conducting the organizing conversation; assessments and leader-ship identification; and how to run a meeting.

Making it interactive. The creativity and energy of your members and po-tential members is a great resource. Create events and opportunities for your members and potential members to contribute proposals for the cam-paign. Solicit ideas for events, parties, slogans, buttons, cartoons—any-thing that benefits from the inventiveness residing in the members and potential members.

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Administering the contract

While contact nego-tiations may be more stimulating, the more prosaic work of con-tract implementation is every bit as impor-tant; it affects mem-bers every day.

Members will judge the union’s effectiveness as much by how well it imple-ments the agreements and defends their rights as by how well it bargains.

GrievancesMost disputes will be settled using the grievance mechanism stipulated in your contract. Most con-tracts call for grievances to be processed at one or two administrative steps, then at the highest management level, and, if no mutually acceptable resolution is found, the grievance can be resolved by binding arbitration. In some cases, there are specified written forms for filing grievances, and there are almost al-ways contractually stipu-lated time limits for filing at the various levels and for receiving management’s response. Close attention should be paid to proce-dural matters. An other-wise good case can be lost if a deadline is missed or

a procedural obligation is not met.

Members file grievances; unions assure their proce-dural rights are protected. Some unions encourage all grievances to proceed to the highest steps, but more commonly, only those that meet specific standards proceed to levels that require the union to expend resources to process the grievance. This would in-clude arbitrators or appeals that require legal counsel or other expenditures. Gener-ally, these issues can set precedents that will affect the future interpretation of the contract, so the union must consider the facts and the opportunity to help all members, as well as to see that justice is done for the aggrieved member.

While it is probably better to err on the side of filing grievances, the process will degenerate if members grieve just to harass or disrupt management. If the union turns down griev-ances or is faced with many cases where the interests of members conflict, develop an internal appeals proce-dure. This can be done on an ad hoc basis through constitutionally outlined

procedures. Usually a com-mittee of union members or the local’s executive board hears the appeal.

However, unions have an obligation to represent members and in some cases nonmembers who are part of the bargaining unit. Under the “duty of fair representation,” unions are obligated to fairly represent members of the bargaining unit. If the union decides not to take a grievance forward, it must document in detail the reasons for not pursuing the grievance. Criteria that can be helpful in making a decision about pursuing a grievance to the last step to arbitration in-clude the impact of the is-sue on the other members of the unit; the harm or injury to the grievant; and the likelihood of success in advancing the grievance.

It is in the best interest of everyone that a griev-ance should be settled at the lowest level and as informally as possible. Sometimes a short note, telephone conversation or brief visit with the ad-ministrator may resolve the issue and preclude the need to file a formal grievance. The grievance

CHAPTER 7 | PAGE 22

representative may find it necessary to compromise to settle a grievance, but the compromise should be appropriate and consistent with the written contract. Before finalizing any settle-ment, consult with the grievant(s).

While processing a griev-ance, keep public state-ments to a minimum. Confidential discussions are more likely to lead to a settlement; no one wants to read about his or her per-sonal grievance in the local newspaper. Once the griev-ance has been settled, pub-licize the relevant points without using names.

Grievance arbitration. Some grievances will still be unresolved after be-ing heard at the highest level. Most contracts then provide for final, binding arbitration as the last step of the grievance procedure. Most locals will only take to arbitration those griev-ances they feel they can win, and often the execu-tive board or its grievance committee must vote to go to arbitration.

The method of selecting an arbitrator usually is specified in the contract.

The parties may request help from the American Arbitration Association (AAA) or the Federal Me-diation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). Occasion-ally, management and the union will appoint a rotat-ing panel of arbitrators to hear grievances. Both orga-nizations maintain panels of professional arbitrators and have procedures to ensure a fair and objective selection process.

In the hearing, the arbitra-tor will attempt to estab-lish the precise issue that separates the parties; hear the factual evidence in support of the respective positions; and consider the merit of both arguments. The arbitrator’s decision is final and binding and may be enforced by the courts. A judicial appeal is usually allowed only on the nar-rowest grounds. While ar-bitration is a semi-judicial process, it does not rely on the strict rules of evidence and the standards of a courtroom. A lawyer is usu-ally not necessary; union representatives gener-ally can do an effective job provided they are carefully prepared and know the rudiments of the process.

Many union leaders have learned the art of preparing arbitration cases through a process much like an apprenticeship. They first prepare and argue cases with legal counsel or with experienced union leaders. After observing, assist-ing and participating for a time, they feel confident to take on cases themselves and eventually develop the capacity to handle com-plicated cases. Carefully select and prepare your first few cases.

Your state federation, the AFT Union Leadership Institute, the AFL-CIO’s National Labor College, the American Arbitration Asso-ciation, and many univer-sity college labor education centers offer training in contract administration, including arbitration.

Grievance forms. In pre-paring a grievance inves-tigation form, be sure to include blanks for:

Who is involved? •Include the grievant (employee, employees, the union); responsible management person or persons; and witnesses.

When did it happen? •Include the time and date of event.

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When must the griev-•ance be filed? Be sure to include the informal step and first formal step.

Where did it happen?•What happened? What •

did a management rep-resentative do or fail to do that gives rise to the complaint?

Why is it grievable? Spe-•cifically, what is wrong with “what happened”? Cite article, section, paragraph, page number, etc., of the contract language or policy that was violated.

What must be done to •make the grievant whole? List corrective action requested.

Building a structure to handle grievancesProvisions of the contract and applicable laws are only effective if they are enforced. The best enforce-ment requires creating a union structure that allows for quick identification of problems and effective resolution.

The work-site level. Pro-tecting members’ rights begins at the work-site level. In most local unions, particularly those covered by collective bargaining agreements, work-site leaders are the first line

in enforcing the contract and protecting mem-bers’ rights. The role of the work-site leader can include:

Serving as the first point •of contact for a member who is experiencing a problem on the job;

Consulting with union •officials to inform them of potential grievances and to seek advice on how to handle situations;

Exploring the possibility •for informal resolution of problems; and,

Often handling first-•step grievances.

Training and resources. To adequately serve in this role, work-site leaders must get the right supports from the local union. This should include training that gives in-depth cover-age of the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement, including the grievance procedure; an overview of the union’s system for identifying and tracking grievances; and applicable state and local laws, such as the duty of fair representation. Training opportunities, as well as refresher train-ing, should be offered on a regular basis.

Work-site leaders also should have easy access to union officials or members of the union’s grievance committee to whom they can turn to for advice and counsel. Also available should be information on previous grievances or past practices that could influence the outcome of current disputes.

Many local unions have found that asking work-site leaders to serve as both union organizers and as grievance representatives is too much to ask of one person. In these situations, many locals explore creat-ing work-site teams as well as splitting the function between work-site leaders and work-site grievance specialists.

The grievance committee. Every local union should have a grievance com-mittee. Members of this committee should be well-versed in the provisions of the contract, employer policy handbooks and state and local laws. They should be available to provide training for new work-site leaders and to consult with work-site leaders on a regular basis. In many lo-cals, grievance committee

members often take over handling grievances that are not resolved informally or at early steps in the process.

The grievance committee should also meet regu-larly to review the status of current grievances and analyze possible patterns in management conduct. In addition, the commit-tee should make recom-mendations as to which grievances should be taken to arbitration.

Work-site leaders and grievance committee members should meet regularly to identify pos-sible areas of contract improvements for the bargaining committee. Be-ing knowledgeable about past grievances and their remedies should help form the union’s proposals for contract negotiations.

Union officers. Union of-ficers should be aware of all outstanding grievances. Ultimately, it is their deci-sion on whether to take a grievance to arbitration, usually an expensive un-dertaking, and the officers may become involved be-fore taking this step to seek an adequate resolution.

Moving beyond contract provisions and state and local lawsMany locals, particularly those in non-collective bargaining states, know well the inherent limita-tions of the grievance procedures. State and local laws and employer policy handbooks are usu-ally not written to protect employee rights but rather to spell out the rights of management. Even where contracts exist, the best language cannot anticipate all possible situations. In these situations, protect-ing member’s rights often requires moving beyond the bargaining table and grievance procedure.

There are hundreds of examples where AFT local unions, when faced with challenges that could not be addressed adequately through the grievance procedure, engaged in well-thought-out public campaigns to achieve their goals. These kinds of campaigns usually involve intensive membership mo-bilization, effective public relations and extensive community outreach. One advantage of this kind of approach is that it reaches

beyond just one member and allows the union to en-gage more members, there-by giving them ownership in the fight to protect and expand their rights.

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There are hundreds of examples where afT local unions, when faced with challenges that could not be addressed ade-quately through the grievance procedure, engaged in well-thought-out public campaigns to achieve their goals.

