The Public Sector, 1978 December 13

SIC conducting
‘no-show’ probe

ALBANY — The State Investigation Commission
(SIC), an independent state agency which serves as a
watchdog over conduct of public officers and employees,
is actively investigating charges first levied by the Civil
Service Employees Assn. that the state Labor
Department maintained ‘‘no show”’ and ‘‘seldom show”
employees on its payroll, an Albany-area newspaper
reported last week.

The SIC refused to comment on the report, but the
Albany newspaper reported it had learned that a half-
dozen persons had been questioned by the SIC in private
hearings. The story said the probe centers around claims
that certain state employees were maintained on the
department payroll while working fulltime for the Public
Employees Federation (PEF), a union which early this
year challenged CSEA for representation rights to 45,500
state workers in the PS&T bargaining unit.

CSEA raised those charges, plus others, during an
appeal of last April's election in which PEF received a
majority of ballots cast in the PS&T election. CSEA con-
tinued to represent the 45,500 employees during lengthy
appeals which have now reached the State Supreme
Court level.

CSEA said a number of Labor Department employees
were allowed to participate in the election process on
behalf of PEF while receiving pay for their state job.
While the Public Employment Relations Board ultimate-
ly rejected CSEA’s overall appeal of the election, the
PERB report stated that ‘circumstantial evidence
shows that (John J.) Kraemer, for many years, had been
a no-show or Jittle-show state employee.”

Kraemer was a senior manpower coordinator in the
department, and has since been named acting president
of PEF.

Meanwhile, CSEA has taken its appeal into state
courts, where it is now before the Appellate Division of
State Supreme Court. A decision on the union’s lawsuit
seeking to overturn last April’s election is expected dur-
& ing December.

Official Publication of The Civil Service Employees Association

Vol. 1, No. 11

Wednesday, December 13, 1978

Westchester layoffs

Most jobs restored

By Deanne Louis

WHITE PLAINS — The 192 proposed layoffs
of Westchester County Unit members of
CSEA Local 860 has been reduced to approx-
imately 50, unit President Raymond J. O’Con-
nor has reported.

Continous meetings between the CSEA unit
and the Westchester County executive and
legislative branches have resulted in the
restoring of approximately 150 positions,
O’Connor said. The talks are continuing.

O'Connor said the reduction is ‘‘a
significant lessening of the impact of what
was originally planned. This is an extremely
significant improvement over the county's
original position of a 10 percent cutback
across the board, but CSEA still maintains
that even one layoff is too much. And we will
continue to bring pressure on both branches of
county government.’”

Extensive data compiled by CSEA’s

Indiscriminate firings charged

NEW YORK CITY — The top two
Civil Service Employees Assn. of-
ficials in the union’s Metropolitan
Region have blasted the state Of-
fices of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation, accusing
management of indiscriminately
suspending and asking for the ter-
mination of employees on ‘hearsay
evidence.”

CSEA Regional President
Solomon Bendet says there have
been hundreds of such cases in the
last year alone, while CSEA
Regional Director George
Bispham charges the agencies are
“shooting from the hip” and notes
“in most cases the arbitrator rules
against the state and orders the
restoration of the employee’s job
with full back pay.’’ Bendet said
such cases are costing the state
tens of thousands of dollars in legal
expenses and ‘‘constitutes not only
the dissipation and waste of tax-
payers’ money but also places a
fiscal burden on CSEA which is
duly bound to defend its falsely ac-
cused members.”

Bispham, demanding an end to
the ‘practice of false accusation”
by the state, said “there are too
many facility directors and per-
sonnel officers who suspend and
ask for employee termination sole-

FOUL WEATHER, FOUL MOODS

ly on the basis of hearsay ac-
cusations made mostly by
patients.” He said the directors
and personnel officers must in-
vestigate cases themselves for
merit before sending them on to ar-
bitration. “‘Too often, what the
state said was evidence against an
employee turns out to be no
evidence at all in front of an ar-
bitrator,” Bispham said.

“ Both Bendet and Bispham said
that employees, even when ex-
onerated in arbitration, ‘‘suffer
mental anguish and stress which
cannot be relieved by the
restoration of their work status and
back pay.”

Bispham specifically charged
“the state agencies are refusing to
use the third step meeting as
provided in the contracts as a vehi-
cle for settling, or reaching some
amicable agreement at that level.”

Both Bendet and Bispham
emphasized the situation is not
limited just to the Offices of Men-
tal Health and Mental Retardation,
saying there are instances in other
agencies as well ‘‘where
employees are brought up on
charges which go to arbitration
only for the agencies to discover
the charges cannot be substan-

— Members of CSEA-represented non-
instructional employees of the Central Islip School District braved a snow and ice
storm to picket in protest of scheduled layoffs, transfers and reduced hours alfecting

10 percent of the employees. See story on page 3.

tiated.’ Both said they view the
situation as a major problem
affecting their members, and said
the union will do everything possi-
ble to rectify the situation.

research department in Albany and
AFSCME’s research team in Washington,
D.C., pointed to discrepancies in methods
used by the county’s budget department to es-
timate expenditures and revenues from state
and federal aid.

Ina letter sent last week to members of the
Westchester unit, the unit members were in-
formed of the formation of a workforce com-
prised of shop stewards, who will report on in-
efficient government practices on a regular
basis to the union’s Productivity Committee,

“We see the creation of this task force as a
chance to identify areas of waste and inef-
ficiency on the part of the county,” said
James Lennon, president of CSEA Southern
Region which includes Westchester County.

“If the County will continue to cooperate
with CSEA by taking part in the efforts of the
Productivity Cormmittee, future layoffs may
be avoided by cutting back on administrative
waste and inefficiency instead of employees,”
Lennon said.

Raymond G. Cassidy, president of CSEA
Westchester Local 860, said the reduction in
the number of proposed layoffs came about as
the result of ‘‘a maximum effort by CSEA of-
ficials and members who let their voices be
heard at membership meetings, legislative
budget hearings, and in discussions with the
County.”

LETTERS
to the

Editor

We encourage letters from readers pertaining
to items which have appeared in THE
PUBLIC SECTOR or which are of interest to
public employees. Letters must contain the
name, address and telephone number of the
writer for verification purposes. Telephone
numbers will not be printed, and names may
be withheld upon request, Send all letters to
PUBLIC SECTOR, Clarity Publishing
75 Champlain Street, Albany, N.Y. 12204,

Editor, The Public
I am writing to voice my concern
over President Carter's recent veto of
the Nurse Training Act. The Nurse
Training Act would have allowed
funding for nurses (R.N.’s) who wish-
ed to seek higher education in
graduate school. I find this action dis-
criminatory to the profession of nur-
sing. In October, 1976, President
Carter addressed nurses with the
following message, in part:

... I share your concern that
the delivery of adequate health
care services to all Americans
should be a matter of high
national priority I also
believe in redirecting our
national health objectives
towards more preventive
care.... I will not veto
legislation presented to me to
achieve that end as the
President (Ford), unfortunately
did. . . I realize that the federal
government cannot solve all our
health care problems and that it
must rely on the support and
counsel of organizations like the
... in formulating national
health policy

He is contradictory in his recent ac-

NEW YORK STATE ELIGIBLE LISTS

Prin. St. Accounts Auditor
(Exam No. 36327)
Test Held June 24, 1978

1, Vanvoorst, James, Saratoga Springs ........ 99.0
2. Spitzer, Kenneth, Forest Hills... in 98.4
3. Vanacore, D.B., Bronx .... es 94.3
4 Elliott, RR, Glendale .........cssccceseerseees 924
5. Fruchter, Aaron, Belle Harbor * GA
6 Segerdahl, R.C., Bellmore ...... Are:
7 Houston, Frank J., Bronx ........ 90.4
8. Chollice, W.P., Hicksville... oy * 90.0
9. Evans, Stanley L., Bayside. 1 84.5
10, Davis, David W., West Islip coe cea?
11. Nealon, William, Clifton Park .. 82.4
12. Tysiak, Gerald, Averill Park .....c.-.scse:0000- 81.6
13. Hladek, Anthony, East Meadow ............6. B14
14, Yarmish, Eli K., Brooklyn 812
15. Feighbaum, H.R., Boyside pln BO.d
16, Ryan, Eugene W., Delmar 179.6
17. Armstrong, Gary, Ballston Lake .......s0+.0.+ 79.0
18. Markowitz, Abe C., Bronx . + 78.0
19. Goodman, Harvey, Albany 77
20. McClune, Kevin M., Albany TT.
21. Ring, Kenneth T., Lansingburg 729
Senior Landscape Architect
(Promotional Exam No. 36299)
Test Held June 24, 1978
1. Pihiblad, Daniel, Randolph 88.7
2. Crossman, B.M., Bath ‘ 87.0
3. Tinney, James W., Watertown 86.6
4, Olinger, Edword, Rochester 85.5
5. Higgins, Patrick, Troy 84.6
6 Rivers, Robert L., Lansing 83.9
7. Satterlee, James, Saratoga Springs.......... 82.9
8 Buckley, C.W., Foyetteville ...... 1 828
9. Ciampa, Thomas D., Saratoga Springs ..... 80.8
10, Ryan, Dennis F., Rensselaer ............s e000. 80.6
11. Dunn, Robert, Gloversville 80.1
12. Heim, Max F., lynbrook “ of meres
13. Jarvis, John T,, Clifton Park 78.5
14. Wohlboch, David, Wappingers Folls meee gf)
15. Schofield, G., Utica 76.7
16 Marvel, C., Shoreham 767
17, Blevins, F.H,, Huntington Station 76.1
18. Toner, James A., Salamanca 75.1
19. Decuyper, Conrad, Schenectady 73.3
20. Kinkel, Robert S., Williamsville 72.0

tion. I feel nurses and those interested
in the growth of nursing should
address this issue by lobbying. There
is strength in numbers; that is why
we unionize today.
Good health care is important for
all Americans. Nurses are the largest
+ group of health care professionals. To
be professional one needs training and
experience. We need funding for
nurses to continue their education.
The defeat of the Nurse Training Act
is an affront to higher education for
nurses.

