The Public Sector, 1997 December

Official publication of

CSE

Br OPERA OLA Ononeunmiua se

Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO

Vol. 20 No. 12 DECEMBER 1997

By JAMES DAO

Rous

ALE
polls cl
up the
crunchin}
feat the
Ina ti
the Civil
from the
were busy
the compull
minal screel
Their target
puter from

to phone work!
fanch and it sp

“I's very eff
as he oversaw
vote efforts from!
ter of CSEA, #
than 200,000 statq
workers,

More than effi
Vote for the conv
targets were told, af
be raided and the
ended. By the end o
‘of some 9,000 union|
dialed by the sophis!
operation — each sf
convention gloom and!

It was a scene play
of union facilities acros
bor turned to modem t
ery campaign througho|
your supporters to the J

In the end, the convi
cent to 38 percent,

The overwhelming deft
tion, which would have 1d
delegates in 1999 to cons
playbook for state and loca!
to mostly to a single reasof

While opposition leaders
a big tent coalition, all sides!
lier polis — the conventiol
passed were it not for the intd
labor unions, It didn’t burt ¢
doing everything to get their “@
the voter turnout was extrem!
state. Moreover, the union member
their unions, had a season to get 0
of what a convention could do.

‘Brute union force’ tied to rejection
of chance to reform state’s playbook

31 — A setter 10
‘ns that constitu:
protecting their
pnd jobs"” are in
A labor official
tells people that
Bs could be Jeopar-
commercial dar
Cor jonents. Gov. Pataki fteS Will go up.
was tq no scrious campaign pitical machinery

and § pos were never PUBS
turne/
go before the Cuon
jer located just tal ld
effor

See
Xs party, De!
es i face 8?

AL preseatallve
deat, pang
1

nd

emoerat
bat RUMBERT
ated Press
contest Ingabwmte sccaj ALBANY — Multiple .
timate 2°. oOeentan if voter wiih “lUding voter distrust and ae
TV because early polf Tuesday — whictl SIVe Negative television ad campaign
convention winning, sides the conven in the final days, combined to kil New
York's constitutional convention pro.
Posal, analysts and othey:

Wednesday.
oters;, |

vt

“L just don't have’ the 1&
fe unions have, Well, 1 mea
1 waso't willing to spend it

epent 310
is can)
oubes

ped

union work local

But if there is a single lesson in Tuesday's elec-
tion, it is that, despite any diminishment on the aa-
tional front, organized labor in New York — with its
23 million members — can still be a potent political
force.

“Their organization and effort was decisive,” said
Gerald Benjamin, a political scientist nt the State
University of New York and @ convention backer.
ne

‘With 98 percent of the vote tallied in Erie County,
the measure lost 124,600 to 78,500.

In the end, the unions’ power in the vote offered
a simple sesson

“The lesson is money and organization beats no
moncy and no organization,” said Blair Homer, a
lobbyist with the New York Public Interest Research

Group.
ee ar

fe Always protect your membership status

Break in membership affects eligibility for union office, voting privileges

A break in union membership status can standing,” your dues cannot be delinquent. status for a period not to exceed one year.
have long-term future implications. Your If you go on unpaid leave or for any other Note, however, you must continue to pay
membership status affects your eligibility with reason have a break in your employment dues to run for office. Dues-free or gratuitous
respect to: status, your dues will not continue to be paid membership allows members to continue their

© seeking or holding union office; through payroll deductions. You must make insurance coverage while out of work. It does

© signing nominating petitions for potential arrangements to pay your dues directly to not protect your right to run for or hold office.
candidates; CSEA to continue your membership status. If You must notify the CSEA Membership

© voting in union elections, and; you are either laid off or placed on leave Records Department at 1-800-342-4146, Ext.

© voting on collective bargaining contracts. without pay status due to becoming disabled 1327, of any change in your status and what

Only members “in good standing” can by accident, illness, maternity or paternity, arrangements you are making to continue
participate in these activities. To be in “good you may be eligible for dues-free membership your membership in CSEA.

You've got the = z EBF Prescription Drug Plan transition smooth;
cse& |HEAT heating fuel benefit \ \ Mail Service Pharmacy turnaround normalizing

ADVANTAGE can save you cash The October transition of the CSEA Employee Benefit Fund's

It pays to bea Prescription Drug Plan to ValueRx went smoothly, but some questions

CSEA member! *CSEA members are now eligible to join still apparently linger in the minds of some members ; ;
A frequently asked question concerns the new ValueRx ID card.

HEAT, America’s largest fuel buying group. CSEA members enrolled in the EBF's State or Local
HEAT members use their combined buying power to get ae | Government Prescription Drug plans received
deep discounts and high-quality service. ValueRx cards printed on 8.5” x 5.5” coated paper
AFSCME Local 1000, afl-clo. | stock. They are different from the old plastic cards

EMPLOYEE iousiy : - ENR ae

A ‘ hed EMPLOYEE | previously used and should be saved — they are not

Joi ital and you'll eceiye: BENEFIT FUND just temporary cards. In fact, the cards themselves
* A lifetime free full-service contract. are not required to fill a prescription at your

* An average savings of $300 per one-family home. pharmacy. Eligible and enrolled members covered by the prescription

* Emergency service, maintenance and annual plans need only give the pharmacist their Social Security number so
~ y i they can confirm your status in the system.

cleanings from a local, full-service company. Part of the adjustment to a new plan provider is the construction of

patient profiles at ValueRx. Members were required to get new
Membership is only $25 per year, prescriptions from their doctors since, legally, prescriptions could not

and CSEA members get an additional year FREE! be simply transferred from the old provider to the new one. Large
i numbers of new prescriptions and establishing patient histori end
Be sure to mention to delay the normal turnaround time for filling and shipping orders

your CSEA affiliation when you call Once information has been added to the files the turnaround time for

1-800-660-HEAT (4328) the Mail Service Pharmacy should settle into the targeted three-day
period plus mail time.
If you have any questions concerning your prescriptions or the
status of an order, call the toll-free 24-hour ValueRx consultation line
at 1-888-435-4338.

| * The HEAT program is currently available to residents in all 5 boroughs of New
| York City, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and Putnam counties.

The Public Sector (USPS 0445-010) is published monthly by The Civil Service Employees Association
Publication Office: 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12210.
THE Second Class Postage paid at Post Office, Albany, New York 12288
PUBLIC Postmaster: Send address changes to: Civil Service Employees Association,
Attn: Membership Department, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12210.
CSEA on line: The CSEA web site can be accessed at www.cseainc.org

Readers: Send any comments, complaints, Suggestions or ideas to

The Civil Service Empl Publisher, The Public Sector, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210-2303
e Civil Service Employees
Association, Inc. Local 1000, AFSCME, COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATES

AFL-CIO SHERYL C, JENKS Long Island Region RON WOFFORD Western Region

143 Washington Avenue (516) 462-0030 (716) 886-0391
Albany, New York 12210-2303 LILLY GIOIA Metropolitan Region ED MOLITOR Headquarters

; 212) 406-2156 (518) 257-1272
Danny Donohue, Presiden (aia)
BOD MOROREE er ident ANITA MANLEY Southern Region

STEPHEN A. MADARASZ, (914) 831-1000 \ABOR COMMUN C4»
Communications Director & Publisher DAN CAMPBELL Capital Region

STANLEY HORNAK, (518) 785-4400 :
Asst. Director of Communications MARK M. KOTZIN Central Region

RO R A. COLE, Editor (315) 433-0050
KATHLEEN DALY, Associate Editor
CATHLEEN HORTON ; ;
Graphie Design & Support Services The Public Sector Committee
RALPH DISTIN, Graphic Artist LONG ISLAND REGION John C, Shepherd CAPITAL REGION Marguerite Stanley
JANICE NUSBAUM METROPOLITAN REGION Jimmy Gripper, Chairman | CENTRAL REGION Bruce Damalt
Communications Production Coordinator SOUTHERN REGION Diane Hewitt WESTERN REGION James V. Kurtz

Official publication of

tated

fCSEA

Tavigossy SHO

Weagveigicue ss

Page 2 * The Public Sector'* December 1997

political powerhouse

TUNESTER UG

Election Day results reaffirmed CSEA’s
position as a powerful force in New York
state politics at every level.

CSEA's efforts were a key factor in the
defeat of a Constitutional Convention
proposition, spearheaded the election of a
Democratic county executive in Gov.
George Pataki’s backyard, led the way
the election of a new county executive and
a change in control of the legislature in
another county and helped elect more
than 90 percent of its endorsed candidates
in hundreds of local government elections
across the state.

CSEA educates the voters

Voters rejected the Constitutional
Convention proposal in a heated election
in which CSEA maintained a highly visible
leadership position in a large coalition of
organizations opposed to a Convention.

“CSEA activists and members can take
pride in their efforts to educate people and
get out the vote for what was right,” CSEA
President Danny Donohue said. “Our
efforts convinced voters that no matter
what the problems of New York state

Westchester County Executive-elect Andy Spano,
center, is congratulated by CSEA Southern
Region Political Action Committee Chair Lou
Roccuzzo, left, and CSEA Southern Region 3
President Carmine DiBattista.

government, a Constitutional Convention is not the way to solve them.”

CSEA, the AFL-CIO and the coalition organizations hammered away on
the theme that a “Con-Con” would have been too costly, would have been

run by political insiders and would have threatened a
wide variety of protections without any guarantees of
improvements in state government operations. Among
protections threatened were the rights of public

employees to organize and public employee pensions.

A rousing victory in Pataki’s backyard

In a rousing victory in Westchester County, CSEA
spearheaded the election of Andrew Spano as the new
county executive, defeating a Pataki-backed candidate
in the Governor's home area.

Westchester County CSEA Local 860’s offi
a staging area for telephone banks, literatu:
distribution and campaign-related activities for weeks
leading up to Spano’s election. CSEA volunteers,
including a core group of local and county unit shop

stewards and Congress of Nurses Aides chapter members, made thousands
of calls to union households in the county and distributed Spano literature
at shopping malls and elsewhere. CSEA was a lead element of the

‘CSEA activists
and members
can take pride in
their efforts to
educate people and
get out the vote...’

