Strategy

Once you have completed your vertical mapping and research and identified your targets and allies, the strategy will likely be clear. If it is not clear, you may need to go back and do additional vertical mapping and research to learn more about how you might pressure your target.

All union campaigns use a worker strategy. If a campaign does not include a worker strategy it may be a community campaign, but it is not a union or worker campaign. Unions may sometimes try to win campaigns without involving workers, but this is not recommended as it does not build collective worker power.

If there is a strategy type that might fit your situation, but that you do not know much about, now is the time to learn. Sometimes experienced campaigners and organisers get stuck in repeating a particular strategy type because it is familiar to them and not because it is strategic. Look for the strategy that will have the most impact on the target, not the one that you know the best.

Once you have determined the one to three strategy types that will best fit your campaign, stay within them until you have had a maximum impact. Even a large, well-resourced campaign will usually not have more than two or three strategy types operating at the same time. This will help you to maximise the impact on your target. 

Once you have identified your strategy, the next step will be to look for tactics that fit your strategy. Tactics are the specific actions you will take to pressure your targets. You do not need to plan your tactics now. First simply select the strategy area or areas that will be most effective with your target. Then prepare to move to the next section of the Tool Kit materials on Tactics.

If you focus on specific action tactics that are familiar to you, but do not effectively impact a target, you are thinking tactically – not strategically. To prevent this common mistake, first choose the overall strategy that will have the most impact on your employer, then plan your tactics.

Below is a brief description of each strategy type and some examples of corresponding tactics. 

Worker / union strategy

In a worker or union strategy, workers demonstrate their support, (sometimes not publicly depending on levels of repression) and take action in the workplace or to affect production or services. Workers and unions in other locations and industries might also demonstrate their support. If you are organising non-union workers, you will probably need to focus completely on increasing worker participation and involvement until you have built up enough power to publicly confront the employer.

Examples of tactics: Workers might wear stickers, send postcards, talk to other workers, fill out anonymous surveys, collect and publicise stories about working conditions, work-to-rule, march on the boss, take industrial action, demand union recognition, or take collective action. Workers’ actions can be coordinated regionally and globally.

Customer / service user strategy

In a customer, product or service user strategy, the union and allies will appeal to the customers, clients or passengers of a target.

Examples of tactics: Outreach to customers, leafleting retail outlets, warning passengers about potential delays or product and service deficiencies.

Media strategy

A media strategy used the media to expose the target’s vulnerabilities.  Companies sometimes spend more money on advertising than production.

Examples of tactics: Using social and/or news media against the target.

Public / civil society strategy

In a public or civil society strategy, key community and opinion leaders support the campaign and put pressure on the target.

Examples of tactics: Neighbourhood and community organising, religious, women’s, civil rights, parent, migrant, environmental, senior, consumer / passenger or human rights groups taking action.

Other companies in the same market / industry strategy

In this strategy, competitors and companies in the same industry or market places pressure the target. This includes subcontracted companies competing in the market.

Examples of tactics: Research paper exposing the target’s vulnerabilities within the industry, comparison with competitors on price, quality or service, actions at industry events, support for rival companies.

Parent/subsidiary strategy

This strategy used a company’s parent or subsidiaries to exert pressure on a target. 

Examples of tactics: Actions at corporate headquarters, global campaigns against multinational companies.

Owner/shareholder strategy

Owners or shareholders put pressure on the target.

Examples of tactics: Actions and resolutions at shareholder meetings. Exposing the problems of the workers to owners and the financial media.

Management / executive / director strategy

Executives, middle management or directors are held accountable for the problems of the workers.

Examples of tactics: Charges against individual directors, managers and executives. Pressure on corporate directors of other companies where they hold positions. 

Financial institution strategy

In the financial institution strategy, the vulnerabilities of the target are exposed to investors and lenders.

Examples of tactics: Communication to lenders and financial analysts and investors, leafleting customers of financial institutions.

Government/regulatory strategy

In this strategy, we assist government agencies that enforce laws and regulations. 

Examples of tactics: Collective filing and/or publicising of official complaints. Lobbying for or against regulations and laws to improve working conditions.

Political strategy

With a political strategy, the political and electoral process is used to put pressure on the target.

Examples of tactics: Introducing legislation, mass lobbying, voter turnout, and ballot initiatives.

Supplier / vendor / donor / subcontractor strategy

In this strategy, important suppliers and vendors, donors or subcontractors are held accountable for the behaviour of the target.

Examples of tactics: Picketing deliveries, leafleting the customers of key vendors, suppliers or donors. Actions at fundraising events. Exposure of the costs of subcontracting to the public and service-users.