AFSCME International is coming to hold a special training on New Hire Orientations. Presidents, Delegates, & Stewards are invited to join us Thursday, September 7, at the AFSCME Council 4 Union Hall at 444 E. Main St, New Britain, CT, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, to build a powerful orientation program at your Local. Lunch will be provided.

Click here to register. (President, Delegates, & Stewards ONLY)

New hire orientations and follow-up are a form of organizing—the core strength of America’s unions. Be willing to transform and experiment, and the advice in this guide can help your union build a stronger, more committed membership that’s ready to take on the next big fight.

Every Local across Connecticut is experiencing a surge of new hires. New hire orientations are a strategic tool for building union power. High-quality orientations have proven to increase sign-ups among new hires and bolster their commitment to the union. Committed members are more likely to stand with the union in the face of tough bargaining fights and political attacks. That means Locals can devote more resources to going on offense, instead of wasting precious money and energy shoring up members for defensive fights.

Union officers, delegates and stewards understandably may feel that they are stretched thin, without time to focus on developing or improving an orientation program. But an effective orientation program can have a lasting and outsized impact on unions’ future strength. In that way, high-quality orientations will deliver a valuable return for unions on the modest investment required to establish, administer, or even simply upgrade their programs.