Chapter 01-g
 
In Your Role As An Organizer, Be Sure To:
MEET THE NEW HIRE ON THE FIRST DAY

What do you think the new hire wants and needs to know the first day on the job?
Do you remember your "FIRST DAY" on the job?

Put yourself in the new hire's shoes! That plant or office, department, job, and everything about it is going to be NEW---STRANGE----and just a little bit UNREAL. Remember? The new hire is going to want to know, and will be thinking about, many things. If you were the new hire, would you be thinking.

1.  Should I really be here?
2.  What's expected of me on the job?
3.  How much "break-in" will I have before I'm on my own?
4.  Can I do the job?
5.  How will the other workers accept me?
6.  Where did they say the rest rooms and vending areas are?
7.  What should I remember about what the Boss told me? The Union rep?
8.  By the way, I wonder what a union rep really looks like? After all, I don't know much
     about leaders.

That first day is so rough that most people remember it for the rest of their lives! The first day is when the new hire needs a friendly "welcome" . Remember?

Tips For Face-To-Face Contacts

1.  Introduce yourself.
2.  Make eye contact.
3.  Contact at the right time. Do not contact an employee during normal work hours - catch
      them during break, lunch, or before or after work.
4.  Be yourself. Smile, relax, use the kind of language you use every day.
5.  Have some piece of information to give or leave with the worker to break the ice.
6.  Be polite. If a worker refuses to talk to you, don't get into an argument, tell the person
     you'll catch them another time (do follow up).
7.  Be frank. If you get a question that you can't answer, don't try to bluff. Tell the person you
     will try to get the answer.
8.  Don't preach. You should talk about the issue to help lead the person to his or her own
     conclusion. This is a much more effective approach than a hard sell.
9.  Listen. Listen to what the worker says - it will give you insight into their particular
     concerns and objections. Sometimes the best way to convince a person is just by
     listening and letting them know that the union cares what they think.