Frank Mauro, executive director of the Fiscal
Policy Institute, speaks against a
Constitutional Convention during a press
conference prior to Election Day. Voters went
on to reject the proposal.

Westchester County AFL-CIO campaign on
Spano’s behalf. A small Teamsters office served as
a “war room” staffed by CSEA, Teamsters, Yonkers
Firefighters, SEIU, CWA, NYSUT and Local 1199
activists.

Labor To Neighbor pays dividends
A unique “Labor To Neighbor” campaign, with union activists going door-
to-door to contact other union families and provide information, delivered

exceptional results in targeted communities, For
instance, CSEA activists targeted union families in
Greenburgh, where voters went for Spano by a better
than 2 to 1 ratio.

On Long Island, CSEA-backed Republican
incumbent Thomas Gulotta was overwhelmingly
elected Nassau County executive.

In another important race, CSEA went all out to
help Democrat Mark Thomas take the county
executive seat in Chautauqua County and the
Democrats to take over a majority of seats in the
county legislature.

In Rensselaer County, in another high profile race,
CSEA's backing was a big factor in the election of
Republican Ken Bruno as county district attorney.

“The election results were a tremendous victory for

us, and have reinforced labor's position as a powerhouse in New York state,”
Donohue said, “I thank every activist who worked on the campaigns and
every member who voted for helping make this victory possible.

COMING IN |
JANUARY IN
THE PUBLIC
SECTOR
THE

UNTOLD STORY

How civilian CSEA workers at Mohawk Correctional
Facility, and others from nearby facilities, went above
and beyond the normal ‘call of duty’ to help keep the

situation in check following an inmate uprising.

~ Westchester unit part of Local 860

An article in the November edition about a
Labor Day II protest in Westchester County
inadvertently listed the incorrect CSEA local
number, The Westchester County Unit
members are a unit of Westchester County
CSEA Local 860, Cheryl Melton is president
of both the CSEA county unit and Local 860,

COVER STORY

— fhe Public Sector December 1997 * Page 3

(surface of the 30:
“high waill.’And with a
boost the 14-year-
youth starts the
<ehallenge by pu!

imself
a

ee
c ae

port pushes the |

youth ever higher. |

“I’m over the top!”
the youth screams

wei

it!” he. bellows
umphantly int

Adirondack forest

Kimmel, a CSEA shop steward,
smiles silently to himself. Another

Adirondack Wilderne:
Experience suce
underway.

The Adirondack Wilderness
Challenge Experience is a unique,
tough four-month program for DFY
clients. CSEA members of High
Peaks State Employees Local 017
teach youthful,
troubled clients
assigned to the
program the skills
they hopefully will use
to change the
direction of their
young lives.

“We don’t go around
smelling the flowers or
hugging trees here,”

E Kimmel
Marine and former
Army recruiting
officer. “Our job is to give a
delinquent structure and skills to
not only survive in the wilderness
but to develop life skills also.

“We teach them basic things; how
to channel their anger, how to live in

Challenge
tory is

‘We teach
them basic
things .
how to live
in the real
world.’

the real world, whether that world is
the open spaces of the Adirondacks
or the inner sectors of New York
City,” Kimmel says.

To succeed in the Wilderness
Experience the boys must learn to
function as a team. Eventually, all of
this training leads to the ultimate
experience, a 22-day expedition into
the Adirondack Park wilderness.

“The overall program
itself builds the
individual's self image,”
Kimmel says. “During
that 22 days the boys
have got to put
everything together
that they have learned.
There are no warming
huts, no cabins — it's
tents and the
elements.”

“They have so much
anger inside of them,”
says CSEA member Bruce Carter, a
DFY YDA II. “We try to teach them
how to control that anger; how to
deal with reality ... By the time they
graduate out of here, hopefully they
have a few more tools to help them

Page 4 * December 1997 * The-Public Sector ——

Activist using labor-management process to
encourage members to get more involved

Like many CSEA activists,

Peaks Local 017 Shop Steward
Dave Kimmel would like his local
members to become much more
involved in their union. He hopes a
unique idea to get their input on
labor-management issues will help
achieve that.

He promises to bring back all of
the tentative resolutions of issues
from labor-management committee
meetings to the local'’s DFY
membership for a vote.

“If the members vote them in,
fine, they'll be implemented as soon
as possible. If they're voted down,
Tl ask for input on what the
reasons are for the no vote,”
Kimmel said. “Those reasons will be
used to develop alternative
solutions. | know it’s not the
normal way of doing labor-
management business, but the
High Peaks Local is unique and
requires a different approach.”

CSEA High Peaks Local 017 has
186 members spread out over
Clinton and Essex counties in
northern New York. Members are in
the Adirondack Park Agency, the
Department of Environmental
Conservation and the former
Division for Youth.

“We're pretty spread out here, so
I do a lot of telephone calling. I try
to survey the members by getting to

them one way or another,” he said.

Kimmel says he thinks i
important to change incorrect
perceptions some members have of
their union.

He said that as long as he’s
involved in the labor-management
process he will not file any personal
grievances or raise personal issues
that could appear to be self-serving.

“That way the members can see
how labor-management can be
used to address their collective
concerns, not some individual's
issues,” Kimmel said.

And that, he hopes, will get more
DFY members actively involved in
CSEA and in resolving their
problems through the labor-
management process.

“Management hasn't stopped me
in any way from trying this
approach. They are just standing
back watching what happens,” said
Kimmel. “Perhaps this will build
solidarity. I'll use the feedback,
their votes for or against various
items, to show them how involved
they should be. And I believe they'll
see just how really involved CSEA
is in helping them resolve
problems, improve their worksites,
etc. I really want the members to
realize that CSEA is here to serve
them, all of them.”

— Daniel X. Campbell

stay out of trouble, a few more
positive life skills.”

DFY monitors the wilderness
experience graduates for about a
year.

“Sometimes we hear about a boy
going on to college, or getting a job
that pays decent wages or getting
married, But sometimes we als
learn about a sadder ending,”
Kimmel says.

“Who knows what their future
choices will be or what tomorrow will
hold in store for them after they
graduate from this program,”
Kimmel says. “It’s up to them. The
right choice can lead to a future
outside of prison walls, However, the
wrong choice could lead to a longer
stay in a maximum security facility

As the wall climber changes back
into camp clothing, he reveals that
he has been before a judge for
sentencing five times,

"This program sure beats 18
months in maximum security,” the
youthful offender says. “This is the
best experience ever.”

— Daniel X. Campbell

Plenty of trees, no
: tree-higging here

tt

Dave Kimmel, left, walks through
the Adirondack woods back to
camp with 14-year-old boy who
just tested his courage and
determination by scaling a 30-foot
high wall.

__ STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS

The unbelievable case of Theresa Grant

A good worker fired
because management
concealed the truth

WESTBURY — Theresa Grant was
a good employee with good
evaluations at SUNY Old Westbury.
So much so that after nearly nine
years on the job, she was asked to
take on additional housekeeping
duties at the Old Westbury
president's house in addition to her
regular custodial shift.

So it came as a complete shock
seven months later when Grant was
brought up on charges of theft of
services and fired for accepting
overtime pay for the extra
housekeeping duties.

After all, SUNY Old Westbury
Director of Personnel Alice T. Cone
herself told Grant she would receive
three hours of overtime
compensation for the morning
housekeeping work prior to her
normal custodial shift in the
afternoons. Seven months later it
was Cone who brought charges
against Grant. And, incredibly, the
university fired Grant.

CSEA contends it was Cone and
other personnel administrators who
failed to take responsibility for the
housekeeping compensation
arrangement and instead allowed the
university president to believe the
overtime payments were
inappropriate after the president
learned about the overtime payments

and questioned them.

CSEA SUNY Old Westbury Local
618 President Bob Carney said he
believes the president was never
made aware of the extra
compensation arrangement because
her administrators did not want her
to realize they needed to offer an
incentive to employees to work as
her housekeeper.

Five other employees who worked
as housekeepers at the president's
house since 1992 said they had
received the same overtime
compensation and that all
arrangements were made through
Cone.

And Grant’s boss and the SUNY
vice president also said they were
aware of the arrangement. CSEA
representatives testified the
university had handled
compensation for work at the
president's house the same way for
years.

After seven months without any
problems, Grant told the president
she was exhausted and needed to
spend more time with her young
daughter. She trained someone else
to do the housekeeping work.

As Grant was ready to go back to
her regular job, Cone brought her up
on charges of theft of services.
Amazingly, the case was lost in

CSEA members comfort Theresa Grant,
right, at the recent rally in her support.

binding arbitration.

“In the past this money had come
out of a different account. That year,
because of all the snow removal
expenses the money came out of the
president's account. We think the
president questioned the
expenditures and Cone was not
forthcoming with the truth,” said
CSEA Labor Relations Specialist
Larry Borst.

“I always worked hard and the
president had no problems
with me. I think she is punishing me
because I wanted to leave
the house and because she was
embarrassed to learn about the
compensation deal made by
personnel,” said Grant, who is six
months short of being vested for her
pension.

“Theresa Grant is a good worker
and a good person. It is unbelievable

the university personnel are lying
about the compensation,” said CSEA
Local 618 First Vice President Mary
D’Antonio.

CSEA Long Island Region 1
President Nick LaMorte said he got
Assemblymember David Sidikmann
involved and asked him to intervene
on Grant's behalf.

“I asked him to ask the university
president for a joint meeting but the
president refused and told me to call
her attorney in Albany!” LaMorte
said.

The binding arbitration decision
limits options, but CSEA Local
members and supporters are keeping
the issue alive with a recent lunch
hour rally in Grant's support.
Members also have raised funds to
help her out.

