Special Discount Holiday Offers Inside
Work NOLES
December 2012 Vol 15 No. 11
Stan NGS sup * ‘tO-Sant
ie ex
; * = a
f
Photo by Jessica Ladlee
We can do better for our most vulnerable, Pages 12, 13
Mo of the Month
Despite travel and communications challenges facing
them in the days following the wake of Sandy’s
wrath, Long Island child care providers Sandra Smith
and Lisa Price of Hempstead (in VOICE/CSEA shirt),
Maryann Arroyo of Malverne, at left, and Getty
Njoku, at right, of Uniondale hand-delivered more
than 1,300 letters to the Nassau County Department
of Social Services commissioner to protest recent
budget proposals that would diminish access to child
care subsidies for many families in Nassau County. In
a VOICE/CSEA action launched only one week before,
members from all across Nassau County collected
the letters from parents and delivered them within a
set public comment period to the county during the
difficult days following Sandy.
From the Office of President Danny Donohue
NEW YORK’S
LEADING UNION
Local 1000 AFSCME, AFL-CIO
CSEA President Danny Donohue
to meet Long Island Region
members on Dec. 1.
resident Danny Donohue will visit the CSEA Long
Island Region on Dec. 1 to meet with members.
The meetings will be held at the Long Island Region
Office, 3 Garet Place, Commack. Donohue will meet
with union members from 1 to 7 p.m. Please call the
Long Island Region office at (631) 462-0030 for an
appointment and directions.
CSEA members get out
the vote in key elections
SEA members across the state played
a large role in helping elect candidates
who will keep the interests of union
families in the forefront.
From the re-election of President
Barack Obama to key congressional, state
Assembly and Senate races, CS9EA members
in New York spent weeks going door-to-
door, staffing phone banks and urging their
families and friends to vote to candidates
who will support them.
News stories across the nation credit
union voters with giving the president
the win in Wisconsin, Ohio, Nevada and
Pennsylvania. Obama also led the popular
vote, which many pundits thought would
go the other way.
In New York, CSEA members and their
families played a large role in several
key congressional and state races. CSEA
members were integral to the effort.
“On Election Day 2012 CSEA activists and
their families truly stood up for our rights
and those of the American middle class.
The hard work and commitment to elect
candidates who stand with working people
was evident in the past several days, weeks
and months,” said CSEA President Danny
Donohue. “CSEA made its mark and helped
elect important allies for the challenging
fights ahead, and we are grateful for all
their hard work.”
U.S. Senate
In New York state, CSEA members got
out the vote for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand,
who won re-election with a record
percentage of the vote. The Democrats
picked up two U.S. Senate seats, including
in Massachusetts, with Elizabeth Warren
and a win for Joe Donnelly in Indiana.
Having these seats will be critical in
defending workers’ rights over the next six
years.
House of Representatives
CSEA was successful in five of its six
priority congressional races. In northern
New York, CSEA members helped re-elect
Bill Owens, and on Long Island helped elect
Piste for YOU!
ior
CSEA Central Region activists Joe
Palmisano, left, and David Lee staff a
phone bank for state Assembly candidate
Al Stirpe, who won his election.
Tim Bishop, both CSEA priority races.
Other CSEA-endorsed candidates who
won were Rep. Louise Slaughter in the
Rochester area and the Hudson Valley seat
with Sean Patrick Maloney unseating Tea
Party-backed Nan Hayworth. In Central
New York, Dan Maffei ousted another Tea
Party incumbent, Anne Marie Buerkle.
Maffei won back a seat he had previously
held.
State Assembly
The New York state Assembly Democrat
majority picked up another five seats,
with a possible sixth bringing the majority
total at this time to 106. The wins were all
supported by CSEA and include Al Stirpe
in Syracuse, Dave Buchwald in White
Plains, James Skoufis in the southern
Hudson Valley, and Angelo Santabarbara
in Montgomery, Schenectady and Albany
counties.
State Senate
CSEA support was instrumental in
helping Democrat Ted O’Brien win an open
seat in the Rochester area.
2 | THe Work FORCE
December 2012
Be safe at home
and at work
during cleanup
laced with damage and
destruction such as that left
by Hurricane Sandy, it is only
natural for affected individuals
and communities to want to get
down to the business of cleaning
up and rebuilding as quickly as
possible. But safety must remain a
priority, especially in emergency
situations.
The CSEA website, www.
csealocal1000.org, contains much
information compiled by the
union’s Occupational Safety and
Health Department about how to
stay safe and healthy at home and
on the job while cleaning up after
a major storm.
“We're particularly concerned
about our members who are
working or live in areas areas that
were flooded. Anything that was
contaminated with floodwater
needs to be disposed of, because
of the toxins and pathogens
contained in the floodwater.
Even if the water has dried, what
remains is dangerous and can
cause serious health issues,” said
CSEA President Danny Donohue.
Tips for safe cleanup at home
e Wear protective equipment,
including hard hats, safety
glasses, cut and puncture
resistant gloves and safety
shoes with slip resistant
soles.
e Watch for leaning
structures and trees and
avoid them.
e Stay away from and report
downed power lines.
December 2012
¢ Do not work with electricity
in wet environments.
e Operate, adjust and
maintain chainsaws
according to manufacturer's
instructions.
e Assume all building debris
is contaminated (with
asbestos, lead and mold).
e Use battery-powered
flashlights and lanterns,
rather than candles or gas
lanterns.
e If you suspect a gas leak,
cease all work and slowly
leave the area. Do not turn
on the lights or do anything
that could cause a spark.
e Do not operate any gas-
powered equipment
indoors.
e Be sure you have a first aid
kit handy and a way to call
for help.
On the job safety —
immediate safety hazards
Building collapse or shift: Do
not enter a space that has any
sign of not being structurally
sound (for example, large cracks
in the walls). If in doubt, stay
out until it can be professionally
evaluated.
Debris piles: Where possible,
avoid direct contact with unstable
surfaces. Use bucket trucks,
stable and secure scaffolding,
and/or fall protection with secure
anchor points.
Electrocution: Assume that
all power lines are energized
unless you know they have been
CSEA members on and off the job are facing the daunting task of
cleaning up in areas affected by Sandy. Above left, Town of Stony
Point CSEA member Brett Bulson clears a downed tree. Above right,
CSEA member Blanca Maldonado stands outside her destroyed Staten
Island home. (See related story, Page 8)
de-energized and tested. Do not
enter any space that still contains
floodwaters until you are 100
percent certain that the electricity
is off and will remain off.
