The next few months are critical for any chapter hoping to make the Membership Incentive Program (MIP) threshold this year! Chapters that reach a designated percentage of members within their bargaining unit by May 1st will receive a portion of their state dues back to their treasuries.
High membership numbers are crucial for demonstrating solidarity and winning strong contracts at the bargaining table. It’s easy to tell a couple of people ‘no.’ It’s a lot harder to tell an entire and essential section of your workforce ‘no.’ Membership numbers show your district the strength of our union, and chapters where classified stand together have more power to demand better wages and benefits.
“MIP is a way to encourage chapter leaders to grow their membership, because when push comes to shove, it’s their member engagement that will help them at the bargaining table,” Wofford said. “When we stand together in force, we are unstoppable.”
It all starts with outreach. We hear so often that new members hadn’t signed up earlier simply because they hadn’t been asked. Roseburg Chapter 21 President Kristi Bracken ran a membership drive in her chapter last spring and said that several of her new members just needed to be directly asked to sign cards.
“They were more than happy to sit there and talk with us and discuss it,” Bracken said. Some of the schools in her district have employees who are more reluctant to meet with union leaders, but “Most of them had been considering it and just putting the application in their hand was enough.”
She said showing our union is present in the workplace by regularly sharing information with the bargaining unit and visiting worksites draws in potential members.
“The biggest thing you can do is make sure that your chapter is being loud,” Bracken said. “Make sure that everyone knows that you are there, you are trying to work for them and put together a solid team. I had a solid team with me for this drive and for bargaining and that made a world of difference.”
Membership conversations can be useful far beyond a signed union card. Bracken said Roseburg’s drive was useful for connecting with members she doesn’t usually see. She was able to have deep conversations about issues in the district and gained some new insights and new supporters.
Not sure where to begin? Each chapter and district will have unique nuances and challenges, but the basic outline of a plan is as follows:
- Get a small group of volunteers together who are willing to take a small amount of leave.
- Use your membership lists, which you can get from your Field Representative, to determine which schools have the largest percentage of potential members.
- Break those schools down into groups that are geographically close together and assign groups of two or three volunteers to each set of schools.
- Use your leave time to visit those worksites and talk to potential members. Bring membership applications and materials listing your recent bargaining wins and contract gains. OSEA can pay release time so volunteers are still paid their regular wages while participating in membership drives – you do not need to use your personal leave or unpaid hours!
Since 2018, the MIP has had the same membership standards to qualify: chapters who have 70 percent membership by May 1st receive an incentive equal to 3 percent of their state dues. Chapters at 80 percent membership receive 5 percent, and at 95 percent membership, chapters receive an incentive worth 10 percent of their state dues. This year, the Board of Directors is considering revising the criteria to make participation in the MIP accessible to more chapters.
IMPORTANT: Our membership percentage calculations are based on numbers provided to our state office by your employer. Please don’t forget that there are several factors that influence your membership total, including when a current member leaves for another employer or your employer hires new bargaining unit members. If you believe we have not received accurate numbers for your chapter, please contact your field representative.