Judith Arnold
Rochester, NY

Editor, The Public Sector:

The letter printed in the November
29, 1978, issue of ‘The Public Sector’
prompted this response. I would like
to express my opinion as an “‘old”
employee within the state system.

Obviously, someone has to have
pass days during the week. Why
shouldn't it be a newer employee? I
think when they have worked within
the system ten, twenty, or thirty
years, then they, too, are entitled to
the better pass days, perhaps
weekends. Pass days, as well as other
things, should be earned and seniority
should most certainly play a big part
in the selection. I am sure when
‘new’ employees become ‘‘old”’
employees, they, too, will feel this
way.

As far as L.P.N.’s being a higher
grade, perhaps that’s true, but what
about the MHTA’s who, again, have
worked many years and are still the
same grade as a newcomer? It
doesn't matter if one has completed
20 years or one year, they are the
same grade. After about five years of
service, the pay is the same. In my
opinion, this is even more unfair. Why
should a person who has completed
only one year be the same as one who
has completed twenty or even more
years? Doesn't experience or
dedication mean anything in the state
system? Apparently not.

MHTA’s had taken charge of psy-
chiatric wards for years, and in some
centers, still do. They have also
carried out many nurse’s tasks and
currently do in some instances. And,
when it comes to direct patient care,

Last week, the Federal
government announced that the
dollar is now worth half of what it
was in 1967. They also announced
that if the current inflationary
trend continues, the 1978 dollar will
be reduced by 1985 to fifty cents.
Things will get worse.

President Carter says we should
keep wage increases at 7%. He also
says that Federal wages should not
be increased by more than 5.5%.
We'll do this voluntarily, he tells
us, without mandatory controls.
Once again public workers are
treated differently as evidenced by
the 142% difference in the wage
ceiling. The fact that the Carter
Administration expects public
workers to take it on the chin again
proves one thing: history does
repeat itself. Public workers are
traditionally the scapegoats in the
game of inflation politics and ap-
parently 1978 will be no different.

Put very simply, the Carter
program attempts to control wages

in my experiences, it's the MHTA’s
who get the majority of it.

I think it’s time the MHTA’s started
getting some recognition. I, too,
would like to catch the attention of the
CSEA

Jean Akers
Hutchings Psychiatric Center

Editor, The Public Sector:

We would like to call to your
attention several very unfair oc-
currences during the Senior
Stenographer examination (dictation
and transcription part) on November
18 at Kensington High School, Buf-
falo, New York.

In at least two classrooms, inex-
perienced proctors allowed the people
taking the dictation part of the exam
to have more than the regulation time
of ¥2 hour (30 minutes or less) to com-
plete the 60 questions from the
transcription of their shorthand notes.
A couple persons said that they had 40
minutes and several others said that
they were given 50 minutes. In our
group, we had the regulation time of
approximately 25 to 30 minutes. These
times were noted on the computer
answer sheets.

We are sure that you will agree that
such a variance of time to complete
these 60 questions was not fair to the
rest of us who had to hurry through all
these questions so as to finish in the
time allotted to us (which was the
legal time limit). It is obvious that the
ones who had the shorter time (legal
time) would have been able to spend
more time on our notes had we had 40
or 50 minutes, and would have scored
much higher.

Therefore, we would respectfully
request that the times on all the
answer sheets from Kensington High
School on that November 18 for Senior
Stenos be carefully checked so as not
to allow some to pass on an exam
when they had more time to answer
dictation questions.

(Names withheld by request)

Editor, the Public Sector:

I am a member of your union. I
write you because I am deeply
troubled.

I have worked with the state for 1
year and within that time period as a

without appropriate safeguards on
the price side. The program seeks
to control only earned income — ig-
noring most other categories such
as dividends and interest. One of
the key elements in the program,
the wage insurance mechanism,
is dependent on favorable
Congressional action. If such
action is not forthcoming (and
there are no assurances), the
equity of the entire program
collapses. The Federal budget cuts
proposed by President Carter will
hurt most domestic programs and
would insure revenue losses to
State and local governments.
What does this all mean for our
members in New York State? We
have an obligation and I consider it
my primary objective for 1979 to
secure for our membership in all
jurisdictions, a decent wage and
decent working conditions. We
have taken less than we deserve
too many times in the past. No
union ever got anything that laid

Page 2

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Wednesday, December 13, 1978

Message’

trainee I worked at 125th St. with the
Taxation and Finance Dept. Every
employee with a permanent item
were given proper ID such as photo
ID. Also down state depts. and other
state agencies.

I came to work with the Dept. of
Long Term Care located at the time
at One Penn Plaza located in NY we
later moved to Two World Trade
Center. Now I wish to discuss. the
problem at hand, you see there is no
bank set up for the state employees to
cash their checks, but just about 6
blocks there is a chemical bank that
cash State Insurance Employees
checks but not ours because of no
proper ID.

We were never issued anything but
a orange card with our signature
which this bank will not accept from
Two World Trade Employees because
they have no photo ID. I took this to
my supervisor and they in turn went
to the head of Administration to check
this, as a result we were told to start
an account.

Now I ask you how are most of us
able to start an account since we just
barely make enough money to cover
our needs until the next pay period
and I make more than a grade 3 for I
am a grade 5. We ask for a Photo ID
the same as the others and were told
that only Professional were given ID,
yet in other State Dept. grade 1 and up
is given photo ID. In order for me to
cash my checks which amount to
$206 take home pay after deductions
to cover my family needs I am told
that I must start an account or pay
$1.00 extra to travel to a bank located
at 1 Penn Plaza to cash my check
which I cannot afford to do nor can I
afford to start an account at this time.

I feel that I am being pushed into a
situation that I feel is not right
because one-half of the State get the
provisions needed and the other one-
half does not. I feel this to be unfair to
the one-half that does not have the
photo. I would appreciate your look-
ing into this matter for I can get no
further information that would
benefit the one-half without photo ID.
Please look into this matter for I feel
this to be a great injustice.

Elizabeth Parker
Bronx, N.Y.

William L. McGowan
President — CSEA

down and was anything less than
tenacious in its pursuit of
membership goals.

Federal guidelines and the wage
and price ceilings are no substitute
for fairness and good judgment. We
intend to get our message across
and we will not rest until our job is
done

tirei tah eee cit

FOUL WEATHER failed to dampen the spirit of dozens of Central Islip
School District non-instructional employees as they protested planned
layoffs during a recent meeting of the school board.

Photos By Tony Jerome

Layoffs at Central Islip schools

CENTRAL ISLIP — Some
layoffs, reduced hours and
transfers were scheduled to occur
at press time for some 10 percent
of the non-teaching and teaching
employees of the Central Islip
School District despite union ef-
forts to the contrary and the
signatures of more than 1,000 tax-
payers protesting the move.

The non-instructional employees
are represented by the Civil Ser-
vice Employees Assn., and CSEA
Field Representative Jim Walters
was successful in forcing the

school district management to
agree to lay off CETA employees
of the district before any per-
manent employees are let go.

The district, however, stuck fast
to its announced decision to reduce
both the non-teaching and teaching
work forces by 10 percent effective
as of December 8. The district has
planned an austerity budget to hold
the district tax rate at $26 per $100
of assessed value.

According to Mr. Walters, the
effect upon CSEA’s unit, which is a

Assaulted state employees
may receive reimbursement

BUFFALO — State workers who
must use accruals for the first ten
days of workers compensation leave
resulting from an assault at work
may be eligible for financial reim-
bursement through the state Crime
Victims Compensation Board, its
been confirmed by George L. Grobe,
of the upstate office of the board in
Buffalo

Mr. Grobe confirmed that such an

Ms. King on
center panel

NEW YORK CITY — A meeting of
an advisory committee to assist in the
selection of a new director for Creed-
moor Psychiatric Center was schedul-
ed to be held this week, with Dorothy
King, President of Creedmoor CSEA
Local 406 attending as one of four
members named to the panel

Ms. King said her selection to the
committee ‘‘shows that management
realizes the voice of CSEA must be
heard”’ and said she hopes the action
of the advisory committee ‘‘will
result in the selection of a competent
director at Creedmoor who will have
a solid relationship with CSEA and its
members.”

Dr. Alvin Mesnikoff, regional com-
missioner of mental health, agreed,
saying ‘we want CSEA input in the
selection of a new director.”’

award was recently made in the case
of a worker at a western New York
developmental center who suffered
injuries keeping her out of work for
some time, following an assault by a
client.

Since she had to use her accruals
for the first ten days (before workers
compensation payments started), the
Crime Victims Compensation Board
awarded her a sum equal to her pay
for those ten days.

Eligible for the award are the vic-
tims themselves, or their dependents,
providing a police report is made
within a week after the crime and
claim is filed within one year. Both
time limits may be waived for good
cause by the board.

Claimants must also prove financial
hardship. The maximum award is
$20,000, payable at up to $250 per
week

Applications are available at all
police stations and at other agencies
where crimes are reported

Applications and additional infor-
mation are available at the Crime
Victims compensation board offices
875 Central Avenue, Albany, 12206,
phone (518) 457-4060 or 77 W. Eagle
Street, Buffalo, 14202, phone (716) 842-
5810; 270 Broadway, NYC 10007, (212)
488-5080; 261 West 126 St., NYC, 10027,
(212) 663-9267 and Victim/Witness
Assistance Center, Onondaga County
Civic Center, 421 Monty mery St.,
Syracuse, 13202, (315

part of CSEA’s Suffolk County
educational Local, is approximate-
ly eight layoffs and more than 20
others affected by either reduced
working hours or transfers

Members of CSEA’s unit
picketed a recent meeting of the
school district board, and
presented a petition containing the
names of more than 1,000 tax-
payers in protest of the board’s ac-
tion. However, after the session the
board indicated it was going ahead
with the December 8 reductions.

