WHAT IS COPE?
ATU-COPE, the Amalgamated Transit Union Committee on Political Education is the
legislative and political arm of the ATU.
Its purpose is to educate and involve all members throughout the United States
in political and legislative campaigns at both the Federal and State levels.
Each year the U.S. Congress and state legislatures seek to respond to workers’
needs for improvements in our nation’s health care system, housing and child
care programs, worker’s compensation, and stricter regulation of workers’ health
and safety matters as well as education and pension reforms.
ATU-COPE’s challenge is to remain actively involved in these issues and the
political process. At the federal and state level we must protect our Section
13(c) job and collective bargaining rights and act to limit the forced
“contracting-out” of public mass transportation, school bus, and other services.
At the same time we must continue educating our elected officials in both the
state legislatures and U.S. Congress about the economic, environmental and
mobility benefits that effective transportation services bring to both large and
small communities. We must insure, through ATU-COPE that new legislation
protects our rights while responding to the country’s changing transportation
and other needs.
ATU-COPE works with local union officials, state conference boards, and members
throughout the country to develop strategies and programs to advance those
transit and labor issues important to our union, our members and their families.Contributions to
ATU-COPE have increased and must continue to expand if we are
to have the funds necessary to help our friends get elected and re-elected. Most
importantly we have a responsibility to express our personal views to our
elected representatives. We must use all the tools available to us: personal
visits, post cards, letters and telephone calls – to insure that critical issues
are resolved in a fair and equitable manner.The challenges ahead are many. While at
times we may become frustrated at our lack of total success, we must persevere and remain a part of the legislative and political processes that determine the solutions.
The Awards Program lets you show with pride that you are an ATU-COPE contributor. The awards program is divided into two categories; the first provides awards to members for their individual participation, and the second recognizes those Local Unions whose membership participation is unique.
AWARDS TO LOCAL UNIONS
These awards are given annually in five separate categories based on the size of
the local union membership.
•President’s Award Silver Trophy. The President’s Award Silver Trophy is given
each calendar year to the local having the highest percentage of active members
in the President’s Club.
•The COPE Chairman’s Award is also a silver cup wall plaque and is presented to
the local union with the highest dollar contribution based on active membership.
•The President’s Club consists of those members who have contributed $25 during
the calendar years. Each recipient is issued a silver lapel pin and a
certificate of membership for the appropriate year of participation.
•The Statesman’s Club recognizes those who have gone a step farther and
contributed at least $50 per year. A similar pin, though gold in color, is
distributed along with a certificate of membership.
•The Century Club consists of those members who have contributed more than $100
during a calendar year. The award for membership in this club again consists of
a membership certificate and a gold pin with “100” embossed on it.
•The Congressional Club is the highest award issued to those members who have
contributed $250 or more during a calendar year. The award for membership in
this club includes a member certificate and a special gold pin.
ATU-COPE is your way to protect your job, improve educational opportunities for your children, improve your standard of living and influence policy. We’re proud of the progress ATU-COPE has made. But we know this progress would not have been possible without the participation and dedication of hard-working individual members like you. We thank you for your work and contributions, and ask that you continue to take pride and participate in ATU as we rise to the challenges of the next decade and continue accomplishments that have historically come to characterize ATU-COPE.