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Duty of fair representation

Most such grievances involve discipline issues. Courts generally have held a union may refuse to process a grievance in a dismissal or discipline case if it has thoroughly reviewed the facts and has made its decision in a detached, objective and nondiscriminatory manner. On the issue of handling grievances competently, the courts have gener-ally held union representatives to common standards of diligence and reasonableness, which means that the union may be vulnerable if it fails to meet deadlines or other procedural obligations.

An arbitrary decision is one that appears to have been made without merit. For example, a union should handle similar grievances in the same way unless it explains why it is deviating from its usual practices. Protect yourself and your union by establishing a system to track and meet deadlines and by keeping careful records, communicating all decisions in writing and filing copies.

Setting up a grievance committee to hear appeals of denials to take grievances to arbitration is a good way to protect your local against a claim that it failed to meet the duty of fair representation.

These cases often involve transfers, schedules, promotions and general seniority issues. The courts generally allow a union to pro-cess a grievance on behalf of one member to the detriment of another if the union acts reasonably and objectively and has considered the claims of those who may be adversely affected. To establish that both sides have been considered, hold an informal hearing or discussion with the affected members before making a decision. An ad hoc com-mittee or a subcommittee can be appointed to conduct the hear-ing. The union’s decision should be communicated in writing to the individuals involved.

Except for those few state laws that exempt unions from processing grievances for nonmembers in the bargaining unit, nonmembers have legal claim to equal protection under the contact.

Before making a decision not to represent nonmembers in griev-ances and arbitration, the union should contact local legal counsel and seek advice.

In many cases, it is better for the union to file a grievance in the ear-lier stages, ensuring that the timelines laid out in the contract have been met. The decision on whether to proceed to higher levels of the grievance procedure can be then made when the union has collect-ed enough facts to make an informal decision. Delaying the formal filing of a grievance because the union lacks adequate information is not a legitimate reason for missing the crucial deadline required by the contract. In special circumstances the employer and the union may agree to extend or suspend the timelines. In that case, make sure that an agreement stating the extension is signed by both parties to ensure that the grievance remains active.

A member claims that the union refused to process a grievance

or that in processing the grievance it acted

incompetently or arbitrarily.

In recent years, members have periodically taken their unions to court over claims that the union filed to fairly represent them.

There are three types of fair representation cases:

The union is involved in a grievance where the

interests of two or more members conflict.

Nonmembers claim that the union has not

processed their grievances.

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CHAPTER 7 | PAGE 27

Bargaining checklist

Know your state’s bargaining laws.

Develop a contract campaign committee and plan.

In the private sector, know the National Labor Relations Act.

Research your grievance files for possible negotiating issues.

Review the employer’s personnel handbook to identify possible proposals.

Research your salary, fringe benefit and working condition proposals by reading federal labor and education publications and by consulting with AFT and your state federation.

Analyze your employer’s budget.

Be PR-conscious before and during negotiations—year round.

Prepare for negotiations

Select bargaining team members who represent various interests within the union and who can adhere to the discipline necessary in a bargaining situation.

Appoint one person, yourself or someone else, as the spokesperson for the union team.

Setting up the team

CHAPTER 7 | PAGE 28

Survey members about their contract priorities.

Discuss contract priorities with executive committee members and union stewards/building leaders.

Have stewards and leaders discuss contract priorities with members at their work sites.

Hold special work site or regional meetings to discuss the contract directly with members.

Consult with state and local union leaders about their recent negotiating experiences.

Getting input

Attending to details

Keep accurate, dated records and notes during negotiations.

Be prepared for impasse procedures, including critical timelines.

Carefully prepare and organize the logistics of your ratification meeting.

Provide for grievance arbitration in your contract.

Establish a system of tracking and monitoring grievance timelines.

Adequately train whoever is responsible for handling grievances.

Develop clear standards for accepting, rejecting and taking grievances to a higher level.

Hold a hearing/meeting with the affected individuals before processing any grievance that will hurt a bar-gaining unit member.

Establish a procedure that allows the union to determine if a grievance is worth the cost of going to arbitration. Be certain that a member has a process to appeal when the union de-cides not to proceed with a grievance or not to arbitrate it.

Enforcing the contract

CHAPTER 8 | PAGE 1

8 Community coalitions

Creating a community outreach committee

Educating committee members

Identifying potential allies

Prioritizing potential allies

Determining who will make the first contact

Gathering information on potential allies

Planning your approach

Making the first contact

CHAPTER 8 | PAGE 2

Introduction

Success at the bar-gaining table and in the state legislature often comes down to the union’s ability to exert public pressure on decision-makers.

That means being able to effectively define an issue, communicate a message both internally and to the general public (or selected target groups) and mo-bilize the community in support of the union’s posi-tion.

This last step, gaining com-munity support, is often critical to success. Com-munity groups, elected leaders, parents, business and religious leaders and other unions often share the same concerns as our members and can help move the union’s agenda. The advantages of building these relationships include:

Legislative support. Working with commu-nity groups can increase our access and ability to influence legislators and other decision-makers. By working with community groups, we can neutralize the negative stereotypes that some legislators may associate with unions.

Political power. Com-munity allies improve our chances of electing politi-cians who will support us on important issues. The combined membership of your local and com-munity partners results in more voices supporting the union’s positions on im-portant issues. Members of these groups can also be an additional source of campaign volunteers, letter writers, phone bankers and financial contributors.

Better media relations. Community partners can provide better access to reporters and increase the chance that you will get positive coverage of your issue in the press.

Building name recogni-tion. Working with com-munity groups can help build the influence and raise the visibility of your local with community groups.

Additional resources. Your local will have access to the additional resources of your community partners (staff assistance, meeting space, financial contribu-tions, etc.).

The specific roles of the local union president and other union officers in building effective relation-ships with community orga-nizations and religious and business leaders will vary greatly, depending on the size of the local. However, no matter how large or small a local, the president and the officers must work to make building strong re-lationships throughout the community a priority. The union’s officers also should view coalition-building as an opportunity to develop and expand the union’s leadership team.

The union’s membership is an especially valuable resource in building com-munity relations. Most members live in the same community in which they work. They belong to a variety of community, po-litical and religious groups and are neighbors of key individuals. They can play an important role in getting these groups and individu-als to support your efforts.

Finally, remember that strong, lasting relation-ships require mutual support and cooperation. Many of the groups and in-dividuals that support your

CHAPTER 8 | PAGE 3

CHAPTER 8 | PAGE 4

union will look for your support on issues that are important to them. In fact, it is valuable to be engaged with possible coalition parties on their issues before approaching them to support your union on a particular issue. Groups and individuals enter into coalitions with the same expectation of mutual ben-efit that exists in political campaigns. Be prepared to provide resources to and participate in your partner’s activities. Lasting relationships built on the foundation of mutual sup-port will pay off for your local when it counts.

Included in this chapter are a series of steps that will help you begin to build a network of groups you can count on for support, in-cluding tips and planning tools your local can use to develop a successful com-munity outreach plan.

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Creating a community outreach committee

Appoint a small com-mittee to develop a plan to get com-munity groups and individuals to support the union’s agenda.

When recruiting for this committee, think qual-ity, not quantity. Make sure that key constituency groups in your local are represented on the com-mittee to ensure the broad support and participation of your membership. Keep in mind the following criteria when recruiting committee members.

The committee chair. In most cases, the commit-tee chair should be in a local leadership position to make sure the committee’s activities are integrated into the local program. The committee chair should be respected in the local and able to lead others; have the time needed to do an effective job (not someone overburdened with other union responsibilities); and have the interest and skills to talk to potential community supporters.

Committee members. This committee provides an opportunity to involve members who are not interested in volunteering for more traditional and sometimes adversarial union activities. It is a way to develop leadership and increase your pool of volunteers. Members of the committee should, if possible, already be active or have connections with community groups; be re-spected by co-workers and have a reputation as a good employee; have the time to do an effective job and not be overburdened by serving on too many other union committees or work-ing with other groups; and be an asset in getting other members to volunteer for campaign activities.

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Educating committee members

Your community outreach commit-tee members should represent the local in important meetings with groups and indi-viduals in the com-munity.

For many of these poten-tial supporters from your community, it will be the first time they have had any contact with your union. To them, the person they talk to or meet with is the union. This first contact should be professional and productive. Your commu-nity outreach committee members and any volun-teers who make contact with potential support-ers should be thoroughly knowledgeable about the union’s issues and able to answer difficult questions and respond to objec-tions. They should also be knowledgeable about the community organization and its goals.

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Identifying potential allies

One important source of information for identifying potential supporters in your community is your membership.

Many members belong to other groups in the com-munity, and the union should routinely seek out members who are active in the community.

