grassroots advocacy: what is it & what role can you play?
TRANSCRIPT
Grassroots Advocacy: What Is It & What Role Can You Play?
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What Is Advocacy?
Advocacy – The act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; active support.
The American Heritage: Dictionary
of the English Language – 4th Edition
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The Importance of Advocacy
“America is not governed by the majority, but by the majority of those who participate.”
- Thomas Jefferson
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A member benefit that allows SHRM members to directly influence the
outcome of state and federal policies and create long lasting relationships with legislators and legislative staff.
What is HRVoice?
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Regulatory/Judicial Affairs
Federal Public Policy
Member Advocacy
State Public Policy
SHRM Governmental Affairs
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As a member advocate for the HR profession, it is important that you keep your elected officials informed on public policy issues and how they affect the HR profession and your organization.
Exercise Your Voice
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How You Can Play a Part
Stay Educated Inform Others
Build Relationships
Member
Advocacy
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• Use SHRM as a Resource• Know your opposition’s arguments and be
able to refute them• Tell your story – make it PERSONAL –
Give them the HR perspective• Research voting history on related issues -
find out your legislator’s position on the bill
• Understand and familiarize yourself with the bill
Stay Educated
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Washington, DC & State Insider www.shrm.org/government/insiders_published
State Pending Legislation Reportwww.shrm.org/government/states/pendingleg_published
HR Congressional Monitorwww.shrm.org/government/scoreboard_published
www.shrm.org/government/update
Educational Resources
Washington, DC & State Insider www.shrm.org/government/insiders_published
State Pending Legislation Reportwww.shrm.org/government/states/pendingleg_published
HR Congressional Monitorwww.shrm.org/government/scoreboard_published
www.shrm.org/government/update
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Educational Resources
• Public Policy Statements/Fact Sheets
• Public Policy Presentations
• State and Federal Monitoring & Tracking
• Webcasts & Conference Calls
• Toolkits
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Legislative Alerts
Legislative Alerts sent from the SHRM Governmental Affairs staff
informing HR professionals of proposed legislation on the state
and federal levels.
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Sample Alert – Rhode Island
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Sample Alert – Rhode Island (cont.)
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Inform Others
• Your Voice – as HR Professionals, your point of view provides a unique perspective that your Member of Congress may not have heard or even considered.
• Your actions – Your advocacy efforts will ultimately impact and benefit you as well as the employers and employees across the nation.
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• Visit your legislators• Write letters, call offices, send e-mails &
faxes • Letters to the Editor, opinion pieces, press
conferences• Committee testimony• CREATE LONG LASTING RELATIONSHIPS!• Make it personal by TELLING YOUR STORY• Be a CATALYST for CHANGE
Relationship Building
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Day Inside the Beltway (DITB)
The "Day Inside the Beltway" program encourages SHRM members to travel to Washington, D.C. for a day of Capitol Hill office meetings.
Activities include meeting at SHRM headquarters with SHRM Government Affairs staff, and at the Senate and House of Representatives offices with your chapter members’ respective Members of Congress
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Tampa Chapter DITB Feedback
"I am grateful that SHRM and HR Tampa are paving the way for us to make a difference. If one HR professional can make a difference — imagine what several of us can do!"
--Cheri Farnham, Member of the Tampa DITB Delegation
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Day Inside the Beltway (DITB)
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Day Inside the District (DITD)
The “Day Inside the District” program is a local initiative that provides an opportunity to generate interest and support of issues important to the HR professional on a federal and state level.
Most members of Congress and state legislators a good deal of time in their home districts and the DITD is the ideal opportunity for relationship building.
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Day Inside the District (DITD)
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6
20
6
23
8
31
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
2006 2007 2008
DITB & DITD Activity
Days Inside theBeltway
Days Inside the District
Overview of SHRM’s Government Affairs Program
Relationship Building Activities
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200
0 0
184
145
0
182
0
209
300
0 0
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
2005 2006 2007 2008
Hill Advocacy Days
Employment Law &Legislative Conference
Annual Conference
Leadership Conference
Overview of SHRM’s Government Affairs Program
Member Advocacy Program
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HR Voice
HR Voice letter writing program - Overcomes most objections that members have to participating:
• Don’t know what issues to write on
• Don’t know what to say• Don’t know who my
representatives are• Composing a letter takes too
long
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Get Involved. USE YOUR VOICE!
1. Go to www.shrm.org
2. Sign in using your member number and last name.
3. Click on “Governmental Affairs," then go to “HRVoice” on the left side of your screen.
4. Choose “Write your elected officials.”
5. Click on one (1) of the current issues listed under the heading “Take Immediate Action on these Hot Issues.”
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14,998
1,114
12,888
1,757
31,254
704
52,132
1,396
35975
3357
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Federal
State
Overview of SHRM’s Government Affairs Program
HR Voice Letter Writing
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For Questions on Member Advocacy
Questions? Please contact SHRM’s Member
Advocacy Specialist:
Recardo Gibson1-800-283-7476 ext. 6091