PEP, October 2005: PEOPLE Person of the Month, James White

As an activist, I see how important it is to stay connected to elected officials. I do that through PEOPLE,” said James White, a Local 375 member and volunteer PEOPLE Coordinator.

“I became politically aware at a great time, the 1970s. A lot of Blacks were running for political offices then,” he said. “It was a movement, a chance to be aggressive, to get involved and to get ahead by shaping the future of our community.” A Housing Development Specialist, White has worked for the Housing Preservation and Development Dept. for 25 years.

Being active with the union came naturally for White, who has been involved with PEOPLE for more than 20 years.

“This is the only institution we have to go to if something is wrong,” he said. “Through DC 37, we have contact with elected officials. If we don’t help them, they won’t help us.”

He urges members to enroll in PEOPLE, Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality, which is the political action committee of DC 37’s national union, AFSCME.

Voluntary PEOPLE contributions help elect candidates in state and federal elections and help AFSCME lobby to protect Social Security and other programs important to labor and working families. PEOPLE supports politicians, regardless of party affiliation, who understand and side with public employees and stand up for workers’ rights.

A longtime resident of the South Bronx and now Harlem, White is also active in tenant associations, Big Brother, and after school programs. “When people get involved and get active, they get more power, more strength. There’s no limit to what can be done,” White said.

DC 37 members can give to PEOPLE through voluntary payroll deductions. Members enrolled in PEOPLE can increase their gift. A member who contributes $2 or more per pay period is automatically enrolled in the VIP Club and receives a jacket and pin. The minimum voluntary contribution is 50 cents per pay period.

“We got to give to receive,” White reminds members, “it does make a difference.” To sign up for PEOPLE or learn more about the program, please call the DC 37 Political Action Dept. at 212-815-1550.