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Union
Communications Campaigns:
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Fighting
the North American Free Trade Agreement
In the mid-80's, Brian Mulroney and his Tory federal government
were bent on inflicting a Canada-US trade deal on the Canadian
people. The agenda included further deregulation, privatization
and downloading of public services lower standards of living
for working Canadians.
The labour movement decided to mount a fight against NAFTA,
well before other community and political organizations had
the issue on their radar. The campaign was to appeal to union
members and to reach a broader audience.
Union Communications was asked to develop a full proposal outlining
the purpose of the campaign and the methods it would use. Here's
how we worked with our client:
- An
overall graphic look was determined through the use of type
faces, colours and artwork.
- A
great number of newsletters, pamphlets and fact sheets were
designed, written, and produced. Printed material also included
banners, buttons, stickers, etc.
- Advertising
was developed and placed in major and minor media outlets.
- Speeches,
briefs and position papers were written and distributed.
- News
releases, media and public events were organized.
- Internal
resources were co-ordinated to provide for ongoing opinion
research on our messages and methods.
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We
suggested that the client's major role was to spark other
organizations to action. We recommended that significant
resources be devoted to developing other centres of opposition
to the trade deal, based on the effects it would have
in their particular area of interest: environment, women,
Native people, nationalists, etc.
While
the labour movement couldn't stop the Tory majority from ramming
the trade deal through, Canadians (who had supported the deal
when it was first announced) turned massively away from it
and the Mulroney government.
Perhaps
the most significant result of the campaign was the development
and growth of dozens of influential organizations to oppose
the deal, many of which still exist today.
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