The TUC Digital Lab helps surface and share good practice in union digitisation. We publish case studies of projects we’ve worked on in our pilot projects with unions, or where unions have good work they’d like to share more widely.
We aim to build up a resource of inspiration and practical guides for other unions setting out on new projects. If you’ve got a potential case study you’d like to discuss, please get in touch.
Themes: Balloting | Campaigning | Communications | Data | Digital design & development | Events | Governance | IT infrastructure & strategy | Learning | Membership | Organising
Balloting
- Peer-to-peer SMS in a ballot campaign (RMT)
- Scaling peer-to-peer SMS (UCU)
- Using social media in strike ballot campaigns (CWU)
- Data for industrial action balloting (PCS)
Campaigning
- Running distributed real-world campaign activity (TUC)
- Lessons in digital campaigning (LabourStart)
- Digital tactics in a larger campaign (TUC)
Communications
- Growing social media channels (TUC)
- Crisis comms in the pandemic (NEU)
- Message testing with new audiences (Prospect)
- Optimising digital engagement (ForwardAction)
- Developing social video (TUC)
- Key formats for social video (TUC)
Data
- Updating member contact data (RCM)
- Using SMS to verify member data (RCM)
- Checking member data with commercial data cleaning services (NASUWT)
- Conducting a Data Protection Impact Assessment (TUC)
- Data protection considerations in case management (TUC)
Digital design and development
- Prototyping new services (TUC)
- User research with union reps (Accord)
- Running an innovation programme (HK)
- Working with members on new content needs (TUC)
Events
- Running our first online Congress (TUC)
- Running an online conference (NASUWT)
- Producing online conferences (NEU / STUC)
- Managing hybrid conferences (NASUWT)
- Improving accessibility and inclusivity for online meetings (TUC)
- Improving your video call presence (TUC)
- Running an online summit event (TUC)
Governance
IT infrastructure & strategy
- Moving IT systems to the cloud (TUC)
- Changing CRM system to Salesforce (ASLEF)
- Building union CRM together (ACTU)
- Next steps in using a CRM system (PCS)
- Moving to a Microsoft Dynamics CRM (CWU)
Learning
Membership
- Digital approaches to case management (PCS / Accord)
- A dedicated onboarding journey for young members (Nautilus International)
- Scoring engagement to improve member experience (Equity)
- Measuring and analysing membership engagement levels (CSP)
- Using peer-to-peer SMS to have real conversations aimed at member retention (RCM)
- Check-off to Direct Debit member switching campaigns (PCS)
Organising
- Using online content to find and engage non-members (TUC)
- Engaging childcare workers online (TUC)
- Designing online forms to engage with workers about their work (TUC)
- Recruiting hard to engage workers online (BFAWU)
- Supporting offline conversations with digital (TUC)
- Recruiting non-traditional members (Prospect)
- Turning online engagement into activism (OURWalmart)
- Using WhatsApp in union organising and communications (TUC)
- Building digital tools for reps (NEU)