"SRPs know VOTE-COPE is their voice." June 2, 2004. New York Teacher.

SRPs know VOTE-COPE is their voice

June 2, 2004

When it comes to politics, School-Related Professionals are increasing their participation.

They had better, noted Lorretta Johnson, a paraprofessional from the Balti-more schools who chairs the American Federation of Teachers Program and Policy Council for SRP members.

"We've had nearly four years now of policies and programs and laws that are bad for working families and especially bad for the students we serve in schools and colleges across this country," Johnson said at the national union's spring conference for support staffers. "It's time to raise our voices and show our strength," Johnson said, asking members to join the AFT campaign to increase voter turnout in this November's crucial election by 5 percent.

SRP participation in New York State United Teachers' voluntary political action fund, known as VOTE-COPE, has been on the increase, noted Ann Gentilin, who chairs the union's SRP Advisory Committee.

"VOTE-COPE is our voice in getting laws changed and electing candidates who are sympathetic to educational issues," said Gentilin, president of the Onteora Non-Teaching Employees Association in the Hudson Valley . "Those candidates will help assist us to do the best job we can to educate and nurture the nation's children."

This year, more than ever, workers need a change in the White House, said Alan Lubin, NYSUT's executive vice president who oversees the Legislative Division and political action efforts. The current administration has:

shortchanged Title I and the No Child Left Behind Act to pay for tax cuts to the wealthy;
pushed a Medicare reform law that gives billions to drug companies; and
slashed overtime pay for 8 million workers while supporting new tax breaks for companies that move jobs abroad.

"The biggest weapon we have against acts like this is our members who vote and give to VOTE-COPE," Lubin said.

NYSUT honored 10 SRP locals for their VOTE-COPE campaigns at this year's annual convention.

"However, participation is much broader than that," Lubin said. "Many SRPs who are part of umbrella or teacher locals give because they know everyone must do their part to make it work. To help New York to learn, we need the contributions of teachers, SRPs, health care professionals, and higher ed professionals. The same is true for VOTE-COPE."

— Betsy Sandberg