CSEA Local/UnitWebsite Guidebook

Developed by CSEA Communications Specialist Mark Kotzin

Information on how to get yourLocal or Unit online and a template

design to get you started

A Publication of the CSEA Region 5 Leadership Education Series

Colleen Wheaton, President

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As we increasingly become dependent on theInternet and associated electronic means tocommunicate, more CSEA Locals and Units areutilizing the Web as a resource to inform, educate,inspire, call their members to action and be visibleto the rest of the world.

CSEA leaders approach me with questions abouthow to get their Local or Unit online with a website. This may seem like a simple question, but there

is no simple answer.

My immediate response is to question, “why do you want a web site,and what do you hope to accomplish using it?”

If the answer is anything similar to “because other union groups aredoing it, and we figured we should too,” then I respectfully suggestthey are probably not yet prepared to take ownership of their ownweb site, which comes with its own set of responsibilities, demandsand time commitments.

Truth is, in order to develop a web site that helps you communicateeffectively with your membership, you need to have set clear goalsthat you want your web site to help you achieve. There are also anumber of considerations, addressing both content and technicalissues, you should take into account before starting the process. Ihave created this book to provide guidance in that regard.

This guidebook also contains the printed version of a very basic webtemplate that will give you a jumping-off point to get started. I amalso happy to meet with Locals or Units to provide some basicadvice, and urge you to call me at (800) 559-7975 or e-mail me at:csearegion5@cseainc.org if I can be of further assistance.

A Foreword from CSEACommunications Specialist Mark Kotzin

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Table of Contents

Building your union web site: The basics…................................................5-7

CSEA’s official web site policy......................................................................8

Instructions for utilizing the CSEA web site template....................................9

Web Site Template: Home Page...................................................................10

Web Site Template: Why Belong Page...................................................11, 12

Web Site Template: Our Leaders Page.........................................................13

Web Site Template: What’s Going On Page.................................................14

Web Site Template: Upcoming Events Page................................................15

Web Site Template: Contract Info Page........................................................16

Web Site Template: Virtual Steward Page....................................................17

Web Site Template: Get Involved Page........................................................18

Web Site Template: Contact Us Page...........................................................19

Web Site Template: Useful Links Page..................................................20, 21

Union Website Guidelines, adapted fromthe Association for Union Democracy.....................................................22-27

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The following are some of the basics that you’ll need to plan for in order to get your web page up and running:

Domain Name:You’ll need to purchase a domain name or “URL” (uniform resource locator) that users will type in to get toyour site, e.g. – www.csealocal123.com – You can purchase domain names for less than $10 a year at many on-line sites, or you may get a free domain name with purchase of hosting space (see below).

Considerations: Your domain name should be easy to type in and memorable, but also reflect who your unionrepresents. As we are all part of a non-profit organization, you should usually go with a “.org” suffix, and con-sider also purchasing the “.net” and “.com” suffixes for the same URL.

Hosting Space:You’ll need to have a computer “server” connected to the Internet to store (host) your web site (HTML) pageson. You normally purchase a web site hosting account from an internet service provider, with annual fees rang-ing from $50 to $100 a year.

Considerations: Your hosting account should have enough storage space to fit all your web pages and graphics.A typical union site, without a lot of video or graphics, will probably fit on a server with 10 GB of storage,which is usually the minimum amount offered. Some hosting plans have website building applications (see be-low) that come with them.

Web Page Development Software:You’ll need some type of software application to build your web pages, which typically converts the final prod-uct to HTML (HyperText Markup Language) pages. The HTML pages then get uploaded to the hosting serverto allow them to be accessed via your users’ internet browsers. Typically, there are a number of free programsavailable, or you can purchase a program at your local software store (see below for a few suggestions)

Considerations: Some software is designed for HTML programmers, and is very difficult to use if you don’tknow HTML. Other software uses a “WYSIWYG” interface (What You See Is What You Get) so you don’tneed to know any HTML to use it, it does the conversion to HTML for you. Whichever software you choose,you should make sure that all its features are compatible with your web hosting server, so that everything worksas intended.

Fresh, Relevant Content:A web site is only worthwhile if people want to visit it. If the content remains static and is not regularly updat-ed, people will only visit if they absolutely have to. You want people to visit because they will get new informa-tion, so you need to keep your site updated with things that change, such as current and upcoming events,meeting notices, contract news, grievance updates, and so on.

Building your union web site: The basics you’ll need…

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Considerations: Your content should mix equal parts of inspiration, education and information.· Inspiration – your leadership should provide content that gives vision and insight to our overall union

mission and inspires your members to get involved and to take action on issues of concern to the mem-bers.

· Education – your web site should educate members about how the union functions for them, teach themthe terms associated with union involvement, and teach them how to be a good union member by gettinginvolved.

· Information – members can’t participate if they don’t know what’s going on. Your website should givethem information about meetings and events, as well as what the leadership is doing on their behalf.

Also, as per CSEA Policy, your website should not contain any advertising of any form. Please note that anycontent or graphics provided on the CSEA web page can be copied and used on your page as well, provided it isnot in the members-only area.

Someone to put it together and keep it updated:You’ll need someone who can take the content you want to post on your site, who has the technical skill or fa-miliarity with computers, so they are able to keep up your website by uploading new files or photos, postingnews updates and links, and maintaining your event calendar.

Considerations: Preferably, this person should NOT be a union officer. Our union officers have enough dutiesto perform. There is likely a technically-savvy union member in your midst, who’s already good at putting to-gether web sites. You need to ask your members if someone is willing to step up. As union officers, you canprovide the information, and your web site person can do the work of getting it online.

