_ Vol. 3
lark Kotzin
THEY DID IT! — Workers hug and rejoice after voting to join CSEA.
About 125 food service workers employed by the SUNY Cortland
Campus Auxiliary Services Corporation recently voted to become the
newest members of the CSEA family.
Monroe County workers get new
pact before old one expires
ROCHESTER — A four-year
contract negotiated by CSEA for
2,500 Monroe County employees
marks the first time the unit has
reached agreement before the old
pact expired.
“The members ratified the
contract by a 7-to-1 margin,” said
Florence Tripi, Unit president.
“This is why we work so hard to
keep all of our members informed
on the issues that mean so much to
their working lives,” Tripi added.
The new contract, effective Jan. 1
through 2003, boosts wages each
year between 2.5 percent and 3.5
percent, based on a Consumer Price
Index formula.
It also gives members cost-saving
choices on health care coverage.
— Ron Wofford
Spilled coolant forces hundreds to flee DMV
ALBANY — Quick action by union
members helped contain a chemical
spill that sent more than 500 state
Department of Motor Vehicles
workers in Albany onto the streets
and about a dozen to the hospital.
A small amount of coolant was
spilled in a mechanical room and
vapors spread through the block-
long building.
Employees complained of eye and
throat irritation, dizziness and
headaches. No serious injuries were
reported in the Jan. 14 incident.
The spill was contained and the
ventilation system was purged, said
CSEA Department of Motor Vehicles
Local President Michael Febraio.
Big win for CSEA
as “Mommy Bill”
restores tier
retirement credit
ALBANY — CSEA recently scored a major legislative
victory with a new law that allows members who leave
their civil service jobs to return to them without losing
retirement benefits.
Under the new law, workers who return to government
service can rejoin the retirement tier that was in effect
when they first joined the retirement system instead of
the retirement level in effect when they returned to
work.
Previously, workers who had been hired under Tier 1
or Tier 2 were placed in the less desirable Tiers 3 or 4
after long breaks in service.
In addition, they had to make payments to the
retirement system to receive credit for the time they had
previously worked. The new law returns workers to their
original tiers and refunds payments for service credit.
The law is known as the "Mommy Bill” because it
particularly helps women who left their jobs in the 1970s
and early 1980s to raise families.
"This is particularly meaningful for our members who
have had to balance having a family with having the
means to provide for that family," CSEA President Danny
Donohue said.
"I was brought up in the old-school: raise your kids
and enjoy every minute. | just figured that my time in
Tier 1 was lost," said Mary Greenman, local president of
the state Institute for Basic Research in New York City.
"I'm really excited about this. We're going to go out
and celebrate when we get the papers in our hands," she
added.
Members who have already purchased their past
service credit will be reimbursed for that cost. However,
members will not be reimbursed for Tier 3 and Tier 4
pension contributions made before December 17, 1999,
the effective date of the law.
“This law will have a great impact on me because it
allows me to retire in 10 years,” said Joanne
Lopez-Stocker, a secretary at the state Institute for Basic
Research,
Lopez-Stocker said she can now retire seven years
earlier because of her 26 years of state service in Tier 1.
Co-worker Jo Ann Buttafuoco said she should not have
her pension benefits penalized “for doing the right thing
and raising my kids.”
“This is like a bank account,” Buttafuoco said about
the new law. “We've paid into it for so many years, and
now it’s there for us,” she added.
For information on the application procedure, call the
New York State Retirement System at (518) 486-7925 if
you have a touch-tone phone or (518) 474-7736 if you
have a rotary telephone.
page 2 ASOT February 2000 Y
We came, we saw, we demonstrated:
v4Power Surge“.
ALBANY — Although 500 state troopers have retreated from the
Capitol and 20,000 noisy union protesters have returned home, the
gravity of one of Albany’s largest union rallies continues to shake
the seat of power.
The sheer blunt force of tens of thousands of CSEA and Public
Employees Federation (PEF) members demanding contract justice
outside the Capitol last month continues to generate enormous
membership momentum, union leaders said.
A caravan of more than 200 buses jammed downtown Albany
before disgorging thousands of union members who formed a sea
of workers as large as a small city.
It was a sterling day for a labor protest — the likes of which 4
Albany hasn’t seen in a decade. =e a ; .
