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Landing page
Login page
Create a new union form

Inspiration

This project has taken its inspiration from the intense working culture in South-Korea. Research shows that more than 65% of workers in South Korea are dissatisfied with their work-life balance, and that 7 out of 10 South Korean employees have experiences or are currently dealing with workplace harassment. While these are examples are just some of the challenges employees face in their workplaces, there are ways to create a unified workforce to advocate for better work conditions - through unions. Although unions provide workers with a platform to negotiate labor rights, a significant portion of employees still do not belong to such organizations. Surveys from various labor markets show that employees are hesitant to form unions due to the potential challenges they may face, including fear of their employer finding out. Forming a union often happens in secrecy, with employees risking their jobs as they attempt to recruit enough members to meet the required threshold. Our web application, CreateUnion, aims to support individuals who wish to establish a union in their workplace, making it easier to onboard new memebers and streamline the process.

What it does

Our application consists of three parts:

Info and Registration
Creating a Union
Onboarding New Members

1. Info and Registration

The landing page features a chatbot designed to answer frequently asked questions about forming unions. It provides detailed explanations on how the process works and what is required from the organizer.

To create a union, the organizer first needs to:

Register and create an account.
After registration, they will be able to create a new union.

2. Creating a Union

Once registered, the organizer can set up a new union by:

Writing a mission statement.
Explaining what the union stands for and its objectives.

3. Onboarding New Members

After creating the union, the organizer receives a QR code to onboard new members. The process for new members is as follows:

Scan the QR code to access union details.
Read about the union.
Fill out their personal details.
Sign to register for the union.

Privacy and Threshold

Only the organizer has access to the number of registered members.
The organizer can see if the union membership threshold has been met.
Once the threshold is met, the organizer will be able to view the member details, which can be used to take the next steps in formally establishing the union.

How we built it

1. Vue.js for the Frontend Application: We chose Vue.js for its flexibility and ease of integration. The framework allows us to create a dynamic and responsive user interface that enhances user engagement. By leveraging Vue's component-based architecture, we ensured that our application is not only maintainable but also scalable. This choice was driven by our desire to provide a seamless experience for users navigating the often complex process of union formation.

*2. MySQL and JWT Tokens for Security and Anonymity: * To protect user data and maintain anonymity, we implemented a MySQL database for secure data management. We used JSON Web Tokens (JWT) for user authentication, ensuring that individuals can interact with the platform without fear of exposure. This focus on security is crucial, as many potential users may be hesitant to engage in discussions about unionization due to concerns about privacy and repercussions. By guaranteeing anonymity, we empower users to express their thoughts and collaborate freely.

*3. Real-time Finetuned AI Chatbots: * To assist users in navigating the complexities of forming a labor union, we integrated real-time AI chatbots. These chatbots are designed to provide tailored information and support, answering questions related to unionization and guiding users through the necessary steps. The chatbot’s ability to offer immediate assistance is vital in creating a supportive environment where users feel confident in taking action.

Challenges we ran into

The biggest challenge we ran into were (of course) the merge issues when trying to combine different branches of code. We had to abort several merges and reverse the code many many times during the project, which made the progress of some features a lot slower and frustrating at times. However, we have managed to get most of the features working and we are happy with how we resolved it!

Accomplishments that we're proud of

All five of us won a prize during trivia game: three t-shirt, one clip-on pen, and one mint box. We basically won the hackathon already and we're very proud of this accomplishment.

What we learned

Teamwork makes the dreamwork, it is really true. Our skilles matched quite well, which made us collaborate easily. Also, taking breaks as a team, to play a game or get food together was very good for a bit of team-building (as we did not know one-another prior to this event). We will have many take-aways from this experience and hope to participate more often in hackathons:)

What's Next for CreateUnion

We have several key improvements planned for the CreateUnion web application:

Enhanced Anonymity and Identity Verification: We aim to incorporate advanced technologies, such as blockchain, to verify identities while preserving user anonymity. This will allow union owners and members to be recognized as legitimate individuals without compromising their privacy. By ensuring anonymity throughout the union establishment process, we will further protect users’ identities and safeguard their current employment.
Streamlined Application Process: Our goal is to refine and simplify the process for union organizers. This includes optimizing the steps needed to formally establish a union once a sufficient number of members have been gathered. Enhancements will focus on reducing administrative overhead and making the process more intuitive and efficient.
Expansion to Signature Campaigns for Social Issues: We plan to extend our platform’s capabilities to support signature campaigns on various social issues. This expansion will allow public campaigns to utilize CreateUnion’s infrastructure to recruit more members and advocate for broader causes, enhancing our impact beyond union formation.