It means thinking about your readers first
"A collective agreement spells out workers' rights, and
workers
have the right to understand what those rights
are. A clearly
written contract makes those rights clear.
It helps us figure
out where we need to go in the future.
If the contract language
is confusing and complicated,
then workers will be confused and
not know their
rights. "
-A union negotiator
Do you sometimes re-read contract clauses to understand what they mean? Do you put off reading documents that are too wordy, complex or technical? We've all been there. Contracts, constitutions, policies, even brochures, flyers and newsletters are often written in language that is hard to understand. As union activists, we want the written word to work with us in organizing workers for their rights.
Unclear writing wastes time and causes confusion. A large number of union members speak English as a second language and may not read English well. Some members have limited or weak reading skills. Older workers often complain about small print and unnecessarily long words. Union activists receive so much material, they wonder when they will ever get time to read it.
And yet the labour movement relies heavily on written material in union communications, aware that we need informed members to be effective with the employer, politicians and the community.