Structure gaps
- Unclear legal entity
- Related companies not mapped
- Operating name vs legal name confusion
- Parent company not identified
Union Organizing Campaign Research
Before a campaign moves forward, organizers need a clear picture of the employer. Agitation Institute helps build that picture with lawful public-source research designed for campaign planning.
What organizers need to know before a drive
Campaigns that move without a clear employer picture often hit avoidable walls - a confusing legal structure, an unknown worksite, an unclear decision-making chain, or a public record that surfaces at the wrong moment.
Employer research done before the drive starts gives the team a cleaner foundation for worker conversations, campaign planning, and leadership briefings.
Key questions research helps answer
- Who is the legal employer?
- Where are workers located?
- How is the company structured?
- Who appears to make decisions?
- What do public records reveal?
- What risks or public exposures exist?
- What is still unknown and needs field validation?
What fragmented research misses
Worksite gaps
- Incomplete location list
- Active project sites missed
- Service area not understood
- New locations not captured
Research process gaps
- No clear source trail
- Outdated leadership information
- Scattered public records
- Too much organizer time on searching
What campaign research produces
- Employer overview and legal entity summary
- Ownership and entity map
- Worksite and footprint summary
- Leadership and management map
- Timeline of relevant public signals
- Risk and exposure summary
- Source appendix with links and citations
- Recommended follow-up research areas
Research supports organizers. It does not replace organizing.
Employer research reduces the time organizers spend on fragmented searching and helps the team enter worker conversations with better context. But field validation, worker relationships, and campaign judgment stay with the organizing team. Research is a tool, not a substitute.
Go deeper
Employer Research
Overview of employer research for union organizing campaigns.
Campaign Dossiers
Full employer research packages for active campaign planning.
Worksite Research
Find where the employer actually operates.
Common questions
What research should happen before a union drive?
Understanding the legal employer, worksite locations, company structure, decision-makers, public records, and relevant risk signals - before field work begins.
How is this different from regular company research?
It is structured around the questions organizers actually need answered: who the employer is legally, where workers are, who controls the operation, and what public signals matter to a drive.
Can this help identify worksites?
Yes. Worksite and footprint research maps public signals about where the employer operates - branches, project sites, job postings, and directory signals.
Can this help determine whether a target is worth pursuing?
A quick employer brief surfaces early signals about employer structure, size, related entities, and public risk factors that help inform a go or no-go decision.
How do organizers use the research?
To brief leadership, prepare for worker conversations, identify worksites, and fill gaps that would otherwise take days of manual searching.
Start with a campaign research brief
Tell us about the employer and campaign situation. We will scope the research and get you a clear picture before your drive moves forward.