— Sheryl C. Jenks

TUPPER LAKE — CSEA activist
Michael McCarthy, a secure care

Sunmount DDSO Local 431, was
Employee of the Year in the

Supervisor/Manager category.
According to a statement by the

treatment aide II and treasurer of CSEA

recently honored as Sunmount’s campus

CSEA activist Sunmount employee of the year

courteous member of Sunmount's work
ellent role model for
the committee said.
“They obviously made the right
choice. Mike is a very popular individual

force and is an e
those around him,

with the clients, and he’s been

instrumental in implementing a number
of programs dealing with the people we

info Days help
spread the

union message
CSEA State Employees
Local 016 President Tom
Byrne, right, gives one of
his Medford Department
of Motor Vehicles
members a Disney

discount pass at a recent |
CSEA Member Benefits
Fair. Byrne has
conducted union
information days all
across Long Island this | _
year. “CSEA offers so
much to our members
and we want them to
know about every benefit
of membership,” Byrne
said.

serve,” CSEA Local 431 President
Marcus Mamby said. “We're definitely
proud to have him as an activist in the
local. He's doing an excellent job as an
officer.

“I'm very proud and honored — I like
what I do and I'm pleased and proud of
what I do,” McCarthy said. “This was
just a bonus.” — Mark M. Kotzin

selection committee, made up of labor
and management, McCarthy was chosen
for his accomplishments on the job, as
well as the example he sets for others.
“In each location he has done an
outstanding job, always promoting a
positive atmosphere and helping to keep
morale high in his co-workers,” it read.
“Mike has always been a kind and

OMRDD activists voice concerns - Page 14

STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS.

“

The Publ Sector Depember 1997 Rage 8

Members win $125,000 harassment case

FLORAL PARK — CSEA refused to allow a
pattern of management harassment and abuse
that resulted in firings at a Long Island school
district to go unchallenged.

As a result, Floral Park/Bellerose School
District employees Kate Suau and Linda
Loughnan recently were awarded $100,000 and
$25,000 respectively after CSEA took the district
to court for laying off both women after they filed
harassment charges.

Soon after Suau began working for the district
in 1986, she was elected president of the CSEA
Clerical Unit.

“There was little trouble, and when there was,
we were able to work it out,” Suau said. “The
district was a pleasant place to work.”

That was until the district hired Mark Kenney
as business manager in 1990. Before long, CSEA
says, Kenney began harassing Suau with
sarcastic, mocking tones, smirks and belittling
comments.

At the same time, more and more of Kenney’s
personal business was conducted from the school,
Suau said. He also used school staff
inappropriately, she alleged.

In October 1991, Suau first formally
complained to McDonald about Kenney’s
harassment. When Kenney’s behavior escalated,
Suau returned to McDonald, who again assured
her he would take care of it

Suau was then passed over for a job she had
been trained to take.

“They definitely passed me over as punishment
for my complaints,” Suau said.

In what was to become a pattern, Suau’s duties
were reduced, particularly her specialties,
computer work and accounts payabl

Linda Loughnan, working in 1992 as a
provisional full-time statistical clerk, said she
began to experience similar problems

When she complained because Kenney was

nfirmary workers’ seniority rights improv

using a part-time food service worker to
perform duties and receive training
Loughnan was slated for, he harassed
her, screaming and ranting over the
telephone while she was at her other job,
she said.

“This was the tyrannical way Kenney
dealt with the women in the district,” said
CSEA Attorney Louis Stober.

After Loughnan and Suau went
together to talk to McDonald, things got
worse. The duties of both women were
significantly reduced, and Suau was
restricted from using the new computer.

When Suau got a complaint from
another union member, she filed a
harassment claim with the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission.

The pattern of abuse worsened:
Kenney falsely accused Suau of lateness

CSEA Attorney Louis Stober, left, and CSEA Labor
Relations Specialist Harold Krangle raise the arms of

and insubordination; McDonald cornered Kate Suau in celebration of their victory and teamwork.

Loughnan, a member of the CSEA

grievance committee, and questioned her about
the EEOC charge; and Kenney took away Suau's
summer hours, a benefit she had received for five
years, prompting CSEA to file a grievance. Then
Suau was told to train the new receptionist.

“They wanted me to train my replacement,” she
said, “even though I was not looking to leave my
job.”

Right before a grievance meeting, Loughnan
was told her position was abolished and to leave
the premises.

“Loughnan was terminated because she joined
Suau in complaining about the abuse and
because she was a member of the grievance

.” Stober said. “Clearly her termination
part of McDonald’s attempt to improperly
influence the grievance procedure and the
committee.”
The unit stood strong in its support of Suau,

despite McDonald's overt negative comments.

In December 1993, McDonald told Suau her
position was abolished.

CSEA took the e and won the settlement of
$125,000. Both women have moved on to other
jobs, but the vindication of the court victory was
important.

“This settlement is a tremendous victory for
CSEA, these two women and the women who
remain working with Kenney and McDonald,”
CSEA Long Island Region President Nick LaMorte
said.

“This was a difficult and complicated situation
yet CSEA was behind us all the way,” Suau said.
“I'm more than happy to shout it from the highest
rooftops that CSEA is wonderfull!”

— Sheryl C. Jenks

Ulster County local member needs your help

JOHNSTOWN -— It’s been a thorn in the
side of Fulton County Infirmary employees
almost forever.

Workers lost seniority if they
transferred to a new county department,
They might have five years or more service
with the county, but their departmental
seniority would be zero, and they would
have to begin at the bottom step again for
vacation scheduling, etc.

The same loss of seniority would
happen if the member changed titles
within one department, for example, going
from a cleaner to a certified nurses aide.

Now that practice is history, and
employees keep their seniority from job to
job and department to department.

The solution came in the settlement of a
grievance CSEA filed for member Susan
Yesse who lost six years of seniority when
she took a housekeeping position.

In the new contract, seniority is based
on the original date of the employees’

Page’6 » December 1997 + The Public ‘Sector’

employment with the county.

Fulton County 818 Local President
Sandi Lewis was delighted with the
settlement.

“This was only an issue in the Infirmary
where management was calling their own
shots,” she said. “But now 250 members
at the facility don’t have to fight anymore
over this issue. It has been resolved in
their favor.”

Infirmary Unit President Robin Collier
said the settlement helps members who
want to move ahead,

“We had lots of women start as a
nurses aide then spend their own time to
become a licensed practical nurse only to
lose their title seniority and end up on the
bottom of the seniority list for LPNs. That
was unfair,” Collier said. “Now it's
changed to county seniority, and that’s
great.”

— Daniel X. Campbell

SHANDAKEN ~— Bruce Storey gave to his country and to
his town. Now he needs help.

A 12-year Town of Shandaken Highway Department
employee, Storey was diagnosed with Amytrophic Lateral
Sclerosis (ALS, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's
Disease) in 1995, Recently, he was forced to retire.

A father of three children, Storey is a Vietnam veteran and
a lifelong resident of Shandaken.

According to Shandaken Unit President Ken Lent, town
officials have generously continued to pay for Storey's health
insurance, but the bills are piling up since Bruce’s wife, Linda
stopped working in order to care for her husband.

A benefit fund has been established for the family and
donations may be made to the Bruce Storey Benefit Fund at
Key Bank, P.O, Box 36, Phoenicia, NY 12464,

- CSEA is on the worldwide web:
www.cseainc.org

a LOCA GOVERNMENT NEWS

Onondaga campaign succe

SYRACUSE — A landmark four-year contract for 3,300
CSEA members employed by Onondaga County was the
result of careful planning and increased communications
with the members.

CSEA Onondaga
County Local 834
members recently ratified
the agreement
overwhelmingly. It calls
for a retroactive salary
hike in the first year and
percentage raises over the
next three years, The
settlement ended a
difficult contract dispute
that was won because the
members were willing to
stick together and fight
hard for fairness.

The local’s “Contract
Action Team” or CAT,
made up of activists from
the 10 CSEA units
covered under the
contract, worked closely
with the union staff on communications, activities and
political action, Local 834 President Frank Forte said.

“The goal to communicate information to their co-
workers as soon as possible to
control the rumor mill and to
instill solidarity in our ranks,”

Forte said.

Rick Nemier, a motor
equipment operator II in the
Department of Transportation,
said the increased
communications did just that.

“Before, most of what we heard
about the contract was through
rumors or the newspaper,” he
said. “With the information being
out there, there were a lot less
rumors.”

Local 834 President
Frank Forte

“We deliver”

The CAT Committee developed a
structured campaign to inform the members, to involve
them in the process, to let the public know that the
valuable county workers who deliver needed services
deserved a fair contract and to encourage the public to
lobby county officials.

The Activities Subcommittee got members involved.
One popular activity was the bi-weekly “sticker days,” on
which workers at all county worksites wore stickers to
publicize the contract dispute. A letter writing campaign
and brochures distributed at public events put pressure
on county leaders, Everything had the CAT Committe
slogan: “Onondaga County Workers — WE DELIVER.

Public Safety Dispatcher I Merritt Badeau, a CSEA
activist who works at the county's Emergency 911
Communications Center, said the increased
communications and activities definitely increased
participation from the members.

“We wore the stickers, we were involved in the letter
writing, and the people up here were a lot more vocal
than during the last negotiations,” she said. “Some
people took it upon themselves to write their own
letters.”

Records Preservation Supervisor Lou Nefflen of the

LOG Ab GOMRRNMENE NEMS

Rick Nemier

county clerk's offi one of three
CAT Committee co-chairs, agreed
that communication was the key.

“Everyone in the rank and file
knew everything that was going
on at all times,” he said. “The
CAT Committee really worked.
We put in long nights and long
days, but the results were
completely worth it. This is the
best, most fair contract I've ever
seen.”

County Library System
Administrative Assistant Meg
Shannon thought the increased
visibility of the campaign helped
settle the contract dispute faster.

“I think it made the public
more aware that the county
employees were working without
a contract,” she said. “I think
that's part of the reason we got a
contract so quickly.”

CAT Committee Co-
chair Lou Nefflen

A new health care system

The final piece of the puzzle was the new county
health care plan, developed by a coalition of unions and
management (see article at right). Many employees were
pleased with the new plan,
which offers increased
coverage and enhanced
benefits and will stop
escalating costs for both
employees and the county.

Badeau hailed the plan
for the improved health
insurance benefits.

