Top 11 Union Membership Software to Attract, Engage and Nurture Members

In 2020, union membership percentage rose by 0.5 percentage from 2019, bringing the union membership rate to 10.8%. However, there was a sharp decline in the total number of wage and salaried union members last year, resulting in a 321,000 (2.2%) decline in the total number of union members.

While the first statistic felt like great news for unions, the absolute numbers show the bleak reality. Membership numbers are falling. And it’s time to change that. 

Union membership software is a must to ensure that your association does not falter or is adversely affected by these trends. Good software will help you increase 

• Union membership, 
• Keep existing members engaged, and 
• Manage files efficiently.

This blog post will look at 11 union membership software that help you in each of these three stages.

Let’s begin.

Union membership software to invite and attract new members

Our previous post on labor union software elaborated on how efficient tools help labor unions streamline their work. In this post, we look exclusively at software that help attract new members, engage existing ones, and manage their files effortlessly.

CallHub: Collect e-signs via union authorization cards

The National Labor Relations Board approved the submission of e-signatures and electronic authorization cards in 2015, thus opening many avenues for associations to get their union authorization cards signed. One of the most effective ways to do this is via text– considering its 98% open rate and 19% click-through rate (emails lag at 3.2% CTR). 

CallHub’s SMS opt-in tool helps you promote your cause, get people signed up, and also collect their information for future use. Since about 24% of people with a household income of <$30,000 don’t own a smartphone, texting is an effective way to reach them.

Here’s how SMS opt-in works:

1. You rent a keyword that describes or is closely related to your cause/organization/campaign (e.g., WAGES, PETITION). You rent a dedicated shortcode (5-6 digit number rented exclusively by your organization) or a longcode (10-digit number).
2. Promote the keyword and the number across your marketing channels and in places frequented by your target audience. Add a CTA asking them to text the keyword to your number.
3. On the backend (on CallHub), set a conversation flow for when a person texts the keyword. The flow will include:

1. An acknowledgment of their opt-in.
2. A brief description of what they can expect from your texts.
3. Responses that gather information about the person (e.g., their name, company name, designation, etc.)

Notable features of CallHub’s SMS opt-in tool:

• Automated responses to keep the conversation flowing and collect information as soon as a person opt-ins.
• Merge tags that you can activate as soon as you get the relevant information (e.g., add {first_name} in the auto-response following your request for a contact’s name).
• Create new contact lists for every opt-in campaign or add all in one long list– the choice is yours!
• All acquired information gets synced with your CRM, helping every conversation be embedded with the latest information.

Pricing:

Pricing starts at a pay-as-you-go model. We offer $3 free credits for a trial.

Note: We offer other texting and calling tools that are great options for member nurturing and engagement. We go into the details in the section “Solutions to increase member engagement.”

Personify by Wild Apricot: For a hassle-free, user-friendly membership application

No matter one’s tech-familiarity, the ease and intuitiveness of navigation play a crucial role in keeping users from abandoning forms. That is precisely what Wild Apricot’s union membership software is built for. Moreover, the tool offers database and management tools that keep your files updated, clean and high-quality.

Notable features of Wild Apricot’s union software:

• Customizable forms allow you to set membership levels, mandate admin approval, and group contacts into a household, group, or team.
• Automated emails to welcome new members.
• Exclusive webpages for members (best used to keep them updated with new events, laws, and regulations that will affect them and campaign progress).
• A CRM directory for all your members, complete with searchable widgets for easy data management. 

Pricing

The union membership software is free for the first 50 members. Their paid plans start at $48 per month.

Survey Monkey Forms: Get registrations online

Survey Monkey, best known for its proficiency in creating and distributing surveys, also has a registration collection and management tool called “Apply.” Make the most of their ease of designing and distributing while creating your application form. 

Notable features for this union membership software:

• Survey Monkey’s “Apply” is best used by unions who want a detailed application or registration process for members. It allows for a multi-step process, each with specific tasks (e.g., step 1: Personal information. Step 2: Professional information. Step 3: Document submission).
• Prescreen applicants and validate information to maintain high-quality contact lists.
• Track applications and set automated workflows to direct completed applications to reviewers.
• Schedule and send emails between reviewers and applicants to keep the latter in the loop about the progress.

Pricing

Their annual plan for “Apply” starts at $7000. Survey Monkey offers discounts for nonprofits and educational organizations. 

Solutions to increase union member engagement

What are unions without actively engaged members? Once you acquire registered members, you must then take steps to get them involved in your activities. The following union membership software will help you in that aspect.

UnionTrack: Grow engagement from “member” to “champion”

UnionTrack is designed specifically to solve the needs of labor unions. So the use cases, features, and tools of this union membership software always keep your requirements at the forefront. 

The tool firmly believes in the chronological three Cs of member engagement: Communicate – Connect – Collect. Their features will help you effectively get from the first to the final step.

Notable features of UnionTrack:

• Use texts and surveys to encourage two-way communication between members and officers. Such a personal touch can show members how they are valued and drive up engagement.
• UnionTrack syncs with social media channels to keep members informed about the latest updates and happenings.
• Don’t let any grievances or complaints slip away. This union membership software keeps you updated about grievances and their redressal in real-time.
• Ability to track contract expirations. Set up communications with the relevant members in advance to keep them from churning or missing renewal dates.

Pricing

Pricing for UnionTrack starts at $400/month. Contact their team for more details.

NLRB’s mobile app: For the latest information directly from the horse’s mouth

Unions must always have any information important or relevant to members handy, whether the nearest regional office or progress on a case. And while workers can access the NLRB website at any time for this information, you will come across as resourceful and updated if you relay the information from the board to your members.