Other ideas for building your list of potential allies include:

Have your committee •brainstorm a list of potential allies in your community;

Ask your union work-site •leaders to suggest groups;

Check your local •newspapers for groups or individuals mentioned in education, labor or other community-related stories;

Look for published •community directories that list a variety of groups, as this can be a good source of information;

Ask your executive •board to suggest groups for the list; and

Ask members to suggest •groups for the list.

A good source for detailed information on each potential ally is to visit the potential coalition partner’s Web site.

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Prioritizing potential allies

After generating a list of potential allies, pri-oritize the list based on whom you should contact first.

When prioritizing your potential allies, consider if the group or individual:

Has a good reputation •and is well-known in the community;

Has positive name rec-•ognition in the community;

Will help you make ad-•ditional important con-tacts;

Has a good communi-•cation system for reaching its members;

Will help get other •groups to support your activities;

Has potential influence •over decision-makers and is able to help achieve the goal of the coalition in the legislature, work site and community opinion arena;

Will bring additional re-•sources to your campaign or issue;

Has common links to •your local and shows com-mon concerns; and

Has worked with your •local in the past.

Evaluate this list of initial contacts to make sure it is balanced and represents a cross section of the com-munity (i.e., labor groups, business groups, civil rights organizations, the religious community, politicians, community-based orga-nizations, public figures). Remember the goal is to develop a “Who’s Who” of diverse and influential groups and individuals in your community.

Natural allies include groups you have worked with in the past, other unions, civil rights organi-zations, education groups, women’s organizations and service clubs.

Nontraditional allies include business groups, including the National Business Association and the Chamber of Com-merce, real estate asso-ciations, law enforcement organizations and fraternal organizations.

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After prioritizing the list of potential al-lies, decide who will contact each group to explain the issue and ask for support.

The best person may not be on your committee. Instead, it maybe a mem-ber who has strong ties to a group or individual on the list, and you may want to use this connection when making the first approach.

Make sure your volun-teers are knowledgeable about the issue. Team the volunteer with a commit-tee member to make the first contact. The team approach is particularly effective when you want to utilize the volunteer’s connection to the potential ally but the volunteer is not

comfortable being the chief spokesperson. The volun-teer can get you in the door; the committee member can make the presentation and “close the deal.”

Assign each group or individual on your list of allies to a team and agree on a time frame in which the team will make the first contact.

Determining who will make the first contact

CHAPTER 8 | PAGE 10

There are basic ques-tions you need to answer about each group or individual you plan to approach.

This process will help pre-pare you for a successful first meeting. For each group on your priority list, answer the following questions:

Who are their con-•stituents? Why are they in-volved in this organization? What is their self-interest? What aspect of the issue will appeal to their self-interest or the self-interest of their members?

What is the group’s for-•mal structure? How does the group make decisions?

Are there people behind •the scenes who really wield the power in the organiza-tion?

What kind of commu-•nication system does the group have? Newsletter? (When are their dead-lines?) Monthly meetings? Leadership meetings? What does the organiza-tion already do that we can build on?

Do they sponsor or •participate in education-related activities?

Are they known for •writing letters? Holding demonstrations or rallies? Passing petitions? Organiz-ing social events?

Do they have any up-•coming events on which we could capitalize?

How should we •contact them? Formally? Informally?

It is important to answer all of these questions; this information will make or break your first meeting with a potential ally and will form the basis of the strategy and arguments you will use to get the group or individual to sup-port your efforts.

Gathering information on potential allies

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In this step, you will use the information you have gathered to develop the arguments your community outreach teams will use to “close the deal” and get the groups and individuals to support your campaign.

Before meeting with any group:

Visit the potential ally’s •Web site to gather detailed information on the group and what it stands for.

Anticipate reasons why •the contact will support your efforts.

Anticipate reasons why •the contact might oppose your efforts. Some exam-ples might include pre-conceived notions of what other groups are like, fear of making a mistake and alienating members, or turf protection/competition between organizations.

Develop the arguments •that will be used to get the contact to support your issue or campaign.

Identify two actions •they will ask the contact to take to support your efforts.

Identify additional •resources the contact can lend to your campaign.

Planning your approach

CHAPTER 8 | PAGE 12

Making the first contact

The elements of a successful first meeting include:

Personal introductions. Start the meeting with a personal introduction. State your name, the name of your local, your position in the local and the purpose of your visit.

A brief explanation of the issue. Give a brief explana-tion of the issue and ask probing questions to find out how much the contact knows about the issue and where he or she stands. This should be less presen-tation and more drawing the contact out.

An explanation of how the issue relates to the contact or the contacts’ members. Have a brief discussion and give con-crete examples of how the issue affects the contact’s members, organizational goals and mission, and the community as a whole.

Point out campaign •activities to involve the contact’s members, such as lobbying school board or city council members and legislators, testifying at public hearings, help-ing to raise funds for the

campaign, and distribut-ing brochures and other campaign literature.

Identify opportunities •for the contact’s organiza-tion to get positive recog-nition in the community. Offer to list the name of the organization in widely dis-tributed campaign litera-ture, mention the group or individual in public service announcements or cam-paign advertisements, and publish an “Honor Roll” of organizations and individ-uals supporting your issue.

Provide the names of •other organizations that have agreed to support your union’s efforts.

Give the contact clip-•pings of positive articles about your campaign.

Offer to include leaders •of the contact’s organiza-tion in high-profile cam-paign activities, including press conferences, events such as National Educa-tion Week, National Nurses Week, National School Bus Safety Week, etc., promo-tional literature, campaign advertisements and testify-ing on the issue.

Closing the deal. Ask the contact to take one or two specific actions to support your campaign. You may be able to accomplish this in your first meeting. Your contact, however, may not be able to make the decision to sign without approval from others in the organiza-tion. Schedule a follow-up meeting with whomever will make the decision.

Asking for other contacts. Finally, ask the contact for the names of other individ-uals and groups you could contact to ask for support.

CHAPTER 9 | PAGE 1

9 Political action

Mobilizing members for political action

Fundraising

Lobbying

Endorsing candidates

Building coalitions

Political action committees and legislative liaisons

Activists for Congressional Education (ACE)

CHAPTER 9 | PAGE 2

CHAPTER 9 | PAGE 3

Introduction

Every day, decisions are made at the state and federal levels that have a tremendous impact on our members—from state funding for public services to retirement benefit protections to workers’ rights on the job.

That’s why AFT locals should put as much effort into developing an effective political and legislative program as they do into organizing, contract negotiations and contract enforcement.

In fact, our members expect it. Polling data indicates a high correla-tion between a member’s satisfaction with his or her union and the union’s involvement in political action, as long as it is based on policy, not partisanship, and focuses on the issues most relevant to them, such as funding, wages and benefits, and working conditions. Members ex-pect their locals to engage in a number of activities to build an effective politi-cal action and legislative program, including fund-raising, lobbying, mobiliz-ing members, endorsing candidates and building coalitions.

Members expect their locals to engage in activities to build an effective political action and legislative program.

CHAPTER 9 | PAGE 4

Mobilizing members for political action

Mobilizing members in support of the union’s political objectives is critical to the success of any lobbying or political action efforts.

This might include getting members to vote, attending rallies and meetings, help-ing to educate and mobilize colleagues or encouraging them to contact legislators, or participating in fundrais-ing. Mobilizing members to take specific action is not always easy, but it is at the core of what makes a union powerful. Below are some tips that can help.

Keep accurate lists. Key to membership mobilization is maintaining accurate membership (and potential membership) lists. Ac-curate lists will enable you to know which members are registered to vote, how often they vote, many de-mographic characteristics and the legislative districts where they live. If pos-sible, your lists should also include work-site informa-tion on all members and potential members, as well as home e-mail addresses. (See Chapter 3 for more information on list manage-ment.)

Use your work-site structure. The best way to educate members on union issues and get them in-volved in union events is to use your work-site leaders or legislative liaisons. (See Chapter 2 for more infor-mation on developing effec-tive work-site structures.)

Identify a message that is relevant to members’ wages, benefits, quality of service and working conditions. Members will be more likely to become involved if they can see that an election, campaign or legislative issue affects them directly.

Communicate the mes-sage. Make sure members are educated on the issues. Look for a variety of ways to communicate with them, including one-on-one visits from work-site leaders, work-site fliers, telephone calls, letters from local or state federa-tion presidents or leaders, newsletter articles, bulletin board postings, e-mails and Web sites (see also Chapter 10, “Effective com-munications”).

Set up a structure for quickly mobilizing mem-bers. This may include phone trees, e-mail lists or internal distribution systems at the work site. A rapid response system is useful not only to mobi-lize for a legislative hear-ing, political rally or voter registration drive, but also supports all union organiz-ing activities.

The best way to educate members on union issues and get them involved in union events is to use your work-site leaders or legislative liaisons.

CHAPTER 9 | PAGE 5

Fundraising

Each year, corporations raise hundreds of millions of dollars to contribute to political candidates.

