The United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW) has been a long-term client of Stratcom’s with Telephone Town Halls (TTHs) proving to be a cost-effective and efficient means when reaching out to and engaging with union members across Manitoba.
In Manitoba, where UFCW Local 832 has members across the province, TTHs have been successfully used for different purposes. These have included regular, pre-planned General Membership Meetings and more timely engagement with members around bargaining processes. For each TTH, Stratcom works with UFCW to tailor the tool to suit the client’s objectives and the specific engagement opportunity.
TTHs can be combined with Broadcast Voice Messages (BVMs) to communicate urgent updates or deliver messages on topics where more engagement is needed. Stratcom can quickly roll out these pre-recorded voice messages as needed.
Application 1:
General Membership Meetings
UFCW 832 uses TTHs for quarterly General Membership Meetings as required in union bylaws to keep members up to date on union business. For each of these meetings, Stratcom’s dialing system calls out to more than 20,000 members from UFCW’s membership contact list. Participants engage in real time by voting on minutes from the previous meeting and on reports from the local’s President, Secretary and Treasurer, all using the polling function.
Because these meetings are planned well in advance, Stratcom programs all the TTHs at the start of the year so that links and call-in details are available ahead of time. The transcripts and recordings from past events are also made available to union members in the members-only section of UFCW’s website.
Application 2:
Bargaining-related Communications
UFCW 832 also uses TTHs to update members about bargaining proposals, gather their inputs and obtain their approval of contracts through voting utilizing the polling function. Stratcom tailors these meetings based on the need and number of participants; TTHs can range in size from hundreds to thousands of individuals.
Our
Work
Application 1:
General Membership Meetings
UFCW 832 uses TTHs for quarterly General Membership Meetings as required in union bylaws to keep members up to date on union business. For each of these meetings, Stratcom’s dialing system calls out to more than 20,000 members from UFCW’s membership contact list. Participants engage in real time by voting on minutes from the previous meeting and on reports from the local’s President, Secretary and Treasurer, all using the polling function.
Because these meetings are planned well in advance, Stratcom programs all the TTHs at the start of the year so that links and call-in details are available ahead of time. The transcripts and recordings from past events are also made available to union members in the members-only section of UFCW’s website.
Application 2:
Bargaining-related Communications
UFCW 832 also uses TTHs to update members about bargaining proposals, gather their inputs and obtain their approval of contracts through voting utilizing the polling function. Stratcom tailors these meetings based on the need and number of participants; TTHs can range in size from hundreds to thousands of individuals.
We have used Stratcom’s services for many years to maintain contact with our membership across Manitoba. Whether we’ve had our quarterly province-wide general membership meeting, a negotiations meeting, or a quick voice message to get out, Stratcom’s team has been flexible and fast to work with.
The Results
TTHs have become one of UFCW Local 832’s primary tools for member engagement, for Local 832 as well as other locals and at the national level. Using this tool consistently has built familiarity among union members, making it easier for UFCW leadership to communicate with them.
Because they were regularly using TTHs before the pandemic, UFCW and members didn’t have to pivot when in-person meetings were not longer possible. In fact, UFCW 832 has seen a higher turnout rate with TTHs than with in-person meetings. Virtual TTHs provide a convenient and efficient means to reach members, especially those in rural areas and spread out across a large geography.
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