“Your downstate COLA (cost-of-living adjustment) campaign hits home. It demonstrates the importance of mobilizing members around an issue before heading into negotiations. You can’t just enter into talks and then ask members to support the team,” Mingarelli said.

“Our goal was to use the downstate COLA rallies as one example of what other locals can do to energize their members,” Mingarelli added.

Brynien goes on record
The AFT requested copies of PEF’s video of the COLA rallies and arranged a follow-up interview with PEF President Ken Brynien.

“What our members may not realize is that having a mobilization department is unique,” Brynien said.

“The department was created in 1999 when there was an urgent need for change.

“During the interview, I explained the importance of having a plan for mobilizing members and having an issue they can mobilize around,” Brynien said.

“Our cost-of-living campaign was a timely example. I shared the entire process, from picking locations for the rallies, notifying our members through the distribution of flyers, holding member meetings, developing the message and most importantly, turning out members,” he added.

AFT video well received
A rough-cut of the AFT video was shown to it’s leadership and staff contract negotiators representing a third of the locals nationwide at a December conference in New Orleans.

“It was well received,” Mingarelli said. “Everyone liked the video and thought it would be a helpful training tool, but they need other support materials such as PEF’s worksite mapping plan,” she said.

“The worksite mapping plan actually identifies the exact location of our members at their worksites,” said PEF Mobilization Director Margaret Messer.
“You have to know where your members are by building, floor, shift and work schedule.

“It’s a powerful tool we use to communicate, educate and activate our members,” Messer said.

Brynien said his role in the video will help other union leaders understand the importance of identifying members’ key contract concerns; focusing an action on one of those key concerns; and making that action a success.

“We are taken more seriously at the bargaining table when negotiators have already heard our message from our members.

“The benefit is twofold because members see it was worth their time and effort and makes the next time out much easier to get the participation,” Brynien said.

AFT hopes to wrap up the training video within the next month or two and make it available to locals as they prepare for contract negotiations.

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