Another Option: Paying a company to do it for you:Some CSEA Units/Locals actually pay web design companies to do this all for them – they provide content up-dates, and the company does the rest. This can often be an expensive venture, and the results are not always thegreatest. Unfortunately, anyone can hang up a shingle calling themselves a web designer, and you don’t usuallyget someone with a good understanding of what we do as a union, and what our online needs are. If you do gowith a company that builds websites, please check out their work and make sure you know all the costs upfront.

One popular method of putting together websites is using a Content Management System (CMS) which has auser interface consisting of modules that can be edited and updated individually, without having to alter an en-tire page. Once a CMS is set up for you, it can be very simple to make updates to the modules you wish tochange.

Considerations: Here are a few companies that specialize in building union websites

§ http://prometheuslabor.com/§ http://www.unionbuiltpc.com/webdev.php§ http://www.unions-america.com/§ http://www.unionlaborworks.com/website-development.asp§ http://www.unionwebservices.com

Building your union web site: The basics (continued)

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Design Issues:Aside from interesting content, another important consideration when building a website is its design. Websitesmust be built with usability and readability in mind, using principles of effective design.

Here are a few online resources on good web design:§ http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/01/31/10-principles-of-effective-web-design/§ http://www.ratz.com/featuresgood.html§ http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/

Available Resources:

You can download a basic web template from CSEA at:http://www.csealocal1000.org/r5/Website Template.zip

All-in-one free web building/hosting services:

Google Sites - sites.google.com - see http://sites.google.com/site/csealocal123 for example

Office Live - http://www.officelive.com/free-website - see http://otsegounit8100.com for example

Web Development Software:

Microsoft Expression Web - http://www.microsoft.com/expression - $299

Serif WebPlus – http://www.serif.com/webplus/ - $79.99 – free trial at http://www.freeserifsoftware.com/

NetObjects Fusion – http://www.netobjects.com - $199.95 - trial version athttp://www.netobjects.com/html/essentials.html

Web Hosting & Domain Name Sales:

GoDaddy - www.godaddy.com

1 and 1 - www.1and1.com

Books on Web Design:

Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, Second Edition, by Steve Krug -http://www.sensible.com/buythebook.html

The Non-Designer’s Web Book, Third Edition, by Robin Williams & John Tollett -http://www.peachpit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0321303377

Note: CSEA does not endorse or vouch for any of the software, vendors, or products listed here. They are listedsolely for informational purposes.

Building your union web site: The basics (continued)

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CSEA LOCAL 1000AFSCME/AFL-CIO143 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12210

**M E M O R A N D U M **

TO: Local Presidents

FROM: Danny Donohue, President

DATE: July 29, 1999

SUBJ: Local Websites

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More and more Locals are considering establishing Local web sites to keep their members up-to-date on news,activities and union information. A number of questions have been raised about Local web sites.

First of all, it is appropriate to establish and maintain a Local web site. However, before doing so you need tounderstand that in addition to being a very powerful and positive communications tool, the World Wide Webcan also be a very dangerous place.

The Internet’s capacity for spreading bad and damaging information and outright falsehoods has beendemonstrated time and again. It is essential that any Local web site be structured to avoid irresponsible postingsand that all information be accurate, up-to-date and verified.

It should also be recognized that the more you promote and freshen a web site, the greater the demand andexpectation from those who use it. This means that you have to be prepared to regularly keep it up-to-date, atthe very least, weekly. You also have to update it with accurate information whenever there is breaking news tobe reported to your membership. Otherwise, you lose credibility and effectiveness.

You should avoid creating your web site on social networking platforms such as Facebook and MySpace. Thoseareas of the Internet are meant for social interaction, and are not an appropriate platform for you to be providingunion information to your members.

Your responsibility for the web site being accurate and appropriate is much the same as producing a responsibleLocal newsletter. Just as important, the same standards apply in terms of advertising — no CSEA web site mayhave paid sponsorship or present any kind of paid advertisement.

Establishing and maintaining a Local web site is a big undertaking that requires serious consideration. CSEAdoes not have the resources to provide Locals with technical support for such a project at this point in time.AFSCME, however, does have a comprehensive online guide to assist Locals in a wide range of web siteconsiderations. The guide, “Putting Your Local on the Web,” can be accessed at www.afscme.org.

If you do establish a Local web site, please contact Lou Hmieleski in the CSEA Communications Department at(518) 257-1273 to discuss linking your site to CSEA’s main web site. He can also provide additionalinformation you may need.

CSEA’s Official Web Site Policy

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Note: The files for this template can be downloaded from:http://www.csealocal1000.org/r5/Website Template.zip1) Extract the files from the zip file that you downloaded onto your hard drive to allow you to

edit them. In order for this web site to function correctly, you must copy all files and folders,maintaining the existing folder structure and file names.

2) This template (printed out in this guide for your reference) is designed as a starting point, andcannot just be posted “as is.” You should feel free to change it as much as you want to makeit your own, but you must fill in some of the blanks such as contact information, local identity,and so on. Otherwise, let this template serve as a guide for the type of content CSEA membersmight expect to read on a union web site.

3) This site was designed in Microsoft FrontPage. You should be able to edit the pages in anyhtml or web authoring software, but certain functions (such as the hyperlinks or dynamic htmlJavaScript buttons) might not function correctly. To preserve functionality, you can edit thesite in FrontPage, and host your page on a server that supports Microsoft FrontPageextensions, or make sure that you re-author the pages to support whatever hosting service yougo with.

4) Your home page is the page titled: INDEX.HTM – this is the main page that people will seefirst. You should replace the stock photos with photos of your own members – call yourCommunications Specialist if you need photos taken at your worksite(s).

