Committee on Political Education (COPE)
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Welcome to the Metro
Washington Council, AFL-CIO Political Action
page!
At the Metro Council,
political action happens primarily through the
Committee on Political Education, or
"COPE."
Near Clean-Sweep for
Labor-Endorsed Candidates &
Issues
Metro-area labor’s endorsed
candidates and initiatives scored a near
clean-sweep Tuesday. President Obama won
handily in DC and Maryland, as expected, and
once
again carried swing-state Virginia, where labor
conducted extensive voter ID and GOTV efforts
that were part of a national Democratic/labor
ground game that defeated a massive GOP and
right-wing funded ad blitz.
Maryland: In addition to wins
by labor-endorsed candidates Ben Cardin (U.S.
Senate), Dutch Ruppersberger (CD 2), John
Sarbanes (CD 3), Donna Edwards (CD 4), Steny
Hoyer (CD 5), John Delaney (CD 6), Elijah
Cummings (CD 7) and Chris Van Hollen (CD 8),
all the labor-supported referenda passed,
including Question 4 (Dream Act), Question 5
(Re-Districting), Question 6 (Marriage
Equality) and Question 7 (Gaming). Montgomery
County’s Ballot Question B (Effects
Bargaining For Police Employees) was approved,
in a defeat for labor, and while results had
not yet been finalized in the Prince George’s
County Board of Education races, endorsed
candidates Edward Burroughs and Carletta
Fellows appear to have won, but Clifford Savoy
lost his race for the Calvert County School
Board.
District of
Columbia: Eleanor Holmes Norton won as
U.S. House Delegate, while in the DC City
Council, labor-endorsed candidates Jack Evans
(Ward 2), Muriel Bowser
(Ward 4), Yvette Alexander (Ward 7), Marion
Barry (Ward 8), Vincent Orange (At-Large) and
Phil Mendelson (Chairman) won, but Michael
Brown (At-Large)
lost.
Virginia: In what
NoVA Labor president Dan Duncan modestly called
a “pretty good evening overall,” labor’s
wins included Tim Kaine (U.S. Senate), Jim
Moran (CD 8), and Gerry Connolly (CD 11), while
Adam Cook (CD 1) and Kristin Cabral (CD 10)
lost. The labor-endorsed slate won in the City
of Alexandria: Mayor William Euille, and City
Council member Paul Smedberg, Allison
Silberberg, John Taylor Chapman, Del Pepper,
Justin Wilson and Tim Lovain.
-
published 11/8/2012; photos: Unite Here
25 member Shondra Alston doorknocks in Burke,
VA (above); Metro Council Assistant
Legislative/Political Coordinator Alya Solomon
(l) and Union Cities Assistant Mobilizer Julia
Kann call Virginia union voters at the AFL-CIO
phonebank(below); photos by Chris
Garlock
What is COPE?
COPE stands for the Committee on Political Education. It is committees made up of union members that informs and mobilizes union families to encourage their participation in the political process. Working men and women can express their voice in politics and policy issues that affect their lives.
What does COPE do?
Committees are responsible for running information and mobilization campaigns on local issues. The COPE provides financial contributions to worker-friendly candidates running for office, provides information to union families about the candidates and their positions on the issues affecting their lives such as, decent health care, pension, and safe working conditions are among the concerns influenced by the political process. Committees organize grass-roots mobilization efforts to win important legislation and track the voting records of our state and local legislators on issues affecting working families. Committees also use this information to interview and screens candidates running for office, making endorsement recommendations to the Executive Board of the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO.
COPE empowers union members by:
- Providing political education
- Raising political funds
- Endorsing candidates based on our issues
- Supporting and contributing to endorsed candidates
- Implementing get-out-the-vote programs
- Educating public officials on our issues
- Contacting and rallying support for our issues
Meetings
The DC COPE meets every 2nd Tuesday of the month (except for July and August) at the
Iron Workers Local 201 (1507 Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington, DC).
Montgomery County & Prince George's County COPE meets ___.
Get Involved
For more information about DC COPE, contact Alya Solomon at asolomon@dclabor.org or call 202-974-8222.
For more information about Maryland COPE in Charles, St. Mary's Calvert and Montgomery and Prince George's counties, contact Rick Powell at rpowell@dclabor.org or 202-974-8154.
