Political Action Starts with PEOPLE
The CSEA/AFSCME Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality Program (PEOPLE) is CSEA and AFSCME’s political action fund-raising program, the fuel that feeds our political action activities across the country and in New York-state.
Our voluntary PEOPLE program raises money to help us educate and communicate with our members. PEOPLE is another avenue through which we support political candidates who support us. Only PEOPLE dollars can be used for congressional and U.S. Senate candidates, not your dues.
Political action provides the means by which the CSEA members can speak and act collectively to influence decisions at the bargaining table, or to influence elected officials who pass laws that affect our lives. It is the way in which we can secure legislation that protects our jobs and pensions, and it’s also the way we can secure good contracts that protect our salaries and our health care benefits.
Political action is what we have to do to protect what we have and to make improvements. Just as the name implies, legislative and political action has dual functions that overlap.
CSEA uses its resources and mobilizes our members to vote for candidates who will stand and fight for us in the legislative arena, regardless of their political party. CSEA is not swayed by party politics, but by which candidates will support working people.
To continue all of our efforts and to remain a force to be reckoned with at all levels of government, CSEA needs resources. PEOPLE provides the funding that brings us political clout and gives us the ability to influence legislation and political leaders at all levels of government through political action.
CSEA needs to be able to interact and communicate with our members all over the state. We need to know what’s happening, what issues are coming up that are important and how we plan on fighting. It is an important avenue to make sure our collective voices are heard; that’s why every member should be a part of PEOPLE.
To fight back against the challenges we face, we need all of you to join PEOPLE if you haven’t done so already and urge all of your brothers and sisters to also join. No matter what your contribution to PEOPLE may be, your support will make a big difference in having your voice heard in Washington, Albany or your community.
Learn more about signing up for PEOPLE and making us stronger at cseany.org/people. You can also contact us by calling 800-342-4146 and asking for the Political Action Department or by email by PEOPLE@cseainc.org.
— Denise Felt, CSEA PEOPLE Coordinator
The PEOPLE Program
PEOPLE (Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality) is CSEA and AFSCME’s legislative and political action program. 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 CSEA’s clout in the workplace, in the legislature, in your community and in the labor movement.
To make your voice heard in the political area at the local, state and national levels–where policies affecting your collective bargaining rights, health care, benefits and retirement security are set–we need a strong political action fund. This is the CSEA/AFSCME PEOPLE Program.
The dollars you voluntarily contribute to the PEOPLE Program help us win and hold on to those rights. Whether we are public or private sector or retirees, a strong political presence is vital to our existence as a union.
JOIN PEOPLE TODAY!
- How PEOPLE Works for You Protects your collective bargaining rights, civil service laws and works to stop harmful legislation that attempts to erode the rights and benefits of public employees. Protects the quality and access of health insurance for active and retired members (passed legislation that created a task force to recommend cost-effective strategies for protecting affordable health insurance coverage for retired - read more
- PEOPLE Frequently Asked Questions What is PEOPLE? What does PEOPLE do? How does PEOPLE affect me? Why can’t you use my dues money? Why should I be concerned about federal legislation? How much does it cost? How do I join PEOPLE? What do I get for joining PEOPLE? Can I become more involved in CSEA’s political action activities? What if I have more questions? Q. What is PEOPLE? A. PEOPLE - read more
- PEOPLE Recruiting Rewards PEOPLE Recruiting Rewards - read more