In August 2024, UTE Local 10008 got its first website. Not because we hired an agency. Because I built it.

Context: I became a union steward in May 2023 after volunteering during the federal strike. Nearly 3 years of labor organizing before becoming PSAC 2nd VP in December 2024. The whole time, one thing was clear—unions have a tech problem.

Not the obvious problem (bad websites, clunky tools). The deeper problem: technical literacy gap.

Labor organizing is about power. Digital infrastructure is power infrastructure. When unions don't control their tech, they don't control their message.

The 10008.ca build wasn't complicated:

■Modern web stack (Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind)
■Bilingual by default (French/English)
■Mobile-first design
■Fast, accessible, professional

But the impact was organizational. Suddenly we had:

■Permanent presence: Not dependent on social media platforms
■Message control: Our content, our terms
■Member access: Direct communication channel
■Professional credibility: Legitimacy in digital space

The 2023 PSAC strike videos proved the same point. 48 hours, 2 videos, shot on iPhone, published on YouTube. Rapid-response media production during a labor action. No agency, no approval chain, no delay.

The pattern: technical capability is organizing capability.

Unions need members who can:

■Build websites
■Produce video content
■Manage databases
■Architect digital systems
■Automate workflows

Not because tech is the goal. Because tech is the infrastructure for everything else.

The Montreal Melon Festival proposal (March 2025) showed the same thinking. When a colleague suggested a religious celebration, I counter-proposed a Montreal-themed fair with watermelon symbolism for Palestinian solidarity. The proposal included partnership strategy, activity planning, fundraising structure.

Strategy precedes tactics. Infrastructure precedes action. Technical literacy precedes digital power.

Labor organizing in 2024 requires the same skills as any other organizational work: systems thinking, digital fluency, rapid execution. The difference is the mission.

10008.ca is live. The strike videos are public. The organizing continues. The tech serves the movement.