“I thought it was great,”
she said. “I think the
changes with this coalition
are very positive.”

All for one

The contract speaks to
the efforts put forth by all involved, Forte said.

“With everybody's help — the activists, the rank-and-
file members, the staff — we pulled together with a
renewed spirit of unionism and truly accomplished a
revolution,” he said. “We got real wage gains, real health
benefit enhancements and a solid foundation for future
gains. Everyone involved
should be proud of what we
accomplished.”

CSEA Central Region 5
President Jim Moore, who
worked with the CAT
Committee, agreed that
teamwork made all the
difference,

“This great contract is the
result of the hard work of
everyone involved,” he said.
“This is proof that where the
members get involved and work
with their elected officials and
union staff, they can
accomplish anything they set
out to.”

Merritt Badeau

Region 5 President
James Moore

eds with communications

| Innovative health
plan benefits
workers, county

SYRACUSE — A key factor in
getting a successful contract in
Onondaga County was the
creation of a revolutionary new
health care delivery system,
according to the CSEA activist
who got it moving.

The new health care plan
brings the members of all the
county's bargaining units under
one plan with one provider and
one set of benefits. The plan,
negotiated between the county
and all involved unions,
according to CSEA Onondaga
Local 834 President Frank Forte,
who said the old ways of
negotiating for health care
weren't working.

“Traditionally we always
negotiated wages in the same
package as health care, and it
just wasn’t working,” he said.
“We were always looking at
sacrificing one for the other.”

Different unions having
different health plans was also
more costly to employees and the
county, he said.

“It was costly, ineffective and
inefficient to both county
government and the employees,”
he said. “It was in essence a sick
plan, and it only paid out
benefits when you were sick.”

Through coalition bargaining,
Forte said, the unions were able
to transform the health plan to
include better benefits, better
coverage and controlled costs to
employees and the county.

“By working together, we
transformed it into a wellness
plan by focusing on preventative
care, and enhancing the benefits,
including a first-rate vision plan,
new chiropractic coverage, well
baby care and many other
enhancements.”

The new plan met the union's
goal of controlling escalating
costs and enhancing benefits,
Forte said.

“We did just that, and
everybody wins. For the first time
we are empowered to make
change, which is far different
than sitting at the bargaining
table negotiating health care
versus wages every three or four
years, It's a lot better way to do
busin:

— Mark M. Kotzin |

The Fublie Sectors December, 1997+ Page, 75

In touch with you
A mersate from CSEA President Danny Donohue

The forgotten people of SUNY

CSEA members are vital to the
daily life of the SUNY system

New York’s State University system should be a
source of pride for all New Yorkers and a
cornerstone for the staté’s progress to the 21st
Century. Yet it is easy to take for granted how
valuable a resource SUNY truly is.

It is even easier to take for granted the
essential contribution of CSEA-represented
support staff in the successful functioning of the
SUNY system and its 64 campuses. The 12,000
CSEA-represented SUNY employees keep up the
buildings and grounds, staff the libraries and
food service facilities, staff the teaching hospitals,
maintain the academic records and business
administration and handle scores of other
responsibilities that are vital to the
daily life of those campuses and
communities,

But they are the forgotten
people of SUNY and too
frequently the lowest
priority in university
budgets.

In14 SUNY budget cuts in
the | decade, support
services have
cor tently been hard
hit.

For years, CSEA
members have been
trying to hold
campuses together
with spit and glue,
and with each new
budget they are

xpected to do
more with less.

In recent months a number of SUNY campuses

have been ranked among the nation’s top
educational values by prominent publications.
That is an outstanding accomplishment that is
consistent with the mission of SUNY to
provide top quality education at an

affordable price. It is also a

clear indication of the talent

and dedication of the CSEA

members in SUNY. Our

goal must be to enable

more SUNY campuses to achieve the highest
standards.
Yet, SUNY’s national standing is jeopardized if
we fail to adequately invest in the system’s
maintenance and support staffing. The finest
teaching staff in the state can’t do our
students any good if their
classrooms are falling apart and
their campuses are left to
deteriorate. And great
facilities alone mean
nothing without staff to
keep them open and
properly operating.
CSEA is proud to be
part of the coalition,
including the SUNY
Mayors’ Coalition,
United University
Professions, AFSCME
Council 82 and other
groups designating
Thursday, Dec. 4 as
Operation Safeguard SUNY.
We are encouraging our
members on all campuses to
develop and participate in events
in their local areas to heighten
awareness about the importance of
SUNY. We have invited all of the state's
elected officials to participate for a first-hand view
of the the system. I hope that you will also
participate in the events at your area
campuses to ensure a bright
future for SUNY.

THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

ISECHOR)

Elections

Information
— see page 15

‘acacesnee
Vol. 20 No. 11 NOVEMBER 1997
ne =

nn

CSEA blocks
AND THEIR FAMILIES
VOTE!

/
See pages
10 & 11/fora ~
history of”

The Sector ‘i dds, |
‘da AN ANGRY PROTEST IN WESTCHESTER - see page 3:

¢The Public Sector « :
f § AMISSe Tiel SATS TOG Fy

1998 LEAVE RECORD for
New York State COURT EMPLOYEES

Your leave benefits were negotiated for you by CSEA — your union!

No

The Work Force

PAY EXAMPLES: ANNUAL LEAVE | SICK LEAVE
If you are sick 4 hours, enter S-4 under the appropriate day. Balance from last record: Balance from last record:
PE RIO D If you take 2 hours of personal, enter P-2, etc.

THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED] Earned Used Balance | Earned Used Balance

|
Rolrecord DEC 25 - JAN7
leave used,

enter these JAN 8 - JAN 21
letters for the
appropriate JAN 22 - FEB 4
FEB 5 - FEB 18
FEB 19-MAR4
Leave) MAR 5 - MAR 18
H = (Holiday) | MAR 19- APR 1
M = (Military APR 2- APR 15
Fy eare) APR 16 - APR 29
SPEC = APR 30 - MAY 13
(Special)

MAY 14 - MAY 27
C=
(Compensatory}| MAY 28 - JUN 10
EWwOP JUN 11 - JUN 24
(Leave =
Without Pay) SUN Zo NUES

JUL 9 - JUL 22
W = (Worker's
Comp) JUL 23 - AUG 5
AUG 6- AUG 19
AUG 20 - SEP 2
SEP 3 - SEP 16
SEP 17 - SEP 30
OCT 1- OCT 14
OCT 15 - OCT 28
OCT 29 - NOV 11
NOV 12- NOV
NOV 26 - DEC9
DEC 10 - DEC 23

CONSULT YOUR UNION CONTRACT, Your | Leave accruals are an important contractual benefit negotiated for you by CSEA.
| CSEA REPRESENTATIVE OR YOUR You can help guarantee the accuracy of your individual accruals by tracking
PERSONNEL OFFICE FOR HOLIDAY your leave activities throughout the year. If a discrepancy should arise it might
OBSERVANCE SCHEDULE | be easier to document your claim by producing your personal leave record form.

oh 1998 LEAVE RECORD for New York State
CSEé= ADMINISTRATIVE PAYROLL EMPLOYEES

The Work Force

Your leave benefits were negotiated for you by CSEA — your union!

PAY EXAMPLES:

‘ ANNUAL LEAVE

If you are sick 4 hours, enter S-4 under the appropriate day. Balance from last record:

PERIOD If you take 2 hours of personal, enter P-2, etc.

SICK LE

Balance fi

THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED} Earned Used Balance

Earned Used

To record DEC 25 - JAN7
leave used,

enter these JAN 8 - JAN 21

letters for the
appropriate JAN 22 - FEB 4

Sete: FEB 5 - FEB 18

V = (Vacation)
FEB 19- MAR 4
S = (Sick

Leave) MAR 5 - MAR 18

H = (Holiday) | MAR 19 - APR 1

M = (Military APR 2- APR 15

Leave) APR 16 - APR 29

P = (Personal | APR 30 - MAY 13

Leave)

MAY 14 - MAY 27
SPEC =
(Special) MAY 28 - JUN 10

c= JUN 11 - JUN 24

(Compensatory) JUN 25 - JUL 8

LWOP = JUL 9 - JUL 22

(Leave
Without Pay) | JUL 23 - AUG 5

W =(Worker's] AUG 6 - AUG 19

eomne| AUG 20 - SEP 2

SEP 3 - SEP 16

SEP 17 - SEP 30

OCT 1-OCT 14

OCT 15 - OCT 28

OCT 29 - NOV 11

NOV 12 - NOV 25

NOV 26 - DEC9

DEC 10 - DEC 23

CONSULT YOUR UNION CONTRACT, YOUR
CSEA REPRESENTATIVE OR YOUR
PERSONNEL OFFICE FOR HOLIDAY

OBSERVANCE SCHEDULE

Leave accruals are an important contractual benefit negotiated for you by CSEA
You can help guarantee the accuracy of your individual accruals by tracking
your leave activities throughout the year, If a discrepancy should arise it might
be easier to document your claim by producing your personal leave record form

Np

CSEs

1998 LEAVE RECORD for New York State 4

The Work Force

To record
leave used,
enter these
letters for the
appropriate
date:

V = (Vacation)

S = (Sick
Leave)

H = (Holiday)

M = (Military
Leave)

P = (Personal
Leave)

SPEC =
(Special)

C=
(Compensatory)

LWOP =
(Leave
Without Pay)

W = (Worker's
Comp)

INSTITUTIONAL PAYROLL EMPLOYEES

Your leave benefits were negotiated for you by CSEA — your union!

EXAMPLES:

PAY
PERIOD

If you are sick 4 hours, enter S-4 under the appropriate day.
If you take 2 hours of personal, enter P-2, etc.