5) When you’ve finished editing the pages to your liking, you are ready to transfer them (upload)to your server. Make sure you copy the files and folders and preserve the folder and filestructure.

6) Don’t be afraid to add graphics or change fonts, but try and remember the principles of gooddesign and don’t clutter up your pages, or make them hard to read.

7) Do publicize the new web address to your members. Update your pages regularly. No onewill visit a web site that’s full of stale news.

8) Don’t rely on your web site as your sole means of communicating with your members. Manypeople do not have computers or Internet access. It is simply another tool in our arsenal to tryand communicate better, but it must be used in conjunction with all our other tools, such asmeetings, newsletters, bulletin boards, etc.

9) When you’re ready to go live with your site, send me an e-mail at csearegion5@cseainc.orgso that I can review what you’ve done and offer any helpful suggestions!

Instructions for utilizing the CSEA web site template

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CSEA Name Local # # #

Note to web masters: replace these pictures with those of your own members. If youneed, your CSEA Communications Associate can come to your workplace to takephotos.

This site last updated on 99/99/99

Welcome!Welcome to CSEA (Name) Local ###

We're proud to be members of New York's Leading Union, working and living in ourcommunity. We are (explain who your members are, where they are located, and whatservices you provide to the community).

Please take the time to browse the links at left. We hope you will find them full of usefulinformation.

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CSEA Name Local # # #Why Belong to New York's Leading Union?As workers, we join together so that we can have the clout and power which comes from solidarity andpresenting a unified front. We are people who share a common goal -- to negotiate with our employer froma position of strength. We are individuals who know that you have to belong to be strong.

Wages, raises, health insurance, benefits, vacation days -- even the rules we work under -- are the directresult of contracts we negotiate with our employer. Negotiating contracts is our number one priority.

We also take advantage of available field services, contract services, legal services and communicationservices to make sure our contracts are enforced.

We're proud to be a grassroots union where our members elect their officers and where only members canserve on negotiating teams and vote to ratify contracts.

We also get the advantage of member-only benefits that come from the group buying power we have as astatewide organization, more than 265,000 members strong.

CSEA also has a respected political action network to represent your interests before elected officials, andas Local 1000 of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, we belong to themost powerful International Union in the U.S.A.

To our members we say:

Get involved. The more involved you are, the more rewarding your membership will be. Here's how!

Here is our mission:

As working men and women -- every one and every where -- we are our greatest resource.

We organize and represent workers to ensure our voice is heard, our place at the table is kept and theAmerican dream is ours in the 21st century.

As a labor union, we hold these values as our working principles:

l Honesty: We are honest with ourselves and each other.

l Inclusiveness: Every group, every idea is welcomed.

l Full Participation: We encourage and expect full participation in all union matters.

l Respect: We respect each other and honor our differences.

l Diversity: We celebrate our diversity and use it to strengthen us.

l Open Communications: We listen and provide for open communication across all parts of ourunion and in all directions.

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l Accountability: We are accountable for our actions and decisions.

l Fiscal Responsibility: We conduct our business in a fiscally sound manner.

As a labor union, we are committed to union democracy and we follow these values with integrity.

A note about belonging to the union:

An explanation of Agency Shop payers vs. CSEA dues-paying members:

When you get a job that is in a union-represented position, you are guaranteed union protections andrepresentation by law. CSEA must represent you, whether you have officially "joined" the union, or not.

In New York State, we have a law that provides that the union will get an "Agency Shop Fee" -- that is, anamount equivalent to CSEA dues -- for every worker who is represented by the union.

What this means to you is that whether or not you sign a membership application to officially join theunion, you have the same amount deducted regularly from your paycheck.

What this means to CSEA is that everyone pays for their union representation, not just those who have"signed up." There are no free riders.

Unfortunately, despite many attempts to educate workers about the difference, many people who pay theAgency Shop Fee don't realize that they are not full dues-paying CSEA members. This means they miss outon several important benefits to being union members:

1. They do not have the opportunity to vote on their union contract. Contract votes are for unionmembers in good standing only.

2. They do not have the opportunity to vote for their elected union officers. Because CSEA is ademocratic, member-run union, this means they miss out on their ability to decide how their union isrun.

3. They cannot take advantage of the union's many member-only benefits. While there are manycontractual benefits that must be shared between members and agency fee payers, there are benefitsoutside the contract that are offered exclusively for members only.

For these reasons, we encourage all workers to sign up as members. It's as simple as filling out a CSEAmembership application, and it won't cost you a penny more! For a membership application, pleasecontact CSEA Headquarters at (800) 342-4146, ext. 1314 or 1331.

Also, please note: if your CSEA membership has lapsed due to any break in service, your CSEAmembership will lapse unless you specifically have taken steps to continue it. If this occurs, you MUSTcontact the CSEA Membership Department for assistance at (800) 342-4146, ext. 1320 or 1331.

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CSEA Name Local # # #

Our Union LeadershipA note about our union democracy: As members of New York's most democratic union,our members get to directly elect their leadership and set the course of our union. OurLocal and Unit Officers are elected to four-year terms.

Add on committee chairs? delegates? shop stewards? grievance reps?

photo PresidentWorks at:

Phone #:

photo Vice PresidentWorks at:

Phone #:

photo SecretaryWorks at:

Phone #:

photo TreasurerWorks at:

Phone #:

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CSEA Name Local # # #

Union NewsPost news briefs about what's going on in your union. Focus on such topics as:

l Local, Region, Statewide or Federal Issues the union is fighting: for example,privatization, contract, budget or legislative fights;

l Contract updates;l Political Action or endorsement news;l Grievance updates - remember to honor member confidentiality issues;l Labor-Management meeting reports;l Committee meeting reports;l Membership meeting reports;l Reports on trainings, conventions, officer activities, workshops attended, etc.;l Meeting notices for upcoming meetings;l Benefit-related deadlines;l Notice of upcoming Civil Service tests;l Union election notices;l Recognition of member accomplishments; andl Milestones - births, deaths, marriages, retirements, promotions, new hires, etc.