Deafening shouts of “We want contract justice now!” ricocheted Above, 20,000 union members mass outside the State Capitol
across the marbled expanse outside the Capitol as police in riot gear, during Jan. 5 “We've Got The Power rally. Below, a CSEA
on horseback, and with batons formed an impenetrable barrier ringing ™ember gets fired up at the Pepsi Arena prior to the rally.
the Capitol.
CSEA President Danny Donohue led the charge from the Pepsi Arena, packed with 12,000
protesters, to the Capitol a few blocks away.
“The governor keeps saying New York has the best workers anywhere, but he’s just giving
us lip service because his statements don't pay our bills or feed our children,” Donohue
said.
CSEA members who work in local government, the private sector, AFSCME and other
unions representing the full weight of the state AFL-CIO
filled out the protest ranks.
The tidal wave of statewide interest that rocketed the
rally numbers to the
oe f », 20,000 mark struck fear in
This rally is great! local and state officials,
shouted Michelle who concocted a last-
Lester, a minute ploy to scuttle the
developmental aide at °°.
Fewer than 24 hours
the Central New York jefore the rally was to begin, Albany officials suddenly attempted to
Developmental scuttle the event and throw it into confusion.
Disabilities Service The action was described by Donohue as “cowardly.”
Union officials held their ground, although union leaders said the
Office. ea acti ;
“Lk resulting “heavy-handed” police tactics were a stark contrast to the
nou our Message throng which was focused on being
will be heard. heard and making a point to the
governor.
a 5 See related
We are out here, in coverage on “We have to make a
* mass, braving freezing Page 4, 10, big showing here,”
temperatures to bring 11,12and said Peter Case, a
our message to the |*- canal structure
governor. WE WANT A operator from
CONTRACT WITH FAIR Central New York.
RAISES!” “If we don’t stick
— SUNY Old Westbury together on this,
Local President they’re going to
Mary D’Antonio win.”
ie
February 2000 THE WORK. FORCE Weed
THE WORK FORGE
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
Asst. Director of Communications
RONALD S. KERMANI, Editor
LOU HMIELESKI, Assistant Editor
CATHLEEN HORTON
Graphic Design & Support Services
RALPH DISTIN, Graphic Artist
JANICE NUSBAUM
Communications Production Coordinator
BETH McINTYRE
Communications Secretary
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.
Postmaster: Send address changes to:
CSEA, Attn: Membership Department,
143 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12210.
CSEA on-line: The CSEA web site
can be accessed at www.cseainc.org
Readers:
| Send any comments, complaints, suggestions or ideas to: |
Publisher, The Work Force, 143 Washington Avenue,
Albany, NY 12210-2303.
COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATES
SHERYL C. JENKS Long Island Region
(516) 462-0030
Metropolitan Region
(212) 406-2156
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(914) 831-1000
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(618) 785-4400
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(315) 433-0050
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(716) 886-0391
Headquarters
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ANN CARROLL
ANITA MANLEY
DAN CAMPBELL
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RON WOFFORD.
ED MOLITOR
The Publications Committee
LONG ISLAND REGION John C. Shepherd
METROPOLITAN REGION Lamont “Dutch” Wade
SOUTHERN REGION Diane Hewitt
CAPITAL REGION Marguerite Stanley
CENTRAL REGION Bruce Damalt, Chair
WESTERN REGION James V. Kurtz
pg COMMUN, re
fe Bb
atorg PreamD
samo
“tvigassy XO
tpg anton
*AFLCIOICLS Pecanres sini
enim THE WORK FORCE
In Touch with the
CSEA President Danny Donohue
I’ a word, it was “awesome.”
On January 5, you showed the governor and “official” New York
that “We have the Power.”
The strength and solidarity of nearly 20,000 union members clearly
demonstrated we will not be denied in our fight for fairness and respect.
The governor and his operatives tried to stop us. They tried
throwing monkey wrenches into the planning. They tried to trample our
rights to free speech and they tried confusing the issues.
When that didn’t work, the governor called out an unprecedented
police force that was out of all proportion to the event fo protect him
from his own employees! He even had the gall to use his criminal justice
coordinator to brief the media on the demonstration and tried to
minimize its significance with ridiculously low crowd estimates.
But you, CSEA members, would not be denied.
You showed what CSEA is all about and member after member
commented how proud they were and how empowered they felt by
participating. I am especially proud of how many of our local
government and private sector members turned out in support of their
state brothers and sisters.
