Big Data for Organized Labor: It’s the Edge You Need Now

If you work in organized labor – either for the union or management – you need a lot of details about what’s happening in your market. We at CDR believe all the data about your construction market should be right at your fingertips.

We believe big data about your market should be available for all organized labor leaders. It is truly the edge you need now to make the most of a challenging time.

Search Engine for your construction market?

Imagine if you could simply use Google, DuckDuckGo, or any other good search engine to find out every detail about your construction market. With all of the data about your organized construction market at your fingertips, you’ll be able to make quick, confident decisions that are best for your market.

Imagine these scenarios:

• Maybe tomorrow you’ll drive by an unfamiliar construction site. What if you could use just such a search engine to find out what is going on there? No guessing, no assuming. Just data.
  
• What if you could even learn who is doing the job – without reviewing numerous reports or making tedious time consuming phone calls? And if you could do this with just one click of a button? 
• What if you could discover every single new permit that was pulled today in your area just with the one click?

And one last important one. 

What if you had someone to tell you – without emotion, bias or self interest – which market sector you should focus on for the GREATEST POSSIBLE BENEFIT?

CDR provides data for organized labor

Having access to a complete picture of your construction market – with unbiased data and analysis – has so many benefits. Undoubtedly, this knowledge can drive your actions. This data and analysis can save you time and money.

By the way, CDR can do all of that and more. In fact, this is exactly what we’ve been doing for more than 25 years.

But the focus of THIS article is about why I know data for organized labor is necessary – whatever way you choose to go about it. We are living in a world where many other industries are putting data to use, sometimes in unsavory or unethical ways.

CDR’s goal: to show how organized labor can put data – that are already public information – to work in ways that benefit workers and management alike.

Data about support for organized labor

There are reasons to be cautiously optimistic about unionism in America.  Some reasons include:

• Increases in union membership or support; 
• Growth in union strongholds or within specific trades, and;
• Signs of increased interest in unionism since the pandemic started.  (Though exact data on changes as a result of this interest are still known).

However optimistic we may feel, the numbers haven’t been really great for some time. Indeed, if there is an upward trend in the union support data, now is the time to continue to build upon that trend.

Data and analysis prepares organized labor for WHATEVER lies ahead

Indications from our nation’s leaders and recent legislative actions aren’t encouraging. Regardless of any future legislation that may or may not occur – good or bad – organized labor and management needs to be as well armed as possible.

The movement toward big data in education, healthcare, engineering and science is happening. Therefore, we believe that organized labor needs to be on that bandwagon.

The fact is: DATA is a movement that organized labor is particularly well…ahem…ORGANIZED to take advantage of. It is NOT an advantage available for your competitors to utilize in the same way.

All the more reason to take it and run with it. 

Organized labor needs an edge

Lower membership means less funding, as unions well know.

Of course, we don’t have to tell you that all activities of staff must be strategically focused. Because of this, staff time must be put to the best use possible. This saves time, saves money and ensures a better return. 

No one wants to waste time and energy.  And in these trying times, no one can afford to.

Actions must be strategic, focused, and effective.

Making informed, data-driven decisions

Knowing exactly what is going on in your market gives you a much needed leg up in building relationships with contractors and owners.

AND data about every aspect of your construction market, gives organized labor an inherent advantage over the competition.

Specifically, by measuring exactly what is happening, then analyzing that data, you can create a clear plan of action.

Making data-based decisions and continuing to analyze the feedback data allows you to find out what is working.

Conversely, and perhaps more importantly, it helps you determine what is NOT working.

When you know what is working – and what is not – you can take strong action. Clearly, it is easier to do this decisively with data backing you up. This is in comparison to the alternative: taking hesitant action without the confidence of data.

In other words, more data-driven decisions = more reliable outcomes.

How to collect and use data for your market

There are varying ways to go about this. These methods differ in time and financial investment. 

First, you could designate staff to collect, organize and analyze all the pertinent information on jobs in your area.

Second, you could partner with a firm – like CDR – to provide full analysis services and data-backed recommendations.

Additionally, unions and management can partner to split financial costs and staff investments. Even better, varying trades can sometimes work together for a greater impact.

Data is necessary for organized labor – however you go about it

Regardless of how you go about it, using the data will help to strengthen your local and management.

At CDR, we firmly believe this is one of the keys that will help unions continue to make a comeback.

More importantly, with our long time clients – all in organized labor, we’ve proven time and again how critical using data for daily decisions can be for growth over time.

Updated July 2020