2020 Volunteer Gift Card Program: We Need Your Help!

Dear Local Union Leaders:

Beginning this Saturday, October 3, 2020 through election day on November 3, 2020, AFSCME, Ohio Council 8 will be recruiting member volunteers to engage in lit drops and make labor to labor telephone calls encouraging union members to vote and to vote for labor’s endorsed candidates. Volunteers who sign up and complete assignments as outlined below, will be eligible to receive a $25.00 gift card(s).

Lit Drops:

Member volunteers (including members of AFSCME Chapter 1184 who were once members of Ohio Council are being recruited to participate in literature drops each weekend between October 3rd and election day. In order to qualify for a gift card, members must call or visit their Ohio Council 8 Regional Office and register as a Council 8 member volunteer. (Members will not be eligible for a gift card unless they are registered with Ohio Council 8 before they begin their volunteer shift).

NOTE: All Lit Drop member volunteers must be able to download the AFL-CIO Mini-Van app (available at the APP Store) on their cell phone or other electronic device to participate in the lit drop program. Ohio Council 8 staff can help member volunteers download the app and provide training on how to use it.

During registration, member volunteers will be asked for their name, address, email address, phone number and the date and lit drop shift they will be distributing literature. The member volunteer will be given a user name and a password to log onto the AFL-CIO mini-van phone app to retrieve their walk location, targeted addresses and maps and to log those houses at which literature was dropped.

Lit. Drop shifts are 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Member volunteers will pick up the materials to be distributed on the lit drop shifts from the Ohio Council 8 Regional Office. ALL volunteer members MUST wear face masks while at the Council 8 Regional Office and for the duration of their lit drop shift to be eligible to receive a gift card. If member volunteers do not have face masks, a paper face mask will be provided to them at the Ohio Council 8 Regional Office for use throughout their shift.

When the member volunteer has completed their walk shift, they must call the Council 8 Regional Office to inform Council 8 that they completed their assignment. Council 8 will then confirm that the walk shift was completed and then mail the member volunteer their $25.00 gift card. Volunteer members can earn a $25.00 gift card for each lit drop walk shift they complete.

Phone Calls:

Members can also volunteer to complete a shift of making telephone calls to union members across Ohio to encourage the members to vote and to vote for labor’s endorsed candidates. Telephone shifts are 9:00 a.m. to Noon; 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

NOTE: In order to participate in the Council’s phone bank gift card program, members must have a lap top, iPad or other electronic device with a microphone (other than a cell phone) that is compatible with the Ohio AFL-CIO predictive dialer system. Ohio Council 8 staff are trained to assist member volunteer access the predictive dialer system and train them how to use it. It also may be possible for volunteers to make calls from the Council 8 Regional Office. If Council 8 space is available, space will be provided on a first come first serve basis.

In order to qualify for a gift card, members must call or visit their Ohio Council 8 Regional Office to register as a Council 8 member volunteer. (Members will not be eligible for a gift card unless they are registered with Ohio Council 8 before their volunteer shift).

During registration member volunteers will be asked for their name, address, email address, phone number and the date and phone shift they will be volunteering to make calls. The member volunteer will be given a user name and a password to log onto the AFL-CIO predictive dialer system. The system will provide volunteer member callers with the phone script and it will automatically dial the number of the union members across the state to whom the volunteer will be speaking. The volunteer member caller will then use the system to log whether the call was successful or unsuccessful.

When the volunteer member has completed their phone bank shift, they must call their Council 8 Regional Office to inform Council 8 that they completed their assignment. After Council 8 confirms with the AFL-CIO that the phone shift was completed, Ohio Council 8 will mail the member volunteer their $25.00 gift card. Member volunteers can earn a $25.00 gift card for each phone bank shift that they complete.

Please help Ohio Council 8 recruit member volunteers to participate in the Council’s Labor 2020 Program. If you have any questions regarding the program, please contact your staff representative or regional director.

Thank you.

President Sean Grayson, AFSCME Ohio Council 8