Charting & 10 Minute Meetings

Charting

“Charting” is a method the Association has decided to use to communicate, organize, and mobilize members. When we have something very important to share, we tell people. We may send e-mails, but the good stuff is done in person. Charting is an attempt by the Association to become more personal and effective. We hope that this more personal connection will increase information flow between members and leaders and help organize the membership, leading to a more powerful Association. Charting works like a phone chain, but in person. Each workplace is broken up, or charted, into small groups of 4-8 employees. One person, the contact person (CP), is responsible for talking to, and sometimes getting information, from each person in the group. Instructions for the contactor come from a building coordinator (BC), and information from the contactor goes back to the building coordinator.

10 Minute Meetings

Have you ever been to a boring useless meeting? Ten-Minute Meetings are the solution! The idea to respect everyone’s time by having meetings: only when necessary; close by; short in duration; well-structured; and start and end on time! If you knew that a meeting would be like this, would you go?

Why is the building meeting so important? Often it seems expedient for the Building Representative to skip it and vote in meetings without having gained input from members or by merely “sensing” the opinions of members. But regardless of how well Reps read members’ minds, to neglect to ask for member input robs them of the knowledge that they have a voice in the union and the feeling that their opinions count in the decision-making process.
Building Representatives who hold regular building meetings have the best shot toward strengthening membership rapport. When the Building Rep calls a ten minute meeting it really is ten minutes and important, please show up.