Now more than ever, you should be a member of the Federation. Our union represents faculty in grievances, negotiations, and in disputes with management. Our member dues support all of the activities of our union. Also, the higher percentage of the faculty that belongs to the union, the stronger our union will be with regards to negotiations, in the eyes of management, and to ourselves.

Increases in salary and benefits have come about because past members were active in negotiations and in the union. To maintain and improve our salaries, benefits, to defend and improve our professional rights, we need you as an active member.

We also recommend to our members to be involved in the Committee on Political Education, also known as COPE. The importance of the union’s involvement in politics is very important, especially as public employees. Through COPE, we have the ability to shape our workplace in ways that are unique to our profession. By law, we are not allowed to use union dues directly for politics. We support that organizational and legal separation.

We do ask our members to make voluntary monthly contribution to a separate fund called COPE to support candidates and legislation that support public education and our communities. If we hope to influence the the direction of our administration (including our BOT) and state politics, our union members need to be politically active and influential.