The California Professional Firefighters Membership Activism Committee was created in 2018 to capitalize on the strength of our union’s greatest asset: Our members. With the threats to firefighter working conditions, wages, benefits, and retirement security continuing to grow, CPF leadership has revamped the Membership Activism Committee with renewed focus and energy to take on CPF’s most pressing legislative and organizational priorities.
Over the past several months, committee members, one from each CPF District, have met to set strategic priorities, develop grassroots infrastructure, and launch tools to engage members more directly. Working closely with CPF staff, these district leads have helped prioritize communications, revamp the committee’s online presence, and build a member engagement strategy centered on key challenges, like retirement security through AB 1383. But AB 1383 is just one front in a much larger fight.
The Membership Activism Committee is designed to mobilize members to advance CPF’s full legislative agenda. From securing safer workplaces through stronger PPE standards and exposure protections, to tackling the firefighter cancer crisis with real solutions like Marin Professional Firefighters, Local 1775's cancer screening event, to increasing awareness around lithium-ion battery fires and their deadly chemical risks. We need you in this fight.
On April 23, more than 300 CPF members filled the halls of the State Capitol to support AB 1383, the most consequential piece of retirement legislation since the original retirement reform efforts in 2012. Our presence helped move the bill out of its Assembly Committee hearing with unanimous bipartisan support (7-0), despite opposition from The League of Cities and the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) who testified against this bill.
“That kind of mobilization doesn't happen by accident. It's the result of behind-the-scenes work, coordination, and shared commitment,” said Mike Lopez, Secretary-Treasurer of CPF and Chair of the Membership Activism Committee.
On May 13, CPF members from across the state gathered in Sacramento once again for the Daniel A. Terry Legislative Conference, a pivotal day of lobbying and action that showcases the power of member-driven activism.
“This wasn’t just a day to learn about CPF’s legislative priorities, it was a call for every firefighter to take a stand and fight for their future. Every conversation, every story shared, and every step taken through the Capitol halls was a direct reflection of the purpose behind the Membership Activism Committee,” says Secretary-Treasurer Lopez.
This committee exists to mobilize, educate, and empower our members, turning passion into action that influences policies shaping the lives of California’s firefighters. The day showed us that member activism doesn’t just fuel the union, it is the union. By stepping up, CPF members demonstrated the power of solidarity and activism to protect our rights, advance legislation, and ensure a better future for all.
“I got involved in my Local specifically because I want to make a difference for the younger generation. So, it's an opportunity for me to be the start of that younger generation who are coming into the fire service and making an impact for the future,” says Wesley Lighten. A firefighter from Modesto City Firefighters, Local 1289, on why he chose to show up and be present for the 2025 Daniel A. Terry Legislative Conference.
This is what member activism looks like. Whether your passion is retirement, health and safety, cancer prevention, wages, benefits, or political action, there’s a place for you in this work. The fight for our profession’s future depends on members stepping up when the Membership Activism Committee calls.
Scan the QR code to join us. You’ll be the first to hear about actions that impact your future. When we work together, our voice becomes one no elected official can ignore. The moment demands it. Our profession deserves it.
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Check out the Membership Activism Committee’s new website and click around to see what the committee has been up to and ways for you to get involved.