To ease your work, NLRB has its own mobile app! Download that for all the latest information and keep members in the loop with the latest updates.

Notable features of NLRB’s app:

• The app is available on iOs and Android devices (click the respective links to download it).
• The NLRB app provides all information about union and employee laws, case status, locations of regional offices, and union directories.
• It contains all the latest news and information, publications, and petition filing under one roof. Essentially, it is the mobile version of their website.
• Union officers can download the app, pick information most relevant to their members and broadcast it regularly.

Pricing

The app is free to download and use.

CallHub: To relay information via texts and calls

CallHub has a range of texting and calling tools that help you stay in touch with members with two-way communication, surveys, polls, and more. We’ve already mentioned the merge tags, CRM integrations, and contact list creations previously. Now, let’s look at some more features.

Notable features of CallHub’s union membership software:

• Text broadcast, MMS broadcast, and peer-to-peer texting tools enable you to carry personalized conversations at scale.
• An in-house link shortener and tracker provide insights into how well your campaigns are performing (especially useful for text appeals for donations, signatures, and survey responses).
• A range of auto-dialers that fit high-volume or high-value calling campaigns.
• In-house list cleaning feature to separate mobile numbers from landline numbers and weed out bad or invalid numbers.

Pricing

CallHub starts at a pay-as-you-use model. Prepaid plans start at $199/month.

Mobilize: Engage online, act offline

The main motto and use case of this union membership software is right in its name– Mobilize. Unions can leverage this tool to invoke action within their members and take your cause to the next step. 

Notable features of Mobilize’s union software:

• Peer-to-peer organizing structure where your most active and passionate members/volunteers host events on your behalf. 
• Access to cross-promotional and networking opportunities among other unions and related organizations.
• Integration with several union CRMs and databases, including Blue State Digital, NGPVan, and Action Network. 
• Host virtual and in-person events, single and recurring events without setting up a technical team to get started.

Pricing

The free trial account accommodates five team members for five events/actions (up to 50 sign-ups or 500 signatures). Please get in touch with Mobilize’s team for the paid plans.

Member Track: For all grievances and member maintenance

Member Track is another union-centric membership software with its focus on organization and management. With over 30 years of experience in the field and an association with 15+ trade unions, Member Track knows exactly what your union needs to keep members engaged and compel them to take action. Here’s how it will help you.

Notable features of the union membership software:

• Grievance maintenance for members to ensure you don’t miss addressing or redressing any complaints or issues.
• Job dispatching and targeting and market recovery tools to benefit out-of-work members.
• Pension benefit calculations and check processing features.
• Member, applicant, and employer maintenance tools that keep your data up-to-date. 
• Real-time updates for ​​operational exceptions and issues that require immediate attention.

Pricing

Book a demo or get in touch with the team to know their pricing packages.

Union CRM and databases

A union CRM and database are the backbones of your membership, engagement, and communication efforts. It stores and appends files based on the intel that the synced union membership software or agents manually add. This helps you keep your outreach, communication, and mobilization strategies smart and well-targeted.

Big players like Blue State Digital, NGPVan, Action Network, and more are well known in the union, political and nonprofit industries. Let’s look at some more options for a union CRM.

Union Impact

Union Impact is designed to be a user-friendly, customizable tool that allows officers to access member files without the hassle of going through long, confusing, and jarring lists. The union CRM can manage members, employers, projects, assignments, and more without the need for technical expertise from the user union.

Notable features of this union CRM include:

• Custom member module, so you get only that information that is most relevant to you. 
• Access all member files on a single screen– makes reading, comparing, and analyzing easy for your staffers.
• Schedule follow-up or reminder emails beforehand and avoid missing such important updates.
• Separate portals for members to access all information they need without risking sensitive information to be publicly available.

Pricing

Pricing for Union Impact starts at $300/month. Free trials are available only for clients who don’t need system customization.

eMembership

eMembership is an excellent union membership software option for associations that want detailed files on their members styled like offline forms. This allows for more information under each name, making your outreach and communications that much more personalized.

Notable features of the eMembership tool:

• Add unlimited addresses and types of contact information against every contact. This helps you keep your options open for communications and reach each individual where they feel most comfortable.
• Search widgets to look for any member or notes on them quickly.
• Work and financial records for each member– giving you the complete picture behind them. Custom attributes to keep data relevant for your organization—Mask sensitive information for additional security.
• Members can update or edit their information directly on the portal– keeping your lists up-to-date without constant follow-ups or checks from the union’s side.

Pricing

Contact the eMarketer team for pricing details.

VUE Labor Management

With over 20 years of experience in the industry, VUE Labor Management promises to be a union membership software that grows your member list and engagement through its database services. Here are some notable features:

Notable features of this union CRM:

• Make exhaustive files on each member, complete with their photo, work history, past communications, and more. You can then categorize members by status or types for easy segmentation.
• The union CRM allows you to track elections, representatives, and committees, so you are always equipped with such knowledge for your next campaign. 
• Members can access and update files by setting up unique usernames and passwords.
• The union membership software can interface with your website– allowing you to access data without hopping from one page to another.

Pricing

Contact the team to request a quote.

The way forward

We hope this post equipped you with a list of union membership software that solves your issues and helps you streamline membership management. Do check out CallHub’s texting and calling tools that integrate with many union CRMs and give you a seamless communication experience. Sign up here.

Feature image credits: Mick Haupt/Unsplash.