PEF is on the move, signing up new members and building federal political power through voluntary COPE contributions.
Among public-sector locals across the country that are participating in SEIU’s “Together We Rise” initiative, PEF tops the list for new member sign-ups, far surpassing its goal for 2022.
By November 25, PEF had signed up 3,818 new members – 213% of the goal of 1,980 set by PEF based on a review of past membership trends.
“We were able to achieve this impressive increase because of the hard work and dedication of our organizing team in collaboration with local and statewide officers,” said PEF Organizing Director Dan Carpenter.
In the wake of the Supreme Court decision in Janus, which negatively impacted union membership across the nation, SEIU and its public-sector locals like PEF have prioritized growing membership.
COPE contributions are up
PEF’s political power at the federal level is on the rise, with COPE contributions up 10.5% from Oct. 31, 2021, to early October 2022. Those figures don’t include anyone who signed up for the first time or increased their contribution at the recent PEF Convention.
Total contributions from PEF members and retirees hit $162,399 during that period, reports COPE Coordinator Don Morgenstern. That’s an increase of 40% for retirees and almost 5% for current members.
PEF Division 407 at the Metro Developmental Disabilities Services Office is the highest contributing division, with 52% of its members contributing to COPE and Region 11 has the highest contributions for a Region, with 6.5% participation.
COPE contributions are made by PEF members and retirees on a voluntary basis from their paychecks or pension checks. By law, member dues cannot be used for political action at the federal level, so COPE funds help the union lobby for federal legislation that supports public employees and protects the rights of workers. To learn more visit https://www.pef.org/take-action/cope/.