Warshaw Group Helps Nation’s Largest Local Union Mobilize Canvassing

Client:

1199SEIU

Challenge:

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the nation’s largest local union, had trouble mobilizing its membership and effectively delivering their message in the field. With more than 300,000 members and 100 field staff, 1199 found difficulty communicating their positions to membership door-to-door. Field workers were unable to upload information until returning to the home office, resulting in delays in reporting, especially important on Election Day. In addition, management was unable to coordinate route changes among the staff in the field. This loss of control over field operations put the union at a significant disadvantage.

Solution:

Building on their long-term partnership, 1199 and Warshaw Group worked together to develop a mobile canvassing system that would meet the group’s needs. The result was MV Mobilize, a tool that allows route information and questionnaires to be distributed to field staff remotely. In addition, the staff can upload their collected data over wireless cellular networks, allowing management to see results in real-time. This instantaneous reporting enabled on-the-fly rerouting of field staff and a significant increase in the accuracy of data collected.

With MV Mobilize, 1199 can instantly update field workers devices, giving them significant flexibility in selecting what messages they want delivered to their membership. Through the instant data transfers, 1199 has distinct advantage over competitors on Election Day; they always have access to the newest, most accurate data.