Dear members,
On Saturday, the Canadian Association of Labour Media (CALM) announced AASUA as the recipient of an award for best use of social media by a union – staff produced.
CALM is a communications cooperative that represents nearly 200 labour unions across Canada. CALM leadership announced the award winners during the annual CALM conference, where union staff and members across the country meet for workshops and networking opportunities. This year’s event took place in Edmonton and had the highest attendance of any CALM conference, with over 100 delegates participating.
“The social media campaign led by the Association of Academic Staff University of Alberta ingeniously repurposes tactics deployed by the Employer in the U of A’s campaign showcasing Artificial Intelligence (AI) innovations,” Nora Loreto, CALM’s Editor, announced during the ceremony. “Instead of quizzing students about AI, AASUA directed questions related to the precarious labour conditions on campus, eliciting genuine shock and outrage from participants. The resulting videos effectively highlighted the unfair labour practices, sparking important conversations and raising awareness among the university community.
“The strategic adaption of the Employer’s social media approach demonstrated the power of leveraging social media platforms to advocate for fair employment practices.”
The award-winning videos were shared on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and can be viewed here and here.
The full livestream of the ceremony is available here. AASUA is presented with the award around the 54-minute mark.
Sincerely,
Rachel Narvey
Communications Officer