Building the Workforce Behind America’s Digital Future

I've spent the better part of the last few months on the road with NEP Services, hopping from one major union event to another across the country. From a high-impact week at the IBEW 3rd District Progress Meeting in Atlantic City, to the bustling halls of the United Association's 2026 General Convention in San Diego, to a major public safety conference in America's heartland, the energy on the ground is unmistakable. Different regions, trades, uniforms, accents even — but the same core values: solidarity, craftsmanship, safety, service, and pride.

And if there's one thing I've learned from meeting and listening to members in every corner of the U.S., it's this: unions are not just participating in America's next chapter. They are building it.

That momentum is showing up everywhere. In 2025 alone, nearly half a million workers unionized despite significant opposition. The International Association of Fire Fighters reached nearly 370,000 members as of July 1, 2026. According to Gallup, 47% of Americans now say they want unions to have more influence, the highest level in 25 years.

At the same time, America is experiencing a massive construction boom fueled by AI, cloud computing, and data center demands. UA plumbers and pipefitters are helping lead that effort, building more than 90% of these facilities. These projects are real job sites, careers, families, and communities being shaped by skilled union labor.

But growth brings complexity.

As unions expand, one major pain point is keeping members informed, engaged, and mobilized across large territories, busy job sites, and fast-moving campaigns. The same organizing energy that built this resurgence now needs modern infrastructure to sustain it.

That is where technology matters. At NEP Services, we believe digital tools should make union leadership stronger. Leaders value solutions that simplify complexity and help them communicate faster, manage dues more efficiently, strengthen member engagement, and make decisions with better data.

That is why we build custom websites, communication management platforms, and tools like NEP's Connect Plus+. These solutions are about power, readiness, and connection. They help unions tell the story of their organization and showcase the hard work their members do every day.

Because right now, storytelling is a strategy. Unions must be able to tell their stories clearly: the projects they build, the lives they protect, the standards they defend, and the futures they create. If members, communities, elected officials, and the public do not hear those stories directly from labor, someone else will try to define the narrative.

Progress in the labor movement has always required grit, sacrifice, and courage. As the saying goes, "You're not going to win if you're not willing to bleed a little along the way." That spirit is alive in every organizer, apprentice, journeyperson, firefighter, officer, and union leader fighting to raise standards and protect working families.

Unions are building America's future: digital, public safety, infrastructure, and middle-class. At NEP Services, we are proud to help provide the digital backbone that supports that work.

Because this is more than a labor comeback.

It is the next chapter of American strength — and union members are the ones building it.

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As CEO of NEP Services, Stacey Yudin has spent over a decade redefining how unions, associations, and nonprofits engage their members and communities. Under her leadership, NEP has become a trusted partner for mission-driven organizations—delivering technology and strategy that unite people, strengthen advocacy, and drive measurable results.

At the heart of NEP’s success is Connect Plus+, a platform Stacey helped conceptualize and bring to life. Designed as a virtual office and engagement hub, Connect Plus+ combines advanced data management with seamless communication, giving leaders real-time power to connect with members, committees, and communities from anywhere.

Under her guidance, NEP has partnered with 800 leading organizations including IBEW locals, public safety associations, and national nonprofits, representing 850,000 members—helping them modernize their communications, strengthen branding, and win the battles that matter most.

“Technology alone doesn’t solve problems,” Yudin says. “It’s about understanding people—and building tools that help them connect more effectively.” She also drives innovation and change at the heart of every conversation, “It is essential that we innovate or die.”

Her philosophy blends empathy, innovation, and execution. She believes that data-driven communication is the new frontier of member engagement—and that every organization has a story powerful enough to mobilize change.

A self-described “techno-optimist,” Yudin envisions a future where technology empowers, not intimidates. “Human creativity and technology should work together to create clarity out of complexity,” she notes. “That’s how we turn disconnection into unity—and unity into strength.”

NEP’s culture reflects her leadership style: collaborative, curious, and fiercely client-focused. Yudin fosters a bottom-up innovation model where ideas are encouraged from every level of the organization. “When people are free to try, fail, and succeed,” she says, “you create an unstoppable culture of progress.”

Stacey Yudin’s legacy at NEP is rooted in one mission: to help organizations tell their stories, mobilize their people, and win their future.