5 Tips to Win Your Union Election

These tips will help you build a winning campaign in your local union, whether you’re running for Convention Delegate, Executive Board, or a grievance handling role.

#1: Don’t Wait to Get Started

Talking with your coworkers is the best way to know what they want to change. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. You don’t need a full-fledged campaign to start asking questions and establishing yourself as someone who is trustworthy and cares.

If you are planning to run with a slate (a group of candidates that shares a platform), you don’t need to have your slate together before you start having conversations. Asking what your coworkers want to see change goes along with asking who they believe can make that change. 

You’ll also learn a lot about potential teammates by asking them to help out. Campaigning is a lot of work, so you’ll want to make note of who takes initiative and who follows through.

#2: Two Ears, One Mouth

There’s an organizing saying that goes “You have two ears and one mouth. Use them in that proportion.” 

There’s a psychological reason for this: People tend to like you more when you listen, and they remember more of the conversation when they’re doing the talking.

There’s also a practical reason: Your coworkers have all the information you need to win, and you can only learn it by asking the right questions. When you’re starting a conversation, be sure to introduce yourself, ask how the member is doing, and let them know why you’re running. But also have in mind a question you will ask to get them talking, for example: “How has your job been lately?” or “What would you like to see our union doing more of?” 

#3: I Ain't Reading All That!

Your leaflet should be short and to the point. Few members will read a long statement. Focus on positive solutions, and don’t overpromise. 

Similarly, you should be able to tell someone why you’re running in one or two short sentences. For example: “I’m running for steward because we need someone who is going to stand up to management and file grievances when they harass us.”

Remember: Your union’s membership likely goes far beyond the group that regularly attends union meetings. Think about the real issues they care about, not inside baseball.

#4: Don’t Go It Alone

It’s easy to skip this step if you need to move quickly. But recruiting help early always pays off. A campaign is a lot of work, so even a small team is better than no team.

A few easy things to ask for help with: 

• Spreading campaign literature or signage across different work areas

• Making a short supportive social media post

• Chipping in with a small donation

You might ask the helpers you really trust to take on:

• Designing a flyer

• Updating a spreadsheet with your supporters and their contact info

• Acting as a poll “observer” or a vote count “challenger” on your behalf

#5: Supporter ≠ VoteR

Just because the conversation went great doesn’t mean you have their vote! Especially if your election is being held at your local hall or via mail ballot, your supporters need reminders to actually follow through. This is why you’ll want to split your campaign into two distinct phases.

Persuasion Phase: Talk to as many members as possible about your campaign and ask for their support. Track whether they are supportive and get the info you need to follow up with them on election day. Rule of thumb: If you need 1000 votes to win, you should have at least 1000 contacts who committed to vote.

Get Out the Vote Phase: For the most part, you’re done trying to win people over through conversations. Follow up with your supporters, make sure they have all the info they need to vote, and ask them to let you know when they have voted. Visibility is key in this phase. Show your campaign has momentum — for example, ask supporters to wear a sticker or make a social media post when they’ve voted.

Read more about running for 2026 Convention Delegate here.

Have questions about running for union office? Get in touch with an organizer.

What if I only have One Month to Campaign? Sample Timeline:

Preparation (up to 1 week)

• Recruit your campaign team

• Map your workplace and strategize — identify priority departments, how many votes you need to get, and where

• Create campaign materials

Persuasion (2-3 solid weeks)

• One-on-one persuasion conversations with priority departments

• Remember to collect contact information and build your list!

• Continue to recruit volunteers to your campaign team

Get Out The Vote (around 1 week)

• Stop persuasion conversations – switch to GOTV with identified supporters! Do a phone bank.

• Engage in activities to increase visibility