Membership signup playbook

The 1-on-1 conversation

The best signups happen in a short, respectful conversation — not a lecture in the break room. Use this four-step frame on the shop floor or over coffee.

• Listen first. Ask what is frustrating them at work right now. Pay attention to scheduling, workload, safety, favouritism, or pay — whatever they raise first.
• Connect the issue to collective action. Explain that the problem they named is exactly what a union solves together. One person complaining alone rarely moves management; a organized local does.
• Explain what the union does. Keep it concrete: stewards, grievances, bargaining, training, and solidarity when someone is disciplined or laid off. Avoid abstract slogans.
• Ask directly. Hand them a card or point to the QR and say: "Will you sign up today?" A clear ask beats hoping they find the form on their own.

Paper signup workflow

Many locals still use physical membership cards or paper application forms. Treat every completed card like confidential personal information from the moment it is signed.

• Check legibility on the spot. Confirm name, employee ID, personal phone, and personal email are readable before the coworker walks away. Illegible cards delay processing at the union office.
• Same-day handoff. Deliver completed cards to your secretary-treasurer or membership officer the same shift when possible. Do not leave a stack in a shared steward locker overnight.
• Secure local storage. Keep blank and completed cards in a locked drawer or cabinet the employer does not control — union office, steward's personal bag, or a local-only storage space.
• Confirm receipt. Ask the membership officer to acknowledge when cards are logged. New members should know their signup reached the right person.

Print Guide

Digital and scan-to-sign workflow

QR posters and online forms reach part-time and remote workers who never pass a union board. Point every QR to a form your national or local union hosts — not a spreadsheet on a work account.

• Use your union's official form. Paste the membership URL your national or local union approved into Brand Kit. If your local has separate collections, add one link per group.
• Put QR where people pause. Boards, break rooms, and event tables work best. A pocket QR card lets stewards start the conversation and hand over a scannable link in the same breath.
• Test before you print. Scan every QR on your own phone before you print a stack. Confirm it opens the correct form for the right collection.
• Match the collection. Full-time and part-time groups often have different signup URLs. Label each QR clearly so a worker lands on the form meant for their job class.

Protect member data

A membership list is personal information. Treat every signup card, spreadsheet, and contact list as if management could see it — because on employer systems, they often can.

UnionOps Comms tools stay on your device and do not store member lists. For broadcast email after signup, follow the privacy steps in the Email & outreach guide.

Build scan-to-sign materials

Once your membership URLs are in Brand Kit, these three UnionOps steps produce matching posters, cards, and a welcome letter — all pulling from the same links.

1. 01

   Save membership URLs in Brand Kit

   Paste membership form URLs in Brand Kit — one link or separate links per collection. Every QR tool and the welcome letter reuse them automatically.

   Open Brand Kit
2. 02

   Print posters and cards

   Print a QR Board poster for the break room, pocket QR cards for stewards, and a Solidarity Poster with a clear signup ask. Use collection-specific presets when your local has more than one group.

3. 03

   Hand out a welcome letter

   Document Generator welcome letter pulls your membership URL and collection from Brand Kit. Hand it to new members the same day they sign.

   Open welcome letter

Next steps after someone signs

A signature is the start, not the finish. These steps turn a new signup into an active member who knows how to reach the local.

• Send a welcome. Hand them a printed welcome letter or email the text from Document Generator. Include the steward contact, next meeting date, and how to finish any remaining application steps.
• Introduce their steward. Give them a steward name, phone number, or QR card for local support. New members should know who to call before a problem becomes a crisis.
• Add to the member list. Add their personal email to the local's private broadcast list — using BCC, never employer email. See the Email & outreach guide for safe sending.
• Confirm with the membership officer. Check that the card or online form reached the secretary-treasurer and was logged. Follow up if the worker asks whether they are in good standing.

Before you print a stack

Run through this list once per batch — the same way First week walks boards, then print, then socials.

• Every QR points to the correct membership URL for the right collection.
• You scanned each QR on your own phone and the form loaded.
• Type size and contrast are readable from a normal standing distance.
• The poster or card shows a steward or local contact — not just a bare QR.
• No completed cards or signup lists are stored on employer cloud drives.
• You know who receives completed paper cards the same day.