VOTE-COPE Explained
| VOTE-COPE stands for Voice of Teachers for Education (VOTE) and Committee on Political Education (COPE). What is Vote Cope? Your statewide affiliate—NYSUT, New York State United Teachers—has a nonpartisan political fundraising arm called VOTE-COPE that coordinates the voluntary contributions of members and supports NYSUT-endorsed candidates and campaign committees that are pro-public education and pro-labor. No union dollars are used to support candidates or campaign committees that support Teachers! NYSUT sends rebates to local unions based on a percentage (up to 40 percent) of the contributions VOTE-COPE receives from that local union’s members. Those rebates can be used in local activities such as school board races and for passage of school budgets. VOTE-COPE is a voluntary, recurring payroll deduction for PPSTA members used to fund political action and advocacy. It is deducted from regular paychecks and continues until revoked in writing. Why PPSTA should Give? VOTE-COPE funds help protect our collective bargaining rights. VOTE-COPE funds give members and students valuable opportunities to deliver PPSTA’s message to legislators by attending advocacy days, in-district meetings/events, and fundraisers. VOTE-COPE supports candidates who fight to protect public education—our school, our students, our patients, our jobs, and our retirement benefits—regardless of party affiliation. VOTE-COPE funds give us a voice against the formidable forces pushing to privatize our work and our resources. VOTE-COPE funds allow us to challenge misperceptions and promote solutions to the real problems our campuses face. Questions: Please send emails from your personal email to Heather Duncan-Carter, 2ndvp@ppsta.org |