Labor unions will never be able to match these fund-ing levels, but we cannot neglect this important area of political action. To effec-tively represent our mem-bers, locals need to contrib-ute financially to help elect candidates who support our issues. One of the best ways to do this is to establish a political action committee, or COPE (Committee on Political Education). One purpose of this committee is to raise voluntary contri-butions from members to support candidates who are committed to supporting our issues. The AFT and your state fed-eration can help your local set up a COPE committee by providing expertise in federal and state laws; creating appropriate dues check-off cards; identifying issues and themes that will attract contributions; and developing an overall fund-raising plan.

Your local should also participate in the AFT’s Partners in Political Educa-tion (PIPE) program. PIPE is a vehicle that allows local unions to increase the amount of money they have for local races (school board, college trustees, state legislature, etc.) while also increasing the amount of voluntary money that AFT can use on federal races. For more informa-tion on PIPE, contact the AFT political and legislative mobilization department.

The AFT Solidarity Fund

In 2002, AFT convention delegates established the AFT Solidarity Fund program to boost the union’s effectiveness in political action across the states. Through this program, state affiliates establish a state Solidarity Fund to fight anti-union, anti-worker ballot initiatives and other referenda, legislative battles or other urgent political challenges. These funds must be used for political and legislative activities and cannot be used for state general operating expenses, but otherwise state affiliates have broad discretion in the use of the affiliate Solidarity Fund. Local union leaders should contact their state affiliate for details regarding operation of their state’s Solidarity Fund.

CHAPTER 9 | PAGE 6

Lobbying

Lawmakers need to know where your members stand on important issues and to know that union members are paying attention to how they vote.

That is the foundation of an effective lobbying program. How do you get there?

Work with your state federation. Your state fed-eration will likely take the lead in efforts to lobby state lawmakers, but you should work closely with the state federation to ensure that the needs and concerns of your members are reflected in its lobbying goals. Also find out how your local and members can best support the state federation’s lob-bying efforts.

Develop relationships with your local represen-tatives. Initiate ongoing relationships with legisla-tors from your area. This should include:

Regular meetings with •legislators to let them know about your members’ inter-ests and concerns;

Invitations to work •sites where they can view problems (and successes) first hand;

Opportunities for the •union and lawmakers to work together on media activities; and

Participation in the AFT •Activists for Congressional Education (ACE) program.

Communicate with mem-bers. The local’s lobbying efforts should also involve member education and communication. Don’t assume that members

understand how a piece of legislation will affect them and their families, and don’t assume they under-stand the work the union is doing on their behalf in the state capital. Take on the role of educating members; if you don’t tell them about your successes, who will? (See Chapter 10, “Effective communications,” for more ideas).

Get members involved. Demonstrate the value of the union to members and potential members by getting them involved in political activities. Your lobbying plan should constantly be looking for ways to get members and nonmembers involved.

CHAPTER 9 | PAGE 7

Endorsing candidates

Key components of your political program should be candidate endorsements, membership education and voter turnout.

Establish guidelines for endorsing candidates. Your state federation should be able to help you develop these guidelines. (Remember: the guidelines should be focused on issues, not candidates or political parties.)

Review candidate records, develop questionnaires and/or host candidate fo-rums. Your endorsements should be based on the vot-ing records and positions of the candidates based on the issues that matter most to your members.

Educate your members about the issues and the endorsements. Your local will need a plan for com-municating to members who the union endorsed and the basis for the en-dorsements. (See Chapter 10 for more information on communications.) Assess voters and turn them out to the polls. Candidate endorsements are meaningless unless they translate into votes for the endorsed candidates. Your political plan should include a system for assess-ing members’ support for candidates, for educating undecided voters on the union’s endorsed candi-dates and for making sure that members who support endorsed candidates go to the polls and vote.

CHAPTER 9 | PAGE 8

Building coalitions

Participating in effective coalitions can be a significant boost to the union’s political, legislative and COPE programs.

Coalitions can be used in many activities of your political and legislative action program, including voter registration, organizing candidate forums, get-out-the-vote efforts and lobbying. Partnerships make the division of labor easier and increase your political strength, your pool of volunteers and your financial resources. Coalition partners may include AFL-CIO affiliates, other unions, professional associations, political parties, employers, nonprofit organizations/community groups, students, parents and patients. (See Chapter 8 for more information on coalition building.)

Be aware that coalition partners will change as is-sues change. Sometimes an opponent on one issue may be an ally on another issue. The key to effective coali-tion building is to recognize how your membership and the community are affected by an issue and then reach out to those with common concerns to form a stronger political force.

CHAPTER 9 | PAGE 9

Political action committees and legislative liaisons

Putting together an effective political and legislative operation is a lot of work.

But it is easier to accom-plish all that needs to be done through the creation of a political action com-mittee (COPE) and legisla-tive liaison program.

Political action commit-tee. The AFT’s traditional political action committee, known as COPE (Commit-tee on Public Education), should be a permanent subcommittee of your executive board. The com-mittee oversees the union’s political efforts, including candidate endorsement procedures; membership education and mobiliza-

tion efforts; fundraising programs; and lobbying efforts with the state fed-eration. A political action committee is a must for every local. Many decisions affecting members are made in the political arena, and AFT polls show that an overwhelming majority of our members understand that political action is an important activity for the AFT to be engaged in.

Legislative liaisons. Legislative liaisons are work-site representatives who help advance the union’s political agenda. They fill an important role when the work-site leader is overburdened with other duties or does not enjoy political work. Establishing

a legislative liaison network can help with member education and mobiliza-tion in the work site and can give more members an opportunity to get involved in union activities.

CHAPTER 9 | PAGE 10

Activists for Congressional Education (ACE)

Building relationships with members of congress can make a crucial difference in important legislation that affects our members.

The Activists for Congres-sional Education (ACE) program is a member-driv-en effort to strengthen the relationship between the AFT and members of Con-gress. Under the program, affiliates establish ACE committees by congres-sional district. Participants meet with the member of Congress at least twice a year in the congressional home district office. Given

that the ACE program is premised on the develop-ment of a continuing rela-tionship with the member of Congress, it is impor-tant that the participants reside in the congressional district of the member of Congress with whom they meet, that is, that they be constituents.

Building relationships. By scheduling regular meet-ings with the member of Congress, our members build lasting relationships while formalizing a line of communication to advance our positions. Committees must be large enough and diverse enough to ensure that there will be a suffi-cient number to meet with the member of Congress and that there are enough members to cover each constituency and address the range of concerns of all AFT members.

Communicating results. Participants meet as an ACE committee with their mem-ber of Congress at least twice per year to communi-cate on issues identified by the AFT legislation depart-ment. After the meeting, the committee reports to the AFT legislative staff on the outcome of the meetings via an online reporting system. This information enables AFT lobbyists to better represent our members’ concerns when meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Additionally, through the local union newsletter or other appropriate means, ACE participants commu-nicate to their fellow union members the positions taken by their member of Congress.

CHAPTER 9 | PAGE 11

Support from the national AFT. The national AFT pro-vides ACE committees with talking points, guidance on the issues and help with reporting the results. The AFT also hosts a password-protected Web site for ACE committee members.

Building a core of activ-ists. AFT members who are involved in ACE commit-tees often become more active participants in all of the local’s political and

legislative activities. Since each state affiliate has a different structure for political and legislative mobilization, the process for participating in the ACE program will vary. For more information about how to set up an ACE com-mittee, contact the AFT political and legislative mobilization department.

Resources for affiliates

A number of AFT departments offer assistance in political action. Call toll free, 800/238-1133; department extensions are listed below.

Federal politics/COPE – ext. 4436Legislation – ext. 4452Political and legislative mobilization – ext. 4454Human rights and community relations – ext. 4434Research and information services – ext. 4428

CHAPTER 9 | PAGE 12

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 1

10 Effective communications

Building a strategic communication program

Tips for effective surveys

Analyzing your union’s image

Developing a message for your campaign: The ‘message box’

Engaging members

Newsletter guidelines (print and electronic)

Effectively communicating with the general public and media

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 2

Communications is a vital function of the union. It should be a core, ongoing activity, not something done only when there is a crisis.

It also should be strategic—tackling issues that reflect your members’ concerns; reinforcing the overall goals of the union; address-ing each target audience; and connecting the overall program through a single message that educates, engages and activates members and potential members.

In many cases, the mes-sage is also communicated to the general public and media to educate and persuade decision mak-ers. With limited time and resources, determining which communication vehicles is used, and when, is the final strategic step.

