Page 15 - Work Force October 2025

PEOPLE Program seeing membership increases
The CSEA/AFSCME PEOPLE Program has seen a recent uptick in members who are contributing.
“It’s no surprise
to see this,” said
Statewide PEOPLE
Committee Chair
Karen Bright.
“More members
are understanding
the importance of
being involved and
engaged in politics
at every level to
protect the rights we have fought so hard to win.”
The PEOPLE program protects and improves our jobs, benefits and pensions in Washington, Albany and in your community.
Your support and
participation in
PEOPLE strengthens
our union’s clout
in the workplace, in
the legislature, in your
community and in the labor movement.
Only 3 cents of every dues
dollar goes to CSEA’s Legislative
and Political Action Department. In addition, federal law prohibits the use of members’ dues for federal campaign contributions. This is
why voluntary contributions to the PEOPLE program are so important. These funds allow us to support pro-labor candidates in both parties, advance legislation that benefits our members, and fight back against harmful proposals.
“Given what’s been going on with national politics, members are more aware of and engaged in the political world,” said CSEA PEOPLE Coordinator Kim Wallace-Russo. “This is leading to more members understanding the importance of PEOPLE and supporting it.”
Recruiting members to contribute to the PEOPLE Program is largely driven by region PEOPLE committees and CSEA Political Action Coordinators. Wallace-Russo said the committees have done an outstanding job recruiting members to contribute. The Retiree Division locals have also stepped up their efforts, she said.
AFSCME Assistant Director
of Fundraising Jeanette Barnes noted that support for the PEOPLE program has increased nationally as well.
In 2025, the AFSCME PEOPLE team set a goal of signing up 10,000 new MVP-level PEOPLE supporters and as of September, they have already
reached 77 percent of that goal.
“This momentum reflects a growing understanding among our members,” said Barnes. “We are living in a critical moment
for labor, and now is the time to act.” PEOPLE is key to fighting back
against legislation that will harm CSEA members and working families, as well as the essential services they provide.
“We are spreading the word about dangerous legislation like
the so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill’—a bill that threatens working families and undermines the progress we’ve made,” said Barnes. “We must continue to fight against these assaults on our rights and our livelihoods.”
PEOPLE is a nationwide
program that supports all AFSCME affiliates. To learn more about how federal cuts threaten workers and communities across the country, see page 3.
— Mathew L. Cantore
CSEA PEOPLE Coordinator Kim Wallace-Russo, left, speaks with a member about the program during the recent Ulster County member engagement blitz.
Bright
Matthew: PEOPLE protects members, communities
MANHATTAN
— For Joyce Matthew, being named PEOPLE Recruiter of the Month for August is more than an honor — it’s a chance to show what union activism can accomplish.
Matthew
“The new trainees were excited to hear the PEOPLE Program can help fix Tiers 5 and 6,” Matthew said. “They also raised concerns about wages, because we live in the city and it’s very expensive.”
Matthew sees PEOPLE—Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality—as essential to protecting both members and the communities they serve.
“OPWDD is funded by Medicaid, and if we have budget cuts, services will be cut,” said Matthew. “That doesn’t just affect staff—it affects individuals and families who depend on those services.”
She also connects the work to the national political picture.
“Who we have in the White House matters,” she said. “The PEOPLE program gives us the power to fight back against harmful cuts.”
Looking ahead, Matthew said she’s committed to growing PEOPLE in her workplace and beyond.
“I’m happy to be part of this committee,” said Matthew. “I’m looking forward to getting more experience, finding new members and keeping PEOPLE strong.”
— David Galarza
Matthew, who serves as
CSEA’s Metropolitan DDSO Local President, was only recently appointed to her local PEOPLE committee, but she wasted no time getting to work.
Inspired by Metropolitan Region Political Action Coordinator Matthew D’Amico, she started attending membership meetings and talking directly with members.
“I didn’t have much experience, but I just wanted to get my feet
on the ground,” said Matthew. “I followed his lead, and members were very receptive.”
Her outreach paid off. In August, she recruited 18 new PEOPLE members. New hires particularly responded to the program’s efforts to fix state pension Tiers 5 and
6, an issue that hits home for workers planning for retirement.
For more information on the CSEA PEOPLE program, including applications to sign up as a contributor, visit cseany.org/the-people-program.
October 2025
The Work Force 15