Explosion: Do not enter any
space where there is a natural gas
odor. If possible, do not enter any
impacted space until you are sure
that gas feeds have been shut off
and will remain off.
Asphyxiation (death from
lack of oxygen): Do not work in
poorly ventilated areas that may
be subject to emissions from
gasoline-, diesel- or propane-
powered generators, vehicles,
or equipment. Carbon monoxide
poisoning can occur outdoors as
well as indoors.
Chemical hazards
Toxic particulates (poisonous
airborne dusts) - During cleanup
or restoration work, you may
be exposed to asbestos, lead,
silica, cement dust, or other toxic
chemicals. Inhaling (breathing in)
any of these chemicals can cause
serious, permanent, long-term
harm to your health. Exposure
to asbestos or silica may cause
cancer.
Sewage hazards:
Sewage-contaminated
floodwater may remain in a
building for hours or days.
During this time, extensive
penetration and contamination
of wood, gypsum, concrete and
other materials may occur. If
sewage is present, it should be
assumed that pathogens are
present. Pathogens are disease-
causing agents, which can be in
the form of bacteria (such as e.
coli), viruses, mold spores, or
other organisms, and which are
normally present in large numbers
in sewage wastes.
In any flood cleanup project,
regardless of the source, assume
that pathogens are present and
take appropriate precautions.
Material from the New York
Committee for Occupational
Safety and Health was used in
this article.
THe Work FORCE
WORK
ISSN 1522-1091
Official publication of
CSEA Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
143 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12210-2303
Danny Donohue, President
STEPHEN A. MADARASZ
Communications Director & Publisher
STANLEY HORNAK
Deputy Director of Communications
LOU HMIELESKI
Executive Editor
JANICE GAVIN
Associate Editor
CATHLEEN FEBRAIO
Graphic Production Specialist
JANICE M. KUCSKAR
Graphic Production Specialist
BETH McINTYRE
Communications Assistant
The Work Force (USPS 0445-010) is
published monthly by The CSEA Publication Office:
143 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12210.
Periodical Mail Postage paid at Post Office,
Albany, New York 12288, and additional mailing offices.
Postmaster: Send address changes to:
CSEA, Attn: Membership Department,
143 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12210.
CSEA on-line: The CSEA website
can be accessed at www.csealocal1000.org
Readers:
Send any comments, complaints, suggestions or ideas to:
Publisher, The Work Force, 143 Washington Avenue,
Albany, NY 12210-2303.
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALISTS
RICH IMPAGLIAZZO Long Island Region (631) 462-0030
DAVID GALARZA Metropolitan Region —_ (212) 406-2156
JESSICA LADLEE, Southern Region (845) 831-1000
THERESE ASSALIAN Capital Region (618) 785-4400
MARK M. KOTZIN Central Region (315) 433-0050
LYNN MILLER Western Region (716) 691-6555
ED MOLITOR Headquarters (618) 257-1272
JILL ASENCIO Headquarters (618) 257-1276
The Publications Committee
Jerry Larrichiuta
Janice Mason
Robert Pazik
Theresa Reagan
Ed Russo
Debi Sherk
p88 CMUICg
A |: ® Gus F
ay GaN 1220M ber “f
To AFCHOIELE
\TH 7
E> %
& Work Force
7
CSEA President Danny Donohue
Sandy’s worst brings out the best
in CSEA members
urricane Sandy brought unexpected and unprecedented
disaster to the east coast. Historic flooding, fire, and
downed trees and power lines devastated major parts of
New York. Roads were washed out and other means of
transportation crippled. The monster storm destroyed
homes and communities in its path.
Shining throughout the darkness was the work of
hundreds of CSEA members who responded to the disaster
with dedication and professionalism — many while their
own homes and families were at risk.
Many CSEA members worked around the clock to help with recovery
efforts, including removing storm debris and helping utility crews in getting
power restored.
Other CSEA members have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, in health
care facilities, human service agencies and emergency management offices
helping to protect people and assist families and communities to pick up the
pieces of their shattered lives.
Crises often bring out the best in people and CSEA proves the point. No
matter if workers are on the front lines performing hands-on services or helping
to make sure help gets to where it is needed, CSEA members are crucial to the
storm recovery and preparing for the next inevitable disaster.
Their work is testimony to the importance of not only having qualified
and capable public service workers on the job but also the value of individuals
whose humanity comes through every day.
P.S. The success of CSEA’s 2012 Election efforts may
be tempered by the reality of Sandy’s devastation, but I want
to thank all who voted and all who worked to get out the
vote. It was an historic election for us in so many ways.
4 | THe Work FORCE
December 2012
CLEANING UP AN INCREDIBLE MESS
AG Schneiderman investigating Sandy-related gouging
ew York State Attorney General
Eric T. Schneiderman is
investigating allegations of post-
Hurricane Sandy price gouging
after receiving hundreds of
complaints from consumers across
the state.
“Our office has zero tolerance
for price gouging,” Schneiderman
said. “We are actively investigating
hundreds of complaints we’ve
received from consumers of
businesses preying on victims
of Hurricane Sandy, and will
do everything we can to stop
unscrupulous individuals from
taking advantage of New Yorkers
trying to rebuild their lives.”
Since the storm made landfall
in New York on Oct. 29, the
state attorney general has been
receiving and investigating
complaints from consumers
regarding potential price gouging
of necessary goods, such as food,
water, gas, generators, batteries
and flashlights, as well as essential
services such as transportation
and hotels.
Schneiderman is also working to
ensure consumers are protected
from scams related to home repair,
clean up services and tree removal
in the wake of the storm.
If you believe you are a victim of
price gouging or a post-hurricane
scam, contact the Attorney
General’s Consumer Helpline at
800-771-7755 or fill out a complaint
form online at: http://www.ag.ny.
gov/complaint-forms
The attorney general also offers
the following advice:
Check with your insurance
company: Before making any
decisions, be clear about what will
be covered and any steps you will
need to take.
Ask for references, check for
licenses: Ask about local work
contractors have done. Talk to
the people who hired them; look
at the jobs if you can. Make sure
the contractor has any license
required by your local government.
Estimates are important — get
it in writing: Ask that all estimates
for work be in writing and include
a description of the material to
be used. Be clear that you will
not pay for work done that is not
agreed upon in writing. Verify that
the material used is the same as
described in the estimate. Make
sure any changes to the estimate
are in writing.
