Commitee on political education (COPE)
Political action fund
Introducing our Political Action Fund
We are excited to announce that our union has a new, powerful tool in our advocacy for Integral Care employees and clients: a Political Action Fund (PAF)!
To sign up and help build our political power as union employees at Integral Care, just email us at integralcareunion@gmail.com and let us know how much you would like to contribute to PAF in addition to your monthly membership dues (there is no minimum or maximum amount for donation).
As public employees working at a government agency, we know that our working conditions, compensation, and ability to meet the needs of our clients, all depend on decisions made by politicians at the city, county, state, and federal levels. If we are going to be successful in our mission to improve Integral Care for employees and the community at large, we must build our political power in addition to our organizing power.
Legally, our union dues cannot be used for direct political contributions or campaign work. That is why our national union, the Communications Workers of America, has a PAF set up for union members to contribute to. We also are creating a structure to democratically decide on what elected officials we will endorse and financially support. As working people, we do not have the financial resources of large corporations or the wealthy who spend enormous sums on politics to influence elections, but if we pool our resources we can have a big impact in elections by supporting the candidates who support us and our issues.
Your voluntary donations to COPE allow UWIC to contribute to the campaigns of our endorsed political candidates and effect change within the system. This work is important because, as a public sector union, many of our policies are determined by elected officials and bodies of government.
For more information about COPE please reach out to us at integralcareunion@gmail.com, we would be happy to tell you more!
Here’s how it will work:
All current and new UWIC members will be able to contribute a donation to our PAF alongside their monthly membership dues. Our current UWIC Political Committee will now be called the Committee on Political Education (COPE). Any dues-paying UWIC member who also contributes to our PAF will be able to participate in COPE.
UWIC COPE members will be responsible for meeting with and screening candidates running for political office who want UWIC’s support. COPE members will screen candidates based on their track record, chance of winning election, and how they respond to our questions about supporting us on our specific issues as Integral Care employees.
Based on those factors, COPE will make recommendations on endorsements to the UWIC Steering Committee, who will have the final say on all our UWIC endorsements. Once a candidate has been endorsed by UWIC, our union will work to get them elected with member volunteers for their election and financial contributions from our PAF.
How do I begin contributing to the PAF now?
Just email us at integralcareunion@gmail.com with your full name and state “I wish to contribute $ [desired dollar amount] per month to our union’s PAF from the same bank account I pay my membership dues.” The PAF contribution will come out at the same time as your dues each month after that.
How do I get involved in COPE?
Just email us at integralcareunion@gmail.com and say you want to attend the next meeting! Once you’ve signed up to contribute to PAF you’ll be invited to our next COPE meeting.