From a publicity angle, a strike is like a conversation between the Union and the Company with the membership and the general public as the audience. The Publicity Committee holds up the Union end of the conversation. That means figuring out when and how to answer and when to keep silent.

There is a trick to it: always put yourself in your audience's shoes. What do they want and need to know at each point in the conversation? What do they already know? Explain what you think they will need to have explained.

Do not assume that the audience has followed every word of the conversation — not even the membership. This is even truer of the general public who are drifting in and out, catching only snatches of the conversation at best.

So: Keep it basic. Be clear. And be direct.

The tension and pressure of a strike breed rumors and false information. This grows each day as the strike continues.

Companies know this and often try to exploit it. If a striker is misinformed or does not understand the basic issues or the Union's actions, his or her determination weakens. Even worse, they might begin to feel abandoned or "sold out" by the Union. On the other hand, the well-informed worker with a good understanding of the issues and the progress of the negotiations will be the most effective striker. Even better, they will be a rallying point for their co-workers.

These are some things members might want and need to know:

1. What is happening in negotiations. Keeping people fully informed during negotiations will greatly simplify things later, when the contract has to be explained so the Local can vote on it.
2. Important changes in the Union's negotiating position, explanations of why such changes were made, and — as clearly and directly as possible — how it affects them.
3. How to get help (financial and otherwise) from the Local or other agencies.
4. The Union's answer to stories about the strike that members might have seen in the newspapers or on TV or heard over the radio.
5. Information about available jobs.
6. How other people in the Local are doing.
7. Times and places of strike meetings and contract votes.

It is very important to correct misinformation early. It is even better to anticipate how events might be misunderstood and to put them in the right light before things get off track.

Winning over publicity opinion to the side of the strikers can be an enormous plus. This is difficult, however, for two basic reasons. First, reaching the public means using the media — radio, TV, newspapers — and the media may be indifferent or even hostile.

Second, public attitudes towards unions and strikes are confused and many people understand very little about either. Some people are anti-union; the best efforts of a Publicity Committee will not change their minds. Others in the general public are pro-union and will be sympathetic. The real audience to reach is the people in between. People who haven't made up their minds because they don't understand why workers need unions or why workers sometimes have to strike.

Here's the catch: the people in between, the ones you are trying to reach, get hit over the head every day by the employer's propaganda machine. In other words, certain ideas and attitudes about workers and their unions are kept floating around out there. People don't necessarily believe them, but if the Local's publicity ignores them — or even worse, unwittingly reinforces them — people will begin to see things the way the Company wants them to.

Here are some pitfalls to avoid:

1. Hard as it is to believe, the Company may try to picture itself as a little David fighting a Union Goliath. The know that Americans generally love the underdog and so they try to paint unions as huge, powerful organizations that trample over people to get what they want.

   Don't let them get away with it. Let people know that the decision to strike was made democratically, by the UE workers involved, by people in their community — not off in some union office somewhere. In fact, it is usually the Company's decisions that are made in some faraway office.

2. The Company may try to paint itself as a respectable member of the community and the Union as a bunch of outsiders. It is very important for people to see the Union as really nothing more than a group of their own neighbors, ordinary people who are struggling to get their fair share. Or, ways might be shown in which the Company is not being the "good neighbor" it would have people believe it is. Many companies pay little or no taxes — especially locally. Others freely pollute the environment.

3. The Company may make noises about closing the plant, not only to frighten striking workers, but also to frighten the community and local political leaders. Especially if they make these threats quietly and behind the scenes, expose their game to the public. They are being disloyal to a community that has supported and helped them; the community has given all kinds of breaks to let them make money here, and now they are talking about walking away. Another way to handle it is that they are holding the plant — and the community — as hostages to get the workers to give in. That's terrorism.

4. The Company may try to show the strike as being caused by greedy workers. It is very important to get the public to understand how modest and reasonable the Union's demands are — in terms they can understand. For example, a pay increase of $20 a week for the average worker. Or, an improved health care package because last year a worker's daughter needed an operation and the family has to take out a second mortgage to pay for it — and let the reporters interview the family involved.

5. The Company may try to paint the strikers as prone toward violence and may even arrange incidents to provoke it. Historically, violence has usually turned public opinion against striking workers; that is why some companies try to use it. Should such incidents occur, it should be made clear to the public that the Union does not condone violence. If Union members have been injured, point that out. In the case of a provoked incident, the Union should publicly announce that it is going to take aggressive legal action.

6. Don't let the Company confuse the public by making the issues too complicated for them to understand. Remember, most people understand very little about contracts and strike issues. Don't let the Company pull you into a public "pissing contest" over whether their offer really means 50 cents an hour or just 40 cents. If the Company begins puffing clouds of complication, keep pushing the issues as simple matters of fairness and justice. This will not convince the Company; it may convince the public.

One last point. Do not call the Company stupid, a bunch of fools, or greedy monsters however true that might be. It is a strange thing but true that the more extreme the Company's conduct, the harder it will be to convince people of what is going on. If the Company does something particularly outrageous, or grossly unfair, or blatantly illegal, do not assume the public will recognize it as such, Such things must be even more carefully and more thoroughly explained than usual if they are to have impact.

If the Local has no Community Relations Committee, a special Subcommittee of the Publicity Committee should be responsible for organizing support outside the Local.

Suggested contacts for this Committee:

1. Locals of all the other unions in the area.
2. The Mayor.
3. The City Council.
4. Local Congresspeople.
5. Prominent citizens.
6. Community organizations (religious, fraternal, etc.).
7. Neighbors — by house-to-house canvassing.

Those who respond favorably to the committee's presentation should be asked to support the Union in any way that may be appropriate; for example, by writing to the company urging it to settle the strike, passing a resolution in support of the union, or providing financial or material assistance.

The Subcommittee should contact everyone, including those who in the pas might have had a negative attitude toward UE or the labor movement in general. This is especially true for elected officials for three reasons:

1. Sometimes, people do change their minds.
2. If you don't contact them, they can weasel out by saying, "Oh, nobody got in touch with me."
3. If they were getting ready to come out against the strike, sending a delegation just might make them think twice about it.

This Subcommittee should arrange for distribution of special strike literature in downtown areas and neighborhoods. It should organize community meetings to which the townspeople are invited.

Raising money to support the strike is one of the most important strike activities. A Fundraising Committee should include people who are articulate enough to go before different kinds of audiences and appeal for funds.

This is not as hard as it may seem. A surprising number of people will welcome the chance to show their solidarity with striking workers by contributing money. (Often because they can easily imagine themselves in the strikers' position.)

Some suggested methods of raising funds are:

1. Well before the start of negotiations, build up the Local Strike Fund through a special Local assessment.
2. Organize raffles, benefit shows and dances.
3. After the strike starts, organize plant gate collections at all shops in the area.
4. Make appeals at meetings of unions and other organizations in the area.

All fund raised must be reported to the General Strike Committee.