How to use this toolkit

Don’t read the scripts in this guide verbatim. The most compelling way to get your colleagues to join is through a one-on-one conversation where you are engaging and listening authentically.
Ask questions about the person and don’t be afraid to share a bit about yourself. Building a personal connection is the best way to recruit new members.
Emphasize personal experience and local wins that your local association has delivered for members.

Thank you for taking the time to help build a stronger union.

When we speak up as part of our local union, we can win improvements to our daily lives, from higher salaries to protected planning time and guaranteed bathroom breaks. Each new member adds another voice to the millions of educators across the country working together to accomplish things one educator, one bus driver, one janitor, or even one district can’t.

One-on-one conversations are the most effective way to share the importance of membership to fellow educators. When members speak about how their local makes a difference in their own work, community, and personal lives, they are an influential force in building power in the union.

By following the tips shared in this guide, you or your members will be able to communicate the transformational benefits of joining together as a union.

Preparing for Your Organizing Conversation

You do not have to have all the answers to questions from members and potential members, you can prepare for transformational organizing conversations and typical questions.

Affirm, answer, and redirect (AAR) when possible.

Affirm: Let them know you’re listening, you understand, and their feelings are valid. Don’t get mad at them—validate and educate them.
Answer: Give a truthful, concise answer to the question. If you don’t know the answer, don’t guess. Tell them you’ll find out and get back to them.
Redirect: Once you’ve answered the question, bring the conversation back to ask them to join membership.

Facts to have on hand:

Local leader names/association rep. names by worksite.
Dues information (per paycheck/month).
Committee & volunteer opportunities for members.
Resources available (worksite level, local level, state level, national level).
Political Action Committee or other electoral/legislative information.
Competing organization facts.

Conversation Cheat Sheet

Starting the Conversation

I’m __________________. I’m an educator at ___________________, can I have a few minutes of your time?
I’m here today as a member of _______________________, our local association for educators like you.

Sharing Your Union Wins

It’s important to highlight the transformational power of union membership. Make sure to prepare several examples of ways educators have won positive changes through their union. If you are having a hard time shaping your stories of success, try using our BRAG formula!

B.R.A.G. Formula for Union Wins

BENEFITS: What are the advantages of being a union member? e.g.: collective voice

RESOURCES: How can/does the union support me in my work and professional life?

ACHIEVEMENTS: What have we achieved that makes a difference in my professional life and the lives of the students I work with? What is the local/affiliate proud of?

GOALS: What are we/should we be working to accomplish that will make a difference in my professional life and the lives of the students I work with? What is the local/affiliate working on?

If you don’t yet have a concrete win (or can’t think of one), share the issues your union is working on now and how you plan to succeed. Remember, with more members, your union becomes more powerful and is better equipped to create change!

Effective organizing should result in membership growth, increased engagement, expanding leadership, and real wins in the policies and practices that impact our members, our schools, our students and our communities—grounded in our values of equity, opportunity, and racial justice.

LISTENING WELL IS YOUR BEST TOOL TO RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS.

The majority of your time in an organizing conversation should be spent listening to the other person. Not only does this show them you (and your union) cares about them, it also helps you to understand the issues that they want to get involved in. This will make you more effective at convincing them to join the union and become a leader!

Be a Better Listener:

Listen 80% of the time and talk 20% of the time.

Ask follow-up questions using “how”, “what”, or “why”.

Practice empathy. If someone is sharing something in their work environment that upsets them, acknowledge and respect their experiences.

Give your recruit time to think about and answer your questions.

Localize the conversation by talking about specific issues in your community and district.

Things to Avoid:

Don’t ask questions that are statements. For example, don’t ask questions like: “Don’t you think smaller class sizes would be better?”

Don’t answer a question if you don’t know the answer. It’s ok to tell your recruit that you don’t know and will get back to them.

Don’t make comprehensive union benefits the focal point of your conversation. Your conversations should be focused on the needs and concerns of the person you are recruiting.

Don’t overwhelm the person you are recruiting by listing all the issues that could be facing educators.

Use the following tools to get more ideas for ways to engage in the transformational conversations that are at the center of growing our union and winning the changes educators need and our students deserve.