COPE (Committee On Political Education) Action Center

The Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) is a public institution governed by state and federal statutes and is publically funded.  Decisions made by federal and state elected officials have a significant impact on the college, its employees and our students. As a result, Local 212 is active in the political area supporting elected officials who support MATC, career and technical education, and our students. We seek increased investments in MATC and career and technical education, support for collective bargaining rights for professional educators, and progressive legislation that meets the needs of and advances the circumstances of our students, our members, and our communities we serve.

Local 212 has an active Committee on Political Education (COPE) that is funded through Local 212 members’ voluntary contributions (NOT MEMBERSHIP DUES). Local 212 uses this fund to contribute to candidates for state and local office who support MATC and career and technical education.

Any Local 212 member who contributes to COPE is a member of the committee. COPE members are invited to all COPE meetings and have full voting rights. To join COPE contact the union office at 414-765-0910 or click the button in the upper right corner of this page.

COPE Endorsements (Fall 2024)

• Kamala Harris and Tim Walz - U.S. President & Vice President

• Tammy Baldwin - U.S. Senate

• Peter Barca - U.S. Congress - 1st Congressional District

• Gwen Moore - U.S. Congress - 4th Congressional District

• Jodi Habush Sinykin - 8th Senate District

• Angelito Tenorio - State Assembly District 14

• Ryan Clancy - State Assembly District 19

• David Marstellar - State Assembly District 21

• LuAnn Bird - State Assembly District 61

• VOTE NO on Constitutional Amendment Question

Glaring Differences on Higher Education Policy: Kamala Harris vs. Donald Trump - Harris Vs. Trump Educational Policy Comparison

• Pell Grants & College Costs

• Harris: Supports tuition-free college and increasing Pell Grants. The Biden-Harris administration raised Pell Grants by $900.

• Trump: Tried to cut Pell Grants and opposes free tuition for community colleges.

• Predatory Colleges

• Harris: Sued Corinthian College, winning $1.1 billion to protect students.

• Trump: Ran Trump University, settled fraud cases for $25M, and weakened protections against for-profit colleges.

• Student Loans

• Biden-Harris: Forgave $168.5B in loans and expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness, benefiting MATC staff.

• Trump: Tried to end loan forgiveness and supported striking down debt relief.

• Department of Education

• Harris & Walz: Will protect the Department, which supports key MATC programs.

• Trump: Plans to eliminate the Department, harming MATC students and staff.

Become A COPE Contributor!

Your contributions help support candidates that support MATC. Print and complete the form below, then email to aftlocal212office@gmail.com

Please note: Local 212 regular dues are not used to support political candidates and only COPE contributors have a say in endorsements