Note to web masters: Also remember not to just report the news, but how members canget involved in their own fights. Use the news as a tool to build member involvement!

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CSEA Name Local # # #Upcoming Events

(Note to web master: list your calendar of upcoming union events, trainings, functions,etc. here. Make sure you list what the event is, when it is, where it is, who can take part,how to sign up/register, who to contact for more information)

January

l event 1l event 2

February

l event 1l event 2

March

l event 1l event 2

April

l event 1l event 2

May

l event 1l event 2

June

l event 1l event 2

July

l event 1l event 2

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CSEA Name Local # # #

Our Union ContractProtection... Security... A Voice in our Workplace...

These are some of the basic needs provided by our union contract. At the most basiclevel, it is a legal document between management and the union that locks in our benefits,guarantees our wages, and gives us protections that have the force of law behind them.

Our CSEA leadership, in cooperation with our professional union staff negotiators andwith our members' input and involvement, negotiate the contract on behalf of all ourmembers. At every point in the negotiating process, we welcome and encourage memberinvolvement/participation. Members are appointed by our Unit President to serve on theNegotiating Team and sit at the table with our chief negotiator and decide what getsnegotiated on our side. We also survey our membership to find out your negotiatingpriorities, and try to keep open good lanes of communication during the process to makesure the needs of our membership are met. When it comes to a contract offer, only ourmembers have the final say, voting to accept or reject any deal reached.

Negotiations is a two-way process, however, and we must stick together, and sometimesfight together, especially in difficult economic times, to win the contract we deserve. Wework with our Region Staff professionals to develop strategic campaigns to build pressureon management to win a fair contract. We also work within our CSEA Region structureto reach out to other Locals and Units for assistance in our fight, so we don't have to go italone.

The result is a binding document that offers us protection, security, and a voice in ourworkplace. Our CSEA Labor Relations Specialist works with our elected leadership andappropriate union staff to then enforce the terms of our contract, and make sure thatmanagement does not violate our rights.

l link to contract language; orl current negotiations update; orl Know your rights - get a copy of your union contract here. (link to e-mail request)

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CSEA Name Local # # #Virtual Shop StewardRule #1 - Know Your Rights!

Read your union contract cover to cover. Ask your Union Officers to explain anythingthat you don't understand. In order to stand up for your rights, you must first know whatthey are.

If you are the subject of a disciplinary action, an investigation or interrogation, pleaseknow that you also have certain protections under the law:

If you may be disciplined, and you are facing tough questions:

l You can request CSEA representation.l You have the right to know why you are being questioned.

l You have the right to speak to your CSEA representative before &during questioning.

If you may be suspended, you should request CSEA representation! Youhave the right to know:

l What charges you are facingl What the evidence is against you

You should be given a chance to tell your side of the story, and theopportunity to speak to your CSEA representative during the proceedings.

If you otherwise have a workplace problem or feel your union rights or contract havebeen violated, you should know that there are means of addressing your problems, eitherthrough labor-management discussions or through our contract's grievance procedure andother legal means. You should also be aware that grievances have a time limit that theunion must meet in order to file them and fight to protect your rights.

No matter what the case, to resolve your issues or to protect your rights, you shouldimmediately contact your Shop Steward, Grievance Representative or your CSEA Officerfor help. If you don't know who to speak to, call your CSEA Region Office and ask tospeak to your Labor Relations Specialist.

l List of work locations with their grievance reps & shop stewards ?l E-mail link or form submission to have a Shop Steward call within 24 hours (don't

do it if you can't meet that response time)l Online Grievance Form submission ?l Get a copy of your union contract! (link to contract request e-mail)

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CSEA Name Local # # #

You Are The Union!As CSEA President Danny Donohue is fond of reminding us, "Every day you wash theface of this Union."

CSEA is a member-run union.

That means that without your participation, we can't function as effectively, or sticktogether as strongly.

We realize that in today's world, there are many things that compete for your time.Family commitments, work commitments, other personal commitments -- all of these canlimit the time you have to give to your union and yourselves.

Yet we still must strive to get more members involved.

It can be as simple as staying informed and attending meetings. It could meanvolunteering to serve on a union committee. It could mean taking part in union-sponsoredactivities. It could mean taking the time to read the union newsletter. It could meanwearing a union sticker or pin on a designated day. It could mean getting trained as aunion Steward, or running for union office to represent your fellow co-workers. It couldmean volunteering to work on behalf of the campaign of union-endorsed candidates.

Whatever your available level of involvement, we need you.

Please call (Name) at (number) if you're interested in getting more involved in YOURunion.

l Link to committee listing and available openings?l Link to upcoming steward training - how to become a steward?l Fill out a pledge card to sign up as a Region Member Activist - print out this form

and return ** note: you must have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view& print the form

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CSEA Name Local # # #

Contact Us!This web site is just one more way we can regularly keep in touch with our members. Weneed to hear from you to know that your needs are being met.

If you have comments or suggestions about this site, please contact us.

l List address and phone number for Local or Unit herel put e-mail link for webmaster here.

For workplace issues, see our virtual steward page for how to proceed.

To view a list of our union Officers, see our listing.

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CSEA Name Local # # #LinksThere are many other informative sites available to CSEA union members. Please takethe time to visit them!