THE LATEST FROM COPE
- Labor GOTV Finish Line In Sight (11/5/2012)
- Labor-Endorsed Candidate Greg Hall Appointed to Vacant District 24 Delegate Seat (11/5/2012)
- NOVA Labor Begins Final Push for 2012 GOTV (11/3/2012)
- Hotel Workers Dial for Jobs (11/3/2012)
- Labor Photo: Firing Up the VA Labor Vote (11/3/2012)
- Handy Labor Voter Guide (11/3/2012)
- Union Retirees Hit Street, Phones for Obama (11/3/2012)
- Phonebanking Made Easy & Fun (11/2/2012)
- Early Voting Guide & Latest Local Labor Walks (11/1/2012)
- Labor Volunteers Pour Into NoVA for Obama, Push Referenda in MD (11/28/2012)
- Labor Photo: Rallying for Gaming Jobs (11/28/2012)
- Election "Crunch Time" (10/26/2012)
- NoVA GOTV Labor Effort Continues to Build (10/23/2012)
- Kaine to Rally NoVA Volunteers Saturday (10/19/2012)
- Political Mobilization Main Focus of Council Meeting (10/17/2012)
- Granholm, Boland & Thomas Fire Up NoVA Volunteers (10/16/2012)
- Weekend Labor-to-Labor (10/12/2012)
- NoVA Election Efforts Expanding (9/17/2012)
- AFL-CIO Election Phonebank Opens Monday (9/14/2012)
- Labor Cranks Up Walks & Voter Registration Efforts (9/7/2012)
- NoVA Launches Labor Walks in Battle for VA Vote (8/23/2012)
- COPE
Report: Now's The Time to Register to Vote
(8/13/2012)
- MD COPE Report: Labor to Lobby at Special Session on Gaming in Annapolis (8/8/2012)
- MD COPE Report: MontCo Construction Workers Welcome New Safety Regs (7/26/2012)
- MD COPE Report: Office Cleaners Stand Up for Job Security (7/6/2012)
- DC COPE Report: Locals Mobilize Against Anti-Union Nominee to WASA Board (7/5/2012)
- DC COPE Report: Rand Paul Scuttles DC Budget Bill with "Right to Work" Amendment (6/28/2012)
- DC COPE Report: Metro Council Joins Call on Congress to Strike Proposed Restriction on Spending of Local Tax Dollars (6/8/2012)
- DC COPE Report: Ending "Pay-to-Play" Politics in DC (6/5/2012)
- MD COPE Report: New Law Protects Union Members (5/24/2012)
- DC
COPE Report: Hard Work Pays Off in Ward 5
(5/18/2012)
CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRES
2012 DC Council Chair Special Election
2012 DC At-Large General Election
2012
DC SPECIAL WARD 5 CITY COUNCIL
ELECTION
2012 Maryland 5th, 6th,
and 8th Congressional District Primary
Election:
Bailey;
Delaney;
Garagiola;
Little;
Van
Hollen; Hoyer;
English;
Pooran
2012
DC CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATES
2010
MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Montgomery
County
2010
MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Prince George's
County
2010
MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Calvert County
2010
MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY: Charles County
2010
District of Columbia City Council Candidate
Questionnaire
2010
District of Columbia Primary, Council Chair
Candidate Questionnaire
2010
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY: County Office Candidate
Questionnaires
2010
Charles County: Candidate Questionnaires
2010
St Mary's County: Candidate Questionnaires
2010
Calvert County: Candidate
Questionnaires
2010
Montgomery County: County Office Candidate
Questionnaires
2008
DC City Council Candidate
Questionnaires
2008
District 4 Candidate Donna Edwards
Questionnaire
2008
Congressman Chris Van Hollen Questionnaire
2008
Congressman Steny Hoyer
Questionnaire
2007
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: City Council Wards 4
& 7 Candidate Questionnaires
2007
TAKOMA PARK MD: City Council Candidate
Questionnaires
2006
General Election Endorsements
2006
DC School Board Endorsements
2006
Maryland State and Calvert County
Endorsements
2006
CALVERT COUNTY: County Office Candidate
Questionnaires
2006
CHARLES COUNTY: County Office Candidate
Questionnaires
2006
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: City Council Candidate
Questionnaires
2006
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Mayor & Council Chair
Candidate Questionnaires
2006
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: School Board Candidate
Questionnaires
2006
MARYLAND STATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: District 14,
15 & 16 Candidate
Questionnaires
2006
MARYLAND STATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: District 17
& 18 Candidate Questionnaires
2006
MARYLAND STATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: District 19,
20 & 39 Candidate
Questionnaires
2006
MARYLAND STATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: District 20
& 25 Candidate Questionnaires
2006 MARYLAND STATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: District 21 & 22 Candidate Questionnaires
2006
MARYLAND STATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: District 23
& 24 Candidate Questionnaires
2006
MARYLAND STATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: District 25-27
& 27a Candidate Questionnaires
2006 MARYLAND STATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: District 27B, 28 & 29 Candidate Questionnaires
2006
MARYLAND STATE GENERAL ASSEMBLY: District 47
Candidate Questionnaires
2006
MONTGOMERY COUNTY: County Executive Candidate
Questionnaires
2006
MONTGOMERY COUNTY: County Office Candidate
Questionnaires
2006
PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY: County Executive
Candidate Questionnaires
2006 PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY: County Office Candidate Questionnaires
2006
ST MARY’S COUNTY: County Office Candidate
Questionnaires
2006
US Congress DC Delegate: Eleanor Holmes
Norton
2006
US Congress MD District 4: Al
Wynn
2006
US Congress MD District 8: Chris Van
Hollen
Related Documents
- Committee on Political Education (COPE)
Committee on Political Education (COPE)