ANNUAL LEAVE

Balance from last record:

SICK LEAVE [PERSONAL LEAVE

Balance from last

| Balance from last record:

aes

THU FRI

SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI

SAT SUN MON TUE WED] Earned Used Balance

Earned Used Balance | Earned

JAN 1 - JAN 14

JAN 15 - JAN 28

JAN 29 - FEB 11

FEB 12 - FEB 25

FEB 26 - MAR 11

MAR 12 - MAR 25

MAR 26 - APR8&

APR 9 - APR 22

APR 23 - MAY 6

MAY 7 - MAY 20

MAY 21 - JUN 3

JUN 4 - JUN 17

JUN 18 - JUL 1

JUL 2 - JUL 15

JUL 16 - JUL 29

JUL 30 - AUG 12

AUG 13 - AUG 26

AUG 27 - SEP 9

SEP 10 - SEP 23

SEP 24-OCT7

OCT 8 - OCT 21

OCT 22 -NOV4

NOV 5 - NOV 18

NOV 19 - DEC 2

DEC 3 - DEC 16

DEC 17 - DEC 30

| CONSULT YOUR UNION CONTRACT, YOUR

CSEA REPRESENTATIVE OR YOUR
PERSONNEL OFFICE FOR HOLIDAY
~_OBSERVANCE SCHEDULE

Leave accruals are an important contractual benefit negotiated for you

You can help guarantee the accuracy of your individual accruals by trackin

your leave activities throughout the year

Ifa discrepancy should arise it m

be easier to document your claim by producing your personal leave record |

1998 LEAVE RECORD for
CSE | EMPLOYEES OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

The Work Force

f£N Your leave benefits were negotiated for you by CSEA — your union!
EXAMPLES: ANNUAL LEAVE | SICK LEAVE |PERSONAL LEAVE

If you are sick 4 hours, enter S-4 under the appropriate day. Balance from last record: Balance from last record: Balance from last record:
PERIOD If you take 2 hours of personal, enter P-2, etc.

THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED] Earned Used Balance | Earned Used Balance | Earned Used Balance

To record
leave used,
enter these
letters for the
appropriate
dai

acation)

Leave)

H = (Holiday)

Personal
eave)

(Special)

Cs

(Compensatory)

LWOP =
(Leave
Without Pay)

W = (Worker's
Comp)

Consult your current CSEA-negotiated contract for the accruals are an important contractual benefit negotiated for you by CSEA.

holidays observed in your local government jurisdiction. n help guarantee the accuracy of your individual accruals by tracking
ALSO consult your contract or personnel office for | your leave activities throughout the year. If a discrepancy should arise it might
urrent method of accruing leave credits be easier to document your claim by producing your personal leave record form.

iit

As one of the nation’s leading labor unions, CSEA has a proud history full of
ground-breaking achievements. For the past 20 years, our official publication,
The Public Sector, has brought news of those achievements to the doorstep of
every CSEA member.

CSEA’s award-winning publication was born Oct. 4, 1978, out of the
recognition that an informed membership is a strong membership. The goal of
The Public Sector is to educate and inform. The Public Sector Committee,
comprised of CSEA Board of Directors representatives from each of the union's
six regions, has oversight responsibilities to ensure the paper achieves that
goal.

The Sector also has the power to motivate, and over the years, it’s proven to
be one of CSEA’s most important political action tools. Just this year, The
Public Sector’s open criticism of Gov. Pataki’s ill-conceived proposal to sell
Roswell Park Cancer Institute turned the tide of public opinion and helped
rescue the world-renowned facility and the jobs of its 1,500 dedicated
employees.

Sometimes humor is the most effective way to get a message across, and
from the very first issue, CSEA’s award-winning graphic artist Ralph Distin’s
satirical cartoons have hammered home CSEA’s position on even the most
serious issues.

And just as CSEA has changed with the times, so has The Public Sector. In
1991, desktop publishing launched the paper into the computer age, lowering
costs and streamlining the production process.

“The Public Sector is a reflection of the changes and growth in CSEA. But it’s
also about you,” CSEA President Danny Donohue said. “It’s about your
achievements, your acts of courage and generosity, your struggles and your
victories. Your story is what has kept it going strong for 20 years.”

THE
PUBLIC

In Memory of
me iKe

f

CSEA

cGowa'
a great unio

desk,
Bill on governor's
union urging immediate

jn
signing, implementatio

flecades of bringing you the news

coe
fect

of workers

port's mandatory

eal
How does privatization |
meres really

compare) §

to public

service? |

t’s like comparing apples

= on boball of
a shift schedule
ed anger

SEA wil Ml lass see®
cane ‘ynprecedent

The Public Sector * December 1997 * Page 11

LAST IN A SERIES in conjunction
with the 20th anniversary of The
Public Sector, exploring significant
events in CSEA’s history.

The Public Sectors

Bringing the union home SS

| CSEA fires barra
=. t ge of wi |
against Pataki budget "®

This last in a series looking back Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), -

over 20 years of The Public Sector the Coalition of Labor

still leaves many stories to be told. Union Women | Pension

This past year The Sector glimpsed
back at the beginnings of so many
benefits taken for granted today.
Whether it was the Employee Benefit
Fund, the Employee Ass

ram, child care in

1 Secretarial Advancement

Program, political action battles,
winning agency shop or finally
gaining occupational safety and
health protections, The Public Sector
brought the union into the homes of
its 250,000 members.

CSEA’s prize-winning newspaper
has been a lifeline of information,
alerting members about attacks
upon their pension fund by
unscrupulous politicians. It served
as a voice to protest harmful political
choices aimed at cutting the heart
out of mental health care in New
York state.

The Public Sector pages told
success stories of thousands of
CSEA members who ficed to
continue their college educations
through the LEAP program.

During the past 12 months The
Public Sector looked back on the
gains CSEA made through affiliation
with AFSCME and CSEA’s role as an
acknowledged national leader in the
AFL-CIO.

During this 20th anniversary year,
CSEA members told stories of how
union scholarship programs began,
of how CSEA fought to secure
veteran's credits, of how CSEA
became involved in fighting for
human rights in South Africa and
Ireland and how CSEA locals fought
for and won a holiday honoring Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr.

As the union's diverse
membership grew, The Public Sector
told the stories of Black History
Month and Women's History Month.
Stories appeared about CS
members building coalitions with
other groups like the Coalition of

(CLUW), the
Labor/Religion
Coalition and many
others.

How CSEA, the
oldest and
public employee

ed the

challenges and changes Tee
is the story of proud and permanent pens
dedicated workers | Supple Cora relent
standing up for their \
rights

Year after year, CSEA’s
elected delegates, more
than 2,000 of them,
gather to move their union
forward

CSEA members today
live at a time in history
driven by forces of change.
There have been more
changes in the past 25
years than in the previous
200 years. There will be
more change in the next two
years than in the last 25
years. Once safe and secure
public jobs are up for grabs
at the whim of politicians
unless a strong union protects
them.

In the next 20 years and into
the new century, CSEA members
can depend on their information
lifeline, The Public Sector, to keep
the news coming.

“It's not the strongest that
survive,” Charles Darwin said,
“nor the most intelligent, but
the ones most responsive to
change.”

This is the challenge to all
CSEA members in the coming
years. It's the challenge for
The Public Sector in bringing
the union home!

— Lilly Gioia

(oly cree calls for |
ii)

=|" battle to Save New York

Page 12 + December 1997 » The Public Sector —— GENERAL NEWS ”
Bet eeeeeG wyolaes alaurd ort 2Wan JARSVeD

Et sped »* \eer tadmeosl

Taylor Law marks 31

In 1967, it enabled New York’s public employees to organize

CSEA has been an effective
advocate for its members for 87
years, but it burst into prominence as
a truly powerful and effective labor
union with the enactment of the
Taylor Law in 1967.

The Taylor Law may be 30 years
old, but CSEA members should never
take for granted the rights it
guarantees them.

The Taylor Law enables public
employees to unionize and negotiate
contracts covering their terms and
conditions of employment. Without
thé law, we would have no right to
approach the bargaining table.

It also protects our rights between
contracts, CSEA General Counsel
Nancy Hoffman explained, by
continuing the terms and conditions
of employment when a contract
expires and a new contract is not yet
settled.

“This is a big legislative gain that is
given in exchange for the prohibition
against striking,” Hoffman said. “It
would be a sorry set of events if we
couldn't strike and the employer
could change the terms and
conditions while bargaining.”

Public employees should
understand the Taylor Law, she said.

“The Taylor Law gives some order
and sets down some guidelines for
how labor relations in the public
sector should be conducted,

Hoffman said, “In the absence of the
Taylor Law, we would go back to a
situation where we were not
bargaining, we were begging, and we
had no order, and we had no
expectation of some kind of equal
power relationship.

“The Taylor Law attempts to
establish the minimum of a level
playing field in the power relationship
between the employer and the
employees in the public sector,”
Hoffman continued, “In the absence
of that, there would be very little that
public employees would have by way
of power other than acting at the

pre we get to ‘un-elect’ our
s. But that happens, what, once
every four years? And not necessarily
the way you want,”

Most basically, the Taylor Law
gives public employees the right to
belong to a union and the right to
bargain collectively.

But it also applies to the workday
lives of members in a variety of other
ways, Hoffman said.

CSEA can turn to the Taylor Law
for protection when employers try to
contract out or subcontract public
employee jobs, Hoffman said.

“Where we. are vigilant and take the

GENERAL NEWS

employer to task
immediately as soon as
it gives away anything
that resembles our
work, we are successful
in holding on to our
exclusivity, which is the
standard that you have
to under the Taylor Law
as far as being able to
make a subcontracting
claim,” she said.
“Where we have not
been as vigilant, where
we have over time
allowed other people to
do our work, we have not been
successful. For any individual in a
work environment, whether they're
there for four weeks or 40 years, it
could be a reality check if they find
themselves working next to somebody

CSEA Deputy Counsel Jerry
Lefkowitz is widely recognized as an
expert on the Taylor Law,

He became the authority on the
law as an advisor and as the first
deputy chair of the Public
Employment Relations Board.
Lefkowitz's book, Public Sector Labor
and Employment Law, is the
authoritative text on the Taylor Law.

“Before the Taylor Law, there was
no assured right of public employees
to form a union, and employers were
not required to deal with unions,” he
said, “There were CSEA and NEA tor
teachers, but neither acted as a
union in those days. They did not
negotiate contracts.