CSEA and related union web sites:

l CSEA Statewide Web Sitel CSEA Central Region 5l Other CSEA Locals Onlinel AFSCMEl AFL-CIOl CSEA eStorel Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI)

Your Union Benefit Providers:

l CSEA Member Benefitsl CSEA Employee Benefit Fundl CSEA Voluntary Insurancesl Empire Vision Centers

General Union Links:

n American Rights at Workn AFL-CIO Blogn AFSCME Blogn The Anti-Union Networkn The Association for Union Democracyn Labor Blogn House of Laborn Working Lifen Communicate or Dien LaborNetn Workers Independent News

Government Links:

l Alphabetical listing of all NYS Departmentsl New York State Department of Civil Servicel Careers In Governmentl NYS Workers' Compensation Boardl NYS Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)l Governor's Office of Employee Relations (GOER)l NYS DOL's Public Employee Safety & Health

(PESH) Bureaul NYS/CSEA Partnership for Education & Training

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Contact Your Representatives:l The White House Home Pagel U.S. Senatorsl U.S. House of Representativesl Governorl NY State Senatel NY State Assembly

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Union Website Guidelines: Adapted with grateful thanks from the Associationfor Union Democracy’s Web Page at: www.uniondemocracy.org

This original article can be found online at: http://tinyurl.com/cbxw9bby Matt Noyes (2005, some rights reserved)

(Thanks to David Yao, Jane Slaughter, and the many rank-and-file webstewards on whose work this is based. Adaptedfrom "Troublemaking on the Homepage," a chapter in A Troublemaker's Handbook 2, published by Labor Notes. Thisguide was inspired by the book Homepage Usability, 50 websites deconstructed, by Jakob Nielsen and Marie Tahir.)

Guidelines for building an effective rank-and-file website:There are four main categories: Content, Organizing, Navigation, and Design

CONTENT1. Tell people who, what, and where you are. It seems obvious, but many rank-and-file sites fail to do this. Every siteshould tell the visitor what the site is about, who is it for, who puts it out, and where they are located. Use a separate"About Us" page, but make sure your site title and description -- the first thing people see on the homepage -- givespeople the basics. (This also is helpful to search engines and people linking to your site, who often quote your descrip-tion in their link text. You can also use this description as a "meta tag" to help search engines identify you.)

2. Put contact information front and center. This goes at the top with the name and description. Give your e-mail atleast, phone, fax, and address/post office box if possible. A "Contact Us" page, with a link at the top of every page orin the main navigation is fine. The more specific the contact information is the better. Give the name and e-mail orphone number of not just the websteward, but also of activists workers can contact to talk about problems on the jobor in the union.

3. Put it on every page. Put the site name and a one sentence description on every page since people may not enteryour site via the homepage.

4. Tell us when the site was last updated. Returning visitors want to know if there is something new since they lastvisited, new people want to know if the site is current. Tell people up front when the site was last updated. Do not usean automatic clock that just tells the person the current time and date. Don't date items that are not time-specific orare rarely updated, like the union constitution.

5. Have a disclaimer. If you give people advice on their legal rights, make it clear that you are not an attorney andthat the advice is not a legal opinion or advice.

6. Tell people what you stand for and how you plan to get it. In addition to a brief description of your site and itspurpose, you should have a clear, concrete mission statement that states what you stand for, the specific changes youwant to make, and how you think they can be achieved. This is one of the most important items on your site, it helpspeople assess you and your intentions. The mission statement should be concrete - do not just promise to be good peo-ple and do good things. The mission statement does not have to be on the homepage, but you should give a brief sum-mary of your mission and have a prominent link to the full statement.

7. Have clear priorities. The most important part of your site is the the area "above the fold," the part of the homep-age that fits into most people's screens without scrolling. Part of this area is used for the site navigation (links to pageson your site), part for the title (name, description, contact information), and part is used for content, the informationthat you think it is most important for people to see.

Think about your goals for the website - what are you trying to accomplish? What information is central to your mis-sion, what is the first thing you want people to see, what do you most want people to find on the site? The area abovethe fold is precious, don't fill it with general news about the industry you work in, or big photos or logos.

If you want to educate, agitate, and organize, then make sure that there is a little of each above the fold. This can bedone by placing links to pages with those contents, by taking a sentence or two from items you want people to readand then giving a link to follow for the rest of the story, or by making a "what's new" list that has items from each cate-gory. Make sure you focus on the most important current tasks and campaigns, especially the time-sensitive issues - anupcoming action or meeting that people must act on now.

8. Focus. It's easy to put a lot of information online, but it may not make for an effective website. Think about youraudience and what they care about. Discuss with coworkers what they would like to know more about. Listen carefullyto what people say on the job, in the union, in forums and discussion lists, etc. It may be that a campaign dedicated to

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winning one specific (but very important) demand could be more effective than trying to address every issue that youthink people might care about. You have to judge what will work best.

9. Give people information and ideas that they need and want. With a little effort you can assemble informationthat people need to solve problems - legal rights, how to enforce them, grievance procedures, hiring hall procedures,pension rights, etc. Figure out what your coworkers need most -- and provide it or, where it is already available, makeit easy for people to go directly to that information on another site.

Get people to create content as well as consume it. Use forums, polls, forms, email, to collect information and ideasfor your site. The internet makes it much easier to circulate articles and opinion pieces about unions, employers, andstruggles. You are free to use all articles and other information from the AUD website. Other publications, like LaborNotes (www.labornotes.org) publish stories online. Link to articles that are relevant to your members, or, with theirpermission and giving contact information to the source, copy the article and post it on your site. Feel free to copyanything off of the CSEA website (www.csealocal1000.org) or the Region 5 homepage.