Know your rights: Home
improvement contractors are
required by law to establish
an escrow account to hold the
homeowners’ un-disbursed funds
when a contract is in excess of
$500. Also, a homeowner has a
three-day right to cancel a contract
unless during an emergency, the
homeowner has waived the three-
day rule in writing.
Use a contractor with an
address you can verify: If your
contractor is “here today and gone
tomorrow,” you may find it difficult
to enforce the guarantee.
Never pay the full price
up front: Establish a payment
schedule and adhere to it.
Withhold final payment until the
entire project is completed to
your satisfaction and all required
inspections and certificates of
occupancy are finalized.
Always be sure the contractor
has valid insurance: If a worker
is injured or damage is caused on
your property, you could be held
liable if your contractor does not
have the required insurance.
Check with your town or city
for required permits: Don’t let
a contractor work without the
necessary permits. Failing to get
approvals can delay your project,
or prevent you from occupying a
completed building.
December 2012
THe Work FORCE
CSEA members respond as
Sandy batters Long Island
ong Island Region members
Leni for the state
Department of Transportation
along with county, town, city and
village highway, sanitation and parks
departments were ready to deal with
whatever came their way before and
after Hurricane Sandy battered the
north and south shores, devastating
the area in a manner not seen in more
than 50 years.
Tree limbs and signs littered
state roads such as Sunrise Highway
and the Southern State Parkway,
requiring DOT crews to clear these
vital roads to ensure the free passage
of emergency vehicles and personnel
charged with aiding the thousands
of people in harm’s way. Highway,
sanitation and parks department
workers quickly began storm cleanup
as soon as the floodwaters receded.
Before the storm, City of Long
Beach Unit members created large
sand barriers all along the ocean
and bay beaches to try to prevent
surging walls of water from flooding
the streets. Their efforts were
undermined when the massive
storm surge breached the barricade,
flooding streets to the point where
the ocean merged with the bay and
damaging many homes as well as the
sewage treatment plant.
Cleanup operations began once
the water began to recede as the
highway department cleared debris
from local streets and the city’s
Sanitation Department picked up
the refuse deposited on curbs near
homes and parks. Members of the
beach crew continue to remove and
replace the large wooden posts that
supported the iconic boardwalk and
were broken or loosened by exposure
to the pounding surf and salt water.
In north shore communities such
as Glen Cove and Bayville, CSEA.
members were also out in force
before the storm situating piles of
sandbags in vulnerable locations
along the Long Island Sound as part
of their precautionary measures. The
members then worked to stop further
‘e
Activists from the SUNY at Binghamton recently traveled to Manhattan’s
Bryant Park to deliver donated blankets and coats to members of the
SUNY Stony Brook and Nassau County locals who were affected by Sandy.
From left are Carlos Speight, SUNY Stony Brook Local president; Barbara
Knighton, SUNY at Binghamton Local vice president, Louise Melious,
SUNY Stony Brook Local treasurer; David Lee, SUNY at Binghamton Local
president; Marty Honeychuck, SUNY Stony Brook Local vice president and
Kelvin Lewis, Nassau County Local activist.
Village of Babylon Department of Public Works crew members, left to right,
Greg Paeitto, Jack Christ and Henry Herman removed mounds of debris from
devastated neighborhoods.
damage caused by fallen electrical
wires caused by downed trees and
branches, clear roads of similar
impediments and remove debris from
the city streets.
In other Long Island communities,
CSEA members worked around the
clock to clear and cut up trees and
branches from roads and brought the
debris to local landfills.
Highway and street lighting
crews in the Town of Hempstead
are still working long shifts to clear
fallen trees and branches from
the streets and clean up after the
flood at the DPW office and yard in
Merrick, where swells from nearby
Meadowbrook Creek overflowed into
the buildings knocking out electrical
power and causing much property
damage. Highway and sanitation
crews also transported tons of debris
to the Roosevelt highway yard and
other venues around town to await
final disposition. Efforts such as this
took place all along the south shore
from the Queens border to eastern
Nassau County.
“A situation like this demonstrates
the tremendous value of public
workers and underscores the positive
affect they have in their respective
communities,” said Long Island
Region President Nick LaMorte. “I’m
very proud of CSEA members working
tirelessly all over Long Island and
commend them for their outstanding
response to Hurricane Sandy.”
Members reach out
CSEA SUNY at Binghamton Local
members recently reached out to
their brothers and sisters on Long
Island when they conducted a relief
drive for members affected by the
storm,
SUNY at Binghamton Local
President David Lee got in touch with
activists from the Nassau County and
SUNY Stony Brook locals to organize
the drive and delivery over the
Veterans Day weekend.
In just five days, CS9EA members
in Binghamton collected dozens
of blankets and coats. Binghamton
Local members took the donations
to Bryant Park in Manhattan. Nassau
County Local activist Kelvin Lewis
and other Long Island activists
picked up the donations there and
divided the items between Nassau
County and SUNY Stony Brook Local
members. The donations nearly filled
a 20-foot box truck.
— Rich Impagliazzo and
Ryan Mulholland
December 2012
6 | THe Work FORCE
As Sandy slams region, CSEA
members dedicated, prepared
STONY POINT — Hurricane
Sandy hit the lower half of
the Southern Region with a
vengeance, but CSEA members’
skillful preparation, their work
during the height of the storm, p
and their round-the-clock if
recovery efforts have reinforced
the value of a strong public
work force in our communities.
The storm hit the Rockland
County town of Stony Point
the hardest; the Grassy Point
neighborhood adjacent to the
Hudson River was all but wiped
out. Southern Region President
Billy Riccaldo praised CSEA
members for their dedication in the midst of
Sandy’s destruction, pointing out that members
who lost their homes to Sandy were still on the
job in the days following the storm.
“Sandy singled out Stony Point in particular,
but the damage across Rockland and
Westchester counties was staggering,” Riccaldo
said. “We have members who lost their homes
who were right back on the job. We had direct
care workers who stayed past their shifts
because their relief couldn't get to work, we had
dispatchers fielding an incredibly high volume
of emergency calls and we had social services
workers ensuring the people on their caseloads
were safe while dealing with extended power
outages. In this time of great adversity, we've
seen CSEA members at their best.”
CSEA member
Tom Cass
Jr., who lost
his home to
Sandy.
