Union Labor Works

What Union Labor Works does

Union Labor Works is a private, single-vertical advertising, marketing, and public relations agency that exclusively serves U.S. labor unions and the construction and building trades industry. Founded in 2006 by John Glynn and operating as a division of Sound Communications, the firm is headquartered in New Fairfield, Connecticut, with an additional office in New York. Its services span the full marketing stack: media buying across television (network and cable), radio (network and local), print, outdoor, and online channels; creative production including TV and radio commercials, billboards, print ads, logo design, and Business Card DVDs; and specialized programs in event marketing, cause marketing, sports marketing, direct marketing, and public relations.

The company's core technology asset is its proprietary Internet Business Center (IBC2), a database-driven content management system that hosts more than 250 union and contractor websites and enables non-technical union staff to add or edit press releases, events, and dynamic content in real time from any internet-connected location. Since 2013 it has offered responsive web design that adapts layout across desktop, tablet, and smartphone. The firm also bundles RSS news feed distribution and social media integration into client sites.

ULW monetizes through two streams: professional services fees for campaign planning, creative development, media buying, and website builds, plus recurring monthly hosting subscriptions. Its go-to-market is direct, executive-led field sales targeting union business managers, executive secretaries-treasurers, and building trades council leadership, supplemented by attendance at industry conventions including the UA National Convention and the National Labor Management Marketing Conference. The customer base is broadly distributed across more than 250 local and national union clients — including NATCA, IUOE Local 77, UA Local 1, and the Building & Construction Trades Department AFL-CIO — though no individual customer is publicly disclosed as a dominant share of revenue.

Name

Union Labor Works

Legal name

Union Labor Works

Website

https://unionlaborworks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Union Labor Works is a private advertising, marketing, and PR agency that exclusively serves U.S. labor unions and the construction trades, offering media buying, creative production, and proprietary website hosting (IBC2 CMS) across more than 250 union clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Fairfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Marketing and Advertising Services: Union Labor Works provides comprehensive marketing, advertising, and public relations services to labor unions and the construction industry. Services include campaign planning, media buying across television, radio, print, outdoor, and online channels, creative development (commercials, print ads, billboards, direct mail), event marketing, cause marketing, sports marketing, and business card DVD/video production. Revenue is generated through professional service fees for campaign development and execution, and media purchasing at negotiated rates.
2. Website Development and Hosting: Union Labor Works builds and hosts custom websites for labor unions and contractors using its proprietary content management platform. Revenue includes one-time website development fees and ongoing monthly hosting fees. Hosting agreements include a finite allocation of content updates per month at no additional charge, with additional changes billed as needed.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Union Labor Works is a specialized advertising, marketing, and public relations agency that exclusively serves labor unions and the construction industry. The company delivers full-service marketing programs (TV, radio, print, outdoor, online media buying), custom website development powered by its proprietary Internet Business Center (IBC2) content management platform, creative production (commercials, print ads, billboards, Business Card DVDs), and event/sports/cause/direct marketing campaigns. It has built and hosted over 250 union and contractor websites since launching its website division in 2006.

Product overview

Union Labor Works is a specialized marketing, advertising, and public relations agency serving labor unions and the construction industry. Their core offerings consist of Advertising Services (spanning TV-Network/Cable, Radio, Print, Outdoor, and Online media), Marketing Services (including Website Development, Event Marketing, Cause Marketing, Sports Marketing, Direct Marketing, and Public Relations), and Creative Services (TV/Radio commercials, print ads, logo design). Central to their website offerings is the proprietary Internet Business Center (IBC2) content management system that powers over 250 client websites. They also produce Business Card DVDs as multimedia marketing tools. The company operates with offices in New York and Connecticut.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marketing Services Comprehensive marketing programs for labor unions and the construction industry, encompassing event marketing, cause marketing, sports marketing, direct marketing, business card CD/DVDs, and public relations support.
• Advertising Services Media planning and purchasing across Television (Network and Cable), Radio (Network and Local), Print, Outdoor, and Online channels, with negotiation for best positioning and pricing.
• Website Development Custom website development and hosting for labor unions and contractors, with proprietary Internet Business Center (IBC2) content management system enabling real-time content updates without web design software.
• Creative Services Creative development of television commercials, radio commercials, billboard creative, print ads, online banner ads, logo design, direct mail pieces, and presentation materials for union clients.
• Internet Business Center (IBC2) Proprietary database technology platform enabling union clients to log in and update website content (press releases, events) in real-time from any internet-connected location without web design software.
• Business Card DVDs Multimedia marketing pieces using CD and DVD formats to deliver video presentations featuring project footage, training, and testimonials to target audiences.
• Public Relations Press release creation and distribution, press conference organization, and strategic PR partner referrals for unions.
• Responsive Website Design Service Mobile-friendly responsive website development that adapts layout across desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones, delivering different visual presentations per device type.

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Alliance (UA Local 322 & South Jersey Mechanical Contractors Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2007Union Labor Works formed a strategic partnership with The Alliance, a joint marketing arm created by UA Local 322 (Plumbers and Pipefitters) and the South Jersey Mechanical Contractors Association (SJMCA). ULW developed comprehensive marketing campaigns for The Alliance, including TV commercials, print ads, and video production. The partnership produced an award-winning campaign recognized at the 2007 National Construction, Labor & Management Marketing Conference.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Barkley: Mid-sized independent full-service advertising agency with a strong media-buying practice. Comparable to ULW because it integrates creative, media, and digital under one roof, serving verticals of similar shape and complexity.
• Carmichael Lynch: Mid-sized creative-led advertising agency with integrated media and PR capabilities. Comparable to ULW in service mix (creative + media buying + content) but with a broader, non-union client base.
• GMMB: One of the largest U.S. political and advocacy advertising agencies. Comparable to ULW because it serves unions and labor federations as anchor clients with full-service media buying and creative capabilities, but at materially larger scale.
• The Tombras Group: Mid-sized independent full-service advertising agency. Comparable to ULW because it operates a similarly integrated creative/media-buying/digital model for niche and regional clients, although it is broader in vertical scope.

Direct peers

• FP1 Strategies: Political and advocacy advertising agency with a labor and progressive practice. Comparable to ULW because it sells integrated media, creative, and direct-marketing services to unions and political organizations.
• Sachs Media: Public affairs and advocacy communications firm working with labor unions, associations, and issue campaigns. Comparable to ULW because it delivers PR, advertising, and digital programs to organized-labor-style clients.
• BerlinRosen: Large progressive public relations firm with an explicit labor union and advocacy practice. Comparable because it sells communications services (PR, messaging, digital) to the same labor and advocacy client base that ULW targets.
• Bully Pulpit Interactive: Digital-first advocacy agency serving unions, progressive nonprofits, and political causes. Comparable to ULW because it blends paid media, creative, and digital campaigns for organized labor and similar mission-driven organizations.

Others

• Informa Markets (Construction division): B2B media and events company serving the construction industry with branded publications, trade shows, and marketing services. Comparable to ULW because it monetizes the construction-industry ecosystem — including union-facing segments — through media and marketing channels.

Emerging players

• UnionTrack: Labor-focused technology platform serving unions with member engagement and operational software. Comparable to ULW because it sells technology-adjacent services into the same labor-union buyer, providing an emerging alternative to ULW's proprietary CMS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UnionLaborWorksAds

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Union Labor Works