10. Tell the truth. Do your best to get the facts and make it clear what is fact and what is opinion. Don't give advicethat you are not sure of. Check with people you trust, contact other activists, or your union staff. A disclaimer can beuseful here, like this one from The Conscience of 294, "Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and com-pleteness of the electronic documents and resources provided on this Web site. However, the Conscience of 294 makesno warranties, expressed or implied, regarding errors or omissions and assumes no legal liability or responsibility forloss or damage resulting from the use of information contained within.."

11. Provide the information you should be as union officers - the contract, the union constitution, union meetingtimes and locations, minutes of past meetings, contract proposals, side agreements, election timelines or rules, griev-ance forms, officers' phone numbers and emails, etc. All of this is useful to members. In the worst case, workers willhave more than one way to get the information they need - this is not a problem.

12. Help people understand the material you provide. Use Frequently Asked Questions, an advice column, or an "askfor advice" forum to answer members' questions about the information your provide. Recruit a few designated "forumleaders" who will respond. Put a form on your site for members to ask questions. Summarize key legal rights or infor-mation in one page-handouts people can print and distribute.

13. Cut through the legalese. If you link to material on another site, look for the most accessible material - for exam-ple, the Association for Union Democracy (AUD) publishes the text of the Labor Management Reporting and DisclosureAct but also a plain language guide to the act that offers realistic advice. You can link to both (some people want tosee the letter of the law), but prioritize the plain language guide.

14. Give people the actual documents - the full text of the contract - including side letters and "Memoranda of Un-derstanding", the union constitution, official correspondence on important issues. Members hate it when a union offi-cial refuses to let them see the full contract before a vote, the financial information, the vote count, or the minutesfrom a meeting. Show that it is possible and valuable to share information with the members. However, remember toprioritize: do not bury people in a hundred documents. People will not want to wade through your thirteen letters tothe Department of Labor. (Design note: when posting a document, try to post it not just in PDF format, but also as ht-ml. Many people who will look at a document online will not skip over a PDF file - fear of viruses, or just impatience.)

15. Build your own network of trusted sources, including other rank-and-file websites. Where do you go to get infor-mation you trust? Link to websites, or copy material (with permission and a link to the original source). Contacting asite's websteward can be a great way to get some direct help and make contacts.

16. Encourage people to think for themselves. Don't use your website the way many companies, political campaigns,and some unions do - as an advertisement or propaganda machine. Instead of trying to "sell" people on your ideas or"spin" issues your way, use the website to talk with them, ask real questions, and give visitors information they can useto make their own judgment.

17. Build bridges and practice solidarity. Democracy and inequality do not mix. Make sure to include issues that af-fect each part of the workforce. Do not let the management play you against your fellow workers: high seniority vs.low seniority, craft vs. craft. Make it clear that you are a union of, by, and for all the workers. Translate documentsinto other languages, highlight issues of concern to particular groups in the union like workers of color or workers in aparticular title or craft, recruit people you are trying to work with to write to the discussion forum.

18. Use public documents. Union constitutions and bylaws, contracts, side agreements, and many other documentsare public information that can legally be reproduced and distributed, including on websites.

19. Prioritize links. Use your priorities, and the needs of your audience, to decide who to link to. Long lists of linkscan feel like a waste of time to the user, and make it harder for people to understand what you are trying to accom-plish (are you trying to be an online encyclopedia?).

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20. Use links to educate and assist people. When linking to government agencies, public interest groups, etc, use tar-geted links straight to the page you need, not just the homepage. Give both phone numbers and URLs for governmentagencies. Tell people what to ask for and give them a sense of what they are likely to encounter if they do contact theagency.

21. Link to the official union. Always link to the official union website(s) and to any useful information they publish.

22. Link to the employers? Links to the employer's website and some employer-friendly websites can help members"know the enemy." But think twice about linking to organizations that may want to do away with unions altogether,such as the NLPC. If you choose to link to a group like that, make it extremely clear to your visitors that you opposetheir mission.

ORGANIZING23. Have a clear specific audience for your site. The audience should match your organizing goals - in other words, ifyou are organizing on the local level, your site should speak primarily to your local members and their families or mem-bers of their communities. Likewise, the content of your site - what you post and the priority you give items -- shouldspeak to the top interests and concerns of the people you are hoping to work with. Any website is available to the en-tire online world - and you should keep that in mind as you design it, for example by including the country in your con-tact information - but an effective organizing site has to have a specific audience. Include this in your description, forexample: "the unofficial forum for members of local 787, United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters."

24. Work with others. If the point is to organize for democracy and power, why not make the website a group project?Like a print newsletter, a website can help a group define itself and keep its focus. The site can become a place wherecollective discussion and planning takes place, not just the record of one person's gripes or their individual master planfor solving the union's problems. It takes work to operate this way, but has important benefits: the site will be strongerand more representative and the group will learn how to handle debate and discussion and come to a decision.

25. Build community. Help people find each other. Isolation is a major obstacle for people who want to make chang-es. Your website can help them connect to other activists in their area, or work location. List the contact people, orcreate an activist directory that people can access by e-mailing you and asking for contacts in their area. There is alsonetworking software, used by companies like MeetUp.com that some union members have used to organize meetings intheir area.

26. Build your group. Use the website to collect names, e-mails, addresses, phone numbers and other relevant infor-mation. Once you collect this information, you need a way to keep and use it. Set up a database - a simple computeraddress book can work for this - and be careful to put in all the information you gather. The information you collectthis way is often the most up to date and accurate and can be crucial in election campaigns or other mobilizing efforts.

27. Follow up on website contacts with direct personal contact. Make a phone call, meet the person after work, in-vite them to a meeting. Convert website contacts into real life meetings and discussions with people. Have a contactsystem - if a worker on a particular job contacts you, have a person on that job they can be put in touch with. (TIP:You can use a worker to worker network to organize this.)

