IUPAT Prompt Engineering Guide

This guide is designed for IUPAT employees to use Google Gemini effectively while upholding our commitment to data privacy and worker solidarity.

The Golden Rule: Sanitize before you send

As a labor organization, we handle sensitive information that must NEVER be uploaded to an AI platform.  Gemini learns from patterns, and even though the data we submit to IUPAT's Gemini isn't "public", it should NEVER contain Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

NEVER Include:

• Names, home addresses, or personal phone numbers
• Social Security Numbers (SSNs), Social Insurance Numbers (SINs), or Member IDs.
• Specific medical information or grievance details tied to a person.
• Full unredacted payroll or membership lists.

INSTEAD, use "Clean Data""

• Use Placeholders: Replace "Jane Doe" with "[Member A]" or "The Applicant."
• Generalize Roles: Use the title or role instead of a specific name.
• Aggregate Numbers: Instead of listing every salary, use averages.

How to write a "Power Prompt"

To get the best results from Gemini, don't just ask a question.  Use the PTCF Framework:

Use cases with "sanitized" examples

Summarizing Meeting Notes

• Bad Prompt: "Here are my notes from my meeting with Sarah Miller about her boss Mike harassing her. Summarize them."
• Better Prompt: "I am a shop steward. Below are notes from a disciplinary meeting (names have been changed to [Member] and [Supervisor]. Summarize the three main points of contention and suggest which article of our CBA might apply."

Simplifying Contract Language

• Prompt: "Act as a labor educator.  Rewrite the following 'no strike/no lockout' clause into plain English that a new member can understand during orientation.  Keep it to under 100 words."

Drafting Organizing Scripts

• Prompt:"I am organizing a new unit of painters and glaziers.  Generate 5 open-ended questions I can use during a house call to help a worker identify their 'organic' leaders in the workplace."

Safeguard Checklist

Before hitting "Enter," ask yourself:

1. Is there a name in here?  If yes, delete and replace them with generic placeholders.
2. Is there a specific ID number?  If yes, delete them.
3. Would I be comfortable with management seeing this prompt? At this time, you cannot delete the prompts you have entered into Gemini and they may be subject to discovery or internal audits.