Once union organizing starts, the messaging race begins. And often, that race starts in your employees’ pockets—on their phones.
Starting with the online authorization card, social media accounts, and text messages, union organizers heavily lean into electronic communication. While you still retain the advantage of speaking in person to your employees in groups and one-to-one, there are additional advantages to taking your conversations to the electronic sphere.
Websites: From Afterthought to Anchor
Whether it’s a standalone microsite, a section of the company intranet, or a public-facing FAQ, employers are leaning heavily on digital platforms to:
- Explain the unionization process (in plain English or multilingual)
- Present data about dues, strikes, and representation
- Showcase the employer’s value proposition (wages, benefits, culture)
- FAQs addressing the swirl of organizer claims
The goal? Deliver the message unfiltered, consistently, and in a format that employees—especially mobile-first, Gen Z–heavy workforces—can access anytime.
Notable Examples from the Field
Here’s how it looks in action:
- Starbucks’ One.Starbucks.com: Still live. It features unity messaging and information on the realities of unionization.
- Volkswagen Chattanooga’s QR Code Campaign: Grassroots-style messaging with QR codes. Southern charm meets digital strategy.
- Macalester College: where a staff union vote is set for June 10. In response, the school launched a public-facing FAQ page to educate employees—and the public—about what’s at stake.
- Boeing: used social media accounts, their web page, and media ads extensively during their campaigns with the IAM in South Carolina
Public vs. Internal Sites: Know the Tradeoffs
Some employers keep their campaign sites behind a login wall (Trader Joe’s), limiting exposure. Others, like Starbucks or Macalester, go public—sometimes for transparency, sometimes for reputation management.
Both approaches have benefits and risks:
- Public sites can preempt media narratives but are also open season for union organizers, journalists, and labor Twitter.
- Internal-only sites offer message control but may not help shape public perception or mitigate outside pressure. If trust of management is an issue in the campaign, an internal-only site may fall flat.
Anonymity
Offering information via cell phone is a big advantage regardless of whether the site is public or internal-only. Employees can review the information (data, videos, calculators, FAQ, etc.) without peer pressure and can involve significant others outside of the work environment.
Enter the Advocacy Groups
Third-party groups like the Center for Union Facts are also part of the digital equation. Their sites, like UnionFacts.com or WorkersUnitedFacts.com, are designed to provide information about unions directly to employees, calling out leadership, financial mismanagement, or alleged hypocrisy. While not employer-sponsored, they often echo employer concerns and add pressure from a different angle.
Remember: proximity to these efforts (even informally) still requires careful legal navigation.
Strategic Reminders for Employers
If you’re advising a client or managing a campaign in-house, a few rules of the road:
✅ Your digital strategy should complement—not replace—direct communication (think one-on-ones, meetings, town halls). A website will never win a campaign.
✅ The content must match your verbal messaging. Inconsistency can backfire fast.
✅ Legal review isn’t optional. Every FAQ or video should be vetted for Section 8 violations.
✅ Public sites live forever. Screenshot culture is real, and unions are watching.
Bottom Line: In a digital-first world, a thoughtful website can be a strategic asset in union campaigns. But it’s not plug-and-play. Build it carefully, review it with legal, and ensure it aligns with your broader strategy.
If you’re not using the web to tell your story, someone else will.
How We Can Help: Digital Messaging Done Right
At LRI, we bring more than theory to the table. We provide a battle-tested “Campaign-in‑the‑Cloud” toolkit and custom campaign websites designed for rapid deployment, legal compliance, and real campaign impact. Our pre-staged, legally reviewed content—covering dues, strikes, organizing tactics, bargaining, and more—is ready to go in under 24 hours. That means no scrambling for copy, no missed deadlines, and no last-minute legal risk.
More than just templates, our campaign sites are interactive, mobile-first hubs tailored to your exact situation. Think mini‑FAQs, interactive calculators, union-specific content, and real-time updates responding to local messaging. We build the platform, populate the content, and train your team to manage updates seamlessly through town halls, QR codes, intranets, or public websites.
Want to see a live demo? Contact us or call +1-800-888-9115, and we’ll walk you through our toolkit and best practices.