The photos and comments throughout this edition tell some of the
story of what a great day it was. Your actions spoke louder than words
and the governor cannot ignore that reality.
Oe
February 2000
Telling the publi
Inadequate staffing hurts patient care in county facilities
KINGSTON/GOSHEN — Managers brought
Marlene Shaver up on charges for talking to
a newspaper reporter about recurring
problems at the Ulster County Infirmary.
Fifty miles away in Goshen, the
commissioner of the Orange County
Infirmary accused CSEA members of
involving patients in their contract struggle
after the daughter of a resident complained
when her mother slipped and fell at the
facility.
Inadequate staffing, mandatory overtime,
feeding two patients at once and waking
patients at 4 a.m. to get them ready for
breakfast are some of the problems CSEA
members who work in both facilities have
made public.
The state attorney general's office is
investigating the union’s charges at the
Ulster facility.
LPN Marlene Shaver
Patient care suffers
Shaver, a 20-year employee and a Licensed
Practical Nurse, and some of her co-workers
told reporters
inadequate
staffing is
jeopardizing
patient care at
her facility.
In Orange
County, the
commissioner of
the county infirmary accused the union of
involving the patients in contract
negotiations.
A class-action grievance based on the
issue of mandatory overtime has been filed
on behalf of the entire Orange County
Infirmary nursing staff, said CSEA Labor
Relations Specialist Colleen Davies.
“The schedule is always coming up short
and the per diem pool is always low,” Davies
said.
“They need to hire employees, not per
diems. If you can hire per diems at $24 an
hour, you can hire part-time employees,” she
said. r
SEA REPRESENTS
&, a
200 WoRKens im THis WO
Union seeks staffing legislation
The problems at the Orange and Ulster
County infirmaries are typical of staffing
issues at nursing homes statewide.
In addition to seeking facility-by-facility
improvements, CSEA is also taking a bolder
step.
CSEA is seeking legislation that would
define various nursing home positions and
set standards for staffing levels based on the
needs of each resident. The bill would set up
a committee of labor and management
representatives from across the state to
resolve issues over staffing levels, such as
the ratio of nurses to patients for day and
night shifts.
The bill, S-4926, would benefit all CSEA
members working in nursing homes, whether
they are municipal, state or private
institutions, by standardizing staffing levels
and job titles.
— Anita Manley
about Gov. Pataki’s
proposed state budget:
® Restates temporary moratorium
on further OMH bed reductions
while new community programs
are implemented.
At least 300 full-time positions
proposed for OMRDD, most of
them CSEA titles.
® Would permanently establish the
Medicaid Managed Care program
permanently.
Money from tobacco settlement
would be used to pay for Health
Care Reform Act proposals.
US of the Work Force J
ca sees here works together as a team and it puts everyone in a positive attitude. We all
want to come back the next day to work. I love coming to work, and I couldn't have picked
a better group of people to work work with. ??
February 2000 THE WORK FORCE Mente)
Probation officer’s dog helps :
make scents of searches
If you're on probation in Schoharie
County, better keep a drug-free house.
Otherwise, Ava will sniff you out.
Ava is the K-9 companion of Probation
Officer Pamela Howard, a CSEA member in
the county unit.
Howard is the only probation officer in
the state to be using a drug-sniffing dog
when making her rounds to make sure
those convicted of crimes and on
probation are keeping clean, according to
the national Probation Officers Association.
“It takes a lot — the dog is with you 24
hours a day,” Howard said. A regular
training schedule also demands time,
although Howard said other law
enforcement agencies offer their facilities
and know-how, often for free.
Ava came to the department through
community members who wanted to
donate her and saw the need for her
services. “It’s really a community-based
initiative,” Howard said.
The circumstances for Ava’s arrival were
a bit embarrassing, Howard said.
“We went to get an absconder and he
ended up escaping. The call went out over
radio that we needed assistance and a
person heard the call in the police station
and offered Ava’s assistance,” Howard said.
When Howard makes unannounced calls
to probationer’s homes, she first checks
the house out to make sure there are no
hazards — such as razor blades or broken
glass — for Ava.
Then Ava goes to work, using her highly
sensitive nose to sniff out
contraband that would violate
terms of probation.
“Tt doesn’t matter if things are a
mess — drawers, piles of clothes —
she’s trained to go up on things.
She’s not afraid to step on piles of
clothes and we’re usually done in
less than five minutes. It’s a big
time saver,” Howard said.