4
Teamwork
State, county and local highway crews
played a crucial role in recovery efforts. The
area was littered with fallen trees, which CSEA-
represented workers had to cut up and haul off,
neighborhood by neighborhood, in order for
local utility crews to be able to restore power.
In Orangetown, CSEA members from the town
Highway Department aided local firefighters in
their rescue efforts after a large tree fell on a
home in the hamlet of Pearl River, killing a local
man and severely injuring his wife.
In addition to regular work duties, a number of
CSEA members serving as volunteer firefighters
in their communities traveled to areas of Long
Island and New York City to aid efforts there.
Working despite personal loss
When Hurricane Sandy’s winds and rain were
at their most fierce, CS9EA member Tom Cass Jr.
was answering calls for service along with other
Stony Point volunteer firefighters.
While he was out helping others in the
community, Cass wound up losing his home in
Grassy Point to Sandy.
“The storm just blew the foundation out,
my pool was gone, everything,” said Cass, who
works for the Stony Point Highway Department.
“The water came right over the seawall.”
In the days following the hurricane, Cass was
out with his co-workers clearing the community
of downed trees and other debris, allowing
workers from Orange & Rockland Utilities to
complete the slow process of restoring power.
Town of Stony Point Unit members Erick Brissing, Dan Cronk and Mike Finnerty remove a
fallen tree.
Town of Stony Point Unit member Erick
Brissing clears tree debris.
Preparation pays off
At Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw,
there was no noticeable interruption in the
quality of care because workers were well
trained for such situations. As a specialized
rehabilitation facility drawing some of the area’s
most complex rehab cases, having power is
essential.
“Our generators kicked in at around 10
p.m. Monday night and ran until after noon on
Wednesday,” said Helen Hayes Hospital Local
President Mike Gonzales, an electrician at the
hospital. “We were ready to go. When we lose
power, we are back up and running usually
within 15 seconds.”
Gonzales cited the hospital's regular planning
meetings, drills and other planning measures as
the reason why things ran so smoothly during
the hurricane.
“We had many, many old pine trees that fell
that night, but inside it was just as if it was a
normal day,” he said.
Thanks to the minimal impact, management
opened the Helen Hayes auditorium to
employees and community members needing a
place with heat and showers. CSEA members at
Helen Hayes spearheaded a donation drive that
brought multiple carloads of needed supplies to
Staten Island, Gonzales said.
— Jessica Ladlee
December 2012
THe Work FORCE 7 |
Loss,
devastation
follow Sandy
STATEN ISLAND — A game of dominoes may be
the reason why Blanca Maldonado is still alive.
The South Beach Psychiatric Center
housekeeper was working her shift when she was
told to go home due to a powerful approaching
storm named Sandy. Officials had already called
for the evacuation of the center, all its workers
and patients, due to its close proximity to the
shore.
“I came home and I was planning to stay and
rest,” said Maldonado, a native of Puerto Rico
who raised two children in the house she bought
in 1998. “The last time there was a big storm,
nothing happened.”
Friends of hers, Lydia and Eric Maiz, thought
differently and pleaded with her to join them at
their home further inland.
“They asked me to come by and play
dominoes with them, and that’s why I went. I love
dominoes,” said Maldonado, who has worked at
South Beach for the past 25 years.
That evening, Sandy’s ferocious winds and a
storm surge not seen in generations, unmercifully
addled her home and entire neighborhood to the
dark chilly waters of the Atlantic. At the storm’s
height, her home was filled with more than 7 feet
of water. The ocean is more than 10 blocks away.
Blanca Maldonado enters the kitchen in her devastated Staten Island home.
“You lost everything”
The day after the storm she asked a relative,
Frank Gonzalez, to check on the house. He did, in
a rowboat he borrowed from a neighbor.
“He told me, ‘you lost everything,” said
Maldonado, fighting back tears. “I said, ‘Oh, my
God!’ But then I thought, I have my life and I have
my family.”
That was a sentiment shared by countless
CSEA members in Long Island, New York City
and other parts of the state who lived through
one of the most devastating storms to slam the
Northeast.
Just blocks away from Maldonado’s Dongan
Hills neighborhood, in Midland Beach, eight
people died. According to media reports, it was
the highest concentration of deaths from Sandy,
which claimed the lives of more than 100 people
in the US. alone.
While many in the region were spared or
underwent inconveniences such as fallen
trees, the loss of public transportation, heat
Left, Blanca Maldonado, right, tells
Metropolitan Region President Lester Crockett
about the damage to her home.
or electricity, others like Maldonado lost their
homes, cars and even the buildings where they
worked.
“I know many members are feeling the pain and
misery Blanca Maldonado is feeling. It’s been a
devastating experience,” said CSEA Metropolitan
Region President Lester Crockett, who met with
Maldonado at her home. “During these times of
crisis, we must come together as a union family
to make sure our members and their families are
provided with every resource and support they
need to get back on their feet.”
Quick response
At South Beach Psychiatric Center, the order
to evacuate came quickly the night of the storm.
Workers and patients were told to evacuate to
Creedmoor Psychiatric Center in Queens.
“They made a decision and within an hour we
were out of there,” said Jesus Bautista, a secure
treatment aide and CSEA South Beach Psychiatric
Center Local activist. “We were told to escort
the patients, so we could not take our personal
vehicles.”
While the evacuation of about 300 patients was
orderly and efficient, the next day unpleasant,
Continued on Page 9
December 2012
Loss, devastation follow Sandy
Continued from Page 8
if not unexpected, news awaited
those who were forced to leave
their cars behind.
“The water was up to the
dashboard and my car is an SUV,”
said Bautista about his 2007
Chrysler Aspen. He bought the car
nine months ago.
Sandy’s waves battered
the entire lot, which was the
furthest from the shore, and
indiscriminately tossed, smashed
and totaled scores of vehicles.
With orders to return to South
Beach in several days, Bautista and
many of his co-workers were unsure
how they would make the commute.
“This has been a great material
loss for the members of this local,”
said Bautista. “I hope we can get the
assistance to get through this.”
Cleaning up
Back in the nearly gutted, soaked
and tattered remains of her home,
Maldonado clings to the one of
the few personal treasures she
was able to salvage. A few days
earlier, cleaning crews picked up
mountains of debris from the front
Blanca Maldonado looks through
a photo album, one of her few
possessions to survive the storm.
of her home. Ruined furniture,
appliances, and clothing bought
with hard earned dollars over the
years, vanished into the belly of a
sanitation truck within minutes.
