British Columbia’s 2001 provincial election resulted in a near total collapse for the NDP, reducing representation to just two MLAs in Victoria. The B.C. Federation of Labour had strong ties to the party most aligned with its goals. Affiliates and union members were losing hard won bargaining rights, public infrastructure was being privatized, and contract negotiations were under attack. 

As part of the team at the B.C. Federation of Labour that needed to mobilize workers to elect progressive candidates, I did all of the technical work, and much of the design, media relations, writing and planning for what came to be known as the Count-Me-In campaign. 

While the mechanics of the sustained campaign are complicated, we worked with affiliates to identify, promote, train, and build support for progressive candidates at the municipal, provincial, and national level for several years. It was a resounding success. Many of those who won at the municipal level went on to secure representation at more senior levels of government. 

Using a combination of strong writing, media relations, graphic design, community partner engagement, and workshops, the federation successfully championed working class advocates, who made changes that matter for communities and constituents. 

Here are a few samples from that work.