Officers named

CAMILLUS — The Town of Camillus
Unit of the Civil Service Employees
Association (CSEA) Local 834, which
was recently certified by the Public
Employment Relations Board
(PERB), has announced the names of
temporary officers to serve until the
election of permanent officials can be
held in the near future.

Those named to serve the interim
period are Gus Corso, President and
union steward; Pete Minisalli, Vice-
President; Chuck Bankey,
Secretary/Treasurer. Also named to
serve on the unit’s first negotiating
committee were Gus Corso, Joe
Sylvester and John Frisk.

Ercole Ventura, CSEA Staff
Organizer, coordinated the efforts
of the newest Local 834 unit which is
comprised of employees in Highway,
Landfill, Parks and Recreation, Water
and Animal Control Departments.

NEW YORK STATE ELIGIBLE LIST

Supervisor, Inmate Grievance Program/
Regional Coordinator, Inmate Grievance
Program
(Exam ‘No. 27738)

Test Held August1978

1. Sorrell, John W., Morrisonville 100.0
2. Morris, Robert A., Watervliet 88.0
3. Avery, Mendez S., Watervliet 84.0
4, Seaberry, Cecil, Kinderhook 79.0
5. McSweeney, E.J., Spring Glen 79.0
6. Johnson, Carmen, Bronx 79.0
7. Dean, Mary H., Albany 77.0
8. Mangus, David T., Medina 76.0
9, Mentillo, A.L,, Auburn 76.0
10. Johnson, T.C., Albany... 76.0
11, Kocyba, Dennis M., Scarborough Station... 73.0
12. Lehman, Daniel D., Oneida 73.0
13. Findling, L.L., Woodridge 720
14, Lasoto, Ronald J., Wappinger Falls 71.0

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Wednesday, December 13,

Impasse

reached
in Elmira

ELMIRA Following the City of
Elmira’s recent declaration of im-
passe in contract talks between the
city and the Elmira Unit of the Civil
Service Employees Association
(CSEA), a spokesman for the union
issued a statement answering the
declaration by Don T, Carmody, chief
negotiator for the City of Elmira

Roger F’. Kane, CSEA Collective
Bargaining Specialist and chief
negotiator for the more than 125
employees in the bargaining unit, in-
dicated the main reasons for the im-
passe were wages and hospitalization

“After 12 meetings the City has
made only one wage offer — and that
was totally unac able to the CSEA
negotiating team,” Kane said

“The city offer, in reality, was
approximately one-half of the
reported present Cost-of-Living in-
dex. We also want it known the city
refused to make an offer on any of the
other proposals submitted by Cs
In fact,’ Kane continued, *
actually attempting to reduce some of
the present benefits to a point where
some city employees could end up los-
ing money, if the wage offer were
accepted.”

No further meetings have been
scheduled pending the appointment of
a mediator by the Public
Employment Relations Board
(PERB).

Pay increase
at Local 851

Steuben county workers
represented by Local 851 of the Civil
Service Employees association,
(CSEA), will receive a pay raise of
six percent, plus increments, effec-
tive January 1, 1979

In addition there will be upgradings
for nurse’s aides and dietary and
housekeeping workers while workers
who are required to wear uniforms,
will have their uniform allowances in-
creased to $150 per year.

Those using their own cars on
county business will receive 17 cents
per mile under the new pact

A death benefit rider of $20,000 has
been added to employees in the tier I
retirement program, while family
health and dental premiums of 75°%
will now be paid by the county.

CSEA Field Representative Ray
Ducharme was chief negotiator. The

negotiating committee included;
President John Seligman; Vice
President Jerry Partt; Secretary

Bonnie Sprague; treasurer LouAnna
McNally; Committee Chairman
Larry Crossett; and members Pat
Brink and Chris Tedford, Social Ser-
vices; Jerry Slayton and Dean Dropp,

Highway Department; Carolyn
Aikens and Barbara Drake, Infir-
mar Mary Clark, Sheriff's
Department; Dorothy Austin, Public
Health Nursing: Ray Schnell
Probation

1978 Page 3

SIC investigation of PS&T case commended

The revelation that the State
Investigation Commission (SIC) is
looking into charges of ‘‘no show”
and ‘‘seldom show” state jobs adds
a new dimension to the disputed
PS&T bargaining unit represen-
tation election of last April.

Even as the SIC probe was
revealed, the Appellate Division of
State Supreme Court was mulling

over a decision on a lawsuit
brought by the Civil Service
Employees Association concerning
last April's election. CSEA says the
election conduct of a rival union,
PEF, was filled with ir-

regularities, fraud and illegalities
and the election results should be
overturned

The just revealed independent

probe by the SIC into some of the
charges raised by CSEA as a result
of activities before and during the
April election is encouraging
While it is completely separate
from the Appellate Division case,
it does mean that the expected
decision later this month by the
court is possibly not the final deter-
mination. The SIC could turn up

evidence supporting CSEA charges
of ‘no show’’ state employees il-
legally working in the PS&T
election and turn any such evidence
over to a district attorney, in turn
possibly leading to grand jury
probes. It’s all speculation at the
moment, but the matter may be far
from over.

(R.A.C.)

‘Passing the buck’ morally disgusting

Leaders of

Metropolitan Region this

blasted management of the Offices
of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation, in effect charging
facility directors and personnel
officers with failing to exercise con-
cern and responsibility in dealing
with grievances filed against
employees. Union officials charged
management personnel are quick
to “pass the buck’’ by sending

Labor is the superior of
capital, and deserves much the
higher consideration.

Abraham Lincoln

hundreds of cases to arbitration
rather than deal wih them at the
second or third step of the
grievance procedure.

Passing the buck, in such cases,
also costs a buck. At the fourth
step, arbitration, both the state and
the union, CSEA, are forced to
spend considerable amounts of
money in legal expenses. Settling
most cases at the second or third
step would be much less expensive

But there’s another element in
many of these cases that

transcends financial concerns. It’s
the mental anguish and stress that
affect people wrongly accused.
CSEA wins most such cases that go
to arbitration. The wrongly accus-
ed individual gets his or her job
back, but the suffering and the
shame of standing accused before
friends and family during the
lengthy process is often a
devastating price to pay for even-
tual justice.

If management is ignoring
responsibility for resolving

Ignore Stevens when

This holiday gift-buying season is
one time we all should be aware of
the labels on the products we buy to
make sure we do not purchase J. P.
Stevens products

All the marches, demon-
strations, rallies and speeches will
not hurt the anti-labor textile giant
unless those words are turned into
the only language Stevens might

Directory of Regional Offices

REGION 1 — Long Island Region

(516) 691-1170
Irving Flaumenbaum, President
Ed Cleary, Regional Director

REGION 2 — Metro Region
(212) 962-3090

Solomon Bendet, President

George Bispham, Regional Director

REGION 3 — Southern Region
(914) 896-8180

James Lennon, President

Thomas Luposello, Regional Direc-

tor
eSECTOR
Official publication of
The Civil Service
Employees Association
33 Elk Street,
Albany, New York 12224

REGION 4 — Capital Region
(518) 489-5424

Joseph McDermott, President

John Corcoran, Regional Director

REGION 5 — Central Region
(315) 422-2319

James Moore, President

Frank Martello, Regional Director

REGION 6 — Western Region
(716) 634-3540

Robert Lattimer, President

Lee Frank, Regional Director

understand — decreased sales.

Please be aware of all the labels
Stevens products hide behind

One area Stevens products could
be extremely vulnerable is the
after-Christmas white sales, CO0EA
President William L. McGowan
pointed out

Stevens manufactures bedding
and towels under the following

differences at the initial steps of
the grievance procedure, and the
large number of union wins in ar-,
bitration would indicate that
sometimes they are, that is morally
disgusting and intolerable.
(R.A.C.)

shopping

labels: Utica, Tastemaker, Fine
Arts, Meadowbrook and Snoopy.

The importance and seriousness
of the Stevens boycott was under-
scored by the heavy coverage the
rallies received by the news media
and by the support expressed
by the diverse unions, governmen-
tal units and religious or-
ganizations. (G.A.)

Published every Wednesday by Clarity Publishing, Inc
Publication Office, 75 Champlain Street, Albany, N.Y. 12204 (518) 465-4591

Thomas A. Clemente—Publisher
Roger A. Cole—Executive Editor
Dr. Gerald Alperstein — Associate Editor
Oscar D. Barker—Associate Editor
Deborah Cassidy—Staff Writer
Susan A. Kemp—Staff Writer
Arden D. Lawand—Graphic Design
Dennis C. Mullahy—Production Coordinator

Page 4

THE PUBLIC SECTOR,’ Wednesday; December: 13, 1978

The Public Sector is published every
Wednesday except December 27, Jan, 3
July 4 and August 8 for $5.00 by the Civil
Service Employees Association, 33 Elk
Street, Albany, New York, 12224

Second Class Postage paid at Post Of-
fice, Albany, New York.

Send address changes to The Public Sec-
tor, 33 Elk Street, Albany, New York
12224,

Publication office, 75 Champlain Street,
Albany, New York, 12204. Single copy
Price 25

‘Bizarre’ case

ROCHESTER — Rochester
Psychiatric Center has agreed to
lay to rest all charges of miscon-
duct against two union officers and
the CSEA has agreed to withdraw
improper practice charges follow-
ing earlier arbitration rulings
favoring the two and related
rulings which restored two veteran
workers to jobs from which they
were fired ten months ago.

The latest accord brings to an
end what one arbitrator called ‘the
most bizarre series of incidents”
he had every dealt with.

And it ushers in, it is hoped by
CSEA Field Representative Vince
Sicari, ‘‘a new era of labor
relations, based on mutual trust
and mutual dedication to the work
at hand.”

Left behind, Mr. Sicari also
hoped would be the recriminations
and constant harassment of union
officials which saw four union
presidents at the psychiatric
center in four years.