“T still have a lot of photos and
cuff links from the 1964 World’s
Fair,” Maldonado said while poring
through the soggy pages of an
album. “But, I had a lot of antiques
and they are all gone.”
For now, she is still living
with the friends who took her
in that fateful night, who have
also provided her with food and
clothing, as have other friends and
family.
While her children and
immediate family have been helpful,
gas shortages have made it difficult
for most to get around. And, despite
her own precarious situation,
Maldonado seems more concerned
about her blind, 85-year-old mother
who is hospitalized in the Bronx.
She was finally able to visit her a
few days ago.
After filing paperwork with FEMA,
she doesn’t think she'll be able
to return to her home for at least
another year.
“T'm still in denial,” said
Maldonado, who arrived in New
York City 44 years ago with dreams
of a brighter future. “Everybody
thinks that I’m taking this well
but I’m still in shock. Last night,
exe
Blanca Maldonado stands outside her home that New York City building
inspectors have determined to be damaged.
I couldn’t sleep and my blood
pressure is high.”
The devastation wrought by
Sandy across the tri-state region
have left many with the same
uneasy feeling.
“It’s surprising that Mother
Nature can be that rough. It
changes the way that we do
business,” said Bautista. “We have
to be better prepared for the next
time.”
— David Galarza
Editor’s Note — The Lower Manhattan building that houses the CSEA
Metropolitan Region office sustained severe flooding during the storm
and remains closed. As this edition of The Work Force went to press,
CSEA was in the process of acquiring temporary office space for its
Metropolitan Region field services. Members needing assistance from
the region office should contact their local president for the temporary
office’s phone and fax numbers. The information also will be posted on
www.csealocall000.org.
Blanca Maldonado enters her water damaged living room in her Staten Island home.
December 2012
THE Work Force 9 |
Get the help you need to recover from Sandy
POM tie Work Force Decewser 2012 EGERE — decewwer 2012 Tue Work Force [LEM
Political quick fixes put seniors at risk
We can
A New York, lawmakers
re using our most
vulnerable citizens to balance
county budgets and potentially
leave those who rely on county
nursing facilities, with no
place to live. CSEA and other
responsible members of the
community are standing up,
speaking out and seeking
better choices.
“It’s just not right,” said CSEA
President Danny Donohue.
“What does it say about our
elected officials and our society
that heartless decisions to
disregard the wellbeing of our
seniors can be made without
a second thought because it’s
a political quick fix? Surely we
can do better for vulnerable
seniors.”
CSEA has launched an
extensive media campaign
to alert the public to what is
at stake. Donohue recently
convened Nursing Home
Summits to bring together
do better
CSEA leaders from across the
state to better coordinate the
union’s efforts.
More than two dozen
counties across New York
are actively seeking to sell,
privatize or use some other
scheme to divest themselves
of responsibility for ensuring
care for the elderly. It creates
risk because public nursing
facilities must care for all,
regardless of ability to pay.
Private operators do not.
There’s plenty of evidence of
broken promises, unmet needs
and devastating consequences
when elected officials try to
avoid responsibilities and
seek a quick fix through
private contractors and other
schemes.
Delaware County crisis
A recent crisis developed
in Delaware County when a
private operator who took
control of the county nursing
CSEA members take part in a recent Nursing Home Summit. The
summits are intended to coordinate the union’s strategies in the
fight to save public nursing homes across the state.
THe Work Force
WE CAN DO BETTER
Across New York, lawmakers are using our most vulnerable citizens to
county budgets and potentially leaving those who rely on county nursing facilities,
with no place to live. It’s just not right. Public nursing facilities must care for all,
regardless of ability to pay. Private operators do not.
There’s plenty of evidence of broken promises, unmet needs and devastating
consequences when elected officials try to avoid responsibilities and seek a quick
fix through private contractors and other schemes.
Surel do better for vulnerable seniors.
Review the material posted here and use the interactive map to learn about how
this situation may be affecting your community and what you can do about it!
Above, part of a website CSEA has launched as part of a media
campaign to make the public aware of the growing crisis public
nursing homes are facing.
facility several years ago chose
to shut down operations rather
than address deficiencies
identified by state inspectors.
The unexpected action sent
county officials scrambling to
ensure the residents would not
be left homeless — a situation
that would never have
happened if the county had
lived up to its responsibilities
in the first place.
In Fulton County, the sale of
the county facility to a private
operator earlier this year has
been responsible for nearly
total staff turnover in the most
economically challenged part
of the state. It is a direct result
of a dramatic decline in patient
care standards and working
conditions.
CSEA’s “We can do better”
campaign features nursing
home residents speaking out
about the undermining of
their care and security. It is
airing on radio and TV and
running in targeted print media
across the state. Additionally,
the campaign has a website,
www.betterfornyseniors.com
which links to Facebook pages
for active county by county
community campaigns. Visit it
today to get involved in your
local campaign.
“We can make a difference
for our seniors and our
Continued on Page 13
December 2012
Summit seeks nursing home strategies
Continued from Page 12
communities,” CSEA Executive
Vice President Mary Sullivan
told participants at the first
of CSEA’s summits in Albany.
“We need to work together and
more importantly, we need to
reach out to our family, friends
and neighbors so that they
will understand what’s going
on ... this is about dignity for
our parents and grandparents,
aunts and uncles ... and it’s
about what we value as a
community.”
Fast-tracked transfer
At the nursing home summit,
one panelist, CSEA Saratoga
County Local President Kathy
Moran discussed the status of
Saratoga County Local
members demonstrate against
the county’s plans to quickly
transfer the county’s nursing
home to a local development
corporation.
December 2012
her county’s home and CSEA’s
campaign efforts.
Moran explained how the
Saratoga County Board of
Supervisors is rushing through
a plan to transfer the county’s
nursing home, Maplewood
Manor, to an LDC (local
development corporation).
There are many unanswered
questions about using local
development corporations to
run nursing facilities, and who
has the ultimate responsibility
for care standards and debt.
With little warning after
a consultant’s report was
released, the county’s Public
Health Committee was
convened suddenly held
a “special” meeting where
committee’s majority voted
the LDC plan on a fast track
to passage without regard for
public input.
‘Be vigilant’
Given the speed with which
the board has moved, Moran
urged attendees to “be vigilant”
in the face of this relatively
new tactic, transfer to an LDC,
that is growing increasingly
popular among county boards.
