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In many unions, a large part of the organization’s knowledge lives in one person’s head: the name of the right contact, the history of a grievance, or how to handle a recurring request. When a union executive changes, that information often leaves with the person who held it, and the problem only becomes visible when it becomes urgent: a grievance that cannot be found, a lost contact, or a member asking a question that no one knows how to answer.
What gets lost during a union executive transition
Not everything that gets lost during a transition is found in official records. It can affect several areas that often remain invisible until the information is needed:
Key contacts. The name of the right person to contact, the regional union representative, or the lawyer consulted on a specific case. These contacts are rarely kept in a shared directory; they often live in someone’s personal phone or memory.
Grievance history. What is the status of the case filed eight months ago? What steps have already been taken with the employer? Without an accessible written record, the new executive has to start over with only a partial understanding of the case.
Processes. How to handle a complaint, the order in which to address certain issues, or lessons learned from a difficult negotiation. This type of knowledge is rarely documented because it seems obvious to the person who holds it.
Passwords and access. The union’s email account, management platforms, and banking access for petty cash are often tied to one person. Without a centralized record, recovering access can become a time-consuming process, especially after that person has left.
The Consequences of a Poorly Prepared Union Handover
The consequences of these losses are very real for both the executive and its members.
A grievance can be forgotten due to a lack of follow-up until it is too late to take action. A relationship that was carefully built with an employer representative may have to be rebuilt from scratch, slowing down all ongoing cases during the transition period. Most importantly, members can lose confidence: when a new executive does not know the history of their case or asks questions that have already been answered, it can create the impression of a disorganized organization.
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4 Practices for a Successful Union Executive Transition
1. Document Key Contacts in a Shared Tool
A shared spreadsheet accessible to the entire executive is enough: for example, a Google Sheet or shared Excel file with columns for name, role, organization, and a short note providing context. The goal is to make sure no one has to call the former president just to find out who to contact.
2. Keep a Log of Important Decisions
Every significant executive decision deserves an entry in a shared log, whether that is a Google Doc, a Notion page, or simply a Word file in the shared drive: the date, the decision, and the reasoning behind it. Six months later, no one has to guess why one approach was chosen over another.
3. Centralize Documents in a Shared Location
Collective agreements, meeting minutes, grievances: all of these should live in a shared space, whether that is Google Drive, SharePoint, or an equivalent tool, rather than on one person’s personal computer.
A solution for easier document access solves this problem once and for all.
4. Plan a Structured Handover
Plan for an overlap period, for example 3 to 4 weeks, during which the outgoing executive member remains available to transfer active files and answer questions that only come up once someone is actually in the role.
A handover template can be as simple as a document with a few sections: active cases, contacts to transfer, and access to provide. Even a basic structure can make this period more organized and prevent essential information from being forgotten.
A large part of a union’s strategic knowledge lives in the heads of a few people: key contacts, grievance history, processes, access credentials, and passwords. When these people leave, that knowledge often disappears with them, leading to lost grievances, relationships with employers that have to be rebuilt, and a loss of member confidence.
Four practices can reduce this risk: documenting key contacts in a shared tool, keeping a log of important decisions, centralizing documents, and structuring the handover instead of keeping the history of communications in personal inboxes.
A centralized platform like Fortisia makes it much easier to maintain this continuity over time.
FAQ
What is the most common mistake when tracking union grievances?
Recording that an exchange took place without documenting what was discussed. A note such as “meeting with employer on March 12” is not useful to anyone else. What makes a case transferable is documenting what was proposed, what was accepted or rejected and why, and what still needs to be done.
Who should have access to a union’s communication history?
The entire current executive should have access through a union email account rather than someone’s personal address. Here is a simple test: if a member calls about a past exchange and the only person who can answer is on vacation or has left their position, access is not broad enough.
How can you ensure a successful union handover?
Four elements consistently contribute to smoother transitions: an up-to-date contact directory, grievance history accessible to more than one person, an overlap period instead of an abrupt departure, and a simple handover template. Often, it is the lack of an overlap period that causes a transition to go off track, even when it was well prepared on paper.
How can you convince an outgoing executive member to document information before leaving their position?
People often do not realize everything they know because that knowledge feels obvious to them. The most effective approach is to ask specific questions rather than asking them to “write everything down”: Who are your three most important contacts? Is there an ongoing case that could become problematic? These targeted questions tend to produce more useful information than a general request.
