Communicate Or Die

Essays and Blog Items

AFL-CIO announces “#1u Digital Training Service”

Fri, 11/08/2013 - 1:23pm

The AFL-CIO recently announced a series of online training opportunities that should be of interest to many Communicate or Die readers. The training promises to “certify you to be a labor digital ninja...open to anyone in the labor movement who wants to organize workers online with excellence.” Many labor communicators have long wished for training in this area specifically geared toward unionists, and much credit goes to the AFL-CIO for launching the project.

Newspaper Guild Study Finds TV Labor Coverage "Scarce", "Negative"

Fri, 11/08/2013 - 12:36pm

A recent report from the Newspaper Guild examines national TV networks’ coverage of unions and the labor movement over three years and finds that “the media largely ignores labor, except to paint unions as a source of trouble in the American economy.”

Over three years, only 141 stories among the four networks that focused on labor - less that 0.3 percent of approximated 16,000 stories broadcast per year.

Mixed Reviews on Mailbox App

Thu, 05/16/2013 - 11:06am

Labor leaders often feel overwhelmed by the task of managing their incoming email. What are the best tools out there for getting control of your inbox? The highly-touted Mailbox iOS app has been getting some mixed reviews.

In a video review posted on YouTube, Daniel of entirelygeek.com demonstrates the app’s ability to quickly archieve/delete incoming email, or treat incoming email messages as potential “tasks” and letting you assign deadlines by which you need to respond - “turn[ing] your inbox into a really good todo list”.

UFCW Local 1459 Embarks on New Communication Offensive

Fri, 06/22/2012 - 2:46pm

"Communicate or die." That's the philosophy UFCW Local 1459 is embracing as it plows full bore into embracing the Internet to communicate. The union just launched a Facebook account and has also opened accounts on Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and Google Plus.

Labor Communicators of the World, Unite!

Tue, 10/04/2011 - 5:35pm

5% of unions’ communications program suck. And 94% don’t even exist.

OK. Maybe I’m exaggerating. A bit.

But, if we’re going to be honest with ourselves, we have to admit that many local unions aren’t getting their messages out to people. Heck, as the Recording Secretary of the Pioneer AFL-CIO in Springfield, Massachusetts, I myself cop to being part of the problem. I admit it. I could be putting in a lot more effort into our own communications program.

Obviously, I’m not interested in assigning blame. I want to solve our problems. I want to motivate people to think about, build, and execute solutions to help average people like us, so we don’t end up getting dominated by the rich and powerful forces who stand to gain from our division. You know that nothing short of the future of American depends upon us.

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