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VOTE-COPE provides balance in tough times
Feburary 17, 2005 On the national front, Social Security, health care and workers' rights are under attack. At the state level, New York State United Teachers is gearing up to get school districts and colleges the state aid they need, as well as joining the fight against proposals to drastically cut health care and Medicaid. What could possibly help balance the scales in favor of education, health care and labor issues? "By donating to VOTE-COPE, members give us the political weight we need to protect education, health care and workers' rights," said Alan Lubin, NYSUT executive vice president, who oversees the union's political action arm. "VOTE-COPE gives us the resources to get our message out." VOTE-COPE, the union's voluntary political action fund, kicks off its 2005 campaign this month with a theme of "VOTE-COPE tips the scales." "It's the perfect symbolism of what VOTE-COPE does for us," said Kevin Peterman, who represents community colleges on the union's VOTE-COPE committee. "On one side, business spends millions on lobbying and advertising to advance their corporate agenda and get their message out that taxes need to be cut," said Peterman, who is a vice president for Suffolk Community College Faculty Association. "We have to balance that out with our message." State aid for community colleges was cut last year and the governor's budget proposes keeping it at the reduced amount of $2,235 per full-time equivalent student. "That's a cut of $65 per FTE from 2003-04," Peterman said. "VOTE-COPE will help us make our case that the state is certainly not living up to its commitment of covering 40 percent of operating expenses. State aid is barely covering 30 percent." Last year NYSUT members from all constituency groups — pre-K-12 teachers, school-related professionals, higher ed, health care and retirees — made donations to support grassroots lobbying on behalf of issues that affect NYSUT members, from local school board elections to fighting the increasingly anti-worker agenda at the federal level. That agenda poses huge threats. For example, a new study by the National Women's Law Center finds that the biggest losers under the current scheme to privatize Social Security are women, who make up 58 percent of all Social Security beneficiaries ages 65 and older. "Women rely more on Social Security for their retirement income than do men. In addition, women are much more likely than men to receive Social Security benefits as family members when a worker dies, retires or becomes disabled," says the study, Social Security: Women, Children and the States. The study further found that privatizing Social Security will increase poverty among the elderly and those with disabilities. VOTE-COPE funds will be used to get the truth out about the Bush administration's plan to privatize Social Security, Lubin said. Posters and brochures emphasizing the importance of VOTE-COPE are being distributed statewide by local coordinators as they reach out to members. VOTE-COPE is funded entirely by voluntary contributions — through payroll deduction where available. For retirees, automatic pension deduction is available. For more information, contact your local leader. |
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