Exonerted in the latest incident
was Robert Donalson, president

Charging that the county's
negotiating team is engaged in “‘union
busting’, Tom Pomidoro, CSEA field
representative and chief negotiator
for Genesee County Local 819 filed an
improper practice charge with the
state Public Employment Relations
Board.

Mediator Mark Beecher, entered
the negotiations November 30th and a
second session was scheduled for
December 8th.

Mr. Pomidoro filed the charge after
the county's negotiating team propos-
ed eliminating lay-off provision from
the contract, including a requirement
for prior notice, as well as, numerous
other proposals which would leave the
workers at the mercy of the county
bureaucrats. Also among the county
negotiating team proposals is a re-
quirement for workers to give the

since November 1977, and Charles

E. Spotford a steward at the
center.

Mr. Donalson and Mr. Spotford
faced dismissals as a result of
charges filed on March 31, 1978,
that they failed to intervene, stop
or prevent an assault on a resident
who had earlier that day assaulted
a trooper who stopped him for
speeding on the Thruway on
February 15, 1977.

They were also charged with
failure to promptly report the
alleged assault.

The state also sought to amend
the charges, according to Mr.
Sicari, to bring them within the
necessary one year time limits by
charging the two officials with
false testimony during the RPC
and Department of Mental Hygiene
investigations of April and
December 1977.

They were also charged with
misconduct on similar grounds
when they testified as witnesses
for the two workers charged with
the alleged actual assault.

Mr. Sicari filed the improper
practice charges on the grounds
that RPC management ‘has in-

Arbitrators support CSEA members

timidated, coerced. interfered and
discriminated” against the two
union officials who testified for
union members

Mr. Sicari, in the improper prac-
tice charge also said RPC's
“action is an attempt by man-
agement to place the charges
against Mr. Donalson and Mr. Spot-
ford within a time frame which
would allow management to press
charges in this case, ‘‘after CSEA’s
attorney had made motions to dis-
miss the original two charges
because they were made more than
one year after the incident.

Arbitrator Bernard D. Levy dis-
missed the original charges against
Mr. Donalson, and Arbitrator
Thomas N. Rinaldo dismissed the
charges against Mr. Spotford as,
“untimely.”

In the meantime, and after
nineteen hearings which produced
more than 800 pages of testimony,
Arbitrator James R. Markowitz,
found that veteran workers James
A. Prince and Willie Mayes were
not guilty of the assault charges

It was Mr. Markowitz who
characterized the case as
“bizarre.”

Sd

county telephone numbers where they
can be reached when on personal
leave.

The county's negotiators are also
promising that all workers ‘will
punch clocks” and have indicated that

ssrereennsn

they will not negotiate the impact of
such a move despite a contract
provision which prohibits time clocks.

In jeopardy, according to Mr.
Pomidoro, also are seniority rights

Complaint filed in Region IV

ALBANY — The Capital Region of
the Civil Service Employees Assn.
has filed a letter of complaint with
Chief Richard Bird of the Capital
Police Office of General Services
Facilities Planning and Operations
Office concerning the elimination of a
traffic coordinator from morning ser-
vice at the State Office Building Cam-
pus site.

Numerous state employees have
complained to CSEA that recently
they have been experiencing great

DECEMBER

13 — Region 5 public relations committee, 6:30 p.m., Sheraton Motor Inn,

i Thruway Exit 37 at Electronics Parkway, Syracuse. }

: 15 — Central Barge Canal Local 503 Fall Meeting and Dinner, 3 p.m., Polish

i Falcons, 75 Pulaski Street, Auburn,

| 15 — SUNY Oswego Local 611 Membership Meeting and Christmas Party, 5

] p.m., Kinghts of Columbus Hall, Bridge Street, Oswego.

[ 16 — local 635 SUCO Oneonta Christmas Party, 6:30 p.m,, Hunt Union
Ballroom, SUCO Campus.

| 16 — Seneca County Local annual Christmas party. VFW Seneca Falls, 7:30 p.m.

|| 18 — Seneca County Local Board of Directors meeting, treasurer's office,

] Waterloo, 5 p.m.

| 29 — Tompkins County Local 855, Holiday Party and Dance, 6 p.m. until 1 a.m.,
VFW Hall, West State Street, Ithaca.

| JANUARY

6 — West Seneca Developmental Center ‘Local 427, Stewards and Effective
| Grievance Handling Training Class, 9:30 a.m. V.F.W. Post, 299 Leydecker

{ Road.
(TORE ONSEN NSP IE

difficulty in turning from the outside
traffic loop to the inside traffic loop of
the Washington Avenue side of the
State Office Building Campus.

The members must drive their cars
across three lanes of heavy oncoming
morning traffic to gain access to
certain assigned parking areas. The
lack of a traffic coordinator at this
location makes the required turn dif-
ficult, if not dangerous, to the
employees.

CSEA Capital Region President
Joseph McDermott lias asked that the
situation be corrected as soon as
possible, noting the situation will only
deteriorate with the onset of in-
clement winter weather affecting
road conditions.

Mr. Donalson and Mr. Spotford.

In his award Mr. Markowitz
stated that “the grievants shall be
made whole by reinstatement to
their respective positions and
receive all rights, pay and benefits
to which they would be entitled had
they not been terminated and
suspended from employment on
November 1, 1977."

Mr. Prince, whose file included
several citations for fine work,
returned to work November 1 while
Mr. Mayes followed soon
thereafter. Resolution of those
cases made moot reinstatement of
any charges against the union of-
ficers.

Rochester Psychiatric Center
was the target last June of
President McGowan’s task force
because of actions such as those
cited above and others.

While the above cases were pend-
ing, there were changes in
management at the center andim- |
provements in labor relations
noted

|
i
|
|

Mr. Prince and Mr. Mayes were
represented by Kenneth J. Vorrasi
while James Hancock represented

“onerous

Local 819 charges improper practice in Genesee County

and various rights based on past prac-
tice.

He also said that, after eight
negotiating sessions, the negotiators,
“‘merely came up with nine cents per
hour for workers in grade 1-7 and
eleven cents for those in grade 8 or
higher.”

Local President Annette Cox said,
“That's totally unacceptable. Our
workers are suffering great hardships
due to continuing inflation. They've
got less and less to feed and clothe
their families with.”

No progress

No progress was reported
following the st mediation
session recently in an effort to
resolve an impasse in
negotiations affecting county
workers represented by Yates
County CSEA Local 862.

CSEA leaders, legislators meet

NEW YORK CITY — CSEA of-
ficials met with members of the State
Legislature from New York City on
Dec. 1 to discuss public employee 1979
legislative goals.

Attending the meeting were CSEA
Metropolitan Region President
Solomon Bendet, Legislative and
Political Action Chairman Martin
Langer, Legislative and Political
Action Director Bernard Ryan, at-
torneys James Featherstonhaugh and
Stephen Wiley and Thomas Linden,
executive assistant to President
William L, McGowan.

Among the many New York City
legislators at the breakfast meeting

were Assembly Majority Leader
Stanley Fink, Senate Minority Leader
Manfred Ohrenstein and Sena.
Finance Committee Chairman John
Marchi.

Some of the legislative proposals
discussed included making the agency
shop permanent for all state and local
government employees and revising
the Taylor Law to allow public
employees and employers to meet as
equals in collective bargaining and
the elimination of the two-for-one
penalty.

Victor Gotbaum, Executive Direc-
tor of AFSCME District Council 37,
hosted the breakfast meeting.

THE PUBLIC| SEGTOR,, Wednesday,

Page 5

i

and cooperative relationships
between government and its
employees and to protect the
public by assuring, at all
times, the orderly and un-
interrupted operations and

| functions of government.”

HE TAYLOR LAW

For public employees as a group, the Taylor Law is
probably the most important of the state’s laws. Among other
things, the Law provided for the establishment of the Public
Employment Relations Board (PERB) to administer the law
itself. As a result, actions and decisions by PERB affect
public workers more often and more directly than those of

perhaps any other agency.

The Taylor Law covers most public employees in New

York State (state, county,

city, town, village, public

authority, special service district, school district). The law
grants public workers the right to organize and bargain
collectively, and be represented by a labor union of their
choice; requires government to negotiate with public
employee unions; establishes impasse procedures; prohibits
improper labor practices by governments and by unions;
provides sanctions against public employee strikes.
Because of the impact and the frequency of decisions by
PERB affecting public employees at every level in New York
State, it is important to understand PERB better. The ad-
jacent reports are designed to help accomplish that goal.

PERB BOARD CHAIRMAN HAROLD R. NEWMAN (LEFT) discusses recent

developments with PERB Executive Director Ralph Vatalaro. Newman, the
board’s full time chairman, is joined by two part-time board members in
making decisions effecting public employees in New York State.

Taylor Law enforcement by PERB

ALBANY — The Public
Employment Relations Board
(PERB), the state agency charged
with carrying out many provisions of
the Taylor Law, is a major force in
helping keep the relations between
public employee unions and
governmental units in New York
State at a working level

The major function of PERB is to
resolve disputes between unions and
governments and between unions and
other unions. Some of those disputes
involve

¢ Representation by a union

¢ Representation by competing un-
1ons.

¢ Improper practices by unions or
government

¢ Collective bargaining

Representation by a union: When a
union presents cards or petitions in-
dicating majority support for
representation, PERB can certify the
union,

Representation by competing
unions; When a union seeks to
represent workers already in a cer-
tified union and if the challenging un-
ion presents cards and/or petitions
representing 30 per cent of the union,

PERB may conduct an election.

Improper practices: PERB holds
hearings on such disputes brought to
it. The PERB board, which consists of
three members appointed by the
governor for six-year terms, one on
each odd-numbered year, will rule on
disputes appealed from the initial
hearing decision.

PERB decisions are enforceable by
the courts and can be appealed to the
courts

Collective bargaining: When con-
tract negotiations reach impasse,
which can be declared by either or
both union and government or by
PERB in rare cases, PERB enters in
one of three ways.