“That doesn't mean CSEA didn’t
work for its members,” Lefkowitz
explained. “CSEA was a powerful
lobby for public employees.”

Despite its clout, the law didn't
allow CSEA to negotiate contracts.
Employees who went on strike for
better conditions faced severe
repercussions: They would lose their
jobs, and if re-instated, would forgo
salary increases for two years.

Gov. Nelson Rockefeller was
convinced a change needed to be
made. Spurred on by a strike of New
York City subway workers in 1966,
he called Lefkowitz, then deputy
industrial commissioner for legal
affairs for the state Labor
department, into his office one
night. They worked until 3 a.m, on
suggestions Lefkowitz made.

“He said, ‘come in in the morning

Nancy Hoffman, CSEA
general counsel

that they know wasn’t
there yesterday and is
not in the bargaining
unit,” Hoffman said,
“and they don’t speak
up, because it means
that their job could be
the next job that could
be replaced.”

That area is becoming
more important with
workfare, she noted.

The Taylor Law also
protect employees from
an employer's retaliation
for the employee’s union
activities, Hoffman said.

Despite the many potential pitfalls,
the Taylor Law and the agency that
administers it, the Public
Employment Relations Board (PERB),
have fared well over the last 30 years,

DAE LIEL

OY ay a

years

Hoffman said.

“I would say that the Taylor Law is
better than it was 30 years ago. The
agency is more responsive, within its
means, to the needs of both the
employer and the employee than it
was 20 years ago. It's clearly
demonstrated an interest in hearing
what the respective sides need and
trying to make its regulations and its
requirements responsive,” she said,
“But on the other hand, it's too slow
getting out decisions, which delays
justice in the workplace.”

Hoffman's experience with the
Taylor Law is extensive. In her career
she has worked with NYSUT and on
the employers’ side as well as with
CSEA. She started working in labor
law in the early 1970s, when the
Taylor Law was in its infancy.

— Kathleen A. Daly

and draft the law,”
Lefkowitz remembers.

However, the strike
was settled that day,
and Rockefeller decided
to appoint the Taylor
Commitiee, named for
Chairman George
Taylor, to write the
legislation. Lefkowitz
was a consultant to the
committee,

The committee's
legislative proposal had
important support.

“The Governor was
very much in favor; it
was his baby and he
invested his prestige in it,” Lefkowitz
said. “CSEA also supported it.”

But local governments and other
labor unions opposed it. In 1966, it
failed to pass the state Legislature.

Then a threatened police and fire
fighters strike in New York City and
other political pressures turned the
tide. The Taylor Law passed in April
1967, taking effect in September.

From the beginning, Lefkowitz put
his mark on public employment law
in New York state as PERB's deputy
chair, He established procedures,
such as how petitions were to be
filed. While there have been minor
changes over the years, the
procedures he set up then are
essentially the same.

“The first years were enormously
satisfying,” Lefkowitz said,
“Everything | was doing was created

Jerry Lefkowitz,
CSEA deputy counsel

The Public Sector * December 1997 * Page 13

_CSEA’s Lefkowitz is a part of labor history

out of thin air. No other
state had this kind of
law.”

He is responsible for
the state's five
bargaining units, based
on a model he got from
Gerald McEntee, then
president of AFSCME’s
Philadelphia District
Council. Philadelphia
had a citywide
bargaining unit
structure. At the time,
New York City had 450
units so specialized
that the two
shoemakers on Ryker's
Island had their own unit, Lefkowitz
said.

“I concluded that I needed
families of occupations,” he said.
PERB eventually created five units.
The decision was not well received.

“I got a call from the governor's
secretary, and | never heard such
language. He was livid. CSEA
demanded that Jerry Lefkowitz be
fired from the state,” he recalled,
smiling.

In the end, the decision stood,
and the New York Times and the
Governor's private labor advisor
agreed with him.

The matter came full circle years
later when CSEA hired him as
deputy counsel, Lefkowitz noted.

“Well, they finally got me out of
the state!”

— Kathleen Daly

curate

CSEA OMRDD activists
lay their concerns on the
line with commissioner

ALBANY — Festering union concerns over safety, staffing levels and
quality of care issues in state Office of Mental Retardation & Developmental
Disabilities (OMRDD) facilities and community residences came to a head
recently when more than 200 CSEA activists came to Albany for a heart-to-
heart discussion with OMRDD Commissioner Thomas Maul.

Commissioner Maul acknowledged many of the concerns raised by CSEA
officers, activists and staff and committed his agency and staff to working
with CSEA on solutions to the problems. He pledged to undertake an
immediate staffing audit down to the unit level, and also said he would
send, upon invitation by the union, executive level staff to local labor-
management meetings to help address problems and concerns.

“You are the heart and soul of what our
system is about,” Maul told the CSEA
members. “I wanted to hear from you first
hand because your problems are my
problems.”

OMRDD CSEA Local presidents and scores
of union activists stepped forward to present
a long list of concerns and grievances.

“We have some very serious issues that
need to be resolved, and we presented them
in a powerful, no-holds-barred manner to the
commissioner,” said CSEA statewide
Executive Vice President Mary Sullivan, who
also serves as a liaison to the CS9EA OMRDD
Labor-Management Committee

“It was a productive discussion,” said CSEA
statewide President Danny Donohue, who led
the union presentation. “We're encouraged by
Commissioner Maul’s positive responses to
our concerns.”

CSEA participants in the meeting, in
addition to Donohue and Sullivan, included
Kathleen Button, president of Finger Lakes
DDSO CSEA Local 436 and chair of the CSEA
A : OMRDD Labor-Management Committee,
paren aertas the CSEA cpa Labor Relations Deputy Director Te : Fran
Management Committee, ty Masterson and Labor Relations Coming in January Kennedy,

nagemen' im: * Associate Timothy A. Stewart. in The Public Sector president of

. Capital
‘HOME ALONE’ . q District
Compelling first-hand ¢ DDSO CSEA
accounts by CSEA y Local 407
members about the ‘
problems and dangers
they face daily in
understaffed OMRDD : 3 Paulette
community homes. ee _ | Barbera,
i: president of
Long Island
Developmental
Center and
|| Sagamore
Children’s
Psychiatric
Center
7) Local 430

CSEA President Danny Donohue, left, and OMRDD Commissioner
Thomas Maul discuss union concerns raised during a recent meeting
in Albany.

Dana Tietz, president of
Western New York DDSO
CSEA Local 425

Finger Lakes DDSO CSEA
Local 436 President
Kathleen Button. Button

CSEA statewide
Executive Vice
President Mary
Sullivan, center,
listens as a CSEA
activist tells
OMRDD
Commissioner
Thomas Maul
about workplace
concerns.

Page 14 * December 1997 * The Public Sector ———__—- : - -— - GENERAL EWS.
f : sae

ened © Yet 1admened *rolo9e, add ont avi SAR,

Optometry College depends on CSEA members

MANHATTAN — A unique jewel in
the New York's state university
system, SUNY College of Optometry
and University Optometric Center
plays a vital role in serving the
community while educating top-
notch eye care professionals.

CSEA member John Rivera

Complete

CSEA New York City Local 010
members also play a vital role in
supporting all phases of college
operations,

Greeting 300 incoming patients
each day keeps CSEA member
Norma Dottin going at full tilt at the
main admitting desk. Working at the
College of Optometry since 1986,
Dottin sees first hand how the work
of faculty and students makes a real
difference to thousands of patients,
especially children.

The University Optometric Center
helps people suffering vision
difficulties resulting from head
trauma, and also many children who
need vision training, particularly
those with learning disabilities.

“I like working here seeing how
children are helped,” Dottin said.

“I've seen them grow up. For kids
this place is excellent because with
improved vision they do so much
better in school,” she said. “They get
a very thorough eye examination
here, more than in most commercial
places.”

Keyboard Specialist John Rivera,
employed for seven years at the
College of Optometry, also greets
patients and schedules
appointments for primary eye care.
He looks forward to the college
facilities moving in the near future to
new and larger quarters.

“We see the whole spectrum of eye

disorders from acute diseases to
many of the most difficult cases,”
Rivera said. “Many are referred to us
by the private sector and especially
by schools.

“I don’t think there is any place
else where you get this kind of
comprehensive care,” Rivera added.

Doctors here are exposed to all
the latest technology and knowledge,
Rivera said.

At one point, rumors were
rampant that the
college might be
closed when severe
SUNY budget cuts
were proposed.
Rivera believes any
cutbacks at the
Optometry College
would be
unthinkable and
devastating to
Medicaid patients
unable to afford
eye care.

“The College of
Optometry is a
unique
combination of
learning and
patient care that is
irreplaceable,”
Rivera said. With
no advertising, and
depending upon
personal

recommendations, the college never
lacks for patients.

Rivera translates from Spanish
into English when necessary to
assist in assessing eye problems.

“People are treated very well here,”
he said, “and they appreciate the
attention they are given by
everyone.”

— Lilly Gioia

CSEA member Norma Dottin greets patients at the
SUNY College of Optometry.

@ CSEA Term Life Beneficiary Registration Form ©

To register a beneficiary for your no cost $2,000 term life insurance, simply complete and

registration
form at right

As announced in previous editions of The
Public Sector, CSEA began providing $2,000 of
Term Life Insurance at no cost to CSEA
members actively at work effective Nov. 1,
1997. For new members who join CSEA after
Nov. 1, this no-cost coverage will take effect
on the date they become members.

CSEA is pleased to provide this special no-
cost CSEA membership benefit. We encourage
you to complete the adjacent Beneficiary
Registration Form and mail it to Jardine
Group Services Corporation at the address
indicated.

If you have any questions about this no-
cost coverage, please call 1-800-697-CSEA
(1-800-697-2732).

return this coupon to:

Jardine Group Services Corporation, P.O. Box 956, Schenectady, NY 12301

Name:

[Rotecoh Birth: oars Seah era Slee Social! Security: mere eet nee weed selec

Address:

Home Phone: Work Phone:

Relationship:

Beneficiary:

Signature:

is only available for actively working employees and is not available to retirees.
This free coverage will terminate on October 31, 1998.

