Watch out for member engagement team

HSA Report Magazine, September 2017

Last fall, HSA's mobilizing team brought together a small group of HSA members who wanted to do something more.

The Member Engagement Team, as it came to be known, drew individuals from a range of professions. They spent a lot of time in a room full of white boards, sketching out ideas and eating terrible food (no dietitians involved last year). A lot of time on the phone with members. A lot of time in worksites, checking in, listening to concerns, and handing out chocolates.

And, in the end, they had a lot of fun.

This year, the Engagers are ramping it up a little. The new team has trained up more than 30 new member engagers, and over the next few months they'll be reaching out to colleagues on the phone, in the worksite and at events. The primary focus is on collecting information about ongoing workload and shortage issues, but member engagers are also aiming to update contact lists, see how things are going, introduce members to each other and help build a bit of community across professional and worksite boundaries.

Here's the thing: you should get involved.

It's not a tonne of work, and best of all you don't have to know the contract as well as the stewards do.

This fall, member engagers will be supporting HSA outreach activities through regular membership phone outs, worksite walkabouts and chapter visits, providing mentorship to stewards, hosting workshops and training and welcoming new members to the union. Member engagers are supported with direct mentorship from an experienced engager and staff organizer along with training and skills building opportunities through local labour and community education programs.

Also, if you are a dietitian then you really need to get involved and do something about the food at brainstorming meetings.

Interested? Contact Jonny Sopotiuk at @email.