Traditionally, unions have championed themselves as advocates for conventional workplace issues like wages, benefits, and job security—things that have typically impacted the individual. In recent years, however, the landscape of union advocacy has undergone significant transformation. The issues now at the forefront of union campaigns are often bigger than the individual and point to broader societal issues or social justice initiatives.
Impact on Business
To organize employees and pressure businesses to adopt practices that unions deem “socially responsible,” unions leverage strategies like the following.
- Corporate campaigns: A corporate campaign is a union-led attack, intended to exert pressure on a company by targeting its reputation, financial standing, and relationships with key stakeholders.
- Social media activism: Through social media activism, unions can sway public opinion and reach large, diverse audiences. Often, unions will create and promote hashtags with the aim of going viral. This can promote widespread criticism of the targeted employer and may give the perception that there is widespread support for the social justice cause whether or not the public, at large, supports it.
- Earned media: Unions may work to generate negative public perceptions of an employer through the press by pitching exclusive interviews with supporters within an organization or, more directly, issuing their own press release and pitching it to journalists for broader coverage.
- Strategic litigation and legal pressure: It is not uncommon for unions to use or threaten legal action to pressure employers into complying with their demands. Unions may file complaints with regulatory bodies, claiming that employers are violating environmental standards, labor laws, or other legal standards. Moreover, unions may initiate or push for class-action lawsuits on behalf of their workers.
- Coalition building: Unions often partner with social justice groups. Together, unions and union allies reach out to local communities, often galvanizing the public into supporting the union’s social justice initiatives.
- Public protest: Organized protest and picketing are common tactics used by unions. These demonstrations are designed to draw public attention and generate media coverage, with the goal of exerting pressure on the employer to comply with union demands.
- ESG score: According to the Corporate Finance Institute, “an ESG score is an objective measure or evaluation of a given company, fund, or security’s performance with respect to Environmental, Social, and Governance issues.” Companies are given an ESG score by an ESG rating platform—for example, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) scores companies based on how well they perform when it comes to environmental issues.
Companies that fail to fall in line with union demands may face reputational risks, unfavorable news coverage, decreased employee support and loyalty (if the company is unionized or is experiencing organizing efforts), and potential conflicts with labor unions. Understanding how unions operate—and their intentions—is an important step in fortifying your business and strengthening your employee relations.
Key Social Justice Issues
The social justice issues advocated by unions are often intertwined with labor-related issues and concerns. Unions understand that, by addressing and highlighting them, they may earn social capital with the public—and your employees—and posture themselves as more virtuous than targeted employers. Key issues include:
- Inclusive workplaces: Unions are increasingly pushing for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within workplaces.
- Fair labor practices: Social justice-oriented unions are also championing for the expansion of what is considered “fair,” and doing so outside of the collective bargaining process. For example, the Fight for $15 movement over the last decade fought to increase the minimum wage at the state and local level.
- Climate and environment: Some unions are also aligning with environmental causes, advocating for, among other things, green jobs and a “just transition” for workers in industries affected by environmental regulations.
- Political, community, and social engagement: Unions are increasingly involved in political and community activism, leveraging their influence to support legislation and policies that promote social justice—unions are not only representing their members but also acting as a force for broader societal change.
Unions know that social issues are important to many Americans—and, likely, many of your employees. Employers that dismiss these issues outright may do so at the risk of alienating their employees and giving them a reason to organize. Instead, employers must rethink how they communicate with their employees and must acknowledge their employees’ desire to work for an organization that cares about the same issues they do. At the same time, employers can and should share the limitations of unions and what they can achieve at the bargaining table.
At People Results, we help employers understand and mitigate against social, political, and economic factors that have the potential to impact and undermine their business, day-to-day operations, and labor force. We guide employers in new ways of communicating with their employees that are appropriate for the current labor environment. We believe every business is different, and each requires its own holistic and customized approach to communication. Whether you need an internal communication assessment, guidance in developing your internal communication or social media strategy, digital media intelligence, crisis communication services, media relations, or media training, we have expert communication consultants who can quickly provide a specialized solution. Contact us online today to discuss the next steps, or give us a call at 313-965-0350.
-Skylar Fortier, Communications Consultant
