Sell It!!

Whenever the YMCA or other health clubs are looking for new members, they take to the airwaves and advertise.  Their commercials extoll the benefits of membership--better health, a stronger body, fun programs, activities for kids, etc, etc.  The same goes for any business that sells a product or a service--you tell people how what you provide can fix their problems and they ultimately choose to do business with you.

So let me be the first to invite our brothers and sisters in organized labor to do the same thing after the passage of Right To Work legislation here in Wisconsin.  With forced membership heading out the window, you are going to need to be responsive and more aggressive in getting your message out if you are going to compete with the alternative: non-union membership.

So save all of the impassioned speeches that were presented to State Senate and Assembly committees the past few weeks--those aren't the people you are trying to recruit for membership anyway.  Be ready to argue that union members make more money, are hurt less on the job, get better benefits packages and retire earlier.  Those should be great selling points that workers will jump at the opportunity to enjoy.

Get prominent union members to do testimonials for your organizations.  Studies show that hearing from satisfied customers is very persuasive for potential customers.  Round up all of those workers who rallied in Madison and put them in front of cameras and microphones to tell their stories.  (Although, you may want to pass on having the teachers who were re-instated to their jobs after being fired for watching porn in the classroom because the district failed to properly follow the grievance and termination procedures--they might not be so persuasive.)

We know that you have the money for these advertising campaigns.  We see your groups listed in the small print of the political attack ads every two years.  So instead of telling people to call Governor Scott Walker to tell him that he sucks, you can have people call your offices to find out how to join the union at their workplace.

Of course, the key to a successful advertising campaign is to actually deliver on what you promise.  If people don't see the value in the service that they purchase from you, you can make all the claims you want, but no one will be buying.  And maybe that is why organized labor fears open competition so much--because they can't deliver the goods.