Introduction

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 3

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 4

A framework for devel-oping and carrying out effective, issues-based communications, involves these specific, achievable steps:

Identify and build campaigns around key issues

Your union’s image is defined by the challenges it takes on and your effective-ness in getting members involved in union activities. Chapter 1, on issues-based organizing, provides details on how to develop and execute campaigns built around member issues. Your union communica-tions are a key part of any plan that involves inform-ing members on the issues, actively seeking their input and getting them involved in union actions. For strategic communica-tions, it is critical to survey members to identify their daily life issues and con-cerns. Don’t mistake your union’s internal key issues with your members’ daily life issues. For example, your union’s key issue and concern could center on member involvement,

whereas your rank-and-file members are waking up in the morning concerned about their healthcare deductible—not about the union’s activism levels.

Determine the goals

You need clear, measurable goals to drive your union activities and communica-tions so that you can deter-mine when those objectives are met. Begin by asking, “What is the union trying to achieve?” Don’t limit the goal just to success around the issue. Consider these possibilities:

Do you want to increase •union membership?

Do you want to increase •member activism?

Do you want to improve •your union’s reputation and standing in the community?

Do you want more news •coverage and a better image among the public?

Once you have your list of goals, they should be SMART: Specific; Measur-able; Achievable; Realistic; and Time-focused. Con-ventional wisdom says that if you hit the “M” and the “T,” you are almost sure to hit the others. Having vague goals will just leave you in the same position where you started. There-

fore, your goal is not just to increase member activism; it should also include how much and how quickly.

Identify target audiences

With your goals deter-mined, who is being targeted? To whom are you going to communi-cate your message? These are the stakeholders—the people who are key to your communications efforts. They are also the people with the power to influ-ence decision-makers. Be thorough and refer to your objectives when choosing your audience.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of audi-ences: internal (members, prospective members) and external (the public, media, community leaders). Let your goals help direct your audience selection and let your audience choice help craft your message.

Focus on the decision-makers: Who must hear you? Which group or groups of people will de-cide how the issue will be resolved? Is it the voters or actually elected officials? Is it your members or actually the employer? By defin-

Building a strategic communication program

Your union’s image is defined by the challenges it takes on and your effectiveness in getting members involved in union activities.

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 5

ing the decision-makers, you can narrow down your communication strategy and determine how to properly utilize the audi-ence groups to influence the decision-makers. For instance, in a recent campaign in one state where elected legislators were the clear decision-makers, the union decided to reach out to voters to promote its message. With limited funds, however, the state federation was unable to do a mailing to every household in the state. Instead, the federation did a mail campaign only in the neighborhoods where the elected officials lived. From the officials’ perspective, it looked like a statewide campaign and, paired with other strategic activities, the campaign was successful.

Define the message and stick to it

An effective message:Defines the issue in •

terms favorable to the union;

Inspires people to take •action;

Works as well with •members as it does with the general public;

Can be communicated •with three key points; and

Can be communicated •quickly (i.e., in a 10-second sound bite).

Developing a message is not a simple process. It takes a bit of brainstorm-ing, an open mind and some creativity. There are various techniques, but a very useful tool is the mes-sage box (see “Developing a message for your cam-paign”).

With an overarching mes-sage defined, the next step is to determine how it will be communicated to each audience. As stated above, there are two general audi-ence categories: internal and external. Your message should resonate with both groups. However, it may be communicated slightly dif-ferently to each group. For each of the two audiences, define the three key mes-sage points that connect to the main message. What are the three points that will move the members? What are the three points that will move the general public? It is possible that the message points will be the same for both groups?

Communicating your message

With the issue determined, the goal(s) defined, the audience(s) and decision-makers pinpointed, and the message crafted, you can turn to tactics for the campaign. What can be done to engage the mem-bers? What can be done to reach the general public and the media? What tools are available to make this easier? These questions are addressed in the next three sections of this chapter.

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 6

Tips for effective surveys

Surveys are easy to produce using AFT’s LeaderNet survey tool.

They can be mailed to homes, sent through interoffice mail, e-mailed, posted on your Web site or distributed by hand through work-site representatives. When doing a membership survey, encourage your work-site leaders to engage in conversations with members to explain why the union is taking the survey.

Here are some tips when building a survey:

Tell members why the union wants the information. This can be done in a cover letter or, if it’s an online survey, in the introductory para-graph. Include a date by which all surveys must be returned.

Keep the questionnaire focused and to the point. Long, involved surveys may be ignored unless the issues are critical and the survey questions especially interesting.

Make the survey instructions clear and provide simple responses, such as checking boxes, filling in blanks or circling answers. Limit the number of open-ended questions; while they make provide valuable information, they can be difficult to categorize and tabulate.

Be sure the questionnaire is easy to read. Use a simple type-face in a large enough font, underline key words and leave enough space between questions.

Publicize the survey internally. Let members know the union is con-ducting a survey and stress the importance of their cooperation.

Follow up with bulletin board notices, e-mails and letters, reminding employees to complete and return their surveys.

If conducting a paper survey, make it easy to return by providing a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Better yet, involve stewards/building rep-resentative in the collection and return of the surveys. This gives them an opportunity to keep in touch with the members they represent.

Report the results and analysis to the membership in a timely fashion.

If the results are to the union’s advantage, publicize them to the general press, to management and in your meetings with community groups.

Most importantly, do something with the results. Respond to the wishes and needs of the membership.

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 7

What do members and potential members think of the union?

Do they see the union as effective? Responsive? As a leader in the fight for quality? Do they credit your union with specific successes? Do they understand the union’s goals and objectives? Do they believe that the union is working on the issues they care most about?

One of the best ways to as-sess your members’ image of the union is to routinely rely on your work-site leaders to provide ongoing feedback from their con-versations with members and potential members. In addition, you can use surveys (print or e-mail) to regularly gauge members’ attitudes and opinions. A third approach is to conduct small-group meet-ings with members and potential members, like a casual focus group. What-ever approach you use, try to get answers to some key questions:

What do members and •potential members think of the union?

Do they think the union •is effective in negotiations? Political action? Lobbying? Grievance representation? Professional development? Representing members before the school board or city council?

Do they view the union •as open and democratic?

Can they name any •recent successes of the union?

What are their biggest •concerns on the job, and do they think the union is fighting for them on these issues?

What do they think of •the union’s current leader-ship?

Do they think that they •are better off with union representation?

You may be pleasantly sur-prised by the answers. But don’t count on it. In reality, most locals that go though this process are alarmed by how little members know about the union and the work it does. An effective communications program can turn this around.

Analyzing your union’s image

one of the best ways to assess your members’ image of the union is to routinely rely on your work-site leaders to provide ongoing feed-back from their conversations with members and potential members.

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 8

Developing a message

for your campaign

A strong message is one of the most important elements of a successful campaign.

What are the key points that your union can make quickly to convince others to support your position? Developing this kind of message is not easy, but there are some tools that can help.

One of the most important is the message box.

Your message on the issue?

Your message on your oppontent?

Your opponent’s message on the issue?

Your opponent’s message on you?

YO

UR

MES

SAG

E

YO

UR

OPPO

NEN

T’S MESSA

GE

The message box

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 9

The message box consists of four questions:

What is your message on the issue? Let’s say that the union is in tough contract negotiations, and the chief obstacle is reaching agreement on healthcare costs. If you were to run a campaign on this issue, what would you say to your members and/or to the general public? Your list might include things like:

Forcing our members to •pay more for their health-care will cause many to seek employment in other districts that pay more and that have more affordable healthcare benefits.

Good healthcare is •something that all employ-ees should expect from their employers.

Raising healthcare costs •is unfair.

We are going to lose •our best workers if we force them to pay ever-increasing costs for their own health-care.

The employer wants ev-•ery employee to pay an extra $100 per month for health-care and that’s wrong. Once you develop a list of all of the possible things you could say on this issue, evaluate which are the best. The fifth bullet above might work with members, but it probably won’t work with the general public (especially if it is in an area where most people do not get employer-provided health benefits). Bullets one and four might work

both with members/poten-tial members and with the general public. The point is that you want a message that will get the public on your side but will also communicate to mem-bers and potential mem-bers what the campaign is all about.

What is your opponent’s message on the issue? Chances are that your op-ponent, the employer, will make the argument that it cannot afford to continue the healthcare plan with-out a greater increase from members. In this event, you will need to decide if you need to include some additional points under your message on the is-sue that either directly or indirectly addresses the employer’s message. For example, if a chief admin-istrator was just given a good raise, you might be able to call into question the employer’s spending priorities.

What is your opponent’s message on the union? Sometimes, the best mes-sages are those that go after an opponent’s credibility. We see this all the time in union contract fights—where the employer attacks the union not on the merits of the issue but by attempt-ing to paint the union as self-serving or as not a credible representative of members. When entering into a campaign, think through possible attacks by your op-ponents and be prepared.

