Building a Culture of Membership and Participation at Your Worksite

Steward is a lonely job if people see you as UTD and themselves as customers of things you provide. We’d be a stronger if more members saw themselves as unionists with a duty and obligation to join, to stay informed and to get involved. In this workshop we will explore the psychology of membership and participation and brainstorm ideas on how we might better engage, recruit, induct and activate our colleagues.

Prepared for the 2012 UTD Steward Retreat

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A G E N D AI. Share our impressions of the current union

culture in our worksites.II. Analyze our stories about our own histories of

activism.III. Examine the psychology of membership and

participation.IV. Brainstorm ideas for building a stronger culture

of membership and participation in our worksites.

 

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Let’s start by pretending that UTD sought to amend its constitution by adding the following article . . .

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Duties and Obligations of Membership*The power of the union to achieve its objectives relies on an educated and active membership. All UTD members share basic duties and obligations of membership that include making good-faith efforts to remain members in good standing, to attend union meetings and functions, to stay informed of union issues and events, to participate in union activities, to help build an effective union chapter at their worksites, and to vote in union governance elections and contract ratifications. Members also should consider seeking positions of leadership and/or responsibility commensurate with their experiences/abilities as these positions become available. * Intended only to stimulate discussion in this workshop. No such article is being proposed or even

contemplated as an amendment to the actual UTD Constitution.

How would your members/potential members react? Would they be . . .

HOT: They would react favorably because they already tend to understand that involved membership is the union’s strength and thus generally act accordingly.

WARM: They might react favorably but it would take some persuasion to about the value of an involved membership and more members setting an example by becoming more active in the union.

COLD : They would react unfavorably since the idea that members have a duty and obligation to be involved in the union is so counter to their current perceptions/experiences.

By a “show of hands,” let’s see how you answer . . .

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Let’s discuss:1. Why did you assign this rating? What do you

see, hear or experience that leads you to this conclusion?

2. What is it like to be a steward in schools of this type? What is rewarding? Challenging? Frustrating?

 

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Now, let’s analyze “activism” by sharing our own stories . . .

Who wants to share:1. How did you first become active in UTD? (NOTE: Not “why

did you join”—why did you get “active.”)

What do these stories have in common?2. What keeps you active? Why do you keep doing the

“union thing?”

What do these stories have in common?What does all of this tell us about building a culture of

membership and participation in UTD?

Our challenge . . .ENTHUSIASM: Unless we build it, we cannot build participation. Level of enthusiasm is influenced by union environment, our organizational culture, our leadership, our relevance to what people care about, etc.INVOLVEMENT: Important to translate enthusiasm into actual behavior on the part of members and potential members in order to further develop relationships and personal experiences that lead to . . . COMMITMENT: True membership commitment to the union (as expressed by participation) is what builds our power.

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“The Lifecycle of a Unionist”

ENGAGEMENTPerson is given reason to become interested in/pay attention to the union..

IACTIVATION / RECRUITMENT & RETENTION

Person begins voluntary action in support of the unionPerson joins and remains a member.

IINDUCTION

Member is oriented to union/comes to know its history, structure, values, etc.I

CONTINUAL ACTIVATIONMember continues voluntary action in support of the union.

ISECONDARY LEADERSHIP

Member assumes a formal leadership role.(Building site team, committee and task force work, etc.)

IPRIMARY LEADERSHIP

Member advances to highest levels of union leadership.(Steward, area or program coordinator, union officer, etc.)

Transactional vs. TransformationalOrganizing and Unionism

RationalBenefits, services

PassiveMarketing, sales

Talking, sellingEvent

Union is protectionMembers join the union

Customer

• Psychological• Issues• Active• Relationship, experience• Listening, connecting• Ongoing activity• Union is power• Members take a stand!• Unionist

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Six ingredients for building a culture of membership and participation:1. Deliberate efforts to engage personally with members

(especially new ones), to induct them as members and to constantly educate on the issues. (Transformational vs. Transactional Unionism)

2. Visibility and regular two-way communication at the worksite. (“UTD lives here!”)

3. “Things for people to do in order to get people doing things.” (Variety/range of involvement opportunities.)

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Six ingredients (continued):

4. Identification of and advocacy around worksite-specific issues (These do not have to be contractual!)

5. One-on-one asking in person as primary means for engaging and moving members to action!

6. So you don’t have to do it alone: The organization of a leadership team of respected activists who can move others through their leadership/relationships.

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Comments? Questions?

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FINAL ACTIVITYDiscuss and Report:

In your group, brainstorm at least three things you can begin doing to better build a culture of membership/participation in your worksites. Try to be a specific as possible: What do you plan to do? When? What support might you need?