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Orienting New Workers

Stewards learn early on that member commitment is one of the basic building blocks, if not the very foundation, of a strong union.

Greater commitment leads to higher levels of participation in the union's work--and higher levels of commitment and participation lead to more effective organizing, bargaining, grievance resolution, and political action. Stewards can play a critical role in helping to build greater member commitment to the union, and there's no more important way to do this than to reach out to newly hired workers.

Research on how and why workers become committed to their unions has found that members' early experiences with their union are vitally important. The reality is that when new employees are hired into a unionized workplace, they often know little about unions in general, and even less about their new union in particular. What they see and learn in the first several weeks, the research shows, will influence how committed they are to the union for years to come. It's during this "just hired" period that stewards are in a unique position to make a positive first impression.

Make the Approach

The worker's first few weeks on the job provide a window of opportunity for union officers and stewards to present their organization in the most positive light. This can be done through new member orientation programs, through informal contacts between members and new employees, or both.

Some unions have established formal orientation programs for all new workers. These can take a number of forms, but all of them allow the union to meet with new workers right after they come on board and provide information about the benefits and services the union provides.

A second opportunity unions have to influence new member commitment is through informal contacts between new hires and veteran, pro-union workers.

These informal orientation opportunities differ from formal programs in that they usually are unplanned and involve one-on-one conversations, but they can be just as effective, and often are more effective, than structured orientation sessions.

The smart steward introduces him or herself as soon as a new employee appears on the scene. Remember that this may be the new hire's first exposure to the labor movement, so you should be prepared to explain some real basics about the role of the union, how it operates, and the steward's involvement in the process.

It's very important for the steward to approach the new employee without delay. Meeting the steward and hearing about the union the first day on the job--even in the first hour--sends the message to the new worker that the union is an important part of the workplace. If you wait a month, even a week, you may well be sending the opposite message.

Provide Written Materials

New hires who haven't been through a formal union orientation program should be provided written materials that describe the benefits and services the union provides. Consider giving the new employee a copy of the contract, with emphasis on the role the union played in winning the pay, benefits, and other rights it contains. Stewards also should provide a business card with their name and contact information; a list of the local union's officers, their roles, and how they can be reached; and information about when and where the union meetings take place.

Take the opportunity of this initial meeting to make the new employee feel welcome and comfortable in the workplace. Remember, this person is in a new environment and probably does not know anyone. If they're like most people they'll be nervous and anxious to fit in. A friendly face who introduces them around and lets them know how things work and what to look out for will be greatly appreciated. Workers who think well of their steward tend to think well of the union and are more open to becoming more involved once they settle into the job.

If there is no union security clause in the workplace and the union must convince the member to join, this initial meeting also provides a chance to begin the recruitment process.

Invite to the Meetings

Finally, stewards should take advantage of this opportunity to invite the new hire to the next union meeting, as well as any social, recreational, or other events that might be on the union calendar. To make sure the new employee gets to the meeting, stewards can offer to give them a ride or accompany them, or find another union activist willing to do so.

The research on member commitment suggests that local unions can help build commitment among their membership by making sure that every new hire has a positive introduction to the union. There's no one in a better position to do that than you, their co-worker and steward.

--Paul F. Clark. The writer is on the Labor Studies faculty at Penn State University. More information on conducting formal and informal new member orientation programs, and on other strategies for building member commitment, can be found in his book, Building More Effective Unions, available from UCS at http://www.unionist.com/book1.com

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