Solidarity Sunday: What We Build Shapes How We're Seen
We're building data center infrastructure like crazy all over the place. Nearly every building trade union has a significant percentage of their members out on a data center site, as the demand for AI keeps growing.
But it's worth stepping back and asking; what exactly are we building? And how does it show up in our daily lives? How is AI affecting the way our prospective members and employers find us, get to know us, and learn to trust us? How does AI change how people see us and perceive us? How is AI fundamentally different from the way we use search engines?
AI Doesn't Behave Like Search
Search engines waited for someone to type in a question, then it returned a list of options. The decisions were yours to make.
AI often returns a conclusion. And people are 23 times more likely to follow AI's advice than a typical search result. This isn't just impressive, it's transformative.
AI is effectively becoming the front door of our new members' journey. When potential members, apprentices, employers, or community partners ask about us, they're not comparing 10 links, they're getting one answer.
As with any brand, AI forms impressions based on patterns, not claims. It doesn't only look at what a local union says about itself, it looks at what the entire ecosystem reflects:
- Public content like reddit, Facebook group, message boards
- Member stories
- Community reputation and reviews
- News coverage
- Consistency of messaging
- How the union responds during conflict
- How leadership shows up
- The local union's track record over time
A union might say its membership is strong, its jobs are safe, it supports its workers, but if the signals around it are scattered or inconsistent, AI interprets that as uncertainty. And uncertainty gets surfaced just as quickly as trust.
Search Engine marketing strategy relied on things like keywords, titles, backlinks, blog posts, and visibility tactics. AI doesn't reward any of that. AI rewards alignment.
A local union with consistent values, consistent service, consistent messaging, and consistent member experience produces a reputation pattern that AI reads as trusted.
A Local with mixed signals produces a pattern that AI reads as unreliable.
AI Is a Reputation Engine
Your internal reality is now your external reputation. Instantly. If your culture is strong, if your members speak well of you, if leadership communicates clearly and consistently, if your actions match your statements, then AI reflects that back as confidence.
If there's inconsistency, conflict, or unclear identity. AI reflects that as caution.
Strategy for Your Local
Focus on what you can control. In a rapidly changing environment, your local union wins by building lasting credibility, not chasing short-term hacks.
That means:
- Strengthen your internal culture
Share your members' stories, highlight their successes, and celebrate the impact you have on the community you serve. Share the stories that reflect who you are. - Align messaging with reality.
Say what you live and live what you say. Authenticity always resonates. - Create consistent public signals.
Focus on clarity and consistency. Make your union identity, values, and achievements visible across every channel. - Show up consistently everywhere.
Whether it's your website, your JATC, social media, community events, or video content, ensure your messaging and presence are aligned across the board. - Build an authentic reputation.
Focus on credibility and trustworthiness, not keywords or quick fixes. Your reputation is what lasts.
Don't be afraid of it, lean in and use it. The Locals that win the next decade won't be the ones trying to game the system, they'll be the ones who understand that internal culture, member experience, and public content output must be aligned and unmistakably strong.
AI cannot be tricked. It can only be persuaded by consistency.
As local unions, we can win by investing in consistently telling authentic stories that reflect our reputation, culture, and clarity. The unions whose signals all point in the same direction will be the ones AI recognizes as the obvious answer when someone asks:
"Who should I join?"
"Who can I trust?"
"Where can I build my career?"
And in the AI era, being recognized as the obvious answer is everything.
Speaking of Authentic Member Stories...
If you want to know why Union Up does what we do, it's stories like this one about Matt Gogolin. His story is soon to be released later this month, and it is a good example of a compelling story being more than just interviews about wages and benefits. You can find employment opportunities in many places, but stories like Matt are why people gravitate to a union culture. We specialize in puling the stories out that motivate people and Matt was kind enough to share his story with us. Special thanks to Business Manager Toby Shelton for allowing us to share Matt's story before it is released. There are inspiring stories all throughout your local union. And Union Up can help you bring them to life.
