Earlier this year, the CSEA/AFSCME PEOPLE program created a contest to raise awareness of the program.
From May to October, CSEA members and retirees were invited to enter with a chance to win a monthly prize of a $50 pre-paid debit card. During drive-thru events and outdoor meetings, the PEOPLE contest had more than 1,500 entries with six monthly winners.
The PEOPLE contest was a great opportunity to raise awareness of the PEOPLE program and its importance to CSEA members. The contest caught the attention of members who may have otherwise overlooked the PEOPLE table at membership events. This led to many casual conversations about the program and how it helps to protect your pension, stop privatization efforts, create educational programs for members and help us fight the many legislative battles CSEA members face at the local, state and federal levels of government.
These conversations led to many more members understanding the importance of PEOPLE, as well as volunteering themselves to become PEOPLE contributors. If you want to learn more about the PEOPLE program, visit cseany.org/people.
Monthly winners
The first winner, for the May drawing, was Eileen Terry from the Southern Region. Terry, who works for the Orange County Department of Social Services, was unfamiliar with the PEOPLE program, but interested in learning more about the program.
Earl Bazydlo from the Central Region was the June winner. Bazydlo, who works at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, is a current PEOPLE Contributor at the MVP Level. He stated that he is proud to be a part of this crucial program.
The July winner was Kathleen Monaghan from the Long Island Region, who works at Nassau County’s A. Holly Patterson Geriatric Center. Monaghan has been a PEOPLE contributor at the MVP level for as long as she can remember. She first realized the importance of the PEOPLE program during a fight in the late 1980s over the taxation of public employee benefits and leave accruals. The PEOPLE program helped to fund a campaign to defeat that proposal.
The August winner was Nancy Jordan from the Southern Region, who works at the Kingston City Court within the Unified Court System’s Third Judicial Department. Jordan is a current contributor who said she first signed up for PEOPLE after learning about the program and its importance at a Member Information Day held at her local about three years ago.
William Daniels from the Western Region was the September winner. Daniels, who works for the Erie County Department of Senior Services, has been a longtime contributor and also a PEOPLE Recruiter.
The final winner, for October, was Sheryl Molnar from the Western Region, who works at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. While not currently a PEOPLE contributor, Molnar is now educated about the program’s importance and asked for an application.
