Introduction

CWA Strategic Research Manual

Introduction

Thorough research about an employer is essential in:

Determining whether an employer makes a good organizing target.
Developing the issues during a campaign.
Building the confidence of the workers that they and the union organizers have a full understanding of the employer.
Finding ways to pressure the employer not to take a hard line against the union during the campaign or after an election victory.

Some principles to follow in doing research include:

Ask the workers themselves for information. Often, workers hear things from supervisors that could never be turned up through public documents. Similarly, if you have a lead but need more information, ask workers to keep their eyes and ears open for facts on that subject.
Involve workers in research work. If records must be checked in a courthouse, library, or newspaper office, see if a worker could accompany an organizer or do the checking themselves.

This process might take a little longer, but it's a way to broaden someone's skills and increase their sense of confidence and involvement in the campaign.

By using workers to help with research, we also can cover more ground and have a better chance of finding useful information.
Check, don't assume you already know. As in any kind of detective work, campaign research involves following up on every lead, even though only a few leads actually pan out.
Use the web, but don't limit your research to it. Lots of information about employers is available on the web. We've provided web links throughout this guide. Also see CWA's Guide to Internet Research for additional resources.

There is also lots of good information that isn't available online. Don't assume your research is complete once you've done an exhaustive web search. Public and university libraries, courthouses, and local government offices may hold information important to your research.

If you need help finding or interpreting information about an employer, ask your staff rep or District organizing coordinator for assistance in contacting the appropriate CWA headquarters departments.

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