The Panel of Judges
Bob Levey, columnist, The Washington Post
Carolyn Jacobson, former editor and communications director, Bakery, Confectionery and Tobacco Workers; former president of the International Labor Communications Association

Carol Higgs, Gerson-Higgs Design, Washington, D.C., graphic artist
Mark Peck, web designer TATNET, Inc.

It is gratifying to see a major organization such as the International Association of Machinists so dedicated to the principles of communication. The organization's commitment to the unfettered exchange of ideas and information no doubt explains your ongoing success in a confusing world cluttered with words and systems competing with you for the attention and time of your members.
Clearly, communication is one of the mandates of leadership both within the labor movement and in the larger society. By encouraging your administrative levels to accept that responsibility, and by facilitating their efforts, you assure the continuity of the entire organization. Moreover, the IAM's emphasis on effective communication and the use of both traditional means and new technology provides other components of the labor movement with a useful model to follow.

We congratulate the IAM and all your local and district lodges on your success in this area. Those local lodges and district lodges which have been designated as the top performers in the categories listed below can take justifiable pride in their accomplishments. More importantly, all of the entrants should take pride in your efforts, even those whose submissions did not make the cut as among the top performers. By virtue of the very act of publication, by initiating the dialogue from the union to its members and their families, you demonstrate your devotion to serving the men and women who have selected you to lead and administer your union.

All of those who serve as editors and web masters, and all those many other individuals who contribute their words and ideas that make up your publications and web pages, are to be commended. The working families and individual union members who have come to rely on your products may never tell you how much they appreciate your efforts. They cannot know the hours of sacrifice, the tedious detail, the demanding deadlines and the gnawing mental processes that are required to produce each issue or plan each update.

Few of us in this line of work ever stop to inventory the time and energy that written communication. Granted, there is an exquisite sense of accomplishment when the task is done. Typically, the highest compliments you might receive are the occasional comments from readers indicating that your work helped them learn or understand or see a different viewpoint. You should also know that we, as interested professionals who understand the effort behind the product, salute all of you. Keep up the good work.

Signed:
Bob Levey Carol Higgs Carolyn Jacobson Mark Peck

A word about web pages.

Users like simple design that enhances the content but does not interfere with the message. All web pages are not created equal. Animation, if it is used at all, should be used sparingly. Although lots of pages use "wall paper" backgrounds to festoon logos and "subliminal" messages, those, too, tend to become distracting to your readers.

A number of other features that are simple additions, but too often overlooked:

• Your street address.
• Directories, phone numbers and officers' lists.
• Explanations of your links-what the reader is likely to find when clicking.
• Use of members photos-great opportunity to show your members off at work and at play. Easy to do and a great readership builder.
• More interactivity. Inviting comments and responding on the page helps keep people coming to the page and builds loyalty-and it's easy to do.

It's also a good idea to think through the links you provide to other sites. Provide useful links and check frequently to see that they are working.

Most important: update, update, update. Nothing kills readership better than a static page. You have plenty of information coming to you to employ as updates, make sure you take advantage of it.
What works for an entertainment page is not necessarily appropriate or welcome in an organizational page designed primarily to inform.

Thus, our selections tended to favor locals that presented information in straightforward, well-organized packages.