For all negotiations except for
school districts, police and
firefighters, PERB supplies
mediation, fact finding and con-
ciliation in that order as necessary.

If conciliation (second mediation)
fails to help the two sides reach
agreement, in most municipalities
the legislature can impose a solution
for one year.

Ralph Vatalaro, PERB executive
director, said this rarely occurs and
conciliation continues.

on sci cm LRNNNRRS aN

Page 6

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Wednesday, December 13, 1978

In school districts, the procedure is
the same except there is no step
beyond conciliation,

Police and firefighters go from
mediation to binding arbitration. The
law covering this expires June 30,
1979.

Other functions of PERB include
deciding the designation of employees
as to union or management and con-
fidential and in determining re-
moval of dues checkoff privileges
following strikes.

Sometimes PERB has to decide
whether a particular employee should
be designated as union or
management confidential, when the
two parties cannot agree.

Vatalaro explained that PERB is in-
volved in only one of the sanctions
against public employee unions which
strike — the suspension of dues
checkoff privileges.

He said PERB conducts a hearing
to determine whether a strike has oc-
curred and then has the power to im-
pose a suspension for any duration, in-
cluding indefinite.

The fines, jailings and two-for-one
pay penalties under the Taylor Law
for strikes do not involve PERB.

ARM a ns

Vatalaro estimated that in one
year, PERB handles about 800 con-
tract disputes, 600 improper practices
disputes, 125 representation cases, 75
elections, 65 designation causes and
15 penalty investigations.

PERB, one of the smallest state
agencies, has 56 positions, of which 52
are presently filled.

Among the staff are eight attorneys’
for improper practices and represen-
tation cases; four attorneys for
litigations and strike-penalty in-
vestigations; four economists for
research on wages, fringe benefits,
etc., to aid the mediators; and seven

mediators for collective bargaining. -

The full-time staff mediators are
supplemented by 150 mediators, fact
finders and arbitrators, hired as need-
ed for particular disputes.

PERB operates on an annual budget
of $1.8 million, Vatarlaro said.

In addition to headquarters at 50
Wolf Road, PERB has regional
headquarters at 270 Broadway, New
York City; and at 125 Main Street,
Buffalo.

The members of the PERB board
are Harold Newman, Chairman; and
the Rev. Canon David C. Randles and
Ida Klaus.

Lijit

1]

TrELITEre

i

: investigations for

assessment of dues-checkoff penalties are (from left) Jerome Their, Richard Curreri, Anthony Cagliostro and Martin |
Barr. In the recent Appellate Division hearing on PS&T, Barr represented PERB.

THE LARGE NUMBER OF PUBLIC
SECTOR NEGOTIATIONS requires
PERB’s mediators to meet each
morning to keep track of what is go-
ing on in the field. On Dec. 4 (from
left) Ben Westervelt, mediator; Vera
Seadura, administer of arbitration
Erwin Kelly, director of con-

ing mediator; met in Kelly's
PERB headquarters in Colonie.
Among the negotiations discussed
that day were mediation between
Rotterdam and CS and arbitration
between Salamanca and CSEA.

RALPH VATALARO
PERB Executive Director

PERB
neutrality

important

ALBANY Neutrality is the key
to the Public Employment Relations
Board (PERB), PERB’s Executive
Director Ralph Vatalaro believes

“We are like an umpire in a
baseball game,’ he said. While he
believes those in labor and
government who come in contact with
PERB know this, the image of his
agency by the rank-and-file members
of public sector unions and by the
general public might be different

PERB is the state agency
designated with the responsibility of
rying out many provisions of the
Taylor Law

‘We are not tainted by governmen-
tal appointments,” Vatalaro says,
noting the three board members are
appointed by the governor for six year
terms, one each on odd-numbered
years. “‘PERB is independent with
built in safeguards” to keep politics
out of the board. The full-time
chairman and the two part-time board
members serve for six years. beyond
the term of a governor

Vatalaro also pointed out that all
the board members (since 1967) have
been experienced in labor relations,
arbitration, mediation and/or labor
law prior to their appointments. The
governors have made it a practice to
appoint only highly qualified and ex-
perienced people to the board

Also, the Law prevents the gover-
nor from appointing more than two
board members from the same
political party.

He did admit that a governor in the
future might be able to politicize the
board by making two such ap-
pointments during a four-year term.
Vatalaro was quick to point out that
that has not occurred and is not likely
to.

PERB,
Taylor Law
protection

The Taylor Law protects public
employees against unfair labor prac-
tices by government through in-
vestigations and hearings by the
Public Employment Relations Board
(PERB) acting on complaints by
employees and by unions. Areas of
government improper practices in-
clude:

¢ Interference with, restraint or
coercion of public employees to form,
join, or participate in any employee
organization.

* Dominating or interfering with
the formation or administration of
any employee organization.

¢ Discrimination against any
employee for the purpose of en-
couraging or discouraging
membership in, or participation in the
activities of any employee
organization

¢ Refusing to negotiate in good
faith.

eM cies

"a a aS SD SS SAS URES ESAS AREER UMHS NLA ES RRNA SE SR SUT ME EE SORTS

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Wednesday, December 13, 1978

Page 7

Have a problem?

Call field rep

| from CSEA
i
'
| EDITOR'S NOTE: One of the most visible of professional staff jobs within
| the Civil Service Employees Assn. is that of field representative. In fact,
| more than a quarter of the union’s professional staff of about 215 employees
carry the title of field representative or field service assistant. An average
of about 10 field reps are assigned to each of CSEA’s six regional head-
quarters to provide direct services to members within the regions. The
writer of the following article attempted to study the important position
from the point of view of the field rep. Although the writer selected CSEA
Field Representative Bill Lochner, assigned to the union's Capital Region,
for the interview, the work situations described would be relatively typical
of any one of the nearly 60 field reps employed by CSEA. Appropriately, the
i article required a number of interviews since Mr. Lochner was often in-
terrupted by calls or called away by business in the midst of compiling this
story. A few rescheduled discussions also had to be postponed due to job
commitments at the last moment. This article is being published not so
much as individual recognition, but as general recognition of all the field
representatives for the work they do and the unique conditions under which
: they do it.
By Marilyn Feinberg unit. Lochner is also represen-
i Special to ‘The Public Sector” tative for five state locals: Empire
i When a public employee has a State College, Correctional
| problem — a job-related problem Facility at Mt. McGregor, Wilton
| — the field representative is their Developmental Center, Saratoga
| contact or liaison person from Spa and Eastern Barge Canal
| CSEA, their union. While it would As field representative, Lochner
| seem that dealing with other _ serves as the informational and in-
_ people's problems could be one big _terpretive resource for officers and
) headache. Bill Lochner, CSEA’s grievance representatives for each
' field representative for Saratoga bargaining unit he represents. He
and lower Washington Counties, is CSEA’s ‘expertise liaison man”
fi sribes his job as a ‘‘challenge”’ who has been well trained by CSEA
| enjoy the role that I for his role as their chief
play in assisting these employees spokesman at the bargaining table.
| in bettering themselves.”’ Lochner He assists negotiating teams in
| has been a field representative contract renewals and in ‘‘guiding
since June of this year, but has them towards achieving the best
been dealing with job-related package to be obtained from
problems since March of 1975 when management.”
he began as a field service Lochner, whose work day
assistant sometimes lasts till after mid-
Each field representative has night, also processes requests for
different responsibilities. Some legal assistance in disciplinary
have more state level duties and procedures, files unfair labor
others concentrate on local charges against employers and has
government. Lochner, a Cum written a number of first time con-
Laude graduate of State Univers’ tracts for the bargaining units he
of New York at Albany, Cl. has organized. While much of the
73, deals primarily local field representative's time is
government. He represents all devoted to grievances, Lochner
county employees in Saratoga says his time is divided equally
County as well as the Saratoga between grievances and what he
County Educational Local compos- refers to as ‘‘preventive
ed of 10 school district bargaining maintenance’’ which involves
units. In Washington County he is sitting down with management.
CSEA’s “liaison” for two school Lochner says, ‘‘You often meet
districts and one village bargaining with management and say, ‘Look,
.
Ready To Retire?
Protect your future with Retiree membership in CSEA.
¢ Take an active role in CSEA Retirees’ legislative campaigns for
pension cost-of-living increases
¢ Share in activities of the CSEA retiree chapter nearest you
¢ Continue present CSEA’s life insurance policies at the low group
rate
* Become eligible for CSEA’s ‘Senior Security 55° life insurance
policy for members only
* Acquire low hospital cash-to-you protection for CSEA retirees and
Spouse>
© Send coupon below for additional information on benefits of retiree
membership in CSEA
Send the coupon below for membership information,
Page 8

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Wednesday, December 13, 1978

we feel that you're not acting
appropriately. You've made a
unilateral decision to do thus and
so. You didn’t secure CSEA input,
this is wrong, change it. And usual-
ly they do so, and no grievance
materializes.”

Lochner spends much of his time
on the phone advising — he is call-
ed at home at all hours of the day —
and he relies heavily on the unit
president and grievance
chairperson to keep him up to date
on employee disputes. Whether
conducting business on the phone
or at general membership
meetings, Lochner explains that
there is a “‘chain of command”
that must be followed. The
employee usually explains his com-
plaint to the unit president first,
who then outlines the problem for
Lochner. Lochner later talks
directly to the employee about his
complaint. He explains, ““You have
to have a chain of command which
is purely logistical given the con-
text of my responsibilities. I just
can't have everybody calling me.
It’s just impossible. The role of the
unit president and officers and
grievance chairman is essential to
my functioning efficiently.”
Lochner describes the unit and
local officers as ‘dedicated people
who work without pay just to
enhance the interests of the people
who elect them.”

Lochner has a deep respect for
the people he represents and a
large part of that respect he seems
to have inherited from his father,
Joe Lochner, who retired a year

Retiree ion
Civil Service Employees Assn.

