Alex’s blog about strategy, campaigning, growth, politics and climate (among other things).
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What I’m reading (Aug 2023)
Stories and links that are of interest or relevance to union leaders, strategists, campaigners and organisers. Unions and union growth Workers’ rights AI and the future of work Campaigning, organising and digital/social media Society, media, news and culture Read more
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Worker data rights, not AI, is the most important future frontier
During the pandemic, employer collection of worker data increased significantly. In almost all cases, especially in Australia, this collection is completely unregulated. As Matthew Painter at the Future World of Work wrote, “Data is rapidly becoming the global economy’s most valuable resource, and currently, workers have no control over the mountains of data their employers collect on… Read more
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Revisiting “Using Data to Build Strong Unions” by Unions21
In 2022, Unions21 published the Using Data to Build Strong Unions report. A year later, I wanted to revisit this report to summarise its key points and discuss what, if anything, has changed. It is important to note that this report is concerned with how unions use data, rather than the impact or risks of… Read more
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How unions can use ChatGPT and generative AI for growth
What are the ways that unions could use generative AI and ChatGPT to grow in membership or lift capacity? In this article, I want to briefly go over some of the areas that unions could use ChatGPT and other generative AI tools for growth, communications, campaigning and operations. Read first: What unions need to know… Read more
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What I’m reading (July 2023)
Stories and links that are of interest or relevance to union leaders, strategists, campaigners and organisers. Unions and union growth Workers’ rights AI and the future of work Campaigning, organising and digital/social media Society, media, news and culture Read more
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Complete guide: Best social media sites for your union in 2023
Whether you are a union leader, seasoned union comms officer, or just starting out, it’s helpful to know about the most popular, and most trendy, social media sites in 2023 for unions. Social media is hugely important for unions to communicate with potential and current members. Research shows that Australians are very online — 81%… Read more
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The biggest obstacles to union growth?
Almost all unions recruit members. In fact, the union movement last year recruited over 150,000 workers. So what are the barriers to growth? Why isn’t the movement 150,000 members larger than in 2021? There are numerous difficult cultural, operational, strategic, political, and budget issues that must be overcome by union leaders and staff if we… Read more
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What I’m reading (June 2023)
Stories and links that are of interest or relevance to union leaders, strategists, campaigners and organisers. Unions and union growth Workers’ rights AI and the future of work Campaigning, organising and digital/social media Society, media, news and culture Read more
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Can unions learn from ‘Higher Ground Labs’ Political Tech Review?
Every year, Higher Ground Labs reviews the latest innovations in the political tech space. They have recently released their report on the last 2022 mid-terms in the US, and a lot of the report is specific to the dynamics of US elections — so what, if anything, can unions learn from the report? Hybrid virtual… Read more
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For growth, your union should invest in your website
In Australia, more people are using social media than ever before, but when it comes to actually joining your union , they will still go to your website first. It’s no secret that social media has become an integral part of our lives, and unions are increasingly using it as a tool to reach out… Read more
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What I’m reading (May 2023)
Stories and links that are of interest or relevance to union leaders, strategists, campaigners and organisers. Unions and union growth Workers’ rights AI and the future of work Campaigning, organising and digital/social media Society, media, news and culture Read more
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Why digital innovation must be on the agenda for your union
As a union leader, it’s important to stay aware of the newest digital innovations and technology in order to increase membership and support existing members. To really stay ahead of potential disruption – in a world where digital innovation is essential and disruption more frequent – unions need to use new digital technologies to become… Read more
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Member insights crucial for union growth
Before you start your union growth program, it is essential to have reliable, high quality insights about your members and potential members. Within various industries like data and manufacturing, there is a management truism called the “1-10-100 Rule“. The 1-10-100 Rule, states that it costs exponentially more money to identify and correct errors the longer… Read more
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Three strategies to improve your union’s member retention
The difference between a union that is growing, and one that is not, comes down to your member retention. Retention is the real secret to true growth. Most unions have no problems with recruitment, but end up signing up as many new members as the number of members who resign or retire. A major and… Read more
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What I’m reading (Apr 2023)
Stories and links that are of interest or relevance to union leaders, strategists, campaigners and organisers. Union growth AI and the future of work Campaigning, organising and digital/social media Media, news and culture Read more
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What unions need to know about ChatGTP and generative AI right now
The advent of generative AI has the potential to transform various industries, and the trade union movement is no exception. As automation and AI technologies continue to advance, they are causing disruptions across the global labor market, challenging workers’ rights, job security, and traditional labor relations. However, the emergence of generative AI may provide a… Read more
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Union websites to look at for inspiration in 2023
This list for 2023 updates my 2020 list of effective, engaging and inspiring union websites. All effective union websites have several common elements. They are engaging, professionally designed, optimised for mobile devices, load very quickly, and have clear calls-to-action that invite workers to join, get active or find out more about the union’s campaigns or… Read more
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What I’m reading (Mar 2023)
Stories and links that are of interest or relevance to union leaders, strategists, campaigners and organisers. Unions, workers and the economy Union growth AI and the future of work Campaigning, organising and digital/social media Digital strategy Media Read more
