As companies begin to change the way in which they reach employees, it important to understand how that has affected union campaigns. One old-tactic of relying on facts has been replaced with emotion. Here is what we mean:
Facts are easy- they’re cut and dried, and no one can argue them, after all, they’re the truth. Unfortunately in a union campaign, facts can become muddied, twisted, in short, less than the truth. It’s also tough to broach difficult topics in a factual presentation. However, things that might seem trivial in a facts-based campaign can be brought up (with as much influence as any statistic or pie chart) in a meeting that’s focused on clearing the air.
The challenge is to keep the emotion from getting out of hand, and keep management from being put “on the spot” with issues that cannot be solved instantaneously.
All union organizing drives are charged with emotion. It’s never the case where everyone agrees as to what needs to be done. So what better way to keep a company union-free than to capitalize on that emotion and get employees talking?
Every company has its own demographics, values, issues, beliefs, and other characteristics that make it unique. Use those differentiating factors to connect with employees on an emotional level.
For more details on a company’s strategy for winning a union campaign has evolved, read the whitepaper, “That was Then, This is Now: The New Rules of Employee Communication.”