10 Steps to Creating Involved Members

Stewards can play a key role in helping their local unions develop a strong and committed membership, but it’s a task that takes time and patience.  Here are some ideas to begin the process, ideas that have proven themselves effective in unions across North America.

1. Don’t focus on how many members come to the regular membership meeting, but think instead about what you can do to get members involved in union activities.  Once they are involved and loyal, they will come to the meetings – not the other way around.

2. Take the time to communicate directly to members regularly about how they benefit from the union.  Every time a grievance is settled make sure your co-workers know about it.  Use the bulletin board, talk about settlements in meetings or in the lunchroom, and try to put summaries of settlements (if appropriate) in your newsletter.  This also applies to contract settlements.  Use these opportunities as an educational tool in why the union is important in the life of the member.

3. Develop opportunities for members to socialize and get to know one another.  Sports, picnics, dances, games, and potluck suppers with families can be put together at little or no cost to the union treasury.  These activities provide an opportunity for members to work with one another and enjoy the community of solidarity.

4. Find out the new members right away and welcome them.  Stewards should seek out the new employee the first day on the job and invite him or her to sit down with experienced and loyal members at lunch.  Make new folks feel part of the family immediately.  Give them lots of time to ask questions.  Invite them to a meeting – offer them a ride, if you can – and acknowledge their presence.  Do not let them learn about the union from your boss or a cynical or dis-satisified member.

5. Ask members to do something for the union.  Use their strengths.  If someone is a good photographer, have him or her take pictures or a union event, use the pictures in a publication and be sure the photographer is given credit, in print.  If the member can decorate a cake, ask for help when you’re putting together a union function like a retirement party.  Make the task easy and give the member public recognition.  That is how you begin to build loyalty.

6. Make the union visible on the job.  Make sure the bulletin boards are clean and look good.  Make sure the members know who their stewards are.  An officer should visit the properties regularly, not just when there is a problem.

7. Handle grievances quickly and effectively.  Let the grievant know what is going on when there is a delay or if the case cannot be won.  As steward, you owe it to everyone to be properly trained and motivated.  If you need help from others in the union, ask for it.

8. Seek input from your members.  Locals often think of getting opinions at contract time when the bargaining committee circulates a survey.  But there are many opportunities in between contract deadlines when members’ opinions would be useful for the local.  Stewards should pass members’ concerns on up the line.

9. Help keep your newsletter member-oriented.  Submit items to the editor about the people you work with.  Highlight your members’ activities with articles and, if possible, pictures.  List lifes events such as births, marriages, graduations and anniversaries.  Of course you need to include union news, but highlight some of the human interest stories.  By doing so, you will encourage members to read the whole newsletter.

10. Work with your leadership to see if the membership meetings can be made more interesting.  Guest speakers might be able to make short presentations.  Perhaps brief videos can be shown on topics that are interesting to members.   Do what you can to help the meetings start and end on time, be reasonably short and in a comfortable setting.  Think about families and how they can be accommodated.

Think back to what it was like when you started out in the union and figure out how that experience can be improved.  It doesn’t take much but you must be consistent and make these changes a regular part of the local’s day-to-day activities.