Labor unions have the power to change the lives of the people they represent for the better. They ensure workers are treated fairly, have safe working conditions, and can help express their other professional interests to industry leaders. Labor unions derive their power from their ability to bring many workers together. This can require coordination and organization on a scale that outpaces basic spreadsheets and document applications.
Managing a modern labor union requires modern solutions. Specifically, union leaders should look to labor union software to manage their members, maintain lines of communication, and organize campaigns for their representatives.
To ensure your union invests in a platform that can help you achieve your goals, this article will explore the essentials of labor union management software through the following points:
- What is labor union management software?
- How does EveryAction’s union software benefit labor unions?
- 4 Tips for Successfully Implementing EveryAction for Your Labor Union
Labor union management can quickly become a complex topic. To help guide this discussion, we will first provide a definition of labor union management software that will be used for the rest of the article. Let’s begin.
What is labor union management software?
Labor union software can ultimately be defined as any digital platform created specifically for unions to help them manage their organization’s core tasks.
The exact functions of each digital platform will vary, but most labor union software solutions will provide tools that assist unions with:
- Member recruitment and management
- Communication and mobilization
- Research and data analysis
As mentioned, unions are complex organizations that have many unique stipulations that they must follow to remain operational. While software platforms created for other types of organizations may provide some features unions need, solutions built specifically for union use are better equipped to handle the various legal, financial, and organizational matters unions regularly face.
As such, union leaders should explore solutions designed for their needs, rather than relying on a more general platform that added union management functionalities as a secondary consideration. Among potential solutions, EveryAction’s union software undoubtedly stands out.
How does EveryAction’s union software benefit labor unions?
EveryAction is a robust constituent relationship management (CRM) system that provides organizations representing a variety of causes with fundraising, outreach, and advocacy tools. The flexible, scalable solution is designed to assist labor unions, healthcare organizations, and housing and human services groups with both internal and external organizational management.
EveryAction has variable pricing depending on the organization, but it tends to be more accessible than other similar solutions currently available. However, to get the most out of the software solution, labor unions will also need to partner with a technology consultant to customize the platform to their organization’s specifications.
Once this process is complete, labor unions using EveryAction can look forward to a long list of features and benefits.
Key Features of EveryAction’s Labor Union Organizing Software and CRM
EveryAction’s labor union CRM can provide your organization with a variety of essential features, including:
- Multi-channel organizing. Launch multiple communication campaigns at once on a variety of channels and store your collected information in one unified CRM database.
- Political engagement & voter contact. Mobilize your members politically with appended worker voting histories and affiliation data. Complete your advocacy toolkit with EveryAction’s canvassing, phone banking, direct mail, and activist management features.
- Member communication & internal organizing. Stay in touch with your members through email and text, and connect with them at events using EveryAction’s communication and event management applications.
- PAC & COPE contributions. Provide your team with the tools to manage online contributions, including recurring contributions, and set up self-service tools that allow members to update their own payment information.
- PAC compliance. With EveryAction, users can easily complete compliance reports, whether they are knowledgeable about PAC compliance or novices. EveryAction’s compliance reporting functionalities also provide the needed flexibility for unions to manage reports for multiple legal entities that have unique requirements, all in the same database.
To further customize your union’s software, EveryAction also has a variety of key integrations. Along with the ability to integrate with popular applications, such as Google Analytics and content management systems like Drupal, unions can explore integrations specific to their field of work, such as:
- Dues & membership database. To maintain complete data for your members, sync your membership, dues, and administrative databases with EveryAction.
- Organizing tools. Keep all of your information in one place. Staff members working on a variety of unique tasks can all be managed through one system that handles a diverse range of features including your fundraising, advocacy, communication, and compliance tools.
EveryAction’s accessible and highly customizable software solution provides unions with the tools they need to stay organized for both internal and external projects. When leveraging these tools, labor unions will discover a number of benefits unique to EveryAction’ platform.
Benefits of EveryAction for Labor Unions
EveryAction stands apart from other labor union software solutions due to its range of features, experienced support team, and specialized understanding of unions’ day-to-day operations.
CRMs that were initially designed for general organizations that then added union-specific features later on often run the risk of having limited functionalities, lacking the robust tools unions require.
As a CRM created specifically with labor unions in mind, EveryAction has a number of union-specific tools that can be further customized to your organization. EveryAction’s robust CRM has a range of native applications built for it. Unions can also explore third-party solutions that can be integrated into the system, providing unions with the flexibility they need to manage members and run campaigns as they see fit.
4 Tips for Successfully Implementing Labor Union Management Software
EveryAction’s robust platform provides unions with the toolkit they need to manage every aspect of their organization. To implement this comprehensive solution, unions should take the following steps:
- Create a plan for data migration. Investing in a new CRM will entail a massive data migration. If your union is currently using multiple smaller platforms, create a plan for your data migration. This will involve answering key questions about who at your organization will own the process, which solutions will need to have their data migrated over, and if a technical consultant will be necessary.
- Consider how the solution will fit into your overall digital strategy. CRM’s are important parts of your union’s technology stack but are unlikely to comprise your entire digital strategy. Plan which tools you intend to use in addition to your EveryAction CRM, what goals they will help you achieve, and whether there there any opportunities to simplify your overall strategy.
- Train your team to use the solution. With EveryAction’s large suite of features, a significant number of staff members working in different roles at your union are likely to interact with your CRM. To ensure the onboarding process goes smoothly, consider which of your team members can benefit from training, what types of training they will require, and whether it will be necessary to hire a consultant to lead that training.
- Invest in EveryAction support. EveryAction is a comprehensive solution and implementing it can be a significant investment of your union’s time and resources. Ensure you are making the most of this platform by seeking out consulting services and additional support as needed. Determine whether you will work with EveryAction’s team or third-party consultants, if your budget has the capacity for additional consulting services, and which consulting services are likely to have the greatest impact.
With a highly customizable platform like EveryAction, unions simply cannot complete the implementation process alone. This is where consulting services like those offered by DNL OmniMedia can be of use. With extensive experience in CRM and data management, DNL OmniMedia can make the transition process as seamless as possible without sacrificing any of the unique tools, setups, or customizations your union requires.
Labor union software is the cornerstone of your organization’s management processes. Organizations that invest in union-specific solutions can rest assured that their platform will be built with essential features and can be customized to extend its functionality even further.
To learn more about software for your union, explore these additional resources on management software and EveryAction’s CRM:
- Creating a Nonprofit Digital Strategy: 7 Steps for Success. How will the EveryAction CRM fit into your digital strategy? Explore these seven steps to reinvent your online approach.
- Nonprofit Consulting Firms: 26 Leaders in Their Spaces. Use this guide to the top nonprofit consulting firms to find a long-term partner that can help implement your EveryAction CRM.
- Donor Management Software: The Complete Buyer’s Guide. EveryAction’s CRM provides a variety of organizations with the tools they need to manage supporters. Learn more before making an investment with this buyer’s guide.
