Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1124770
10 CINEMONTAGE / Q2 2019 GET TING ORGANIZED bureaucracy but an esteemed colleague. When we witnessed the United Teachers of Los Angeles union turn out thousands earlier this year on picket lines and at rallies, it didn't get its members in the streets just by holding press conferences or by sending out mass e-mails from union headquarters. The union had a disciplined network of school-based stewards — called "chapter chairs" — checking in directly and individually with co-workers at their school sites. UTLA's mobilization of their members to action wasn't so much about broadcasting facts or handing out fliers as it was about harnessing a network of respected, school- based leaders who had personal relationships reaching into every classroom. Our Guild, too, has shop stewards in those facilities where members work consistent, long-term jobs. And the shop stewards we have do great work serving as the face of the union in their workplaces. But most of our members work as freelancers, without enduring connections to a specific workplace and a stable set of co-workers. A traditional steward system, therefore, can't reach the bulk of our membership. Here's where technology — while never the panacea its boosters might claim it to be — can help. During last fall's ratification vote, we had a corps of activist members reaching out to their Guild colleagues via text message, engaging them in discussion of the issues at stake and urging them to return their ballots. Together, our volunteers directly contacted more than 7,000 Local 700 members by text, and 70 percent of those contacts developed into two-way conversations. Although we ran a large-scale operation to get out the vote, these were conversations, not mass e-mails, not announcements on the website, not posts on social media. It was an effort centered on interpersonal interaction — individual members talking to their colleagues. And the effort yielded dramatic results. Ordinarily, fewer than 20 percent of Guild members participate in union elections; the overwhelming bulk of our membership usually remains effectively checked-out of our organization's democratic process. But last fall, our texting volunteers helped achieve an astounding 71 percent of Local 700's members to return their ballots. Because this peer-to-peer texting proved such an effective way of engaging folks in discussion of the contract, as well as in the democratic process, we've decided to launch a new initiative that will make use of similar tools. However, instead of focusing just on a single mobilization — getting members to a meeting, or getting members to mail back their ballots — we want to establish more sustained channels for one- on-one communication about Guild matters. For those freelancers who don't properly work in a shop and thus aren't already connected to a shop steward, we'll be building a network of "shopless" stewards. These are fellow members who are union activists and advocates, volunteering to connect their colleagues to the mission of the union, wherever those colleagues happen to be. Unlike most unions' traditional shop stewards, these advocates won't be tasked with enforcing contracts — they're not going to intervene with your supervisor when you're pressured to work through a lunch break — but they will ensure that you get the access you need to union leadership and staff, including our field representatives who handle enforcement concerns. Most importantly, they'll make sure your relationship to your union consists of more than just a weekly e-mail in your spam filter or a quarterly dues bill in your mailbox; they will provide a connection to a colleague who cares about all post- production professionals enjoying greater respect and greater clout on the job. We'll be rolling this initiative out over the course of the next several months, so don't be surprised when your phone buzzes with a message from a colleague, introducing her- or himself as your union advocate. When that text comes, hopefully it will prove the beginning of a beautiful friendship. f A campaign of member-to-member texting about last fall's ratification vote helped to turn out more than three times the usual number of members voting in a Guild election. 80 70 70 100 10.2 7.4 7.4 100 100 100 100 100 60 100 100 70 70 30 30 100 100 60 100 100 100 100 70 70 30 30 100 100 60 70 70 40 70 70 30 30 100 40 100 40 40 100 10 40 40 20 70 70 3.1 2.2 2.2 70 40 40 75 66 66 50 40 40 25 19 19 B 0 0 0 0 100 70 30 100 10 25 50 75 90 100 100 60 100 70 30 100 60 40 70 40 70 30 100 40 40 100 40 100 40 70 40 70 40 40 3 40 70 40 70 40 40 100 60 A 3% ISO 12647-7 Digital Control Strip 2009 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8