Richard O'Brien, PFFPNC, Makes Plea for H.O.P.E.

Coalition for public employees needs support

The campaign to end the ban on public employee collective bargaining in North Carolina has been a long one. The work of the North Carolina Hear Our Public Employees Coalition (HOPE) must continue, especially in hard economic times. Even for a group that runs as efficiently as HOPE on a shoe-string budget, that effort takes money.

Richard O'Brien, Secretary-Treasurer for the Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics of North Carolina, has written a letter urging our member unions and individuals in the community to dig deep and continue to fund this vital effort to repeal the Jim Crow law that bans bargaining for public employees:

Now is not the time to slack off, as HOPE has been securing more and more legislators who support the repeal.

This is where we need YOUR help! Our larger contributors have not been able to help out in the way that they would like to be able to contribute. So rather than having a few large contributors, HOPE is counting on numerous individuals like you to make smaller donations of $10, $15, or $20.

I am Richard O'Brien, the Secretary-Treasurer for the Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics of North Carolina (the IAFF State Affiliate).

If you are receiving this e-mail, you are in some way connected, either as a Local Union member or through your membership in a larger statewide organization, to a coalition known as HOPE (Hear Our Public Employees). Visit the website and learn more about HOPE.

HOPE is a coalition of organizations and individuals that support our goal of securing collective bargaining rights for public employees by repealing NC General Statute 95-98 which bans contracts between units of government and unions or employee associations.

As you are aware, the economy has not recovered. The coalition partners are doing everything they can to financially support HOPE which runs on a limited budget. HOPE operates with only one part-time staff person and is in danger of losing that one person.

HOPE is not a charitable organization. If it were, we would not be able to lobby the legislators thereby defeating the reason for our very existence. Therefore, donations are not tax deductible and you can see why small donors are that much more important.

Now is not the time to slack off, as HOPE has been securing more and more legislators who support the repeal.

This is where we need YOUR help! Our larger contributors have not been able to help out in the way that they would like to be able to contribute. So rather than having a few large contributors, HOPE is counting on numerous individuals like you to make smaller donations of $10, $15, or $20.

Help HOPE Help You!

HOPE makes it real easy to donate. HOPE has a PayPal account set up on their website.

Simply go to HOPE's website and click on the orange Donate icon on the right hand side of the page and follow the instructions to make a secure credit card donation of $10, $15, or $20.

We know finances are tight for our members too, and if you can't see your way clear to donate one of these amounts, would you at least consider donating $5?

Your help is needed now! Please contribute now!

Visit HOPE's website NC HOPE and click on the orange Donate icon on the right hand side of the page and follow the instructions to make a secure credit card donation.