When a local union is facing a crisis, it doesn’t just happen in a vacuum. There’s usually a story as to how it got to that point. That story is what drives the crisis communications strategy. Most crises that local unions face revolve around collective bargaining and hitting impasse in negotiations. When a local is at an impasse, or close to it, it needs additional resources from the state organization of which it is an affiliate. It needs help framing the conflict so that it is easily understood by the community and persuades people to support the members. I trained local affiliates in creating their message, applying it consistently, and utilizing social media to garner community support. After training, locals could refine the story behind the conflict, focus on the values shared by the union and community, and the danger to those values posed by the administration. On the Ohio Education Association’s social media platforms, I also supported the locals by using posts that adopted their messaging. Messaging around a collective bargaining impasse is similar to messaging for any other crisis – a community crisis following a mass shooting or the passage of a much-needed bond.
ClientOhio Education AssociationYear2009-2018Skills usedSocial Media Management, Digital Strategy, Messaging, Design, Copywriting