CSEA Capital Region
President Kathy Garrison, at a
press conference in October,
warned of the issues of
transparency with LDC’s and
how the county boards can
“fast track” the process by only
needing a simple majority for
transfer, versus a 2/3 majority
normally required for a county
to sell or transfer property.
— Therese Assalian
“It upsets me. | >
Lawmakers could
leave Alma with
no place to live.
Alma Boser became
a resident of her county
nursing facility after
a bad fall.
Now, Alma relies on the
county's nursing home for
care, But, lawmakers could
leave Alma, and many
others, with no place to live.
really could not
find the help
that | have here
anywhere else.’
Public facilities must care
for all, regardless of ability
to pay, but private operators
do not! Abandoning
responsibility today means
consequences tomorrow.
Since 1910
CSEss
Now York's LEADING Union
Tocat s000 Arscme, AFL-CIO
We can do better for
vulnerable seniors.
www.betterforNYseniors.com
THe Work Force
102nd Annual Delegates Meeting
Stand Up for
Your Rights!
t CSEA’s 102nd Annual on middle-class workers by some
Delegates Meeting, held Oct. politicians, corporate interests and
15-19 in Washington, D.C., media.
more than 1,000 CSEA officers and In addition to conducting official
delegates developed the skills union business, delegates also
workers need to better “stand up heard addresses by U.S. Rep. Steve
for your rights.” Israel, who represents Long Island;
In accordance with the meeting’s National Labor Relations Board
theme, “Stand Up for Your Rights,” Chairman Mark G. Pearce and
many of the meeting’s programs AFSCME International President
focused on helping CSEA members Lee Saunders. : Local 1000 AFSCME, AFL-ClO
fight back against ongoing attacks
CSEs
Local 1000 AFSCME, AFL-CIO
Statewide Secretary Denise Berkley Cgra Executive Vice President Mary
addresses delegates. E. Sullivan addresses delegates.
000 AFSCME, AF|
Statewide
Treasurer
Joe McMullen
addresses
delegates.
Above, AFSCME
International
President Lee
Saunders,
left, and CSEA
President Danny
Donohue show
union solidarity.
CSEA officers pose with National Labor Relations Board Chairman Mark G.
Pearce. Back row, from left, Statewide Treasurer Joe McMullien, Central
Region President Colleen Wheaton, Statewide Secretary Denise Berkley,
Long Island Region President Nick LaMorte, Metropolitan Region President
Lester Crockett, Pearce and Executive Vice President Mary E. Sullivan. In
front row is Western Region President Flo Tripi. Pearce served as CSEA’s
region attorney in Buffalo before his appointment to the NLRB.
Left, U.S. Rep.
Steve Israel
addresses the
Annual Delegates
Meeting.
14] Tue Work Force December 2012
Activists gain skills, knowledge to mobilize across the state
AN
Delegates get fired up at the general business session.
From left, SUNY Health Science Center at
Brooklyn Local (Downstate Medical Center)
delegates President Althea Green, Mary
Harmon, Maurie Dunaway and Juanita
Nottingham listen to a workshop presentation.
Left, Western Region
delegate Bob Pyjas
speaks out on the
convention floor.
Bronx Psychiatric Center Local President
Abraham Benjamin and Port Washington
School District Custodial, Transportation and
Maintenance Unit President Richard Acevedo
speak out at a workshop.
| Delegate action
elegates to CSEA’s 102nd Annual Delegates Meeting in Washington,
D.C. approved proposed amendments to the union’s Constitution
recommended by the Constitution and Bylaws Committee with the
exception of a proposal to change the policy for reimbursement for
Locals sending delegates to the Annual Delegates Meeting, and a
proposal to create new language providing for replacing delegates who
resign or cannot attend, which were defeated. A proposal to establish
a laid-off member fund was referred to committee. A proposal to
constitutionally create a Next Wave Committee was withdrawn by its
makers. All proposed resolutions were approved by Delegates.
Haldane School District Unit member honored with Excelsior Award
COLD SPRING — Haldane School District Unit
member Gary Van Asselt is the 2012 winner of
the prestigious Excelsior Award, an award from
CSEA and the New York State Public High School
Athletic Association honoring a CSEA member
who promotes and fosters athletic spirit in their
local school district.
CSEA President Danny Donohue recently
presented Van Asselt with the award before a
gathering of Haldane workers and students. Van
Asselt was featured in a video tribute during the
Annual Delegates Meeting in Washington, D.C.
and was slated to be honored at the NYSPHSAA
football championship at the Carrier Dome in
Syracuse.
“Gary represents the very best in CSEA,” said
Donohue. “He is dedicated to his work, cares
about the young people he works with and
December 2012
contributes to the quality of life in his school
district.”
While Van Asselt begins his days at 5:30 a.m.
as head custodian, his responsibilities transition
to athletics once afternoon arrives. He’s served
as girls’ varsity soccer coach since 2008. In
addition, Van Asselt is the announcer for football
games, shot clock operator for basketball games
and bus driver for district sports teams. During
the 1990s, he coached girls’ softball, saving what
was at that time a foundering program.
“Gary has been an excellent role model and
teacher for our Haldane student-athletes,” said
Unit President Carol Filmanski. “It’s gratifying to
see him receive statewide recognition for his role
in building and sustaining Haldane athletics.”
— Jessica Ladlee
Right, CSEA President Danny Donohue, left,
congratulates Excelsior Award recipient Gary
Van Asselt.
THe Work FORCE
EBF announces local goverment dental upgrades
SEA President
and Employee
Benefit Fund
(EBF) Chairman Danny
Donohue and the EBF . ,
Board of Trustees EQUINOX
recently approved TAL PLA
significant upgrades
to EBF’s Dutchess,
Equinox, Horizon, and
Sunrise dental plans to
take effect Jan. 1, 2013.
Many services
have received
major fee schedule
upgrades including
exams, cleanings,
fillings, root canals,
crowns, periodontics,
dentures, extractions,
orthodontics,
and orthodontic
maximums.
These increases will help to maintain EBF’s
current panel of participating providers and
also reduce out-of-pocket costs for members
who visit a dentist outside of the panel.
If you use a non-participating provider and
they are interested in joining
our panel of participating
providers, please invite them
to contact our dental provider
liaison at 800-323-2732 or they
can visit www.cseaebf.com
for more information.
