Labor & Employment Law

Unions Texting for Jobs and Political Action

By Mike Hall

The next text message a Painter and Allied Trades (IUPAT) member might receive could be a job lead from the union. Members of the Transport Workers (TWU) and Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) get text messages about the latest actions in the unions? Save Our Ride campaign.

This past April, during the AFL-CIO?s massive rally and march on Wall Street, hundreds of participants joined a text messaging action and called Goldman Sachs, telling the Wall Street giant to stop opposing meaningful financial reform.

Let us know if your union using is using text messaging to communicate or mobilize its members. And don?t forget, you can join the AFL-CIO Good Jobs Now team: Text JOBS to 225568.

The just-launched IUPAT jobs text message network allows union members to text the first letter of their specific craft?for example, P for painters, G for glaziers, etc?to the jobs text number. They will then get instructions on how to finalize their registration.

When local IUPAT leaders hear about the need for workers in any of those crafts, the union will send out a job alert to those registered with contact information in the message. Because many times there is only a 24 hour to 48 hour window to staff the job, the text message alerts will better ensure a more timely response. For more information click here.

Save Our Ride is a nationwide coalition in support of public transit, with backing from civil rights, community and environmental organizations, as well as transit management in many cities. Earlier this year, the groups staged rallies in several major cities to build support for transit funding and they allow greater local control of federal transit funds. The text network allowed supporters receive to action alerts and updates on the campaign for public transit funding.

When Congress returns from its August recess, more transit action is planned. Text OURRIDE to 69866 for updates.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on August 08, 2010 (boomark / email).