Strike Preparation:
A strike website can show the employer that a union is serous, because all activists understand the company has it's ear in the membership, and a site provides a public face to the local's intentions. All information going out to the membership should have the websites address (url) listed. Also even if the local already has a site, consideration should be given to a stand-alone site.
This will allow members to have strike preparation information without having to navigate through a main site that deals with everything the local/union has on it.
The Cost.
The cost of a specific site for strike preparation can be quite economical for example hosting can be as low as $5 per-month. You would have to have a name for example on this I did a strike site for the unions at the Toronto Star. You can see the site @ www.wearethestar.ca. The cost of this site was $600. It has 7 pages that includes, contact, update, and for scabs (shows names, and photos).
The additional cost would be $30 a year for the name, but a lot of host providers will throw in name free if you take a package. There is also a number e-mail addresses that come with the hosting.
Local information.
A website can provide up to the minute information in a very short turn-around time. In formation on negotiations, layoffs, and news affect the workforce can be in the hands of the members within minutes, by simply posting to the site.
Montage Design
WWDS can take several photos reflecting the history of the local, or labour council and blend them into a montage on the main page of your website. Each page can have smaller version and of the montage on all or some of the subsequent pages. WWDS can offer these images for printing to make into letterhead or use in the newsletters or bulletins.
Updating the Website
Most websites vary in costs from a few hundred dollars to thousands, but the big cost is updating the site. WWDS offers a training plan at a very economical price that will allow staff, media person, or volunteer to quickly post new information to keep the site updated.
Most commercial printers now provide pdf files, at no extra costs, of all the leaflets, pamphlets and newsletters you are trying give out to the membership, these can be simply optimized, and posted on the site. This can allow members, in remote areas and who are working on obscure shifts, to get the information by downloading the information.
Web Packages
Strike Site: basic $400 to $600
Web Site (presence on the web) $ 500 to $800 which includes the following:
includes major splash graphic, splash page, navigation bar on each page, contact, update, who we are, newspaper/bulletin pdf page, and Links
Web Site (Custom) Sites can vary in price depending on the needs of the local. Some locals are made up of more than one unit and require extra pages and resources. WWDS can customize a site to fit your local's needs. Another way to proceed would be to start with the Web Presence package or Strike Package, see how it goes, then start adding extras.