Services must be rendered
on or after Jan. 1, 2013 to
receive the upgraded fee
schedule allowances.
How will I know if I
receive the upgrade?
A mailing will be sent in
mid-November including
copies of the new booklets
to members of CSEA local
government bargaining
units that have negotiated
for coverage under the
Dutchess, Equinox,
Horizon, and Sunrise
dental plans in their contract. The
new plan booklets
include important
information that
outlines the changes
to your benefits.
Beginning Jan. 1,
2013, the new booklets
will be available to
download online from
the EBF website: www.
cseaebf.com.
TCHESS
L PLAN
CSE
How do I verify which
plan I’m in?
Our benefit search tool
located at www.cseaebf.
com allows members
with EBF coverage
to locate their plan
documents. From the
home page, click on the
“Benefit Search” icon and
then select whether you are a New York state
or a local government employee.
If you are a New York state employee,
you can select your division and your plan
documents will be displayed and available
for download.
If you are a local government
employee, select the county in which
you reside. Then, you will be able
to select your employer, if you have
coverage. If your employer is listed, your
plan documents will be displayed and
available for download.
How can I get coverage through EBF?
Visit www.cseaebf.com and click on
“benefits specialists” and you will be
able to email your region’s marketing
representative and they will be able to
provide you with more information.
“On behalf of the
CSEA Employee
Benefit Fund Board
of Trustees, | am
very pleased that
we were able
to review the
recommendations
of the EBF’s
professional staff
and approve
upgrades to our local government dental
plan offerings. In order to continue to
keep and attract quality providers, our
plans are continually under review. The
changes going into effect on Jan. 1,
2013 will help maintain the integrity of
the EBF’s plans.”
— Danny Donohue, CSEA President and
EBF Board Chairman
“The EBF’s Chairman
and Board of Trustees
are dedicated to the
goal of securing the
best benefits at the SUNRISE
lowest cost on behalf DENTAL PLAN
of CSEA’s hardworking
members. These
enhancements were
done in order to
update and modify the
EBF’s dental offerings
as well as reduce
member out-of-pocket
costs. | am very
pleased that we are
able to make these
important changes
to our dental plans
during these difficult
times.”
— Bill Howard, EBF Director
16 fe Work Force
December 2012
2013 health programs:
important dates to remember
ow is the time for New York
Ne employees (including H ea It h
the Unified Court System) Benefits =.
to think about health insurance
options for 2013.
Watch your mailbox for important information, including the
2013 health insurance premium rates, option transfer information
and deadlines. Other important benefits and dates to remember are
highlighted on this page.
Flex Spending Account
Open Enrollment has been extended to Nov. 30, 2012
“Health Care Spending Account” allows you to set aside pre-tax salary to
pay for health-related expenses not reimbursed by your health insurance.
Before you enroll, carefully review the information on the Flex Spending
Account website concerning benefits eligible for reimbursement. For more
information, visit www.flexspend.ny.gov or call 1-800-358-7202.
Pre-Tax Contribution Program (PTCP)
Open Enrollment Ends Nov. 30, 2012
Your share of health insurance premium is deducted from wages before
taxes are withheld, which may lower your taxes. You were automatical
enrolled in PTCP when you became eligible for health insurance, unless
you declined.
Under Internal Revenue Service (IRS) rules, if you are enrolled in PTCP,
you may ur health insurance deduction during the ta:
ONLY after < nt. If you wish to chan:
health in
Productivity Enhancement Program
Open Enrollment Ends Nov. 30, 2012
Exchange previously accrued annual and/or personal leave in return for
a credit to be applied toward the employee share of your New York State
Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) premium.
The credit will be included in biweekly paychecks and divided evenly
during the plan year. To elect PEP for 2013, you must apply by November
30, 2012. Please see your agency health benefits administrator for more
information and an application. If you are currently enrolled in PEP, you
must re-enroll to continue your benefits in 2013.
NYSHIP Annual Option Transfer Period
Dates to be determined
The annual Option Transfer Period will begin once the 2013 New York
State Health Insurance Program premium rates are approved. During the
Option Transfer Period, you may change your health insurance option for
the next plan year:
¢ from a NYSHIP HMO to The Empire Plan
¢ from one NYSHIP HMO to another NYSHIP HMO that has a NYSHIP
service area where you live or work
¢ from a NYSHIP health plan to the Opt-out Program, or
¢ from the Opt-out Program to a NYSHIP health plan
NYSHIP Health Insurance Opt Out
Dates to be determined
NYSHIP will continue to offer the
Opt-out Program, which allows
eligible employees who have other
employer-sponsored group health
insurance to opt out of their
NYSHIP coverage in exchange for
an incentive payment.
If you currently participate
in the Opt-out Program for 2012
and wish to continue to receive
incentive payments, you MUST
elect to opt out for 2013 by
submitting a completed Opt-Out
Attestation Form (PS-409) during
the Option Transfer Period).
To be eligible for the Opt-out
Program, you must have been
enrolled in NYSHIP by April 1,
2012 (or your first date of NYSHIP
eligibility if that date is later than
April 1), and remain enrolled
through the end of 2012. Please
see the agency health benefits
administrator or the Planning for
Option Transfer Guide for specific
parameters regarding eligibility for
this program.
We anticipate that the open
enrollment dates for the opt-out
will coincide with the Annual
Option Transfer Period (dates not
yet available). Please watch your
mail and The Work Force for more
information.
The CSEA Health Benefits Department can be reached at
518-785-4774 or 1-800-286-5242 or by
email at healthben@cseainc.org.
Ihe annual NYSHIP Option
Transfer period for active
state employees (including Unified
Court System) will be held once
the 2013 health insurance premium
rates are approved. At the time
this article went to press, the rates
were not approved.
Once the 2013 premium rates
are approved and sent to agencies,
enrollees will have 30 days from
the date the rates are made
available to the agency in which to
change options.
Enrollees will have the ability to
change their health insurance plan
during the option transfer period.
Enrollees should visit their agency
health benefits administrator
(typically located in the personnel
office) and pick up a copy of
“Choices for 2013,” your guide to
New York State Health Insurance
Program health insurance options.
If you are thinking about changing
Health insurance option
transfer for 2013
your option, read the descriptions
of plans in your area and compare
coverage and out-of-pocket cost
sharing for benefits that are
important to you and your family.