What is your message against your opponent? Sometimes the union can use the same tactics de-scribed above to attack the credibility of the union’s opponent or its spokesper-son. Once you create a list of possible message points for each of the questions above, narrow these down to the two or three key points that will be central to the union’s message. This is often the most diffi-cult part of constructing an effective message because usually so many ideas have been listed under each question in the box. How do you narrow them down? In a perfect world, this is most often done by testing messages with polling and focus groups. However, few unions have the money for this. Instead, you may want to evaluate each message point against a few key questions:

Does the message point •define the issue in terms favorable for the union?

Can it be communi-•cated quickly?

Is the point easy to •understand or is it too complex (requiring a great deal of explanation)?

Will it inspire people to •take action?

Does it work as well •with members and poten-tial members as it does with the general public?

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 10

Engaging members

What is the union’s most effective vehicle for communicating with members and potential members?

Your newsletter? Fliers? E-mail? Work-site bulletin boards? All of these are good vehicles, but they are not the most effective.

The most effective way to communicate to members is through one-on-one engagement using your work-site leader struc-ture. The importance of your work-site leaders can not be underestimated. Keep in mind that mem-bers pay far more attention to what a colleague has to say than to any publication sent out by the union. Also, work-site leaders provide a mechanism for two-way communication (from the union to members and from members to the union leadership) and a way to directly address the concerns and questions of individual members. On an important or urgent issue, work-site leaders are in the best position to get the word out quickly throughout a work site and to mobilize people to take action.

Effective communication starts with having a strong work-site structure. This begins by making sure you have a representative in every work site (or for every 15 to 20 employees), but this alone is not enough. Work-site leaders must internalize the union’s core message. They must understand the issues the union is fighting for and, most importantly, regularly receive the latest informa-tion on union activities and how they affect the membership. Many suc-cessful local unions have special work-site leader newsletters—often distrib-uted via e-mail—for just this purpose.

Another important com-munication vehicle is union officers. If your local is large enough to afford release-time officers, a significant portion of these officers’ time should be spent at the work-site meetings with members and potential members. Even without release time, the union should hold regular meetings in which members can raise their concerns and the union can report on issues and activities—and reinforce its overall message.

These forms of one-on-one contact are the most effective in communicating with members and poten-tial members, but there are other methods you can use.

The union newsletter. The union should produce a newsletter that is published at least once a month. This does not need to be a big production; in fact, the best newsletters are those that contain short articles on how the union is address-ing the issues and concerns of members and potential members (written in a style that reinforces the core message of the union). Some locals use newslet-ters to convey the high-lights of union activities while directing members to their Web site for more de-tailed information. Which-ever approach is used, your newsletter should strive to:

Tell the story of an ac-•tive union with an issue-advocacy agenda—the union as a cause.

Provide opportunities •for feedback and member-ship engagement.

Balance services and •the cause. It is reasonable to provide information about what the union can do for members as long as it is in a context that clearly

effective communica-tion starts with having a strong work-site structure.

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 11

communicates that unions are the members.

Include “calls for ac-•tion” that present readers with opportunities to get involved in union activities.

See “Newsletter guide-lines” for details.

E-mail. Electronic mail is an effective way to com-municate with members and nonmembers. It is also an inexpensive vehicle, but keep in mind that you should not overuse e-mail. E-mail that does not have substance will quickly be viewed as junk e-mail. It is best to use e-mail for urgent matters. Should the union decide to send an electronic newsletter, always allow members to opt in to receive the e-mail, and make it easy for them to opt out. You do not want a situation where the majority of members and potential members are deleting e-mail from the union before even open-ing it. Also, keep in mind that open rates for e-mails are very low and must be supplemented with other forms of communication.

Whenever possible, com-municate with members at their personal e-mail ad-dresses (check your mem-bership form to ensure you ask for this information). If the union does use work e-mail addresses, make sure you have an agree-ment with the employer or that you are on solid legal grounds in regards to your state laws.

Web site. Web sites are a passive means of commu-nicating (meaning that the audience must be driven to the site), but they are relatively inexpensive and can be effective if there is an integration plan. One of the best uses of a Web site is to include stories with more detail and related resources than what is covered in the newsletter. This approach helps drive members to the Web site for additional information. Web sites can also be ex-tremely useful during cri-ses or other major events, such as political action or bargaining, when members need information quickly. Unions can also post member-only information, such as contracts, and can collect e-mails through the registration process.

Bulletin boards. Work-site bulletin boards require that the union regularly send out materials to be posted. A bulletin board that has not changed content in several months will soon be ignored by members and potential members.

Fliers. As a general rule, fliers should be short enough to be read “be-tween the mailbox and the trash can.” Although fliers can be distributed through the mail, the most effec-tive means is the work-site representative structure. Many unions use work-site leaders to place fliers and other literature in mem-bers’ workplace mailboxes. However, stuffing mail-boxes does not allow for two-way conversations between work-site repre-sentatives and colleagues. Encourage representatives to personally hand out fliers; they are more likely to engage their colleagues in discussions on union issues if they have a piece of literature to hand out supporting and explaining the union’s position.

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 12

Position papers. Peri-odically prepare position papers that articulate the union’s position on profes-sional issues, pending legislation or collective bargaining matters. The papers can be targeted to membership, the general community, government officials, the administra-tion, the press or any combination of the above. The AFT’s public affairs, research and educational issues departments can provide prepared materials or background information on many issues.

INTEGRATE! The key to effective communications is to repeat your message as often and in as many ways as possible. Develop a schedule and arm your work-site leaders with the facts (and literature) they need to engage their colleagues on important issues facing the union, but back this up with newslet-ter articles, e-mail and Web site resources. Each com-munication vehicle should point to other vehicles. Cover the topic thoroughly at membership meetings and in work-site visits. Consider special mailings. Don’t forget to use the union bulletin boards in the work sites. Think of six different ways to commu-nicate the same message.

Who should get the newsletter?

A long-standing debate within many AFT locals is whether or not to send the newsletter to potential members. Some feel the newsletter is a service that should be available only to dues-paying members. Others believe the newsletter should go to everyone in the unit. Who is right? The answer is simple: If your union can afford it, send your newsletter to both members and potential members. Research has shown that potential members are more likely to join if they understand the union’s goals, what the union is doing to achieve those goals and how the union’s work affects them. One of the best ways to communicate this is through the newsletter.

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Newsletter guidelines (print and electronic)

Keep in mind members’ current identity, priorities. They are profes-sionals first and union members second; they want and need help with the issues/problems they face as professionals; they value political dis-course, not political partisanship; and they are driven by a selfless com-mitment to serve the “end-user” (students, patients, the community).

Also, know what members expect or prefer from an AFT publication: evidence that their priorities are understood and valued; how policy issues affect them and others in their profession; how other profes-sionals like them cope; and what the union is doing for them and other members in their profession.

Finally, consider how members receive and consume AFT publica-tions: with limited time and attention and with a quick assessment of whether the AFT publication is more or less interesting than other publications they receive.

1. Substance is king. The most relevant and useful publications are ones that, first and foremost, contain substantive content of interest to members. Whether a cover or a story contains pictures, graphics or illustrations is of secondary interest to members. Also, remember that no pictures are better than bad pictures.

2. Make it relevant. Story narratives and information should make it clear how the issue or topic is important for all members.

3. Provide hope. Emphasize positive solutions to the issues/prob-lems facing members as professionals. (Focus on solutions as much as the problem.)

4. Remind them that they are not alone and that they are part of a profession and a labor movement with shared experiences and inter-ests. There should be an emphasis on stories about members’ activi-ties and experiences (i.e., how problems have been solved, what their day-to-day lives are like, member diaries). In terms of both image and description, the professionals in the pictures and in the articles must clearly and visibly match the target audience for the publication.

5. Always include union news and include the “ask.” Members want information about what the union is doing and what they, as mem-bers, can do. Include information about the full range of union activi-ties, from the union’s efforts regarding public policy to the services (discounts, deals) it offers members. Also, clearly outline ways that members can get involved; make sure there are always some “easy-lift” activities.

Remember the members.

10 guiding principles for publications

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6. Focus on the “ends” (the goals of the action) as much as on the “means” (the action itself). Stories/headlines/captions about rallies and contract negotiations should highlight what the goal of the action is and how the outcome will benefit members, as well as the “end-users” (i.e., photos/description of members back at work serving the “end-user”).

7. Avoid rhetoric. The achievements and activities of the union should be carefully, clearly and accurately described to members, NOT sold to them. Present as many facts as possible (membership growth, contract successes); acknowledge setbacks.

8. Always emphasize the deliberate and careful process of union decision-making. Union decisions regarding politics and policy should be framed around the process, characterized by consider-ation of all sides of an issue. Stories/headlines/captions should focus on the “why” as much as the “who” or “what” the union supports. Dedicate space and photos to the full range of policy positions/candi-dates and present/cite the facts behind the union’s position at every opportunity.

