Finding a Zoom Alternative for Your Hybrid Union Meeting
At the start of the pandemic, union meetings, like everything else, were forced to transition online. Many of the software systems that were once foreign to us became commonplace.
As remote meetings wore on, many of us became worn out from technical difficulties and incompatibilities. We’ve heard on multiple accounts of union organizers having to suspend meetings mid-motion to adjust their voting questions, struggle with adjusting the voting platform in real-time or manually authenticating attendees – sometimes dozens. .
This was typically the result of trying to mash together a bunch of different platforms and work-arounds that were never meant to be integrated in the first place: one for conferencing, one for voting online, one for voting in-person, voter authentication, and the list goes on. At the time, not one platform combined what union meetings needed the most: seamless security and effortless voting. We covered the security issues extensively here.
So our design team took note and created Motion Meetings [link to product page], an all-in-one platform made specifically for unions. After hearing what union leaders and meeting organizers needed in a new system, we developed what was needed.
Overreliance: The Problem with Conferencing Platforms
When it comes to generating a sound motion meeting, a fully integrated voting and conferencing system is a must for organizers and attendees. This becomes ever apparent when there are union members that need to call in by phone — whether that’s due to internet connectivity reasons, comfort with technology, or being on the road. Many of the options that are currently on the market are web-based, creating an uneven playing field for some members who don’t use technology as easily.
As we transition back into in-person meetings, there’s been a rise in the popularity of the hybrid model. These meetings integrate live and virtual attendees The problem here is finding a system that openly allows for stress-free voter authentication and vote tabulation — not manually cross-referencing each attendee or counting votes in full or in part. Our system can do that easily, whether the member is online, on the phone or in the room.
With Motion meetings, there can be three types of attendees: online, phone, and in-person. Our platform allows you to keep track of all attendees, votes, and motions, without having to cobble together incompatible systems platforms or creating labour-intensive and convoluted work-arounds.
Finding equality between all attendees has become a major pain point. When CNN talked to a Deloitte managing director about hybrid models involving only two types of attendees, she said, “You are essentially designing two meetings [in-person and online]…and they need to intersect and play well together because the things you need to do for virtual are different than the things you need to do with the people in the room and yet somehow they need to feel connected.”
Having a single simple platform will help connect your union members and ensure that every voice is heard.
Needs (not wants):
Automated Authentication and Spontaneous Adaptability
Union meetings take time to organize and execute. We made sure that authenticating the members in attendance didn’t become another hurdle. Through automatic authentication, you won’t need to manually validate each person in attendance — which is a huge undertaking when there’s over 500 members waiting for you to start the meeting.
Another issue that we heard was the need to make digital voting flexible, especially when organizers wanted to add extra questions mid-meeting. With the options that were on the market, the only way to rectify this was to suspend the meeting and resend a new digital vote.
Motion Meetings gives you the flexibility to add additional votes throughout the meeting with zero impact to the already cast ballots. This keeps the process simple for both you and your union members.
Finding the Best – and Simplest – Solution
Finding the best option for your union is important. Luckily, the simplest solution is often the best solution.
Our job at Motion Meetings is to make meetings streamlined for organizers and attendees. If you have specific needs, our team can help build the right solution for you.