33 Elk St., Albany, N.Y. 12207

Employees of CSEA.

and a half ago after having served
as Executive Director of CSEA for
46 years. According to the younger
Lochner, “If there was one thing
my father subscribed to it was the
merit and worth of the public
employee.”

Lochner also feels that the public
employee is viewed by the general
public as ‘‘a less than first class
citizen."’ He says, ‘‘Within the last
four years public employees have
been called on to bear the brunt of
inflation. They have been singled
out to bear the brunt of the in-
flationary spiral because they're a
resource that the public at large
looks at as the easiest ones to pick
on... the public at large has to be
educated to the fact that the public
employee makes a valuable con-
tribution in so many different
ways. They are an indispensible
part of the framework of our
society and very often they are not
accorded their due, either in public
recognition or the collective
bargaining table specifically.”

Lochner lives with his wife in
Ballston Spa and, like other field
reps, has little spare time to spend
working on his house or pursuing a
hobby

Of his heavy work load, he says,
“They've got us going in many
different directions simultaneously

. sometimes we just manage to
get the absolutely essential things
done because of the work load
involved. Public employees . . . are
demanding more and more
representation from their union,
and they deserve it.”

Please send me a membership form for membership in Retired Civil Service

Name
Street Apt.
CityiState et an Zip

Date of Retirement.

CSEA
warns on
[APES

ALBANY — The Civil Service
Employees Association says that any
hassling of its Labor Department
representatives over the use of time
accruals will be immediately grieved,
as long as employees continue to be
given time off for the activities of a
group called the International
Association of Personnel in
Employment Security.

CSEA Collective Bargaining
Specialist Paul Burch has formally
protested a management memo
which urged supervisors to grant
employees time off ‘‘to attend
meetings and perform other duties”
in connection with an IAPES con-
vention scheduled for New York City
next spring.

Burch wrote to the Labor
Department's Executive Deputy In-
dustrial Commissioner, William
O'Toole, that IAPES, which is not a
professional organization under the
terms of the union’s contract, “‘is not
a recognized or certified bargaining
agent entitled to time off for any in-
ternal activities.”

IAPES is a group concerned with
employment security and related
matters. Its membership consists
largely of New York State Labor
Department employees

An O'Toole memo of Nov. 14 told
department directors, bureau heads
and supervisors: “The success of the
IAPES convention will depend in
large part of the cooperation and sup-
port of all employees Committees
have'been formed. . . This is an enor-
mous undertaking, and it is im-
perative that committee members be
granted time to attend meetings and
perform other duties Supervisors
are asked to grant such time. . . The
Department is fully committed to this
endeavor’;

In response to the memo, Burch
told O'Toole that ‘‘I protest your ac-
tions as strongly as possible. CSEA
representatives have been harrassed
and badgered by supervisors for
engaging in legitimate union ac-
tivities, such as handling grievances,
because, of, the time used. Our
members are subjected to arbitrary
refusals for the use of accrued time

around every single holiday
period. Our members are refused
time off because of weather ex-
tremes, lack of heat, air conditioning,
etc., yet you give the Department
stamp approval to granting time off
for an unauthorized and unrecognized.
organization.”

He concluded by warning O'Toole
that the union will file both a contract
grievance, under the employee
organization and/or annual leave ar-
ticles, and an ‘Improper Practice’
charge under the rules of the Public
Employment Relations Board, “if
you persist in granting time off for
this IAPES endeavor, while harrass-
ing and badgering CSEA represen-
tatives and denying employees the
use of their accrued time because of
your ‘mission’ or your ‘departmental
needs,’ "’.

CSEA is the exclusive bargaining
agent and employee organization for
Labor Department employees.

As an attempt to provide a broad range of services to its membership, The Civil Service
Employees Association will run a bi-weekly column to be known as the “Insurance Advisor.”
‘The purpose of this column will be to make all our members aware of the benefits available to
We

them and to anwer as many questions as possible concerning the provision of these benefit

encourage you to submit your inquiries directly to The Civil Service Employees Assoc

‘ion,

insurance

/0

Michael Carroll, 33 Elk Street, Albany, New York 12224. We pledge to answer these questions as

quickly as possible.

Free retirement counseling

Have you started, giving serious
thought to your choice of
retirement options — probably not.
According to the American Council
of Life Insurance, most people do
not adequately plan for retirement
— they simply allow retirement to
happen.

Experience has shown that the
wrong choice of option can result in
a substantial loss to both the
retiree and his or her family.
Through advanced planning, op-
tions that are available to you at
retirement can be given in-depth
consideration and analysis.

Many important factors must be
taken into account. For example,
how much your retirement
allowance will be depends on which
tier of the retirement plan you are
in, your number of years of
credited service, the amount of
your final average salary and
which retirement option you select
Your choice of option is based on a
number of personal con-
siderations; such as, your present

net worth, your eligibility for
social security, your life and health
insurance portfolio and your plans
for entering another area of
employment.

As you can see, determining
what course of action is best for
you is not a simple matter. Without
adequate preparation a hasty
decision made at the last minute
could have very unfortunate
ramitications. Why put yourself
and your family in jeopardy —
SELECT don't SETTLE
Remember, once you have chosen
your retirement option you cannot
change it.

To help you answer these
questions, a free pre-retirement
counseling service is now available
to all CS9EA members over age 50.
The service is provided by trained
insurance advisors at Ter Bush and
Powell, Inc. Ter Bush and Powell
offers individual counseling
sessions at the time and place con-
venient for the member and his or
her family. At these sessions, the

Register for labor courses

NEW YORK CITY — Registration for a special college credit
program of labor studies, offered by Cornell University for union
members, shop stewards, etc., continues through December 21.

The winter term will begin January 2, 1979 with classes to be con-
ducted once per week. Students may select a once-a-week night class
from 6 to 9:20 p.m., or a Saturday morning class from 9:30 a.m. to 12:50
p.m. All classes will be held at 3 East 43rd Street (4th floor) in Manhat-
tan. Courses will include labor law, occupational health and safety, collec-
tive bargaining, labor history and communications. Students can earn

three credits each term, and may

compile 18 credits over a two year

period to receive the Cornell University Certificate in Labor Studies.
Registration is from 2 to 7 p.m. each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thurs-

day through December 21 at 3 East 43rd Street. Additional information is

available by calling (212) 697-2247. Tuition rate is $75 per term, and a high

school diploma is not required

NEW YORK STATE ELIGIBLE LIST

Handicraft Instructor
(Exam No. 80-017)
Test Held November 8, 1978

1. Davis, David, Yonkers ........ 99.0
2 Ireland, Dwyer, Plattsburgh .. 97.5
3. Holt, Lorraine, Bronx ......... 97.5
4, Bellisimo, Palma, Beacon 97.5
5. Holmes, Donald, Highland 94.8
6, Munson, June, Craryville 93.5
7. Geller, Martha, Nonvet 93.5
8, Modleski, Elizabeth, Volatie 92.9
9. Baumann, Richard, Albany 92.6
10, Petrie, Stephan, Beacon ...... 92.1
11, Sherin, Barbara, Stuyvesant Falls 90.7
12, Martin, Beverley, Castleton. 90.0
13, Price, Madelyne, Stony Brook 89.7
14, Bronson, Stephen, Woodstock 89.6
15, Marks, Paul, Corona... 89.1
16, Powell, Laurence, Wallkill 88.0
17. Mosley, Joseph, Brooklyn 88.0
18, Williams, Lee, Brooklyn 07.5
19, Laurer, Beverly, Monroe 86.8
20. Wolin, Martin, Plattsburgh 86.4
21, Shulman, Joanne, Brooklyn . 85,7
22. Grumbach, Jane, Albany 85.3
23. Oromaner, Judy, Melville ........e00s0000s 85.2
24, Holmes, Gregory, Plattsburgh 84.9
25. Kaminsky, Morgrit, Brooklyn ....... 84.2
26. Schwartzberg, Jeff, New York City. 84.0
27, Haynes, Alyce, Brooklyn 83.4
28. Lavinio, Diane, Brooklyn é 82.9
29. Rothman, Deborah, New York City 817
30. Knobel, Mary, Brooklyn 81.0
31, Tupper, Rose, Brooklyn 80.5
32. Greene, Barry, Bronx 80.0
Burnett, New York City . 79.0

ier, Alfred, Lakemont ..... 77.0

35. Agostini, John, New York City 76.6

Oswego fact-finder

OSWEGO — PERB has assigned
Professor Robert J. Rabin to serve as
fact-finder in the long-standing con-
tract dispute between the Oswego
City Schools Unit of CSEA and the
School District. The hearing date has
been scheduled for December 12,
1978.

Jason McGraw, CSEA Collective
Bargaining Specialist and chief
negotiator for the nearly 350
employees in the bargaining unit, in-
dicated that the basic issues are
wages, increment parity and fringe
benefits for more than 100 employees.

MICHAEL CARROLL

member's entire financial
situation is reviewed and specific
recommendations are formulated
for the member's consideration
There is no cost or obligation of any
kind for th i

To make an appointment for a
counseling session, communicate
with Mr. Robert Cory of Ter Bush
and Powell, Inc., 148 Clinton
Street, Schenectady, New York or
call area code 518-370-8719

Court supports
CSEA position

LACKAWANNA — “School Boards
and administrators who harass
workers and circumvent contracts,
will learn that we are not going to
tolerate such actions,” said Jack E
Schlenker. president of Erie County
Educational Local 868, Civil Service
Employees Assn., after the recent
decision in State Supreme Court at
Buffalo favoring a school unit
president

The decision stemmed from the
attempt, according to Mr. Schlenker
and the local’s county representative,
Dominic Spacone, by the Lackawanna
school board to harass school unit
president Robert Tasseff by imposing
a 30-day suspension and one year
probation on him for ‘‘punching out
without permission of his super-
visor.”’

