CWA COPE Program a Reality
for Newspaper Guild Locals

by Tina M. Destro
President

At the February Great Lakes District Council meeting, The Newspaper Guild-CWA Sector President Linda Foley invited Hall Sisson, Deputy Political Director for the Communication Workers of America to give a presentation to Great Lakes member Locals on COPE -- CWA’s Committee On Political Education.

Foley invited Sisson to speak at the February meeting at the request of Newspaper Guild Sector Locals who wanted more information on this political action program. Political action, while not a new concept to many unions around the country, is a new concept for Guild members. Since The Newspaper Guild’s merger with CWA, COPE is a developing reality for our union.

In Sisson’s presentation, he explained that political action is an integral part of CWA’s philosophy. Political action is an effective way that unions can influence the legislative policies that affect our everyday lives.

CWA’s monetary goal with COPE is to raise $2 million by the year 2000. In 1997, CWA raised $1.7 million in COPE funds. Ninety percent of this money was voluntary money, much of it raised through check-off programs established in various work sites around the country where workers are represented by CWA.

COPE contributions come in two designations. The first is voluntary money, also referred to as "hard" or "free" money. Voluntary contributions can be obtained through check-off programs, as mentioned above, or through other fund-raising efforts. Voluntary contributions are just that -- voluntary. It is up to each individual whether or not he or she contributes money to be used for political activity. Voluntary money can be used in federal election races to support candidates endorsed by CWA.

Dues money, drawn from a local’s treasury, is considered "soft" money and its use is severely restricted for political campaigns. Dues money can be contributed from a Local’s treasury for specified purposes upon approval by a Local vote.

Treasury money can be used to support drives to register union members to vote and to communicate with and educate union members regarding upcoming elections and issues. This money can also be used to "get out the vote;" in other words, to cover union members with lost-time wages to go to the polls and vote. Treasury money can be used for independent expenditures such as setting up campaign offices to assist in an endorsed candidates election efforts.

COPE contributions raised by Locals are split between CWA in Washington and the District in which the Local belongs. If a Local exceeds its COPE quota, the excess amount is split one-third to CWA headquarters, one-third to the District and one-third stays with the Local.

Every CWA Local, including ours, has an annual COPE quota of $2 per member per year. In our Local, for example, with current membership at 350, our COPE quota will be $700. Locals who meet their COPE quotas receive recognition at the annual CWA convention, a plaque and mention in the monthly newsletter.

Upon the merger of The Newspaper Guild with CWA, it was agreed that Guild members choosing to participate in this program are not obligated to have their money designated for political purposes. Those members can choose to have their contributions deferred to Jobs with Justice and or Freedom of Information issues.

At the February meeting, following Sisson’s presentation, Foley stressed that the conflict of political action for many journalists in the Guild is a very real one. She stressed that the decision for contributing is up to the individual, not the Local. CWA, Foley explained, offers a means of participation in political action without putting reporters in a compromising position.

In the coming months, Buffalo Newspaper Guild-CWA leadership will provide more information to our members regarding COPE and we will begin to plan ways that our members can participate in this program.