Social Norms
Social norms action with informed and engaged societies
Social Norms
After nearly 28 years, The Communication Initiative (The CI) Global is entering a new chapter. Following a period of transition, the global website has been transferred to the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) in South Africa, where it will be administered by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication Division. Wits' commitment to social change and justice makes it a trusted steward for The CI's legacy and future.
 
Co-founder Victoria Martin is pleased to see this work continue under Wits' leadership. Victoria knows that co-founder Warren Feek (1953–2024) would have felt deep pride in The CI Global's Africa-led direction.
 
We honour the team and partners who sustained The CI for decades. Meanwhile, La Iniciativa de Comunicación (CILA) continues independently at cila.comminitcila.com and is linked with The CI Global site.
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American Rights at Work

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Since 2003, American Rights at Work has been developing programmes and strategies that use advocacy, education and research to engage and inform the public about the struggle to win workplace democracy for a wide variety of workers in the United States. Their vision is "a nation where the freedom of workers to organize unions and bargain collectively with employers is guaranteed and promoted."
Communication Strategies
American Rights at Work aims to create awareness of the struggle for workplace democracy and freedom to organise, and to build a broad base of support among individuals, employers, and public interest organisations that are willing to take action to protect workers' rights. Through coalition-building, research, public relations, policy analysis, and advocacy, the organisation works to:
  • investigate and expose workers' rights abuses and the "inadequacy of U.S. labor law."
  • stimulate debate about the state of workers' rights among journalists, policymakers, advocacy groups, and the public.
  • promote public policy that protects workers from "hostile employers and weak laws that impede their rights to form unions and collectively bargain."
  • publicise success stories of profitable companies and public agencies that respect workers' rights and build innovative partnerships with unions.
American Rights at Work produce a range of publications to support their objectives including:
  • Publications - reports, case studies, issue briefs, and educational materials based on original research.
  • Workers' Rights Clearinghouse - a national database featuring cases of workers whose rights have been violated during union organising campaigns or contract negotiations with employers.
  • Workers' Rights Watch: Eye on the NLRB - monthly feature monitors and analyses decisions of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), just one of the ways we demonstrate the inadequacy of the current labour law system.
  • Website - serves to act as a tool for online advocacy & resource collection, includes, action alerts, reports, and other helpful resources for those who want to learn more about our issues or ways to get involved in defending the right of workers to organise.
Development Issues
Labour
Key Points
According to American Rights at Work, the general public in the United States is unaware that workers who attempt to organise unions often encounter intimidation and harassment. The organisation says that "workers deserve to have faith in a system designed to protect their democratic rights - rather than the delay and manipulation that thwarts so many organizing drives."
Sources

Media Mentor listserv, April 12 2005 and American Rights at Work website, February 1 2006.