Mr. Tasseff, an assistant custodian

on nights contended that he had no
supervisor and that his action was
“customary for 20 years.”
CSEA Associate Regional Attorney
Carmen Pino pointed out to the school
board that the one year probation
violated Civil Service Law, and
argued in Supreme Court that the
penalty imposed was excessive

Justice Frank Kronenberg agreed
‘that the penalty was excessive’’ and
reduced the suspension to ten days

Conciliator named to Homer dispute

HOMER — A super conciliator has been named by the state Public
Employment Relations Board in an attempt to resolve a dispute between the
Civil Service Employees Assn. and the Homer Central School District.

Negotiations between the Homer School CSEA Unit and the district have
been going on for a year now. A conciliation meeting was scheduled to be held
this week in the latest effort to untangle the dispute

CSEA Field Representative Terry Moxley, chief negotiator for the union,
said the dispute centers around contract language interpretation

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Wednesday, December 13, 1978

Page 9

DIFFERENT EMPLOYERS, COMMON INTERESTS — Public
workers represented by the Civil Service Employees Assn. may have
different employers but share many work-related problems, interests
and objectives. Union workshops and other meetings provide oppor-
tunities for public employees to discuss such items. At a recent Capital
Region workshop, for instance, Greene Coun Local 820
President Henry Wyszynski and Jane Perry of CSEA Local 650, State
Agriculture and Markets Department, discuss situations relative to
both state and local government employees.

\y

Greater Albany area has
many unionized restaurants

ALBANY — The Civil Service Employees Assn. has distributed a listing of unionized
restaurants, hotels and caterers in the greater Albany area and CSEA President
William L. McGowan has called upon all union members living in the Capital district or
traveling in the area to patronize the following union-organized establishments
ALBANY: Albany Motor Inn — Route 9W
Ancorp Restaurants — Albany Airport
Barnaby’s Restaurant — State St.
Gladiux Food Co. — State Campus
International House of Pancakes — Wolf Rd., Albany
Interstate United — Empire State Mall
Jack's Oyster House — State St.
Joe's Caterers — Madison Ave.
Larkin’s Restaurant — Lark St.
Plaza Restaurant — Empire State Mall
Quality Inn — Everett Rd.
Service Systems — Empire State Mall
Sheraton Inn Town Motor Inn — Broadway
Sidewheeler Restaurant — Route 9W
Thruway House — Washington Ave.
Wellington Hotel — State St.
COLONIE: Americana Inn — Shaker Rd
Beefsteak Charlies — Wolf Rd.
International House of Pancakes — Route 9 — Latham
Michael's Banquet House — Route 9
COHOES: Smith's Restaurant — 171 Remsen St.
AMSTERDAM: Di€aprio's Caterers — East Main St.
GLENS FALLS: The Queensbury Hotel — Ridge St.
SARATOGA SPRINGS: The Saratoga Raceway — Nelson Ave.
The Saratoga Racetrack — Union Ave.
SCHENECTADY: Holiday Inn — Nott Terrace
Koala Inn — Nott Terrace
Miranda’s Catering — State St.
Mother Ferros Rest. — Barrett St
Ramada Inn — Nott St.
Silver Diner Caterers — Michigan Ave.
Tony's Catering — 2972 Consul Rd.
TROY: Mario's Theatre Restaurant — Campbell Ave.
Sunset Inn — Fifth Ave.

STATE OPEN COMPETITIVE
JOB CALENDAR

The following jobs are open. Requirements vary. Apply with the state Civil Service Department, 2
World Trade Center, Manhattan; State Office Building Campus, Albany, or 1 West Genesee St., Buffalo.

FILING ENDS JANUARY 2, 1979
Principal Account — Audit Clerk (NYC Area ony)

$11,450 D
$10,024 No. 24-880
$14,850 No. 24-890
$27,842 No. 27-834
$14,850 No, 27-848
$18,301 . 27-849
$22,623 . 27-851
$26,420 No. 80-020
$11,904 No. 80-028

1. 20-935
Medical Laboratory Technician 11
Assistant Sanitary Engineer (Design)
Principal Rail Transportation Specialist
Assistant Railroad Engineer
Senior Railroad Engineer .
Associate Rail Transportation Specialist...
Coordinator of Substance Abuse Federal Relations
Farm Manager :
FILING ENDS JANUARY 22, 1979
Coordinator of Uniform Reporting and

Accounting Systems $25,295 No. 27-835

You can also contact your local Manpower Services Office for examination information,

Page 10 ~ THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Wednesday, December 13, 1978

OPEN CONTINUOUS
STATE JOB CALENDAR

Title Salary Exam No.

Pharmacist (salary varies with location) ..
Assistant Sanitary Engineer
Senior Sanitary Engineer .
Clinical Physician I
Clinical Physician II..
Assistant Clinical Physician
Attorney
Assistant Attorney .
Attorney Trainee
Junior Engineer. . i
(Bachelor's Degree)
Junior Engineer .
(Master's Degree)
Dental Hygienist
Licensed Practical N
Nutrition Services Consultant...
Stationary Engineer .
Senior Stationary Engineer .
Occupational Therapy Assistant I
Occupational Therapy Assistant I .
(Spanish Speaking)
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Trainee .
Medical Record Technician . Beiiavece os
Histology Technician
Professional Positions in Auditing an
Computer Programmer. .
Computer Programmer (Scientific) .
Senior Programmer .....
Senior Computer Programmer ‘(Scientific) .
Mobility Instructor ..... Loser
Instructor of the Blind .
Health Services Nurse dialeacnss sais
(salary varies with location)
Senior Heating and Ventilating Engineer
Senior Sanitary Engineer (Design) ...
Senior Building Electrical Engineer .
Senior Building Structural Engineer ....
Senior Mechanical Construction Engineer
Senior Plumbing Engineer
Assistant Stationary Engineer
Electroencephalograph Technician ..
Radiologic Technologist . ,
(salary varies with location)
Medical Record Administrator .
Food Service Worker ........ B
Mental Hygiene Therapy Aide Trainee .
Mental Hygiene Therapy Aide Trainee .
(Spanish Speaking)
Associate Actuary (Casualty)
Principal Actuary (Casualty) ..
Supervising Actuary (Casualty) é
Assistant Actuary ...
Nurse I.
Nurse II .
Nurse II (Psychiatric)
Nurse II (Rehabilitation)
Medical Specialist II .....
Medical Specialist I .
Psychiatrist I.....
Psychiatrist II.
Social Services Management Trainee.
Social Services Management Specialist .
Social Services Management Trainee ..
(Spanish Speaking)
Social Services Management Specialist
(Spanish Speaking)
Industrial Training Supervisor
(salary varies depending on specialty)
Physical Therapist
Physical Therapist (Spanish Speaking).
Senior Physical Therapist . ; a
Senior Physical Therapist (Spanish Speaking)
Speech Pathologist .
Audiologist
Assistant Speech Pathologist
Assistant Audiologist
Dietician Trainee
Dietician ...
Supervising Dietician .
Stenographer ve
Typist . ian
Senior Occupational T erapist .
Senior Occupational Therapist
(Spanish Speaking)
Occupational Therapist . .
Occupational Therapist (Spanish ‘Speaking) .

You may contact the following offices of the New York State Department of Cis
ing examinations for the position
ing |, Albany, New York 12239 (518) 457-6216.

nouncements, applications, and other details conc
State Office Building Campus, First Floor,
2 World Trade Center, 55th Floor, New York City 10047 (212) 488-4248.

$14,388-$15,562

$14,142
$17,429
$27,942
$31,055
$25,161
$14,850

$11,250
$14,075
$14,075
$11,904
$11,250

+ $11,250-812, 025

$18,301
$18,301
$18,301
$18,301
$18,301
$18,301

$7,616

$7,616

$8,454-$10,369

. $18,369
$22,364
$26,516
$10,714
. $10,624
$11,904
$11,904
$11,904

«$33,705
«$27,942
.. $27,942
oe $33,705
.. $10,824
$11,450

.. $10,824

$11,450

. $10,624-$12,583

++, $11,337
+++, $11,337
.. $12,670

$12,670

+++ + $12,670
+ »- $12,670
+++ $11,337
++, $11,337
s+ $10,118

$10,714

$12,670

“. $12,670
.. $11,337

$11,337

20-129
20-122
20-123
20-118
20-119
20-117
20-113
20-113
20-113
20-109

20-109

20-107
20-106
20-139
20-100
20-101
20-174
20-174

20-140
20-140
20-143
20-170
20-200
20-220
20-222
20-221
20-223
20-224
20-225
20-226

20-227
20-228
20-229
20-230
20-231
20-232
20-303
20-308
20-334

20-348
20-352
20-394
20-394

20-416
20-417
20-418

vice for an-
1d above

Suite 750, Genesee Building, West Genesee Street, Buffalo, New York 14202 (716) 642-4260.

Retirement consultant team
traveling New York state

With thousands of public employees

City y
Village Address Visiting Days

Monthly

annually reaching retirement age,
and with many times that number

enrolled in the retirement plan, the Buffalo

State Employees’ Retirement System

has a team of traveling retirement — Canton
consultants to help answer questions —CarlePlace 1 Old Country
from members Guten

If you have questions concerning Hauppauge State Office Bldg

Binghamton State Office Bldg. Firstand Third

Wednesday
Gen, Wm. Donovan First, Second
Office Bldg. ‘Third, Fourth
(125 Main St.) Wed. and Fri
County Courthouse

Road
County Center

: i Fourth Wed.
the State Employees’ Retirement jioseheads village Hall Second and
System, a consultant will be available Fourth Tues

on the following visiting schedule. Ad- Little Valley County Office Bldg. Second and

ditionally, information may be obtain-

Fourth Mon

Lockport Municipal Bldg. Third Mon.

ed by calling the SERS Albany Office, Mayville Chautauqua County First Mon

(518) 474-7736.

