DID YOU KNOW? - The UnionActive website system can be used for all kinds of applications beyond just a member communications system. We custom tailor UnionActive systems for a variety of functions including directory listing sites, database management sites, organizing campaign sites, and much more. Check out a recent directory listing site below as an example. Contact us to find out what UnionActive can do for your project!

SOME GOOD NEWS - Here is some encouraging news from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics: union membership was up in 2017. The BLS reports 262,000 new union members in 2017. We need to understand that employment as a whole was up throughout the U.S., which means the overall numbers of unionized workers as a percentage stayed pretty much the same - 10.7 as an overall rate, with about 6.5 percent in the private sector and 34.5 percent in the public sector. Still, that's over a half-million more union members in 2017 than in 2016.

Perhaps more encouraging is the breakdown of the union membership growth, which came in areas that have been a struggle for years:

• Union membership grew among men - In recent years, men have historically been less inclined to join unions than women.
• Union membership grew in manufacturing - This despite an overall decrease in total manufacturing employment.
• Union density either remained steady or even grew in several U.S. Southern states - Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Virginia and, most surprisingly, strong growth in Texas.

To paraphrase Mark Twain, the reports of the death of unions has been greatly exaggerated!

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DO WEBSITES MATTER? - With all of the emphasis these days on mobile apps and mobile devices, it's natural to ask, "Do we even need a website any longer?" The answer is still a resounding "Yes!" - and not just because we sell them.

Your website is the 21^st Century front door to your union. It's the first place anybody with any kind of a question is going to look - whether it's a member, a potential member, the general public or the media. Think about it. What's the first thing you do these days when you want to find out about something - anything? You "Google it." People with questions about your union are no different.

It's therefore imperative that you maintain a modern, clean, well organized and easy-to-navigate website. That's why there are so many UnionActive options to best fit your union's needs. There's no one-size-fits-all. Many of our clients employ a full UnionActive Content Management System (CMS) website. Others have chosen to incorporate a WordPress template, public-facing front page along with a members-only area that uses the advantages of our UnionActive CMS for that portion of their site. Yes, you can do both! We have some great examples we can share with you upon request.

While a UnionActive mobile app is the perfect complement to your website to better engage your own members, the two work in tandem. And in addition to being your front door, your website is also the perfect place for archival content that maybe doesn't get used all the time, but is vital to be accessible when needed.

Is your website up-to-date? Is it perhaps time for a makeover? Please feel free to contact our team of communications professionals. We'll be happy to review your current site with you and recommend options to help make it better.

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CONTACT US - Our customer service center is always ready to assist you. We have professional support staff trained to get you answers and/or help you through an issue as quickly as possible. E-mail us at support@UnionActive.com or call (888) 248-5557, Ext. 3.

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FEATURED PRODUCT OF THE MONTH - Is your UnionActive website up-to-date? If you're reading this newsletter, we most likely don't need to sell you on the valuable of a Unions-America UnionActive website - you already have one. But technology changes constantly, and we are always working to keep our websites state of the art.

Are you upgraded to our most current operating system? It's simple to check. Go to your website's admin are and make sure it says UnionActive Version 3.0. If you're not yet upgraded to Version 3 or a Responsive design, contact us! Take advantage of all the enhancements that make Version 3 our most powerful tool yet for communicating with union members!

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