28. Show that you are about action. Focus on what people are doing to solve the problems. There is a lot of com-plaining on the internet, just like in the union hall or workplace. It's good to provide space for some of that (like in aforum or bulletin board) but to move from complaining to organizing you need to start talking about what can be doneand what is being done to make a change. This helps people see that change is possible, that there are people who aretrying to do it, and that there is a way to help. Give action items top priority on your page.

Follow the "70% positive" rule: don't let your criticisms and complaints take up more than 30% of your website. (Peopleposting to your forum or bulletin board may break this rule, but your own posts should not.)

29. Give people a way to get involved in the actions that your group has planned. If it is an event, tell people how toget there, what to expect, how to help organize it. If it is a petition, give people a copy of the form or a contact per-son to get it from. Use discussion lists, forums, or surveys to talk about possible plans. (You can save confidential de-tails for private conversations or closed discussion lists.) This can be a great way to get people to participate inplanning strategy and to get a feel for how much support there is for a proposed action.

30. Provide tools for people to take action online. Petitions can be signed and letters sent directly from a website.LabourStart's ActNOW newswire is one such tool. (You can also include ActNOW on your website.) You can also use fo-rums and polls for online participation in decision-making.

31. Provide tools for people to take action offline - petitions, draft grievances, flyers and handouts, stickers they canprint on label paper, pictures and posters, newsletters, anything people might want to use on the job or at a unionmeeting. Don't just send people off with an NLRB complaint form, though. Note: you want people to contact you todiscuss the problem - there may be a great organizing opportunity hiding in a small complaint.

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32. Follow up on your actions with reports, photos, discussion, and next steps. This is part of the focus on action.Post photos of an action or event, this can give people a picture of what it looks like to participate. Celebrate yourhard work and recognize the efforts of people who made an event or action a success.

33. Show them you are about democracy. Question Authority. Have a little attitude - this is your union. Questionyour officials, demand the full story, don't be put off or blown off. Name names and challenge your opponents to ex-plain or justify their views or actions. Remember, what goes around comes around, be prepared to have your own au-thority questioned.

34. Hold leaders and representatives accountable. Help members develop the attitude that they really are the unionand their representatives are there not to rule them but to help them build and use their power. List the union officersand representatives and their contact information, so people can call them directly. Tell how representatives and offi-cers voted on issues of interest to the members. Encourage workers to consider running for office.

35. Practice what you preach. Encourage frank and honest debate and discussion in forums and bulletin boards, dis-courage "flaming" and personal attacks (though it is important that people feel able to name names). Do not overreactto bad behavior. It is understandable that many frustrated union members who finally find a forum to speak freelycome out swearing and fuming. Offer friendly advice and feedback. Post correspondence to/from your opponents. Linkto opposing websites. Show your confidence in the members' ability to judge for themselves and model good democrat-ic behavior: show others that it is possible to disagree strongly without treating the other person like the enemy of allhumanity.

(There are many sources of free forum hosting. LabourStart offers free discussion forums athttp://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/UltraBoard/UltraBoard.pl)

36. Build a network. Individual websites are not a bad thing, but look for ways to network. In some cases, as in theCarpenters, IBEW and United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters, there is a network of sites and discussion forumsrun by individuals that form a kind of collective project. This format allows for maximum freedom on the part of thewebstewards without losing track of common issues and projects -- like the campaign for One Member One Vote in theIBEW. You may want to be a part of a larger network of this type.

37. Build a division of labor among activists. If someone else already has a great list of all the grievance settlementsfrom your local online, or links to all the locals in your union, or hosts a lively discussion board, link to them. By addinglinks that make use of existing resources you are building community and connections between activists.

38. Keep the websteward accountable to the group. This can be tricky, webstewards get pretty involved in theirwork and it's hard to hold back and let the group make key decisions, especially if you are in a hurry to add or changesomething. The group also has to be careful not to micromanage what is, after all, someone's volunteer work. But, bigissues or positions - whether to support a proposed contract or who to back in a union election - should be decided bythe group. Consider creating a site that can be edited by several different people, like a blog or Content ManagementSystem site.

39. Advertise your site - put the URL and email on anything you print (leaflets, newsletters, buttons, t-shirts, hats,bumperstickers, etc.) Swap links with people whose websites are likely to attract the same people you want to reach.Post articles from your site in other web forums, with a link back to your site. (If your site includes regular news sto-ries, you can become a volunteer correspondent for LabourStart and post your stories there. Details here:http://www.labourstart.org/newcorrespondents.shtml)

NAVIGATION40. Get a good domain name for your site. Something short and easy to remember, like www.yoursite.org. (To see ifa domain name is available go to "Who is.." http://www.networksolutions.com/en_US/whois/index.jhtml). You don'twant to be stuck with the long cumbersome names that free website hosts assign. Compare Bartenders for a StrongerUnion's domain name www.vegasbartender.org (and clever e-mail Heybartender@vegasbartenders.org) with this mon-ster for Plumbers and Pipefitters local 787 Members for Democracy:http://www.mountaincable.net/~namrik/ualocal787mfdver04001.htm. Try putting that on a t-shirt or leaflet.

41. Tell us how to get from here to there (and back again!). Have a clear navigation system that is the same through-out the site (same list of navigation links, same names, same location on the page, same design and layout). The mostcommon approach is to use three types of navigation links:

a. Basic navigation along the top of the page - typically, "home," "contact us," "about [your group's name here]," "links,""search this site," and links to main content pages you may have, like "legal rights," "upcoming events," or "the forum."The "contact" and "about" links should lead to pages with more detailed contact information (including a form for peo-ple to write to you), and a more detailed description of your site and its mission.

