What is the Local 338 PAC?

The Local 338 PAC is the committee that oversees the PAC fund. Federal election laws do not allow labor unions to directly contribute from their funds to candidates for federal office (President, Vice President, Member of Congress, etc.). There are other restrictions in state and local elections. These restrictions are put into place to limit the influence of money in politics. We do not live in a perfect world, and we know that money is an influence in politics.

The creation of a Political Action Committee allows our members to become a part of the process and to contribute to elected officials or candidates who have demonstrated their commitment to working men and women and labor by making their contributions through a separate agency (the Local 338 PAC), which is not subject to the same restrictions as our union.

Donations to the 338 PAC are strictly voluntary, and contributions can be as little as $.25 (25 cents) per week.

Why Should Members Contribute?

Politics play a vital role in everything Local 338 does, whether we like it or not. When organizing new shops, political support in the area is invaluable. When negotiating contracts, political pressure is integral. The ability to call upon a friend in office to apply political pressure can make or break our success in either of these situations and numerous others.

Campaign contributions are not the only way we can influence government. PAC money will be used to fund voter registration drives, and Get Out The Vote (GOTV) activities, like mailings, flyers, posters and palm cards. GOTV efforts target and mobilize voters who are sympathetic to what we believe and advocate for. Most people in this nation work for a living, yet we consistently elect people who have no interest in representing working-class Americans. The money contributed to the PAC fund will help us mobilize voters for candidates who share our values and goals. It will help us register our membership; it will help us encourage our members to vote on Election Day. The PAC allows us to make an even larger impact in elections. It will make our voice more powerful. We are more than 18,000 members and any organization that can bring that many votes to the table is a power player.
Today, unions are at a severe disadvantage in this country. Too many elected officials have a pro-big business and anti-union agenda; fighting against the right of workers to be members of a union, devising ways to eliminate overtime pay and making it easier for companies to take back benefits and adversely affect benefit programs.

The stakes are high, our very jobs and livelihood, and the only way we can fight back is by working together, because we are "Stronger Together." The Local 338 PAC helps to level the playing field in this fight.

Participate in and Contribute to the Local 338 PAC, it's your future!

A Strong PAC = A Stronger Union!

A strong PAC will put our Union "on the map". A strong PAC will make it known that our union can make things happen. A strong PAC gives the union the opportunity to shape and craft legislation, such as an increase in the minimum wage, that will help you directly. That puts our union, and our members, in a powerful position.

The success of the Local 338 PAC is important to the future of our union. It is important to every one of our organizing campaigns in the future, it is important to every contract we negotiate from here on out. The strength of our union depends upon it.How will the PAC fund be spent?