The Transport Workers Union has always had high visibility with the public. Everywhere you go you come across the letters T.W.U. Whether at airports, riding a subway in New York City, buses in Miami, going to a ball game in Akron, Ohio, taking an auto rental shuttlebus in Fort Lauderdale, riding a cable car in San Francisco or having your home gas meter read in Brooklyn, you’re likely to see our members working hard while wearing their TWU insignia apparel.

But now when you see our TWU logo, you can also see the progress of our COPE program.

At a recent COPE drive in Florida members were bringing their COPE coolers, COPE blankets, COPE bags and, of course, COPE hats to the local picnic. At a contract negotiation session, local officers were doing their bargaining while wearing COPE polo shirts. Recently at an airport, as a colleague and I were walking to our gate, we saw the TWU logo on the back of some shirts worn by members walking to their workstations. Along with their shirts letting people know that they were members of the TWU we were surprised to see they wore hats that said TWU COPE.

You can’t believe how proud I felt when I saw all of this. I had always wondered: “Do our members really wear the COPE items?” The answer seems to be a resounding YES!

I believe many people are aware of TWU as a union and its history representing workers in the transportation and other trades. But, I guess many still don’t know that the letters C.O.P.E. stand for Committee on Political Education. Of course, the more our members support COPE and wear the COPE promotional items that is likely to change.

I always asked myself, “Do our members really want to display to the public that they are members of our COPE program?” Now, I know the answer is “Yes.”

Do our members really understand what our COPE program is about? Again, the answer is yes.

Can we make our COPE program more successful? Well, yes, we can if we continue to work together.

I say “we” because I’ll do all I can to publicize COPE and educate fellow members on the importance of political action to our families’ lives. But you, the individual TWU member, must make that commitment to join the COPE program if you haven’t already done so, or by increasing your donation if you are a member so that we can continue to work hard for you in getting our agenda addressed in city halls, in the statehouses and in Congress.

You have made the Transport Workers Union COPE program one of the most successful in the labor movement. Let’s stay on top. Continue to support COPE, register to vote, be an informed voter and don’t forget to vote.