For enrollees who currently
participate in the Opt-Out Program
for 2012 and wish to continue
for 2013, or you are currently
enrolled in NYSHIP coverage and
wish to participate in the Opt-
out Program, you MUST elect to
opt out during the annual Option
Transfer Period and attest to
having other employer-sponsored
group health insurance each
year. See your agency health
benefits administrator for more
information.
Please watch your mail, The
Work Force and our website for
more information, including the
Option Transfer dates and the
2013 health insurance premium
December 2012
rates.
THe Work FORCE 117]
ATTENTION: Public Sector
Local and Unit Presidents
and Private Sector Local
Presidents
id you send your Election Committee Data Form to CSEA
Headquarters?
Beginning in January 2013, registered Election Committee Chairs
and Election Meeting Chairs will receive an election package from
CSEA to assist them in performing their election duties. This
material is necessary for you to have to run a proper election.
Election packages will only be mailed to those Chairs whose
Local or Unit President has sent in the required Election
Committee Data Form (ECDF). CSEA Headquarters cannot send
material and information to any Chair, without first receiving the
completed ECDF from the Local or Unit president.
Inquiries regarding election committees may be directed to
the CSEA Statewide Election Committee at 1-800-342-4146, ext.
1447.
Don’t Zone Out in Jesea]
work or school zones
s the school year
starts and highway
construction season
continues, do your part to
keep everyone safe on the
roads!
Always remember:
¢ Be alert while you’re driving;
© Obey speed limits in work and school zones;
¢ Do not use your cell phone while driving and hang
up if someone calls you while they’re driving;
¢ Do not read or send text messages while you drive;
© Move over for amber lights (road workers) as well
as emergency lights and
e Sign up for CSEA’s Don’t Zone Out pledge today at
www.csealocal1000.org!
18 ie Work Force
In-depth news from New York's Gapitol
2
Broadcast Schedule
‘New York NOW' on New York Public Television (PBS)
Albany
WMHT | Fridays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 11 a.m. and 11 p.m.
New York City
WNET | Saturdays at 11 a.m.
Long Island
WLIW | Sundays at 11 a.m.
Rochester
WXxXI | Fridays at 9 p.m.
Buffalo
WNED | Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
Binghamton
WSKG | Sundays at 11 a.m.
Watertown
WPBS | Sundays at 7:30 a.m.
Plattsburgh
Mountain Lake PBS | Saturdays at 6:30 p.m.
nynow.org | Twitter @NYNOW_PBS | ‘Like’ New York NOW on Facebook
CSEA supports New York Now
on PBS
SEA is once again helping to ensure that people across New
York can better understand the news being made in the state
Capitol. The union has signed on to help underwrite New York
Now - a weekly program focused on state government that airs
on New York’s public television stations.
“New York Now has established itself as a valuable and
relevant program that brings people into the public debate
around issues that matter to New Yorkers,” said CSEA President
Danny Donohue. “People need to be actively involved in their
government and that starts with understanding the issues - it’s
the only way we can hope to achieve a better New York for all.”
“I urge CSEA members to tune in to New York Now on their
local PBS station,” Donohue said.
December 2012
Smith shows PEOPLE power
as Recruiter of the Year
Gloria Smith of the SUNY Syracuse Local in the Central Region is
the PEOPLE Recruiter of the Year. She recruited 101 new PEOPLE
members at the MVP level. From left are CSEA Executive Vice
President Mary E. Sullivan, Smith, Central Region President
Colleen Wheaton and CSEA President Danny Donohue.
Flaherty is Retiree PEOPLE
Recruiter of the Year
Michael Flaherty of the Buffalo-Niagara Frontier Retirees Local
in the Western Region is the PEOPLE Retiree Recruiter of the
Year. He recruited 66 new PEOPLE members. From left are CSEA
PEOPLE Coordinator Cheryl Palmer, Executive Vice President
Mary E. Sullivan, Flaherty and CSEA PEOPLE Committee Chair
Rutha Bush.
D
a
and imp
vr at an re
in your comm
our jobs
in the fa a
n, J y
the -
ike Guynup is the “Biggest Loser” in
Me Capital Region.
Guynup, an account clerk at the Office
of the State Comptroller, recently won the CSEA
Capital Region’s “Biggest Loser” competition.
When Guynup began his wellness journey several
years ago, he weighed 365 pounds and had
already lost 129 pounds when the competition
began.
During the competition, Guynup saw his
weight go from 236 pounds to 184 pounds, a
52-pound — and 22 percent — weight loss. He
credits mixed martial arts workouts for getting
him into shape.
Guynup won a trip to the Biggest Loser ranch
in Niagara Falls.
When the region’s Membership Committee
launched the contest in May, 51 members joined
the competition, in which contestants try to lose
the largest percentage of their starting weight,
THe Work Force
just like the hit NBC television show of the same
name.
Eighteen members attended the final weigh-in
the region’s recent annual conference. Together,
the group lost 286 pounds.During the 19-week
competition, events were held to educate and
motivate participants and the effort was assisted
by the New York State EAP Health Coordinator
Linda Carignan. CSEA Capital Region President
Kathy Garrison and Membership Committee
Chair Patty Kaufman were integral in getting
the program up and running. “We are so proud
of our participants’ success and also to be the
first region to implement a wellness event of this
type,” said Garrison.
Therese Assalian
Mike Guynup, left, poses with Capital Region
Membership Committee Chair Patty Kaufman
after being announced the winner of the
competition in Lake Placid.
December 2012
Work Force
Published by CSEA
143 Washington Ave * Albany NY * 12210
Danny Donohue, President
(518) 257-1000 * (800) 342-4146
CSEA * Local 1000 AFSCME * AFL-CIO
wy
CSE
New York's LEADING Union
LOCAL 1000 AFSCME, AFL-CIO
DANNY DONOHUE, PRESIDENT
Resilience
Hurricane Sandy left a path of destruction and disruption on the East Coast.
New Yorkers are standing up to the challenge.
Many CSEA members are on the front lines responding to the disaster with focus
and professionalism — handling emergency calls, clearing roads, removing fallen
trees and other debris, repairing sewage systems, checking the safety of our
water supply and helping people pick up the pieces of their lives.
Others are maintaining our health care system, taking care of our most vulnerable
citizens and repairing schools and other public facilities.
They need our continued respect and support.
Many of these workers and others are among the millions who have been
personally affected by this unprecedented storm and still need help. Make sure
the help is there by generously contributing to the relief effort through the
American Red Cross, United Way and other reputable agencies.
