POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

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AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE, COUNTY & MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES / AFL-CIO

The DC 37 Political Action Committee ( PAC )

Leonard Allen
Chair,
Political Action Committee

Chair:
Leonard Allen,
President, Local 2021

Meetings are held every second Thursday of the month with the exception of July, August and December. Members can join by simply coming to a PAC meeting at DC 37 located at 125 Barclay St., N.Y. and signing the attendance sheet.

Mission Statement:
The Political Action Committee is a forum to discuss issues that affect the membership, as well as inform members about current legislation on the city, state and federal level. The PAC is also a forum to recruit and train volunteers for political activities.

Political Action

Making our voices heard in City Hall, Albany and Washington, D.C.

Register to Vote
Absentee Voting

DC 37 Members in Action
DC 37’s members and resources are a political force working to achieve social and economic justice for all New Yorkers through campaigning, rallying and lobbying.

Legislative Victories
The union's Political Action and Legislation Department has helped to win a number of key political and legislative victories that have benefited New York's public employees.

Political Action and Legislation
Department (PAL)

Political Activities:
• Campaign Training
• Issue Campaigns
• DC 37 Community Associations
• Primary and General “Get Out the Vote” Election Day Operations
• Lobbying City Council
• Lobbying State Legislature
• Lobbying Institute
• Lobby Days (DC 37 and AFSCME)
• Legislative Conference
• Phone Banking
• Voter Registration
• Candidate Screening/Endorsements

New York Office:
125 Barclay Street – Room 408
New York, NY 10007
Telephone Number: (212) 815-1550
Fax Number: (212) 815-1553
Email: NCorrera@DC37.net or dc37polact@dc37.net

Albany Office:
150 State Street, Fifth Floor
Albany, NY 12207
Telephone Number: (518) 436-0665
Fax Number: (518) 436-1066

Political Action

Phone Banking/Volunteers Needed

Your participation in the Political Action Committee meetings, phone bank operations, lobbying efforts and election activities make DC 37 a powerful advocate for New York City’s public employees.

Does Political Action conduct phone banks?
PAL has computerized phones located in Room 10 in the basement of our headquarters for issue and candidate phone banks.

How can I volunteer for the DC 37 phone bank?
You can come to the Political Action Department to pick up a volunteer registration form to choose dates for phone banks or you can contact Eren Isbilir in PAL at (212) 815-1550 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

How often are phone banks conducted?
Phone banks are conducted depending on issue and election campaign schedules. In general, the phone banks operate five days a week from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. and several nights a week, Monday - Thursday from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

PEOPLE Program

Join Now and Get Involved:

Make a PEOPLE donation.
Individual contributions can be made by check, money order, cash or credit card.

Sign a payroll deduction card for PEOPLE check-off.
By contributing $4 or more per pay period, you automatically become a member of the MVP Club.

Become active in your union's PEOPLE committee.

Become an MVP
(Most Important PEOPLE).
The MVP Program recognizes AFSCME Members who can give a little bit more. As an MVP Member at $100 a year, you are in the forefront of our union’s fight to improve and protect our jobs, working conditions and retirement.
By continuing your MVP contributions, you will receive the premiums mentioned below. It’s our way of saying THANK YOU.
First Year:
MVP: $100 per year – MVP Jacket MVP Gold: $250 per year –
  Gold and Silver Watch
  MVP Platinum: $500 per year –
  Great new item to be
  announced soon!
Second Year: Flashy new pen set
Fifth Year: Pullover zippered shirt
Tenth Year: New polo shirt
Fifteenth Year: Canton Fleece Jacket

Shop at the PEOPLE store
The new PEOPLE store on the main floor of union headquarters, open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 pm to 7 pm, is the hottest place for members to flex their spending - and political - muscles.

An important political program is PEOPLE: "Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality." PEOPLE contributions are used to support elected officials who understand the needs and concerns of working families. PEOPLE dollars have provided valuable support to AFSCME's lobbying efforts on issues such as saving Social Security, fighting for health care and countering anti-union initiatives. PEOPLE is the difference between having things happen to you and making them happen. E-mail oalvarado@dc37.net to request a PEOPLE presentation.

What politicians has my union supported? (PDF format)*

Chair:
Jackie Rowe-Adams
President, Local 299

PEOPLE Coordinators:
PEOPLE Coordinators from each DC 37 local and the Retirees Association are appointed by their local/Retirees Association president. They hold meetings on the second Monday of the month (except in July and August).

Politics Affects Everyone
By participating in PEOPLE (AFSCME's political, legislative and fundraising arm), you can have a direct impact on the political process from helping shape policies on privatization and other issues that affect us to helping elect the public officials who are your bosses.

As a public employee, your job, wages and working conditions are directly linked to politics. We need the active participation of all members in order to make our legislative/political program strong, and in turn, to be effective when we work on behalf of our members. No other group of employees has such a direct connection to politics as AFSCME members. That is why PEOPLE matters.

How PEOPLE Makes a Difference
PEOPLE works to affect the political process on many levels. By law, union dues cannot be used to fund political campaigns; voluntary member contributions to the PEOPLE fund are used to help elect pro-worker candidates.

It is important to realize that pro-worker candidates are generally outspent by opponents, often by more than 10 to one. Big business is always a big spender for their candidates. Without our member contributions, pro-worker candidates would face almost impossible odds.

But PEOPLE provides more than money to candidates and campaigns. Trained AFSCME volunteers participate in campaigns to give pro-worker candidates the winning edge. Our political activists can make the crucial difference in any race. AFSCME also serves as a strategic resource for pro-worker candidates to help map out successful campaign strategies.

And last but not least, PEOPLE works with AFSCME members at the council and local levels to help create a structure for evaluating campaigns and endorsing candidates in state and local races. Politics is everywhere, but fortunately, so is PEOPLE.

PEOPLE Needs You
Like all aspects of our union, PEOPLE is nothing without our members. To provide a strong political voice for public employees, we need help. You can become an active part of PEOPLE in many ways.

All AFSCME members and their families can be part of PEOPLE!

"Your ability to gain at the bargaining table is directly related to your past gains politically. AFSCME PEOPLE is our vehicle to get the job done."

—Gerald McEntee
International President

"Being active in PEOPLE is the single best way to build the Union and to make a political statement. We want a better life, better quality of public services and to be able to live with dignity on and off the job."

—William Lucy
International Secretary-Treasurer

The easiest way is by participating in a PEOPLE check-off program to provide a regular contribution that we can count on as we work with candidates and campaigns throughout the year to make sure our members' interests are represented.

Politicians will make decisions that have a great impact on you from privatization to pensions with or without your input. Make your voice heard by joining with other members in PEOPLE.

DC 37 PEOPLE
125 Barclay Street
Room 414
New York, NY 10007
(212) 815-1578

In accordance with federal law, the PEOPLE Committee will accept contributions only from members of AFSCME and their families. Contributions or gifts to AFSCME PEOPLE are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

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