SECRETARY-TREASURER’S DESK | MIKE LOPEZ

Transparency Matters

As I look back on the CPF 49th Biennial Convention this past spring, I am filled with pride of the significant strides we’ve made to secure a stronger financial future for our union, and more importantly, our members. Your unwavering commitment and the adoption of increased member dues have been instrumental in mitigating the impact of inflation, union costs, funding future conventions, modernizing our Political Action fund, and supporting CPF staff. Your role in fostering the financial stability of our union is invaluable and deeply appreciated.

Thanks to your willingness and sacrifice, CPF is now in a better position to protect its obligations to its membership and functionality with a vision, purpose, and strength. Our commitment to transparency has allowed us to move forward with confidence and intentionality. Because of our hard work, we are now in a position to stabilize our union for years to come.

As your Secretary-Treasurer, I consider it my duty to maintain transparency and keep you informed of all CPF and California Fire Foundation related financials. Heading into the convention in May, we knew we were facing a financial challenge that must be addressed head-on. At the 49th Biennial Convention, I made it loud and clear that CPF was in the red, at $858,000 over budget. My job was to get us out to secure a financial future we could all be proud of, and that’s what I set out to do.

At my direction, and without hesitation, the CPF Finance Team and CPF staff engaged in collaborative brainstorming sessions, pooling their expertise and proposing innovative solutions. These steps have led to the development of significant cost-saving tactics and new revenue streams that will ultimately close CPF’s financial gap.

After the convention, I tasked the finance team with compiling a comprehensive six-month overview of CPF’s finances for the remaining budget year, considering convention costs, revenues, and the newly adopted member dues from convention. Today, I am proud that the CPF will maintain a balanced budget through the remaining fiscal year.

Currently CPF is estimated to turn its deficit of $858,000 into a surplus of $52,000 by the end of the 2024 budget year through a cumulative effort by our executive board and our 2024 convention.

Your involvement and understanding of these financial matters are crucial to our success, and I am confident that together, we can overcome any challenge we are faced with.

With my sincerest gratitude, I must acknowledge the truly admirable dedication and hard work of the CPF Finance Team. With their collective and innovative efforts, in tandem with the increased dues adopted by our members, we are all taking the necessary steps to ensure CPF's financial stability for generations. Without our Chief of Staff, Fera Dayani, and Finance Director, Irene Chu, CPF and the entire CPF team would not be working to attain the stability we’ve set out to achieve. Their efforts are truly commendable.

Elections Matter, Your Voice Matters:

Securing financial security isn’t always about making smarter choices and thinking outside the box; it is also based on who we support politically as a union. When faced with a choice, such as this important election in November, we MUST elect those who support fire service members, or we risk losing everything.

One of the best decisions CPF members can make is to support elected officials who align with our mission, our values, and those who will continue to support and fight for matters such as pensions, health care, benefits, and rights to bargain to achieve what we feel is best for our profession and our families. How you choose to vote affects our livelihoods, not just for ourselves but also for future generations.

Since I was elected as your CPF Secretary-Treasurer in 2018, my job has been to make decisions based not on personal beliefs or opinions, but on what is best for our members and the future of California’s fire service members. Transparency and forward-thinking solutions have always been a promise I’ve made to you.

On day one, I envisioned meeting our members where they were by implementing a ground-up approach. We established in-person meetings to provide a safe space for our members to hear their voices, explore better cost saving methods, and secure investment strategies. While these things have been explored to help CPF secure financial life stability moving forward, we are far from perfect and still have great strides to accomplish the goals I’ve set out to achieve. I am extremely proud of how far we've come and the trust you’ve instilled in me. But more importantly, the direction we are moving together as one.