From "the two of us" to NITO: Recruited 7 members in one month
Kristel Bredahl is recruiting engineers and fire professionals on an ongoing basis.
NITO union representative Kristel Bredahl is a subject teacher at the country's only fire and rescue school. It is in Harstad and under the auspices of the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning, where she and other engineers and technologiststeach as many as 32,000studentseach year.
As a graduate of the fire and rescue school , you can, among other things , classify special fire objects and building structures, you can work at the 110 centre, be a firefighter or a chimney sweep.
- When I started at the fire academy, there were only two NITO members. Itturned out that more people were qualified to join. I wanted more of usto bleed and I wanted to "clean up a bit" here, says Bredahl.
Must become more visible
By rydde, she means that NITO should presente s as a better solution for its employees. Before Christmas in 2025 , she made a Christmasgift for the members of the group, wrapped nicely , and took a tour of the house with giftn.
The other employees who are not members got the message and started asking questions.
- Other unions have previously been strong, but it turns out that becoming a NITO member is something that "hangs higher", says Bredahl.
- People were not satisfied with the salary development they received through membership with others. At NITO, we ensure good wage growth for our members. I tell you about the good benefits of legal help if you should need it, the competence-enhancing opportunities in courses and events and the various discount schemes.
A simple gift distribution brought extra attention to the workplace and made all employees interested.
A wake-up call for many
- The fact that more people experience a more passive handling in other organizations is a contrast to what I can tell from my ownexperience quick follow-up by NITO's lawyers when I needed it.
- It is a wake-up call for many, she says.
- I highlighted NITO's service on contract review as one example. And the benefits of affordable insurance and good banking services that others .
She believes it is important to talk about all the benefits of being a member.
Was ready to write letters of recommendation
- Several of the people I work with have a technological background and today work as if they were an engineer, even though they lack the formal engineering education. Thismeans that someone needs an extra reason to be able to become a member, Bredahl explains.
- Then I have been to the provider and written recommendations for the individual that support their competence and show that they have the professional weight to become a NITO member.
Thus, the members have rushed in.
She does not hide the fact that she has "stolen" members from NTL, Fagforbundet, Samfunnsviterne, Delta and others.
- DIt turned out that my employees would like to become members, and now we have got them on board.
- I thinkthat we should not be afraid to recruit employees who are organized by others. I'mstill working to get more people involved," she says with a broad smile.
It's nice to be more
- It is nice that itis possible to attach such a letter of recommendation in the process of becoming a member, says Bredahl. - Now the group has become bigger and we are stronger. It's nice to be more!
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