9. The cover is critical. Members make a judgment as to the utility of publications in a matter of seconds, largely based on whether or not the substantive focus of the issue displayed on the cover piques their interest. The substantive content of each issue should be summa-rized clearly and visibly on the cover (above the fold, including page numbers). Also, cover images should capture their attention (colorful, striking), but not overshadow the details of what the issue covers.

10. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Readers should be reminded of ongoing activity and coverage from issue to issue (i.e., action taken around a policy, endorsement coverage). Don’t assume they have read the past coverage.

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 15

‘I communicate, but they don’t

listen’

A common complaint among union leaders is that they communicate to their members, but members don’t appear to be listening or to have gotten the message.

These union leaders are right—up to a point. If you write an article for your newsletter on a union activity and mail it out, you have communicated, right? Not necessarily.

To communicate effectively, your message has to:

Be received by the intended audience. Does the union have correct addresses on all members and potential members? If not, some people are not getting the newsletter and other direct-mail communications. Do all the buildings have trained union representatives who carry the union’s message to the members? If not, you are missing a real opportunity to communicate.

Grab the audience’s attention. Design literature/fliers to grab the audience’s attention and, with the exception of newsletters, the copy should be short enough to be read between the mailbox and the trash can.

Be understood by the audience. Even if you understand the intricacies of a particular issue, don’t assume that everyone else does. If your members are confused by union publications, they will stop reading them. If your work-site leaders don’t under-stand an issue, they will not discuss it with their colleagues.

Be believed. Is the union’s message believable? You can promise members a 50 percent pay increase, but most members won’t believe it. If they stop believing the union, they stop listening as well. On the other hand, the best evidence of the union’s cred-ibility is your past success in solving problems. Your communi-cations should remind people of those successes.

Be remembered. Communicating with members and po-tential members is ineffective if they forget what you had to say. Ensure that members and nonmembers remember the union’s message by keeping it simple and by repeating it as often as possible.

Be acted upon. When communicating with members, constant-ly ask yourself: What can I ask members and potential members to do? Maybe it’s to take an action, such as attending a rally or meeting or contacting a local lawmaker. At the very least, they should understand the issue addressed in the communication and come away with a positive image of the union.

if any one of these steps is not achieved, then you have failed to effectively communicate.

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Effectively communicating with the general public and media

External communica-tions/public relations plays an important role in a strategic com-munications program.

All your members are part of the general public. See-ing the union mentioned about the issue they care about in the local newspa-per communicates to them that the union is taking ac-tion. In addition, the union is reaching and educating the community.

Build a long-term program

To have an effective com-munications operation, it is important to make exter-nal communications an ongoing priority. Building relationships with report-ers and editors takes time, but it is well worth the en-ergy when you really need to get out your message. Here is what every external communications program needs:

Keep a regularly updated media list. This list should include the names; phone, cell and fax numbers; e-mail addresses; and office addresses for those who are or should be cover-ing your union’s issues,

including daily and weekly newspaper reporters and editors; TV assignment editors and appropriate beat reporters; and report-ers and/or news directors at news/talk and other radio stations with news departments. Remember to include political and business/labor reporters as well as key bloggers, if any.

Be familiar with your lo-cal media. Don’t wait for a crisis to make your first contact with reporters. Get to know your area’s reporters and the type of stories they cover. Call them to introduce yourself and let them know what your union focuses on and the types of information you can provide. Once you know each other, it will be easy to pitch story ideas to them, and they will feel more comfortable calling you as a source of informa-tion and for interviews. An occasional informal call or conversation over coffee may pay dividends down the road.

Build trust. Reporters will trust you if you return calls in a timely manner, provide them with accurate information and, when interviewed, your com-

ments are concise, simple and quotable.

Decide who is speaking for the union. The president is the most likely union spokesperson. However, the membership can be involved by organizing a committee to assist with writing media advisories, news releases, etc. The committee can also assist with developing a list of members and recruiting them to speak briefly to reporters on the issue. If there is more than one spokesperson, it is impor-tant that everyone stays on message.

Stay on message

When being interviewed or public speaking it is impor-tant to always stay on mes-sage. Follow these points:

Stick to the three points. Don’t veer off, even if your interviewer tries to get you to say something you don’t want to discuss. You may have to respond to a “curve-ball” question by saying, “Let me put it this way,” and then launch into your pre-outlined points.

Be quotable. Consider using an analogy or a metaphor to get your point

CHAPTER 10 | PAGE 18

across. However, keep it short and succinct. Don’t ramble; you could end up saying something you may regret.

Practice, practice, practice. The only way to remem-ber what to say and to be eloquent is to practice. Do a trial run in front of someone who is not in your area of expertise to make sure they can understand what you’re talking about.

Getting media coverage

There are many tools that can be utilized to help you generate media coverage. They include:

Media advisory. If the union holds an event or a news conference, send out a media advisory about two days in advance. The ad-visory has a brief descrip-tion along with an outline of what, when, where and who. The advisory should be followed up with a re-minder phone call the day before the event.

Press statement. This is used to respond to an event. It should be brief and quot-able so that the reporter can easily understand your posi-tion. If the subject matter

is not well known, you may want to include a one- or two-sentence description of the event.

News release. A longer ver-sion of a statement, a release thoroughly discusses the issue and includes quotes from union representatives. If the union holds a news conference, a release should be distributed to reporters for later reference.

Letters to the editor. This is a short response to a news-paper article. Only write a few paragraphs and send it within one or two days of the date the article appeared for the best chance of getting it published. Ask members to write letters as well.

Op-ed articles. An opin-ion piece is a longer ar-ticle, about 400 words, that thoroughly explains a topic. Typically newspapers limit these to only one or two per year for community leaders, so make sure it is an impor-tant topic and timely.

Radio talk shows. Don’t for-get to pitch your issue to the radio producers of public radio stations and even the conservative talk shows.

Online blogs. Don’t waste time worrying about blogs because anyone can have one. However, if there are a couple of credible local blogs, approach the publish-ers to post a special column. The content can be similar to what you would propose for an op-ed.

Paid advertising. In ex-traordinary circumstances you may consider spend-ing money on newspaper advertisements, radio com-mercials, online banner ads or billboards. Newspaper ads allow you to commu-nicate the union’s message visually and without an editor adding the opposing opinion. Radio is one of the best values for your dol-lar, reaching thousands of people. If you have limited resources to get your mes-sage disseminated to the general public, an online ad campaign may be the best bet. It is cost-effective and can drive people to your Web site. Pricing for media can be negotiated and is different in each market. Talk to advertising agents for all the various outlets before you determine which vehicle will be most cost-effective.

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Tools to help your communication program

The AFT offers a variety of communication tools and services to support your efforts.

AFT Communicators Net-work (AFTCN). AFTCN co-ordinates communications strategy among state and local affiliates and supports them in delivering the AFT message both to members and the public. The AFTCN distills AFT news, reports and activities and sends the information via e-mail, along with links to related tools, publications and resources that allow affili-ates to simply download, cut and paste, or pick and choose the information they wish to share with others.

The AFTCN conducts an annual communications conference where mem-bers can engage in discus-sions about the latest is-sues, learn about the latest and best communications resources, and get some practice with communica-tions tools like video and digital cameras. The annual conference also includes sessions on newsletter

layout, e-mail communica-tions, strategic planning and communicating for is-sues-based organizing. The AFTCN also sponsors an annual communications contest. To join AFTCN, go to http://leadernet.aft.org/joinaftcn/.

Communications training. In addition to the commu-nications training avail-able at the AFTCN annual conference and from other AFT departments, the AFT communications depart-ment will work with you to develop communications training for your leaders. This can include strategic communications plan-ning, engaging members, newsletter design and development and external communications. For ar-rangements, contact Kris Kemmerer at kkemmere@aft.org.

External public relations support. The AFT public affairs department will work with you to develop long-term media strategy, create a crisis PR plan and assist with writing of press statements, news releases, op-ed columns, etc. For details, contact Janet Bass at jbass@aft.org.

Online tools/resources

AFT LeaderNet. AFT LeaderNet is a password-protected Web site for AFT affiliate leaders, staff and activists. The site provides a common gateway to AFT news, materials and useful tools to help affiliates on a wide range of topics, from governance information to AFT resolutions and policy to internal and external communications. Leader-Net resources include the latest AFT news and media clips, member outreach tools, including newsletter templates, online surveys and clip art, AFT + Mem-ber Benefits resources and graphics, materials and training for new and experienced leaders, and much more. Visit http://leadernet.aft.org/register to register.

Inside AFT. Inside AFT is the union’s weekly elec-tronic newsletter for AFT leaders and includes the AFT’s latest news, legis-lative activities, special campaigns, leadership meetings and more. To subscribe, go to http://www.unionvoice.org/inside_aft/join.html. You may also subscribe to other AFT divisional and topical e-newsletters by visiting

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http://www.aft.org/pubs-reports/email_news.htm.

