Political Action

 

 

The right to engage in political action is the defining right of American democracy. It is also a responsibility that we have as citizens to participate in our government.

 

Political action is vital to the interests of workers and the labor movement. It broadly includes both electoral politics and legislative action. The former consists of supporting candidates for political office, while the latter consists of lobbying legislators and other officials concerning laws and public policies.

 

 

 

ELECTORAL POLITICS

CWA-COPE.  Most unions have a political action committee, usually called the Committee On Political Education, or COPE. The purpose of COPE is to educate union members about political candidates that will represent their interests, mobilize support, and provide financial contributions to help with election campaigns.

 

To do its work, CWA-COPE must raise money from union members. Members of Local 1085 can contribute through voluntary payroll deductions by filling out a COPE checkoff card. Contact the Local office for a card. Completed cards and forms should be returned to the Local office. New contributors may select a CWA-COPE gift item, depending on the amount of the contribution.

 

For more information, check the CWA-COPE website.

 

Voter Registration.  All union members are strongly encouraged to register so they will be able to exercise their voice at the ballot box. Residents of New Jersey can register at their local Board of Elections. Registration forms can be downloaded by visiting the Voter Registration page at the N.J. Division of Elections.

 

Candidate Information.  Every year at election time, union members receive information about endorsed candidates from CWA, the various AFL-CIO bodies, and Local 1085. In many cases these candidates are fellow union members. Local 1085 alone has several members who serve on municipal governing bodies. Across New Jersey there are dozens of union members serving in elected public office.

 

A reliable non-partisan guide to elections is the N.J. League of Women Voters. Another source of information about candidates is a national organization called Project Vote Smart.

 

 

Political News Sources.  Most people get their information about politics from newspapers and TV. The two best newspapers are the New York Times and the Washington Post. The best source for political news in New Jersey is The Star-Ledger. A popular political news site is PolitickerNJ.

 

One broadcast news source worth noting is CNN, which has a website devoted to Politics. Still another important media resource is C-SPAN.

 

 

 

LEGISLATIVE ACTION

 

CWA.  CWA’s Legislative Department provides information about legislative issues, along with a “scorecard” to rate members of Congress and tools for legislative activists.

 

AFL-CIO.  Check the Legislative Action Center on the AFL-CIO’s website for more information about labor’s agenda.

 

Congress.  For information about members of Congress, copies of bills, the Congressional Record, and other legislative information, the most extensive resource is THOMAS, a website sponsored by the Library of Congress. You can also go directly to the U.S. Senate or the U.S. House of Representatives.

 

New Jersey Legislature.  Search for bills on the New Jersey Legislature website, along with information on individual legislators, committees, and actions taken in the Senate and General Assembly. You can also look up current state statutes.  To contact legislators at their district offices, see the Legislative Roster.