The Blueprint

Before you use this handbook

The Blueprint assumes you already have colours, a logo, and one message out the door.

• Brand Kit complete. Local number, colours, and logo locked. Every export should look like the same local without retyping.
• First week done or underway. Board, print, social, and website touched once. The Blueprint is maintenance — not day-one setup.
• Comms Resources for practice. Workshop checklist, demo kit, and source links when you train new officers.
• Name a comms lead. Even two hours a week needs an owner. President approves; comms lead drafts.

Four channels, one message

Members learn the union in different places. The facts should match everywhere.

• Social. Fast updates and member stories. Closed Facebook groups are common — see platforms below.
• Print. Flyers and handouts for meetings, gates, and members who never scroll. Print Guide for layout.
• Union boards. Workplace cork for contacts, H&S, and events. Union Boards Guide for zones.
• Website. Stable who-we-are and how-to-reach-us link for QR codes and media. Website Guide for the ZIP.

Which platforms to choose

Start with one social channel and do it well. Add others when the first one is sustainable.

• Facebook / closed group. Broad reach, events, longer posts. Many locals use a members-only group as the primary channel.
• Instagram. Visual storytelling and Reels. Pair with Photo Consent and short-form video guides.
• Website as anchor. Not a daily feed — a durable contact page and strike FAQ when crisis hits.
• Start with one. A dead Instagram beside a lively Facebook group hurts more than having one channel.

Tone of voice

Write for a steward reading on break — not a comms degree.

• Speak as we. Our members, our local, our bargaining team — collective voice, not a single officer’s hot take.
• Honest about setbacks. Members forgive bad news they understand. They do not forgive spin.
• Plain language. Cut jargon and acronyms unless your audience uses them daily. Define CA articles when you cite them.
• Shorter in crisis. Strike mode: fewer adjectives, one spokesperson, president approves. See the Strike Guide.

Posting frequency and mix

Consistency beats volume. Members should know roughly when to expect you.

• Normal times. Two or three posts per week is enough for most locals between bargaining rounds.
• Simple content mix. Rough guide: 40% updates, 30% member stories (with consent), 20% education, 10% solidarity.
• Strike or countdown. Switch to the Strike Guide three-messages rhythm — not endless reactive posting.
• Quiet weeks are fine. Post only when you have news. An empty page beats noise.

Trolls, spam, and management

Bad-faith comments will come. Your job is to protect the space, not win every thread.

• Hide spam and harassment. Delete slurs and threats. Document screenshots for executive if needed.
• Management accounts. Respond once with facts and CA language if president approves. No pile-ons.
• Pin the correction. One pinned post beats twenty replies. Link the Strike Guide management section in crisis.
• Never post. Confidential bargaining, member discipline details, or home addresses — online or in DMs.

Alt-text, contrast, and mobile

Shop-floor members use small screens in bright hallways. Design for that.

• Alt-text on every image. Draft in Alt-Text Assistant; paste in the platform alt field, not the caption. Include on-image words.
• Contrast before export. Run Brand Kit contrast checks. Pale grey on white fails on phones and copiers.
• Captions on video. Reels and Shorts need captions for members who watch muted at work.
• Mobile-first layout. Flyers and graphics: large type, one ask, readable at arm's length — same Glance Test as print.

Worked example: a normal comms week

No strike, no bargaining deadline — just keeping the local visible between meetings.

1. Monday — plan — Comms lead drafts two posts: Wednesday meeting reminder, Friday member spotlight (consent confirmed). President approves both.
2. Wednesday — meeting push — Graphic Maker export to group; Board Notice PDF to cork; same time and room on both.
3. Thursday — board refresh — Pull last month’s flyer. Leave contacts and H&S strip up. Add solidarity poster if the board looks bare.
4. Friday — spotlight — Post spotlight with alt-text. No location tag. Log consent in officer notebook.