Page 6 - Retiree News Spring 2021

Rustin honored as a “Woman of Ambition”
MANHATTAN — New York Metropolitan Retirees Local 910 President Barbara Rustin was recently presented with the “Woman of Ambition Award” during the region’s recent Women’s History Month virtual event.
“I was very excited to get this award because I deserve it,” said Rustin, who is certainly deserving of that honor after more than
50 years as a CSEA member and activist. “It was also great that I
was honored on my birthday.” Rustin started working as a
mental health therapy aide at the Bronx Psychiatric Center in 1967. She retired after 25 years and joined Local 910, where she initially served as secretary. She was first elected Local President in 1995.
This will be her last year as Local 910 President, a role she cherished and allowed her to advocate on behalf of CSEA retirees.
“It’s time to let someone else lead,” said Rustin. “But I’m not going anywhere.”
At the ripe young age of 82, Rustin plans to remain involved with the Retirees and the CSEA Metropolitan Region Education and Political Action Committees.
“I will also be there for my CSEA family,” said Rustin.
— David Galarza
Rustin
Meet new CSEA PEOPLE Coordinator Kim Wallace-Russo
Editor’s Note:
Former longtime CSEA Capital Region activist Kim Wallace-Russo recently took on
a new role in our
union — as the
new CSEA PEOPLE
Coordinator.
CSEA’s PEOPLE
program protects and improves
our jobs, benefits and pensions in Washington, Albany and in your community. Your support and participation in PEOPLE strengthens CSEA’s clout in the workplace, in the legislature, in your community and in the labor movement.
Here, Wallace-Russo discusses with the Retiree News her new role, why PEOPLE is so important for CSEA Retiree members and how you can play a role in PEOPLE.
Retiree News (RN): Before joining CSEA staff as the new PEOPLE Coordinator, you had been a longtime CSEA activist. Can you please discuss this background and how it prepared you for your new role?
Kim Wallace-Russo (Wallace- Russo): My CSEA activism really kicked off in 1999 when I was appointed secretary of a large state Local, Tax Local 690. While it was new to me, I loved it and grew in
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the position. As my passion for activism continued, my roles within our union expanded.
Over the next 20 years, I served as Capital Region Secretary and Treasurer, became President of
my local and served on various Statewide committees, including the Women’s Committee, Constitution and By-Laws, Judicial Board,
Board of Directors Representative and Chair of the State Executive Committee. Any time there was an opportunity to work on behalf of my union, I said yes!
I can honestly say that every position I held or committee
I served on, gave me a new perspective and educated me
about the membership. I bring
that 20 plus years of knowledge to becoming the PEOPLE Coordinator. It was important to me to be visible, accountable and always try to be the best advocate for the members in every arena I was in.
It was equally as important to try and make the members understand that we needed them to be active
in order to be a strong union and local. That includes participation
in the PEOPLE Program. This program provides so many resources beyond CSEA dues. Our dues can’t provide funding for us
to lobby Congress for federal aid,
or state, federal and local leaders on legislation that is important and essential to us as public employees.
RN: What do you hope to bring to the PEOPLE Coordinator role, and what are your goals?
Wallace-Russo: I hope to bring knowledge and understanding
of the PEOPLE Program and its importance! I understand that
we need to raise money in order
to fund this program. I also understand that can be difficult to for members to want to hear, but I want to explain why it is essential for them now and for their futures when they retire. When we retire, it’s even more important to have a seat at the table and this program gives us that seat! This program is not party driven! We will lobby and support politicians from all sides of the table to ensure that we have their support on issues that are in our best interest.
RN: Can you speak about the importance of the PEOPLE Program, particularly why it’s so important for the retiree members to participate?
Wallace-Russo: As a recent retiree, I know how important it is to secure retiree benefits that we were promised! For example, health insurance costs, Social Security, Medicare benefits and the other benefits that we were promised when we retired. We can’t think that these things were promised,
and they won’t be in jeopardy! We must be vigilant and pay attention! We cannot be asleep at the wheel!
RN: How do retiree members
join the program and any other important details? Anything being done differently because of the pandemic?
Wallace-Russo: You can join this program any number of ways.
• When you newly retire, you will
receive a CSEA Retiree packet with an application to join people included in that packet.
• Sign up online:
https://cseany.org/people
• Email either PEOPLE@cseainc. org or kim.wallacerusso@ cseainc.org
• Call the CSEA Legislative & Political Action Department at (800) 342-4146, Ext. 1404 or (518) 436-8622.
• You can choose to have your contribution deducted right out of you pension check or make a direct contribution by check or credit card.
Cost:
Pension Deduction:
$8.35 monthly ($1.93 per week) for MVP Membership and you will receive an MVP people Jacket. $4.17 monthly
$ __________(other)
Wallace-Russo
CSEA RETIREE NEWS