Public Interest Research Group

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In the United States and Canada, Public Interest Research Groups (also known as PIRGs) are non-profit organizations lobbying groups run by college students. For each U.S. state or Canadian Province, its PIRG is a self-governing affiliate. Many of the U.S. state PIRGs are affiliated with the Fund for Public Interest Research ("the Fund").^[1]

History

The State PIRGs emerged in the early 1970s on college campuses across the country. The PIRG model was proposed in the book Action for a Change by Ralph Nader and Donald Ross. Ross became the director of the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) in 1973.^{[2] [3]}

MPIRG (Minnesota) was the first state PIRG to incorporate (on February 17, 1971), and today is one of the few to remain independent from USPIRG and the Fund.^[4] Students in Oregon (OSPIRG) and Massachusetts (MASSPIRG) and other states and Canadian provinces then incorporated PIRGs. The PIRGs are responsible for many of the Bottle Bills (container-deposit legislation) in the U.S.

PIRGs now operate in nearly 30 states.

After students organized on college campuses for nearly 10 years, the different State PIRGs established the D.C. arm—U.S. PIRG—to advocate for change on the national level. U.S. PIRG later became the name for the entire federation, not just the federal legislative and policy arm of the organization.

Since 1970, state PIRGs have delivered results-oriented citizen activism, stood up to powerful special interests, and used the time-tested tools of investigative research, media exposés, grassroots organizing, advocacy and litigation to win real results on issues that matter.

Funding

Student PIRG chapters are typically funded through either a waiveable or a mandatory student fee assessed to each student at the college or university. However, this funding system is controversial due to the political nature of PIRG work. Nationally there were several attempts to remove the PIRG chapters from college campuses, with several being removed, several being retained by majority vote of the student bodies, and many student PIRG chapters reinstated on the contingency that they would solicit their funds directly from individual students rather than by addenda to tuition. Student fees are used only to support Students PIRG chapters.

Fund for the Public Interest

State PIRGs are funded through two sources: members and foundations.

The citizen membership of the PIRGs is largely built through fundraising door-to-door, or in high-traffic public areas. The Fund for the Public Interest,^[1] the national canvassing organization created by the State PIRGs, works to build membership for several other national non-profit lobby groups, including: the State PIRGs, the State Environment groups, and the Human Rights Campaign. Canvassers are often college students during the summer when the canvass operation is expanded, while canvassers generally have a more varied background in the few cities where there is a canvass during the non-summer months. Canvass offices vary drastically in size depending on location and time of year with the largest having between 75 and 100 employees during summer months.

The Fund and the telemarketing centers operate on behalf of all of the state PIRG and Environment groups (excepting MPIRG and NYPIRG). There are currently three telemarketing locations (Portland OR, Boston, MA and Sacramento, CA ). These call centers have a fluid workforce similar to the door and street canvass.

Finally, the individual state PIRGs apply for and receive grants from a variety of different non-profit foundations.

Labor disputes

There have been labor issues surrounding street canvassing and tele-fundraising. On Oct 12th the employees of the Telephone Outreach Project's Portland location won an election to have a union and are negotiating the contract.^{[5] [6] [7]}

State (and other) PIRGs

Some State PIRGs are independent state-based lobby groups, but the vast majority belong to a federal network known as U.S. PIRG. The state PIRGs have also been responsible for creating a number of other public interest non-profits including, but not limited to, Green Corps, the Toxics Action Center, Environmental Action, the National Environmental Law Center, Earth Tones, and the State Environment Groups. These groups remain affiliated with varying degrees of closeness. However, at least two PIRGs remain autonomous operations; MPIRG (Minnesota PIRG) and NYPIRG, the latter supporting activities of U.S. PIRG while maintaing its independence and its governance by its student board.

The organization that encompasses all PIRG, "Environment," and spin-off groups is known as PIN, or the Public Interest Network. This larger, umbrella organization plays a coordinating role.

The highest-profile PIRGs are MPIRG (Minnesota PIRG), CALPIRG (California PIRG), MASSPIRG (Massachusetts PIRG), NYPIRG (New York PIRG), and OSPIRG (Oregon State PIRG). Outside the United States, PIRGs can also be found in Canadian provinces, such as the Ontario Public Interest Research Group, the Alberta Public Interest Research Group (APIRG) and the Nova Scotia Public Interest Research Group. A more complete list of PIRGs in Canada is located at the website PIRG.CA.^[8] Canadian PIRGs operate on a different model than U.S. PIRGs. Canadian PIRGs are student run and the majority of their funding comes directly from students. Most, if not all, Canadian PIRG's operate on a consensus decision making model. Canadian PIRGs are independent of each other although some efforts have been made towards collaboration.

See also

• Fund for Public Interest Research

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Fund for the Public Interest". http://www.fundforthepublicinterest.org. Retrieved April 30, 2012. 
2. ^ Nader, Ralph; Donald Ross (1972). Action for a Change: A Student's Manual for Public Interest Organizing. New York: Grossman Publishers. ISBN 670-10319-5. 
3. ^ "Public Interest Projects: History". http://www.publicinterestprojects.org/about-pip/history/. Retrieved 25 May 2012. 
4. ^ "About MPIRG". Minnesota Public Interest Research Group. http://www.mpirg.org/About/index.html. Retrieved 2008-08-19. 
5. ^ "Overtime Class Action Suit Against the Fund for Public Interest Research". https://www.thefundovertimelawsuit.com/. 
6. ^ "Labor Strife at OSPIRG". KBOO. December 15, 2011. http://kboo.fm/node/32658. Retrieved April 30, 2012. 
7. ^ Mirk, Sarah (December 15, 2011). Portland "Workers Picket Progressive Groups OSPIRG, Environment Oregon". The Portland Mercury. http://blogtown.portlandmercury.com/BlogtownPDX/archives/2011/12/15/workers-picket-progressive-groups-ospirg-environment-oregon Portland. Retrieved April 30, 2012. 
8. ^ "PIRG.CA". 2012. http://pirg.ca. Retrieved April 30, 2012. 

External links

• The California Public Interest Research Group (CALPIRG)
• The Public Interest Network