There was a time, not long ago, when the Democratic Party was generally considered the political party of middle-class working families, and the Republican Party was associated more with big business and the wealthy corporate 1%. Yet lately, many political pundits and historians have written—citing polling data for factual backing — that there’s been a change — which some would call a reversal of party ideology, identification and a shift in party affiliation. The Republican Party has been trending toward a multi-racial, working-class, blue-collar coalition, while the Democrats now have a larger share of followers among white college graduates. And another change: Union support for Democratic political candidates is no longer 100% assumed, assured, guaranteed or delivered.

Many wonder what conclusions can be drawn. Do we now have an establishment progressive party and an anti-establishment conservative party? Some would point to radical fringes on both sides. The question that now begs an answer: Are there so many factions in both parties that their previous, main-stream core beliefs and fundamental values are hard to define, or perhaps worse! They have dwindled to the point of uncertainty. They seem blurred, vague and ever-changing —causing alarms to go off. Many ask: “What do we really stand for”? Many worry: “Can obscurity be far behind”? Today, because it’s not easy to explain where either party stands on certain issues, large numbers of voters are not affiliated with either party — no surprise there! They’re turned off by both, causing some voters to show interest in having a choice that includes third party candidates.

All of this makes for a very interesting 2024 election season…one that also presents opportunities for union members and methods. So many factors — from big to small — all backed by countless surveys, focus groups and consultants brimming with fresh ideas and nuance-savvy advice to guide every aspect of a candidate’s life, whether a first-time contender or a seasoned politician working to keep the win column. From the candidate’s appearance to where they are from and what they might say will all be researched, orchestrated, rehearsed and made spontaneity-free and politician-lite. The guidelines and guardrails will be installed; stump speeches created and memorized for televised rallies, (great for optics, but mostly “preaching to the choir”) with snippets posted on social media platforms and worked into costly media ads.

With baby boomers and senior citizens, who until most recently served as the largest and politically savvy voting population starting to decline in number, and with the current push to entice younger, new voters to the polls, how to effectively reach voters has become the topic of the day. Surely, for such diverse voting populations and so many variables, a “one size fits all” solution will not work. But what medium to use? From TikTok to direct mail, audience demographics will be analyzed, scrutinized, tested and tested again to help predict who, what or where are the best influencers?

This is where the lessons learned, and methods used by union organizers can come in handy.

After years of declining numbers, union membership shows signs of making a comeback. Currently, there are many examples of workers in industries throughout the nation previously thought to be out of the possibility of unionizing. From Amazon to Starbucks to McDonalds —workers are slowly but surely signing-up. The method used is old fashion but tried and true… the union drive comes from within. Workers talking to their fellow workers. They know the problems. They see the solutions. They wear the same uniforms. They are trusted as “one of us” and their co-workers listen. While the various social media platforms, catchy TV ads and high-profile interviews, oversized post cards and lawn signs have proven to reach millions of people with evidence of their individual and collective impact, directly talking to voters — shaking their hands — coming face-to-face with the candidate or a well-chosen surrogate and taking a selfie, has an important role in winning elections too.

Gone are the “whistle-stop” campaigns, but the need to see the candidate — get a vibe — know that you saw him or her, but more importantly, feel like you were also seen, that has its place in winning elections as well. So, perhaps in this time of great change — this time of altered dictionary definitions and role reversals — labor unions, which have remained steadfast in who they represent and what they represent, are now presented with a newly created vacuum they can fill. We span all the demographics and political ideologies and have the outreach network and skills—new and old—to make impact. As the adage says: “The more things change, the more they remain the same.” When applied to politics, labor unions have always been and still are today, great influencers. They provide a template for communication and action. The labor movement has endured union bashers, union busters, unfavorable court rulings and anti-labor appointees, but workers remain confident that we’re on their side largely because we “see” one another and have never forgotten the value of the “human touch”. That’s our secret weapon. As many of our union brothers and sisters will no doubt get involved in the upcoming election — knocking on doors and making calls — political strategists, the campaign gurus and operatives at all levels should take a cue from us: Nothing replaces that human touch. Just ask Christian Smalls, a Staten Island Amazon worker, who would have his lunch or grab a smoke in the company’s parking lot day after day all while talking up joining a union — a previously unthinkable achievement that was ultimately achieved.