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b. In the left column, a list of links to the contents of your website, organized in a way that will make sense to youraudience. (Put the high priority items at the top of the list.) These links do not only have to be to sections of your website (like a "documents" section) but should include links to specific pages (for example, "the Oct. 15 letter to Manage-ment about overtime violations"). It is good for content deep in your web site to "bubble up" to the homepage.

c. On a content page, use the left column for links to items on that page. (These are called anchor links.)

Bottom line, a visitor to your site should always know where he or she is and how to get to the other parts of the website. If you don't do this, it's like you are just walking up to a coworker and dumping a box full of disorganized papers intheir lap, "here!" Not a good organizing strategy.

42. Guide people to the material in your site. Help people find particular items by linking directly to them from thehome page. In addition to a "Your Rights" link, have a link to "the Local 267 Bylaws" or "AUD's Questions and Answerspage."

43. Descriptive links. The more specific and descriptive a link is, the easier it makes it for people to get to what theywant. Use language that helps the visitor understand what they will find if they follow the link. For example, instead ofjust naming a link "Events" name it "local meetings and campaigns: Nominations next month, Carlson's picket nextThursday." Then link to a page with more information on those events. You may even want separate links to eachevent, if they are important to emphasize.

For all links off your site, give a short description of the site you are linking to, and the full URL. Check these links reg-ularly. Dead links are a turn off. Be sure to tell people if a link means you endorse the site or not. Most internet usersknow that linking to a site does not imply you agree with it, but your opponents may try to make this claim.

44. "Search this site." If you have a lot of information on your site - more than ten pages -- include a "search this site"box on every page so people have an alternative way to find their way around.

DESIGN45. Have one homepage. Every site needs one clearly identified homepage where people can quickly find out aboutthe website and what is in it. This is crucial for effective site design (see the resources on web site design), but it isalso important from an organizing point of view. The homepage is where you introduce yourself, explain what you aredoing, and try to get the visitor involved. It is your best chance to show people what's available on the site and how toget to it. Even if people enter your site from another page, they will go to the homepage to find out the basics aboutthe site.

46. Make it two or three pages long. Do not make a homepage that is more than two or three times as long as the ar-ea above the fold. Many people will not have the patience to scroll all the way down. If you have several articles toshare, give the fist few sentences then a link to "read more..."

47. Tell people about updates. Keeping a website current is a key to its success. People don't want to keep visiting asite that never changes and still talks about "upcoming" events from last year. How will people know you have updatedthe site? 1) Set up a mailing list. Keep the updates short and to the point, with links back to your site. 2) Create an RSSfeed for your website. Use it to keep people informed about updates to your site. RSS also helps build the links be-tween union activists, since feeds can be collected and aggregated. (For more information on RSS see WebRef and List-Garden. See also our collection of RSS feeds: AUD Feeds.)

48. Be creative, but respect the low-end users. Graphics, video, animation, audio, and music are fun and entertain-ing, and we know that creativity and humor are important organizing tools. Draw on member's talents to make thewebsite more interesting, funny, provocative. Be sure to follow these three rules of thumb, though:a. Don't let graphics, splash pages, etc. become hurdles the user has to jump over to get to the content they are look-ing for. For example, do not add an extra welcome page before the homepage.b. Make sure the user feels safe and in control. Involuntary gizmos like pop-ups and even voluntary items like cookiescan make the user feel like the site is out of their control, or that someone is spying on them.c. As a general rule, use a few simple graphics on most pages, and collect larger or more advanced files, like photos,songs, video in a gallery or special multimedia page(s) that users can open or ignore if they want.d. Write content that anyone in your audience can easily read. 30% or more of internet users are "low-literacy" mean-ing they read at a 6th to 8th grade level. (Source: Jakob Nielsen by way of Eric Lee:http://www.ericlee.me.uk/archive/000129.html)

49. Open Source it: Got a great guestbook format? Did you find a really good free bulletin board program? Know some-one who wants to start a website in your union? Follow the spirit of the internet (at least the good side of it) and shareyour know-how. Tell people about the good tools you have found.

Instead of a copyright symbol, use a Creative Commons license for your original work, enabling people to use materialfrom your website as long as it the use is non-commercial, by attribution (they give you credit), and share-alike (theyagree to let others use the material on their websites, too). See Creative Commons for licenses you can use.

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Issues50. Anonymous? If you want to be anonymous because of fears about retaliation from the employer or union (or both),use a false name or no name at all and provide just an email link. Remember that people can find the registered ownerof a website by doing a "who is..." lookup ( http://www.networksolutions.com/en_US/whois/index.jhtml). There areanonymous domain registration services available: http://domains.aplus.net/anonindex.php. You can also set up ananonymous e-mail account. (See "Will Anonymous E-mail become a casualty of war?" for a good description of anony-mous e-mail and many providers. http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/internet/02/13/anonymous.email.idg/)

The downside of anonymity is that it makes it harder for interested workers to get in touch with you and it may weak-en your credibility - "these people aren't even willing to stand up for their views and they want me to stand up to theboss?" Another option is to openly identify the site's owner, but to include messages and articles by anonymous writers."The Watcher" reports on union affairs in Operating Engineers local 30, for example.

Legal Issues

For a basic handout on the democratic rights of union members as they apply to online activism, see Cyberdemocracy,your legal rights online at http://tinyurl.com/c572yg

For an outline of important legal rights that all web activists should know about, covering domain names, copyright,defamation and other issues, see Legal Perils and Legal Rights of Internet Speakers an outline with citations athttp://tinyurl.com/crqfk7 by Paul Alan Levy, Public Citizen Litigation Group (and AUD Board Member).

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Notes:

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Published May 2009