Developing Your B.R.A.G. Message
Use the B.R.A.G. structure to organize your message.
- B – Benefits
- R – Resources
- A – Achievements
- G – Goals
Recruitment Tools for New Members
We've compiled helpful resources and tools for MTA local association leaders to use to recruit new members.
Recruitment Resources
- Good Reasons to Belong to MTA
- Talking Points for Overturning Objections Given by Reluctant Potential Members
- Membership vs. Non-Membership: A Comparison
- How MTA Dues Are Allocated
Why Should Someone Join Your Union?
Think about the shared interests and values that exist within your current membership and consider how that informs the work of your union. It is important to do some strategic thinking around what your local union is about so you can create a set of talking points to use in recruitment conversations.
Brainstorm the components of your local’s B.R.A.G. Go beyond generic points, such as “we defend you when you are in trouble” or “we bargain the contract.” Instead, highlight specific contract victories. These might include raises, job protections, professional advancement opportunities and other accomplishments.
What did your local union accomplish in recent years? Did you stop an administrator from overstepping and violating something in the contract? Talk about it! Finally, where are you headed? What goals does the union have? Explain how those goals reflect the interests of as many members and potential members as possible.
Make sure all of your “recruiters” have a copy of your B.R.A.G. and understand how and when to tailor elements of it for conversations with members.
Last, be creative. Use one-to-one conversations as the bedrock of your membership drive, but follow up with social media, videos, GIFs, or other creative ways to make your membership drive new and exciting. Consider recording your local president describing parts of your B.R.A.G. message and sending it around.
- Sample Local B.R.A.G. Created by the Brookline Educators Union
- B.R.A.G. Worksheet (Downloadable Word Document for Local Use)
Tools for Signing Up Members
Signing Up New Members
This guide is a tool to help MTA locals sign up and involve all new hires, so that they may become active members of our union.