Health and Social
Service Bldg

Plattsburgh County Center Third Thurs.
NEW YORK STATE ELIGIBLE LIST Pomona Rockland County First and Third
Health Center Friday

Poughkeepsie County Office Bldg. First Thurs
Landscape Architect Reed’ County Center Third Wed.
(Exam No. 36298) Rochester 155 W. Main St. Second and

Test Held June 24, 1978 (Room 513) Fourth Thurs.
1. Bartow, Douglas, €. Syracuse..............:.-826 Syracuse County Courthouse Second and
2. Gentile, Gary, Middle Is. .... . Fi Fourth Fri

3. Norton, Thomas My, Loudon Utica State Office Bldg. First and

4. Conklin, Dale, Delmar ‘Third Tues

5. Christoff, G., Syracuse.
6. Hagerty, Daniel, Pough!
7, Robinson, Joel E., Windso

Watertown State Office Bldg. First Fri
White Plains Westchester County Second and

Center ‘Third Mon
8. laconetti, F., Rochester (except July)
9. Gersh, Lawrenc State Office Bldg. First and
10, Hall, Wade A., 270 Broadway Third Tues
11. Peckham, William, Poughkeepsie New York (23rd Floor) Second and
12. Oswald, Bruce, Cohoes City 11World'Trade Fourth Tues
13. Keen, Jan A., Dexter. ‘ Center
14, Agrasto, Albert, Poughkeepsie. (4tth Floor)

Now you can have photographs of

help support the 1979 International
Special Olympic Games all at the same
time.

CSEA has endorsed Special Olympics,
an international program of physical
fitness, sports training and athletic com-
petition for mentally retarded children

} and adults. In August, 3,500 special

athletes from 50 states and 35 nations

B will meet for the Fifth Annual Summer

Special Olympics at the State University

) of New York at Brockport. We're asking

you to help CSEA support this great pro-
ject. Every roll of film you buy through
the Film for Special Olympics Program
will |help finance this worthwhile

» event.

By sending in your order with the
appropriate amount from the ordering
chart, you'll be helping yourself save

you'll be helping sponsor the Special
Olympics. All film is fresh dated Kodak
color‘film: Prints will be mailed directly to
you on a large, borderless professional
silk textured print paper. Processing is
performed by a quality photo-finisher.
Film and processing are guaranteed — If
film is lost or damaged, the processor will
replace it with an equivalent amount of
unexposed film and a pre-paid process-
ing mailer.

Send in your order today to: Film for
Special Olympics, P.O. Box 8711,
Rochester, N.Y. 14624.

| your precious holiday memories, and

*

*
CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION

i SADLER TTT ER SEL RED A TE IES

Color Prints

Color Slides
135-20
Kodachrome 64

Movies (color)

mi | C | Ul

5 DE ORME

CSEA’S OUTSTANDING ENDORSEMENT RECORD in State Leg-

islative elections last month will be an important factor in the union's
legislative goals for the coming session. CSEA racked up an im-
pressive record by helping elect 94% of its endorsed candidates for
State Senate and 88% of its endorsed candidates for State Assembly. In
the 133rd Assembly District, CSEA Local 601 members trom the State
University College at Brockport worked especially hard in electing

Assemblyman Andrew Virgilio. Assemblyman Virgilio, center,

shown with Local 601 President George Webster, left, and Political

Action Committee member Dale Burrell.

Fits all 35mm cameras.
20 slides, mounted.

i ES SL I a AS

your holiday season, save money, and Kodak film with pre-paid Special Olympics processing | “2 | ovvupice

Color Prints Fits all pocket Instamatic
110-12 cameras. 12 prints with $7.11
Kodacolor I pci
 ) evenly Fits all pocket Instamatic $ $
cameras. 20 prints with 10.16 | $6.15
mm | Kodacolorih = °°"?

| A Fits all Instamatic

3 126-12 cameras. 12 prints with $7.11 $4.49
Kodacolor Il ae
Color Prints Fits all Instamatic

y 4 126-20 cameras. 20 prints with $10.16] $6.15

Lead Kodacolor II pseu!

Color Prints Fits all 35mm cameras.
135-24 24 prints with $12.27 | $6.95
Kodacolor I per

Fits all Super 8

Super 6mm movie cameras $7.85 | $5.79

50 leet.

Kodachrome 40 il
Acai amp eee ae ee ee Bape ee, eae eee ee —----;
} ORDER FORM (please print)
1 Kind of Film —___ ale) Bees. BE sR No. of Rolls Soe Se eretcliprice eo ots tS
i| Make Chec!
| Address RSTO en eee See 2 Film for Special Olympics

P.O. Box 8711

H Civ = Berka = zIP. Rochester, New York 14624
|
4

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Wednesday, December 13, 1978

~ Page 11

AS AAS i i SA aR

Page 12.

McGowan speaks at Albany area
J. P. Stevens boycott rally Nov. 30

ON.

GROUP OF CSEA MEMBERS FROM LOCAL 445, 0.D. Heck
Developmental Center, lend their unqualified support behind the Stevens

boycott,

CSEA LOCAL 674, Motor Vehicle
Department, Albany made their
presence felt during rally as well.

LT. GOVERNOR-ELECT MARIO
CUOMO, who delivered a strong
speech against the Stevens Com-
pany at the rally, greets Jean
Myers, chairperson of the CSEA
Capital Region Political Action
Committee.

Big rally

NEW YORK @§TY — CSEA was
represented among the 3,000
demonstrators who marched in New

gainst the anti-labor policies
ns on Nov, 30, ,
participated in other anti-
Stevens rallies throughout New York
State, including Buffalo, Rochester and
Dunkirk,

VIOLATOR

CSEA PRESIDENT BILL McGOWAN was a keynote speaker at the big
anti-J.P. Stevens rally in Albany, one of several CSEA participated in

across the state November 30.

‘Every person has a right
conditions and pay’

to decent

ALBANY — The capital district
J. P. Stevens boycott rally on Nov.
30 was highlighted with speeches
by CSEA President William L.
McGowan and Lieutenant
Governor-elect Mario Cuomo.

The rally, at Rockefeller Plaza,
was attended by most Albany-area
news media and received con-
siderable coverage.

The rally was in support of the
Amalgamated Clothing and Textile
Workers Union (ACTWU) AFL-
CIO, which has been seeking to
unionize Stevens workers and win
for them decent contracts since the
1960s.

McGowan told of a reporter ask-
ing him why CSEA is interested in
J. P. Stevens. His answer was:
“CSEA believes every person has a
right to decent working conditions
and decent pay.”

McGowan mentioned some of the
notorious background on J. P.
Stevens, including: ‘J. P. Stevens
has been found guilty of more than
1,200 violations of labor laws... .
has been convicted of avoiding cor-
porate taxes is a convicted
wiretapper is a convicted price
fixer . . . has been found guilty of il-
legal discrimination against
women and minorities.

“J. P. Stevens has cotton-dust
levels at its plants that are three
times higher than federally per-
missible levels.

“This causes brown lung disease,
which cripples thousands of textile
workers each year,”’ he said.

McGowan emphasized that
Stevens closed plants in Utica,
Rome and Amsterdam to avoid
having to negotiate with a union,

“This has put thousands of peo-
ple out of work in our state, and
onto the welfare rolls, It is a dis-
grace to have to use taxpayers’
money, when all these people want

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Wednesday, December 13, 1978

is a chance to work, and their only
“crime” was that they wanted the
dignity of unionization,” he said.

McGowan made special mention
of Stevens’ Utica brand name.
“One of J. P. Stevens’ biggest
brand names is still Utica. But I
say we should commit ourselves to
a total boycott of Utica towels and
all other J. P. Stevens products un-
til Stevens workers can enjoy their
legally guaranteed right to a union
contract.

“Rather than live with a union
contract, J. P. Stevens closes up its
plants and moves to the Carolinas,
the least unionized states in the
land, where it can pay slave wages
to its workers.

“J. P. Stevens is now one of the
largest employers in the Carolinas,
and bears the great share of the
blame for those states having
atrocious infant mortality rates,
shameful education levels and
overcrowding housing.”

McGowan said all the banks
CSEA does business with will be
asked whether they have any ties to
Stevens, and if they do, CSEA
money will be withdrawn.

Cuomo, who said he was speak-
ing as both a citizen of the state and
as a representative of the Carey
administration, said his
appearance at the rally was one of
the most important he would make.

He said the issue was fundamen-
tal human rights and decency for
Stevens workers.

He said Governor Hugh L. Carey
had declared the day J. P. Stevens
Worker Support Day.

Cuomo said consumers should
“shun the products of J. P. Stevens
as you would shun the fruit of an
unholy tree.”

Another key speaker was Sam
Hirsch, New York State coor-
dinator of the Stevens boycott, who

explained that even. when the
ACTWU has succeeded in winning
representation rights, Stevens
refuses to bargain in good faith, es-
pecially in the areas of dues
checkoff and grievance
procedures.

He said strikes would have little
effect because Stevens would
transfer the work to some of its
approximately 80 plants in the
south. He also said southern judges
are notorious for no-picket injunc-
tions and southern police usually
supply escorts for scabs

Hirsch did explain how. the
boycott was working. He said the
pressure of huge withdrawals from
banks, insurance companies and
other companies by labor unions
and their pension funds has forced
those institutions to rethink their
personal and financial associations
with Stevens.

Two institutions who cut ties to
Stevens identified by Hirsch were
Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co
and Avon.

Other organizations represented
at the rally were Labor Action
Coalition, New York State United
Teachers, United Auto Workers,
AFL-CIO, New York State Labor
Department, American Federation
of School Administrators, United
Steel Workers, New York
Education Association, Albany
Longshoreman, Communication
Workers of America and Coalition
of Labor Union Women.

Also the governments of Albany,
Troy and Cohoes; the northeastern
region of the Central onference of
Rabbis and the Albany Catholic
Diocese.

The Rev. Brian O'Shaughnessy,
who represented Bishop Howard
Hubbard, requested: ‘Don’t sleep
with J. P. Stevens tonight!”