AFT.ORG AFT.org is the AFT’s public Web site, where you will find the latest union news and information of interest to every type of local affiliate and to all members. There is a members-only area for access to member benefits and professional resources. To make sure that mem-bers’ voices are heard, comments and opinions are continually sought at the “AFT Voices” site. The views shared by members in AFT Voices often become the basis for news coverage or larger stories in other venues.

AFT local Web site tools.The AFT provides easy-to-use, Internet-based tools for creating and maintain-ing affiliate Web sites. The AFT program, called State-Web, is free and includes hosting, design templates, an Internet-based content management system and content syndication from the national union and state affiliates. StateWeb is easy to use and requires no technical expertise. The system also gives affiliates the ability to make certain content restricted (such

as the contract) as a way to collect information and e-mail addresses from members and potential members. For details, con-tact online@aft.org.

Local e-mail tools. The AFT offers a free e-mail and political advocacy system to help affiliates build a powerful e-mail list and messaging capabil-ity. Through the program, GetActive, affiliates can send out regular e-mail newsletters to members and potential members as well as mobilize members and supporters on bargain-ing or issue campaigns, lobbying efforts and politi-cal action. This program enables affiliates to create customized, targeted, image-rich messages; track the effectiveness of your messaging and online ad-vocacy; gain new members or activists; and influence decision-makers. For details, contact online@aft.org.

CHAPTER 11 | PAGE 1

11 Professional issues

Promoting professional issues

Where to begin

How to move forward

Developing a professional issues campaign

CHAPTER 11 | PAGE 2

One of the most powerful tools lo-cal unions can use to engage members, especially younger members and po-tential members, is professional issues.

Our members care deeply about their professions and are increasingly looking to their union to be an effec-tive advocate for quality. To meet this need and ensure ongoing support for public institutions, unions throughout the country are developing programs to promote quality public ser-vices and the professional concerns of members.

Introduction

our members care deeply about their professions and are increasingly looking to their union to be an effective advocate for quality.

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Promoting professional issues

There are a number of approaches that virtually every union can take to effectively meet the professional needs of members. These include:

Professional issues advo-cacy. Unions can advocate for high-quality profes-sional development and improved working condi-tions. Union members are uniquely positioned to make the case before policymaking bodies about professional issues and to advocate for professional needs. By building the case that improved professional conditions will improve performance, unions will be able to argue more persuasively for increased funding, support and time for members to engage in professional growth.

Professional issues broker. Most local and state lead-ers have, or can develop, the capacity to broker ser-vices for the professional needs of their members

with other organizations that offer such training. In effect, the union takes on the role of linking the employer to other organi-zations, such as universi-ties or businesses, that have a good reputation for providing high-quality professional development. Assuming the role of bro-ker enables the union to leverage existing programs to increase the array of professional opportunities available to members.

Professional issues collab-orator. Working with part-ners, the union can expand the kinds of professional development and services it offers. The collaborator role relieves the union of the burden of financing or developing professional issues on its own while allowing the union to be a full partner in ensuring the quality of programs to which it attaches its name.

Professional issues de-liverer. Many local and state affiliates already offer their own union-created professional issues pro-grams. Others can, over time, begin to offer such programs. These union-sponsored programs are almost always funded through negotiated agree-ments with management and may be supplemented by monies from the state or federal government. Not every local or state affiliate can assume all of these roles at once, but all affiliates can assume one or more of them early on and then begin the task of increasing capacity.

Union members are uniquely positioned to make the case before policymaking bodies about professional issues and to advocate for professional needs.

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Where to begin

First, local unions must commit to making professional issues integral to union work.

This does not necessarily mean adding on another responsibility for union leaders and staff. Rather, it means thinking through ways in which enhancing the practice of our members permeates everything we do as an organization, from negotiating contracts to developing state legislation to choosing our professional partners.

Making this commitment is not always easy. Too often, professional issues take a back seat to other pressing union activities, such as or-ganizing, negotiating con-tracts, servicing grievances and engaging in political action, rather than being viewed as an integral part of every union function.

CHAPTER 11 | PAGE 6

How to move forward

An effective profes-sional issues program reflects the concerns of members.

This means making sure that work-site leaders routinely report back to union officers on the pro-fessional concerns voiced by members, regularly surveying members about the challenges they face on the job and finding other ways to engage members in a discussion about their concerns. Local affiliates also need to work with their state federations and the national union to keep on top of proposed legisla-tive or regulatory changes that may affect members. The next step is to develop a plan that establishes clear goals for your program; creates opportunities for membership involve-ment in activities aimed at achieving the goals; and identifies clear tasks, time-lines and responsibilities.

In developing a plan, keep in mind the importance of: Negotiating professional issues. Many locals across the country have found that, with some creative bargaining strategies and

labor/management coop-eration, they can expand the traditional scope of bargaining wages, benefits and working conditions to include professional devel-opment issues. AFT locals have secured contract language on peer review, pay for performance, professional development opportunities and compen-sation, tuition reimburse-ment, evaluation systems and career ladders. More information is available on these contract gains at AFT’s LeaderNet site and by contacting AFT’s constitu-ency divisions.

Building effective coali-tions and partnerships with other groups and agencies having similar goals. The union cannot go it alone. It cannot be responsible for absorbing the costs associ-ated with enhancing mem-bers’ practice, nor for the programs members should have available to them. Union leaders need to be able to develop partner-ships and strategic alliances with the administration and other organizations, and to work collaboratively to raise funds and develop programs around improved profes-sional practice (see Chapter 8 for more details).

Serving as a strong, public voice for professional is-sues, both with members and the general public. Enhancing the role of the union on professional issues challenges beliefs about what unions do. It challenges the public per-ception as well as the views of some union members and potential members. Effectively making the case for the union’s involvement requires well-developed communication skills and the ability to adapt quickly.

Analyzing budgets to identify funding sources for professional issues programs. Union lead-ers must also understand the big picture. They must know what policies will make continuous profes-sional improvement for members possible. They must be armed with adequate information so they can be the first line of defense against shoddy programs and ill-conceived or destructive policies.

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Developing a professional issues campaign

There are many approaches that can be used to effectively represent members’ professional concerns.

These range from contract negotiations and labor management cooperation to lobbying for legislative and regulatory changes. All of these approaches share a common thread: the need to build an effective membership involvement campaign to move the union’s position forward.

Developing an issues-based campaign is covered in detail in Chapter 1; however, the key elements include:

Listening to members •to identify their profes-sional concerns;

Establishing clear goals •for what changes the union wants to achieve;

Establishing a cam-•paign committee to develop and implement a plan aimed at achieving the goals;

Enlisting the support of •the work-site structure to educate and involve mem-bers in the campaign; and

Creating opportunities •for membership involve-ment to help move the issue forward.

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Professional issues

in action

In late 2007 and early 2008, members of AFT-West Virginia united around a comprehensive and successful campaign aimed at passing safe school legislation. Initial campaign efforts focused on surveying teachers and school service personnel, as well as the general public, on their concerns about safety in public schools. Union members through-out the state, armed with survey results and other evidence highlighting the nature of the problems in public schools, then took their case direct-ly to their state representatives. These lobbying efforts were backed up by statewide rallies and extensive e-mail campaigns that provided op-portunities for even more members to help move the union’s agenda. In addition, AFT-West Virginia’s leadership visited boards of education throughout the state to inform them about the school safety legislation well in advance of the legislative session.

Key to the union’s success was the formation of a coalition with the West Virginia School Service Personnel Association (WVSSPA) that cre-ated a united front and bolstered overall support for the bill in the state legislature. Ultimately, the close working relationship between the two organizations on this and other issues led to the affiliation of WVSSPA with the AFT.

One example of the union serving as a professional issues broker is the AFT Healthcare division’s successful effort to become an ac-credited provider of continuing education for registered nurses. Although licensure rules vary by state, most nurses are required to take some type of continuing education to remain in practice. To meet this need, AFT has worked with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to develop extensive self-evaluation and on-site assessment programs provided by trained evaluators. Union members volunteer as nurse planners and work to ensure high-quality nursing education.

In summer 2008, AFT Healthcare launched Web-based learning op-portunities for nurses that also provides contact hours necessary for re-licensure. For more information, contact AFT Healthcare.

Members of the Toledo Federation of Teachers believe strongly that teachers are the best judges of good teaching. They took this belief to the bargaining table, where they were successful in negoti-ating ground-breaking language that gives teachers the primary role in evaluating their peers. While this approach is not without some controversy, the approach has proven to work and now serves as a model for other locals.

School safety in West Virginia

A continuing education for nurses

There are many ways that a local can incorporate involvement in professional issues in its scope of bargaining and as a springboard for organizing.

Here are three examples:

TFT tackles peer review