Public Employee Press

Cyberactivism
How AFSCME helped Local 154 set up its website

Local 154 has a new website, which it established through a program offered by DC 37's parent union.

Local 154 is among a growing number of DC 37 unions that are taking advantage of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees' LaborWeb program, which is bringing a lot of affiliates into the Information Age. Local 154 President Juan Fernandez and the local's secretary, Sheena Glass, set up the website late last year after participating in an ASFCME training session.

"This has given us a wonderful tool for communicating with our members," Fernandez said. "It's very simple to use. And you can count on all the backup support you need from AFSCME."

As web meisters, Fernandez and Glass regularly post the Local 154 Executive Board meeting minutes to keep members abreast of the local's work, and they post articles from the local media about important issues affecting the union. The website also includes a news feed from AFSCME.

Fernandez said his goal is to provide members with as much information as possible about the union services and to educate them about their collective bargaining rights.

Local 154's membership includes workers in the private sector who aren't covered by DC 37's citywide contract. So the website's section with DC 37's contracts that cover city employees also includes the collective bargaining agreements affecting members employed by New York Law School, Sodexo laundry services at the Health and Hospitals Corp. and Empire Consulting Solutions.

Content and communication

In addition to the section on contracts, the website has other areas where members can view and download the local's constitution, find out about benefits and scholarships and check out a calendar of union activities. There's a section with the AFSCME blog on national issues, as well as another blog with news stories. The "AFSCME.org" section has information about the national union's work. Another section has DC 37 news.

"The website should be the primary communications tool of the local," said Glass. "We're in the 21st century and we can't be left behind."

These days, with social media and online communications, traditional sources such as newsletters lack the timeliness that people expect, she said. "Knowledge is power. We have to keep in touch with the members and make sure they are informed," she said.

Glass added, "I definitely hope the website will work well for our members, and I really would like to see Labor Web expanded to other locals," she said.

So far, Molly Charboneau and Rudy Orozco of the Communications Dept. and Communications Director Zita Allen have helped locals in DC 37 establish LaborWeb sites. Locals interested in creating a site through LaborWeb should call 212-815-1535.

Except for the purchase of the domain name, LaborWeb is free. Local 154 is saving $600 a year and getting a better product by contracting in its site, which used to be outsourced.