GENERAL NEWS” The Public Sector * December 1997 * Page 15

MANHATTAN — When China's
President Jiang Zimen came to the
New York Stock Exchange to greet
the barons of Wall Street, the area
was surrounded by angry
protesters waving signs, shouting,
chanting and screaming against
communist human rights abuses.

In Washington, D.C., the
previous day, AFL-CIO President
John Sweeney blasted Jiang
Zimen’'s despicable treatment of
workers in a bare-fisted attack on
child and forced prison labor in
China. Standing with Sweeney
and AFL-CIO Vice President
Richard Trumpka was Chinese
dissident Harry Wu, who had
suffered hideous abuses during 17

American Labor Link

years’ imprisonment in Chinese
forced labor camps.

Observing the Wall Street
protest, CSEA Local 010 NYS
Banking Department member Elvis
Kirnon called the scene hypocrisy.

Sandra Pianin, a NYS Banking
Department secretary, protested
the red carpet treatment accorded
to China’s president while visiting
New York City.

“I heard Harry Wu speak in
1996,” Pianin said. “His story of
life in the Chinese prison labor
camps was horrendous.”

She voiced the concern of
American labor and religious
groups calling for a “Holiday
Season of Conscience,” where

to join 1 million Amer

and sweatshops.
As part of its “Holiday Season of

your conscienc

committee is also asking consumers to
” by rewarding companies moving
in the right direction while challenging those that

committee's
(212) 242-3002.

American holiday shoppers check
out labels carefully for toys and
goods made in China or by
corporations who blatantly use
sweatshop labor to maximize
profits.

“As we approach the holiday
season, every Christmas tree
ornament and toy will have a label
that says, ‘made in China.’ How
will we deal with the blood on our
hands?” Pianin asked. “How will
we deal with our consciences?”

For more information about lists
of sweatshop products, contact the
Greater NY Labor/Religion
Coalition at 212-406-2156 ext.
237.

— Lilly Gioia

Join the ‘Holiday Season of Conscience’

The National Labor Committee is asking people
ns in signing a petition to
President Clinton calling for an end to child labor

continue to violate human rights. To get the
“Worst Companies List,”

call

Joining the National Labor Committee in the

Conscience,” the
hop with

Holiday Season of Conscience are the AFL-CIO,
UNITE, CLUW, the American Federation of
Teachers, the Consumer Federation of America and
several religious and social groups.

CSEA members were among those
demonstrating against Chinese
President Jiang Zimen when he came
to New York City.

CSEA member recalis 1995 Port Jervis nurses’ strike

ELDRED — Eldred School District
employee Shelly Brundage got a
crash cou in unionism in 1995.

Now a school nurse and member
of CSEA Sullivan County Local 853,
she was a full-time nurse at Mercy
Hospital in Port Jervis when the
nurses affiliated with Local 1199.

“The hospital never wanted a
union,” she said, “But our requests
were not listened to; nurses’ pay was
significantly below othe’ ea
hospita seniority, retirement
benefits and unsafe staffing were
issues.”

Once unionized, Local 1199 began
to negotiate the nurs contract, but
the bargaining process hit a stone
wall.

Il was away on vacation,” she
said. “When | got home I had all
these m ges on my answering
machine to not go to work and to
come and picket.”

Brundage joined her co-workers,
fully expecting to be back to work in

Rage, 16 ° December 1997 * The. Public Seotar

two weeks. But the strike lasted a
long and contentious six months.

“We went from wearing shorts to
wearing heavy winter coats in below
freezing temperatures,” she recalled.

The time took a toll on many of
Brundage’s co-workers.

“For several families, it was very
difficult,” she said, “We lost many
who went back to work. We're civil to
each other now, but the scars are
still there.

Most disturbing and surprising
was the attitude of many city
residents — surprising because Port
Jervis is a mostly blue collar city.

“There are a lot of anti-union
people in Port Jervis, although we
had a lot of support from other

she said. “Most of the
ses are women so it became a
women’s issue. We had people
calling us obscenities. People threw
stuff at us. One man threw eggs at
us.”
What hurt the most was being

called ‘patient abandoners,’
Brundage said.

“We were doing this for the
patients,” she said. “Money was not
the major issue.”

Brundage said the contract was
finally settled when religious leaders
became involved,

Despite the hardships the six
month strike brought, Brundage

said it was “ultimately a very positive

experience.

“There were times we didn’t see a
light at the end of the tunnel,” she
said, “but we all share a special
bond and closeness now. There's a
lot of truth to the saying ‘United we
stand and divided we fall’ If you
don't stick together, you have
nothing.”

The contract for the nurses
expires this year, and negotiations
are beginning. Brundage, who now
works at Mercy on a per diem basis,
hopes that this time will be different.

“The wounds are healing,” she

CSEA member Shelly Brundage
said, “but no one will forget the
Mercy strike. It’s time to put it all
behind us and go forward. We're all
here to care for the patients.”

— Anita Manley

— GREP MES,

ATTENTION NEW YORK STATE EMPLOYEES

NYS Health Insurance Annual
Option Transfer Period extended

If you are considering changing your health
insurance option for 1998, and/or wish to review the
benefits available, you may contact your agency

rator, usually located in the
Personnel Office, and request a copy of the Health
Insurance Choices Guide. Choices contains
information on the Empire Plan and the Health
Maintenance Organizations which may be available to
you under the New York State Health Insurance
Program (NYSHIP).

When this article was going to print, the 1998
NYSHIP premium rates were not yet approved by the
NYS Insurance Department. As soon as the 1998
rates are approved, a Rates & Deadlines Guide will be
sent to enrollees’ homes so an informed decision can
be made about your health insurance choice for 1998.
As always, you will have 30 days from the date that
the rate information is released to make your
changes. If you decide NOT to change your health
insurance option, you do not have to take any action.

If you wish to change health insurance options, you
must submit a signed Health Insurance Transaction
Form PS-404, to your agency Health Benefits
Administrator by the deadline specified in the Rates &
Deadlines Guide.

Whether you are enrolled in the Empire Plan or an
HMO, New York State pays most of the cost of your
premium, For Empire Plan enrollees, the State pays
90 percent of the cost of individual coverage and 75
percent of the additional cost for dependent coverage.
Pursuant to Article 9.10 of the NYS Collective
Bargaining Agreements (ASU, ISU, OSU, DMNA), the
formula to decide the enrollee’s share of the HMO
premium will change on Jan. 1, 1998. The State's
maximum contribution toward the cost of the HMO
premium will be 90 percent of individual, 75 percent
of dependent coverage, not to exceed 105 percent of
its dollar contribution to the hospital/medical/mental
health and substance abuse components of the
Empire Plan premium.

If you change health insurance options, the
effective date of your new health insurance option for
employees under the Administrative Lag-Payroll is
Dec. 25, 1997. The earliest paycheck in which a
premium adjustment will be made is the check of
Dec, 24, 1997 (Dec. 10 for lag-exempt employees).
Because of processing time, most paycheck changes
will be made retroactive in January.

The effective date of your new health insurance
option for employees under the Institution Payroll is
Jan. 1, 1998. The earliest paycheck in which a
premium adjustment will be made is the check of
Jan. 1, 1998. Because of processing time, most
paycheck changes will be made retroactive in late
January.

Please look for additional information regarding the
Option Transfer Period in your mail and at your
agency.

Changing Health Plans/Certificate of Coverage
If you decide to change your health insurance
option under the New York State Health Insurance
Program (NYSHIP), you will automatically receive a
Certificate of Coverage from Empire Blue Cross

(Empire Plan) or your HMO.

The Certificate of Coverage will state the
beginning and end dates of your NYSHIP coverage
under your former health plan. This is to comply
with the recent Federal Law requiring employers to
issue a Certificate of Coverage to employees and

| dependents whose coverage ends under any health
plan option.

If you have questions about a Certificate of
Coverage and you are an Empire Plan enrollee, you
can call Blue Cross at 518-367-0009 (Albany &
Alaska) or 1-800-342-9815. HMO enrollees should
call their HMO directly for more information.

MANHATTAN — Decked out in special T-shirts
and sneakers, 13 Metropolitan Region 2 CSEA
Women’s Committee members walked and danced
five miles through Central Park in the American
Cancer Society's fund-raising march against breast
cancer,

“We raised $1,284.75 with more pledges still to
come in,” said Women's Committee Chair Harriet
Hart proudly. Members of CSEA State Insurance
Fund Local 351 also joined the regional Women's
Committee on the walk, while six committee
members unable to participate pledged and raised
additional donations.

“This is a women’s issue I feel strongly about
supporting,” said Hart, noting that the committee
dedicated its effort to cancer sufferers in the union
and to afflicted family members. “I was so thrilled we
came up with this amount of money.”

Crossing the finish line with CSEA NYS Tax and

NYC members raise funds to fight breast cancer

Finance Department Local 460 member Claudette
Sullivan, Hart said everyone has a good feeling.

“I got rejuvenated acting like a drum majorette,”
she said, applauding the entire group for their
enthusiasm in raising research money as a team.

Other marchers included Local 351 members
Janice Innis-Cox, Yvonne Sewell and Lorelei Clark,
CSEA State Employees Local 010 members Betty
Crawford and Linda Williams, CSEA State Labor
Department Local 350 member Ella DuBois, Local
460 member Cheryl Mitchell, and CSEA Brooklyn
Developmental Center Local 447 member Theresa
Dye.

Joining the march were CSEA Labor Relations
Specialist Charles Bell, while the husbands of CSEA
Creedmoor Psychiatric Center Local 406 member
Carlotta Williams and Local 010 member Barbara
Rosenberg marched with their wives.

— Lilly Gioia

GENERALNEWS

Summary of
October Board
of Directors
meeting

Editor's note: The Public Sector publishes
a summary of actions taken by CSEA's
Board of Directors at the board's official
meetings. The summary is prepared by
CSEA Statewide Secretary Barbara
Reeves for the information of union
members.

