What is the Year-Round Organizing Program?
The Year-Round Organizing program provides locals with resources to adopt a year-round organizing model to increase membership. Through this program, member organizers and local leaders will receive rigorous training and direct coaching to develop and implement a year-round membership plan with assistance from ISTA staff. Each local will have an appointed ISTA UniServ Organizer as well as a member organizer (MO) mentor (a member organizer from a pervious cohort who excelled within the program). Both the UniServ Organizer and MO mentor will support the member organizers and the local in their efforts to recruit more members.
Local leaders will be tasked with identifying members within their local to serve as member organizers who will recruit potential members into the local. Recruitment strategies include union-led orientations for new hires, one-on-one conversations and building blitzes (campaigns that target identified buildings in an organized effort to have as many one-on-one conversations with potential members as possible).
Potential member organizers who would be a good fit may have the following qualities:
- Ability to speak to the value of union membership
- Strong conversational skills including active listening
- Organized and able to effectively document their work
If you are interested in working to increase your membership, you should highly consider applying. Applications for 2024-25 are now being accepted.
Locals that have succeeded in this program have been ones who have leadership teams who are open to new ideas on membership and are willing to receive outside help. If you have questions about the Year-Round Organizing Program, ask your UD or contact Chris Branam for more information.