The Blueprint

Ongoing comms practice after Brand Kit and Comms getting started: channels, rhythm, tone, and moderation

On this page

Comms getting started gets your first messages out. The Blueprint keeps you consistent. It covers which channels to keep up, how often to post, how to sound like a union on a phone screen, and what to do when management or trolls show up. Use it with the channel guides for more depth on boards, print, web, and social.

Related paths

Strike operations playbook

Kits, gate coverage, captain training and the return to work. This is the operation, not the posting calendar.

Strike operations Crisis comms

Before you use this handbook

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

Brand Kit is complete. Your local number, colours, and logo are set. Every export should look like the same local without retyping.
Comms getting started is done or under way. You have used the board, print, social, and the website once each. The Blueprint is for upkeep, not day-one setup.
Comms Resources for practice. Find the workshop checklist, demo kit, and source links there when you train new officers.
Name a comms lead. Even two hours a week of comms needs one person in charge. The comms lead drafts and the president approves.

Takeaway

If Brand Kit is empty, stop here and open Comms getting started. This page will still be here when you return.

Brand Kit Comms getting started

Four places to reach members

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

Social. Use social for fast updates and member stories. Closed Facebook groups are common. See the platforms section below.
Print. Use flyers and handouts for meetings, gates, and members who do not follow social media. See the Print Guide for layout.
Union boards. Use the workplace bulletin board for contacts, health and safety, and events. See the Union Boards Guide for how to lay out zones.
Website. The website gives QR codes and media one stable link that says who you are and how to reach you. See the Website Guide for the ZIP file.

Keep the date and action aligned

If the meeting time on the flyer does not match the Facebook post, members stop trusting all four.

Which platforms to choose

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

Facebook / closed group. Facebook offers broad reach, events, and room for longer posts. Many locals use a members-only group as their main channel.
Instagram. Instagram suits visual stories and Reels. Use it with the Photo Consent and short-form video guides.
Website as anchor. The website is not a daily feed. It is a lasting contact page, and it holds the strike FAQ in a crisis.
Start with one. An abandoned Instagram account beside an active Facebook group does more harm than having only one channel.

Put the same QR code on boards and flyers. It should lead to your website or group join link, not to a broken short link.

Tone of voice

Write for a steward reading on a break, not for a communications specialist.

Speak as “we”. Say “our members,” “our local,” and “our bargaining team.” This is the collective voice, not one officer’s opinion.
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. Explain collective agreement articles when you cite them.
Shorter in a crisis. During a strike, use fewer adjectives and one spokesperson, and have the president approve each post. See Crisis comms.

Posting frequency and mix

Consistency matters more than 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. As a rough guide, aim for 40% updates, 30% member stories (with consent), 20% education, and 10% solidarity.
Strike or countdown. Switch to Crisis comms. Keep one official place for members to look, and update it when the facts change. Use Strike operations to run the line.
Quiet weeks are fine. Post only when you have news. A quiet page is better than filler.

Takeaway

Write the week’s drafts on Sunday night and have the president approve them on Monday. This avoids rushed posts on Wednesday.

Trolls, spam, and management

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

Hide spam and harassment. Delete slurs and threats. Save screenshots for the local executive if needed.
Management accounts. If the president approves, respond once with facts and collective agreement language. Do not have several people reply after that.
Pin the correction. One pinned post does more than twenty replies. See the management section of Crisis comms when the stakes rise.
Never post. Do not post confidential bargaining information, member discipline details, or home addresses, online or in direct messages.

Do not reply when you are angry

If you are angry while you type, hand the draft to another officer or wait for the president’s sign-off.

Alt text, contrast, and mobile

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

Alt text on every image. Draft the alt text in Alt-Text Assistant, then paste it in the platform’s alt text field, not the caption. Include any words that appear on the image.
Check contrast before you 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. Give flyers and graphics large type and one ask, and make them readable at arm’s length. This is the same Glance Test used for print.

Alt-Text Assistant

Worked example: a normal comms week

There is no strike and no bargaining deadline. The goal is to keep the local visible between meetings.

Monday: plan. The comms lead drafts two posts: a meeting reminder for Wednesday and a member spotlight for Friday, with consent confirmed. The president approves both.
Wednesday: meeting reminder. Post the Graphic Maker export in the group and pin the Board Notice PDF to the bulletin board. Use the same time and room on both.
Thursday: board refresh. Take down last month’s flyer. Leave the contacts and the health and safety strip up. Add a solidarity poster if the board looks bare.
Friday: spotlight. Post the spotlight with alt text and no location tag. Record the consent in the officer notebook.

Four touchpoints, one comms lead, and no last-minute rush. That is the Blueprint in practice.

Sources & references

External resources cited in this guide. National and government URLs often move; if a link 404s, search from that organization’s home page. OPSEU / SEFPO pages on opseu.org may block automated checks — open those links in a browser before you share them in a workshop.

WCAG 2.2 (W3C)
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines - contrast checker and alt-text guidance in this toolbox target Level AA.
Facebook Groups (local comms channel)
Many locals use a closed Facebook group as their primary member channel.
Record a Reel on Instagram
Official Instagram help for recording and sharing Reels. Length limits change; read the live page, not a blog recap.
Ontario Federation of Labour
Provincial labour federation — solidarity and movement education; cite, do not mirror.
National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
National affiliate federation — solidarity links on local sites; cite, do not mirror.
Canadian Labour Congress
National labour congress — solidarity links on local sites; cite, do not mirror.

The Blueprint

Before you use this handbook

Four places to reach members

Which platforms to choose

Tone of voice

Posting frequency and mix

Trolls, spam, and management

Alt text, contrast, and mobile

Worked example: a normal comms week

Bargaining & Strikes

More guides by channel

Labour rights guides

Sources & references

The Blueprint

Before you use this handbook

Four places to reach members

Which platforms to choose

Tone of voice

Posting frequency and mix

Trolls, spam, and management

Alt text, contrast, and mobile

Worked example: a normal comms week

Bargaining & Strikes

More guides by channel

Labour rights guides

Sources & references