This wave of union activism has also expanded into unexpected sectors.Traditionally, strong unions have been most visible in public service roles such as policing and teaching, particularly in Canada, where teacher unions wield significant influence. However, in recent years, Huffmaster has observed Teamsters organizing within healthcare settings, a shift that would have seemed improbable a decade ago. “We’ve seen Teamsters inside of hospitals,” Fandale says. “Some nurses and other healthcare roles are aligning with unions that used to be associated with trucking and logistics. It’s a striking example of how cross-sector union influence has grown.” BRANDING BY REPUTATION While most businesses rely on advertising, Huffmaster’s brand is built on reputation. “It’s our reputation that precedes us,” says Anne Young, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We have such a track record in this area that we’ve got well over 70 percent of Fortune 500, Fortune 1000, and even Fortune 50 companies that do business with us.” Young joined the company two years ago to reshape the sales and marketing approach, moving from lastminute outreach to strategic relationship-building. “We’re saying it’s going to take us a year to get ready, so let’s start talking ahead of time,” she says. “We’re able to take an organization from prep to implementation to deployment, if necessary.” STRIKES, SAFETY, AND STRATEGY Strikes come with a slew of liability and insurance challenges. Fandale notes that health coverage for 114 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 08
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