ALBANY — CSEA’s statewide Board of
Directors met here on Oct. 23, 1997. In
official action, the board:

© Approved placing the following units
into administratorship: Village of
Canajoharie Unit 7505-00; Town of
Somers Unit 8230-00 and Croton-
Harmon School Unit 9159-00;

© Approved waiving the six month
waiting period and authorized the
inscription of the namé of Theodore
Wenzl, past CSEA president, on the
union’s Memorial Plaque;

© Approved raising the per diem cap
on arbitrator fees to $700, and to the
extent that a per diem exceeds the
Board's cap, the appropriate Local or
Unit will be charged with the excess;

© Approved conducting the AFSCME
delegates election and the Board of
Directors election on the same schedule
with oversight by the Standing Election
Committee and Interactive Certified
Elections, and approved the election
schedule;

© Approved the adoption of an option
submitted by the Election Committee to
eliminate publishing of candidates’
statements and pictures in the official
publication of CSEA;

© Approved the appointments of Sheila
Thorpe, Parrish Gabor, Harry Bello, Rick
Vellone and Ann Rider to the Central
Region 5 Political Action Committee;

© Approved upgrading of the M/C
Meeting Coordinator position, Grade 6, to
Director of Meetings and Conventions,
Grade 7.

Questions
concerning this
summary of actions
taken by CSEA's
statewide Board of
Directors should be
directed to CSEA
Statewide Secretary
Barbara Reeves,
CSEA Headquarters,
143 Washington
Avenue, Albany, NY wa
12210, iy
1-800-342-4146 or
(518) 257-1253. er

The>Publio Sector + Decemben'1997 * Page?

1998 CSEA ELECTIONS

Notice of nomination and election

Statewide
Board of Directors

All seats up for election in ‘98

All elected seats on CSEA’s Statewide Board of Directors will be up for
election in 1998. CSEA delegates previously approved a 2-year term for
Board seat elections in 1998, synchronizing the Board elections with the
union's statewide election cycle beginning in the year 2000. Three-year
terms will resume with Board of Directors elections in 2000.

1998 AFSCME
Convention Delegates

Members will elect .
convention delegates

CSEA members will be electing delegates to attend the 1998 AFSCME
Convention scheduled for Aug. 24 through 28, 1998, at Honolulu, Hawaii.
The delegate election process will begin with region nominating meetings

Who is eligible? ee Sea

—-- in February and continue

Any CSEA member who
meets the constitutional
eligibility requirements and
obtains the required number
of signatures and Social

1998 CSEA Elections Schedules

Statewide Board of Directors

in accordance with the
schedule of election, printed
at left, approved by CSEA's
statewide Board of
Directors.

Delegates will be

AFSCME Convention delegates

Security numbers of members

Jan. 20

elected by regions

eligible to vote in the election
will have his or her name
placed on the ballot.

A candidate must be at
least 18 years of age, must be
a member in good standing of
the department, county or
educational local he or she
seeks to represent since June
1997; must not be serving a
disciplinary penalty imposed
by CSEA’s Judicial Board and
must not have been a
member of a competing labor
association or union since
June 1997. To be a “member
in good standing” for election
purposes, your dues have to
have been fully paid for the
period since June 1, 1997.
Gratuitous membership
status does not constitute
“good standing” for election
purposes.

Requesting Petitions

Nominating Petition
Request Forms will be

Feb. 24
Feb. 23

March 11
March 17
April 20
April 27
May 15

Start of Petitioning Period:
Nominating petitions available
from CSEA headquarters and
CSEA region offices

Nominating meetings (all regions)
Deadline for nominating
petitions to be received at
CSEA Headquarters (5 p.m.)
Deadline to decline nomination Deadline to decline nomination
Drawing for ballot positions
Ballots mailed Ballots mailed
Replacement ballots available Replacement ballots available

Deadline for receipt of
ballots (8 a.m.). Ballots counted

Deadline for receipt of
ballots (8 a.m.). Ballots counted

Election results will be announced after the ballot count.
Candidates will be notified by mail of the results.

Election results will be published in the June 1998 edition of The Public Sector.

CSEA delegates will be
elected by region. CSEA
members in each CSEA
region will elect the number
of delegates to which each
region is entitled based on
region membership
strength, in accordance
with the AFSCME and
CSEA constitutions.

Nominating meetings

in all regions Feb. 21

Meetings will be held in
all regions on Saturday
Feb. 21 to nominate
candidates for delegates to
the AFSCME convention.
Meeting sites will be
announced in future
editions of The Public
Sector,

Who is eligible?

Any member in good
standing as of Feb. 1, 1998,
will be entitled to be
nominated as a delegate to

available on or after Dec. 8 for eligible members. The petition request
forms will be available from CSEA local presidents, CSEA region offices
and CSEA headquarte: s. Potential candidates are urged to request,
complete and return the petition request forms as early as possible.
Completed petition request forms must be submitted to either CSEA
region offices or CSEA headquarters in order to obtain official nominating
petition forms, Petition forms will not be released to potential candidates
until Jan. 20, 1998, the official start of the petitioning period (see election
schedule, above).
Slate nominating and election possible

Members seeking to become Board representatives for state
departments and counties which, by virtue of their large membership size,
are assigned more than one seat on the statewide Board may choose to
petition and run as a slate or as individuals.

the AFSCME Convention. Any member in good standing as of Feb. 21,
1998, will be eligible to nominate delegates. Any qualified CSEA member
will be eligible to nominate as many candidates for delegat s he or she
desires, not to exceed the total number of delegates to be elected from that
region. Nominees do not have to be at the nominating meeting.
Slate nominating and election possible

Nominations may be made by slates of two or more individuals who will
appear on the ballot as running together under a particular designation,
Candidates nominated as slates will appear on the ballot in the order they
are nominated. The ballot will also allow slate candidates to be elected
individually, separate from the slate.

Expenses for transportation, room and board at the AFSCME
Convention will be paid by CSEA,

Page 18 * December 1997 » The Public Sector

GENERAL NEWs

rer Rrra eerarer TET

1998 CSEA ELECTIONS Inro
Local, unit elections scheduled for 199%

Elections will be
conducted for ali
local officers,
for delegates, and
ali unit officers

The term of office for all current
local officers, delegates and unit
officers expires June 30, 1998
Officers and delegates will be elected
or re-elected to a thre:
during local and unit elections to be
conducted between May 15 and
June 15, 1998.

Each local and unit executive
board must select its own Election
Committee and committee

‘ar term

Attention: Local, unit presidents

chairperson. The Local and/or Unit
Election Committee is primarily

ponsible for conducting the
election.

Slate petitioning and slate voting
will be an option for candidates for
local and unit office (see adjacent
information).

Members may run as individual
candidates if they wish.

Did you send

Local and unit presidents should
have filed by now the Election
Committee Data Form and
Registration Form for an elections
procedure training teleconference to
be held Jan. 31, 1998

ection of local officers,
delegates and unit officers will be
conducted between May 15 and
June 15, 1998. Each local and unit
executive board must have its own

Election Committee Data Form
to CSEA headquarters?

Election Committee and committee
chairperson to oversee the election.
‘lection material and information

cannot be sent to the chairperson
until the committee Data Forms are
filed with Headquarters.

Local and unit presidents may
call the CSEA Records Maintenance
Department at 1-800-342-4146
Extension 1214 if they have
questions.

Important Information
about slate petitioning
and slate voting

Local Elections
In local elections, a slate must contain a candidate running for the
offices of president, one or more vice presidents as set forth in the Local's
By-Laws, secretary and treasurer.
The slate may also include candidates for other offices which have been
created according to the Local Constitution and By-Laws. In locals which
have created the combined position of secretary-treasurer in their By-

| Laws, the slate must include a candidate for that office.

Unit Elections

In unit elections, a slate must contain a candidate running for the

offices of president, one or more vice presidents as set forth in the Unit's
5, secretary and treasure!
slate may also include candidates for other offices which have been

created according to the Unit Constitution and By-Laws. In units which
have created the combined position of secretary-treasurer in their By-
Laws, the slate must include a candidate for that office.

Candidates should know the following:

A member cannot be a candidate for officer and for delegate on the
same slate. An officer candidate must circulate a separate nominating
petition in order to appear on the ballot as a candidate for delegate. The
member will appear on the ballot as a candidate for office as part of the
slate and as an individual for the position of delegate.

> Candidates who run as a slate must complete a slate consent form
and a slate petition request form. By petitioning as a slate, candidates who
appear as part of a slate need to submit one set of the required number of
signatures to qualify as a candidate. Individual petitions are not necessary
for slate candidates.

> Candidates who withdraw from a slate must complete a slate

withdrawal form.

More detailed information about election slates will be available from
local and unit election committees.

Nominating
procedure

for small CSEA
locals and units;
special election
rules apply

GENERAL NEWS

The union's election rules require a minimum of 10 signatures on
nominating petitions for office in all locals and units, However, this
requirement causes problems for potential candidates for office in
locals and units with 10 or fewer members.

Special election rules apply for CSEA locals and units of 10 or
fewer members.

The statewide Board of Directors approved an Application for
Election to Office for locals and units with 10 or fewer members. In
these smaller locals and units, completion of the Application for
Election to O}
nominating petition.

In locals or units with 10 or fewer members, any member who
submits the application and meets election requirements under the
appropriate Local or Unit Constitution will be placed on the ballot

e replaces the requirement to obtain signatures on a

The Public Sector * December 1997 * Page 19

CSEA, along with the _
SUNY Mayors Coalition,
United University
Professions and
many other groups

have — :
designated _
Thursday Dec. 4

as Operation

SUNY Safeguard. —

Activities are

See CSEA President |
Danny Donohue’s
column — page 8

SUNY system.

Official publication of
The Civil Service Employees Association, Inc.
Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
143 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12210-2303

INSIDE THIS EDITION
“« ELECTION RESULTS - Page 3

v« STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS - Pages 4 and 5

ve LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWS - Pages 6 and 7

v« THE WORK FORCE - Pages 9, 10 and 11

v« CSEA ELECTION SCHEDULES - Pages 18 and 19