Ava and Howard also respond to
calls for drug searches from other
law enforcement agencies, who in
turn help Howard when they can.
“Our primary objective isn’t to
violate people’s homes and take
them to jail but to help people and
Page 6
make sure they get the treatment
GSEA REPRESENTS
rections)
and av
Enforcement
15 «
200 worKens w THis WS
they need.
We tend to
bea
proactive county — we want to prevent
problems,” she said.
“You've got to remember that the
community needs to be safe — Ava’s
another tool to help keep it that way,”
Howard added.
— Lou Hmieleski
What you should know about
Gov. Pataki’s recently
proposed state budget:
Would consolidate Corrections,
Criminal Justice, Parole, DPCA,
State Police, Crime Victims
Board, Domestic Violence and
Commission of Correction into
Department of Justice.
New department would have 604
more positions than component
ee agencies.
Existing criminal justice
agencies would operate in their
current locations.
66 y job is never dull. You can do the same thing 100 times and it’s different. There’s always
a lot of crime. It’s getting worse, not better.??
Mira Anderson, deputy court clerk — Town of Fallsburg and a 20-year employee
THE WORK FORCE February 2000
Eagle-eyed members break
trucker test cheat scam
Now there are two SEA REPRESENTS As Williams worked
reasons for cheating ie
truckers to stay out of
New York City: traffic
snarls and eagle-eyed
CSEA members who work
at the state Department of
Motor Vehicles (DMV) in
Brooklyn.
The keen eyes and quick thinking of
union member Lakeisha Williams and her
DMV co-workers recently broke an
elaborate cheating ring designed to help
potential truck drivers pass the state’s
written Commercial Drivers License test.
50, . at
00 WoRKEns In THIS WO®
What you should know about
Gov. Pataki’s recently
proposed state budget:
$75 million proposed to construct
a hew 300-bed secure center to
replace the current Harlem Valley
facility
76 proposed new limited secure
beds for boys in the new center
Additional operating money
planned for 13 limited secure beds
for girls at Lansing.
at the desk adjacent
the room where the
truck driver’s test was
being given, she
noticed one test taker
“kept looking too close
to himself.”
“His paper was on the desk,
but he kept looking at his
hands,” Williams said.
Williams suspected the driver
was cheating by writing the
answers on his palms and inside
wrists.
Williams brought her
suspicions to Carole Ghee and
her co-workers and they
approached the test taker.
Watch tells more than time
No writing was found on his
skin, but they noticed his watch
was inscribed with a series of
dots.
Department investigators
determined the dots
represented a pattern that contained the
answers to the truck driver's test.
Each line represented a different
question, with one dot indicating the
answer was “A,” two dots meaning the
answer was “B,” and so on.
The answer-laden watches were sold to
aspiring truckers for $200-$400,
investigators said.
CSEA members Lakeisha Williams, standing left, and
Carole Ghee, standing right, review records at the
Department of Motor Vehicles with an unidentified
co-worker, sitting.
Workers at the Brooklyn DMV collected
six watches the first day they broke the
scam.
A memo was quickly sent to all other
DMV offices in the region, and alert CSEA
members at other sites quickly
confiscated nearly two dozen watches.
— Ann Carroll
66] feel secure in my position. If it weren't for the union, I wouldn't be working the hours I’m
working or getting the pay I'm getting or using the health insurance. For job security, you
need a union. 99
Lorey Wilkins, index clerk — 10-year employee of the Saratoga County Clerk’s Office
February 2000 THE WORK FORCE Page 7
Workers i in lockstep with quality to keep state
Three of ‘Ne many CSEA members who help
repair the state’s canal system are, from
left, Maintenance Assistant Charles DeLuise,
Ronald Hyatt and Alfredo Villalta, both
welders.
Ifred Villalta autographs his day’s
handiwork with a proud flourish of
fluorescent orange spray paint.
“Built in Fonda” is streaked with a hiss of
the aerosol can across a massive sheet of
steel that will hold back millions of gallons
of water at one lock in the state’s Barge
Canal system.
Villalta, one of more than 400 CSEA
members who work for the state Canal Corp.
which operates the 524-mile archipelago of
locks, is among a handful of craftsmen who
repair the aging metal gates that hold the
water and raise and lower boats.
As New York's aging canal system needs
rebuilding, Villalta and his co-workers are
saving taxpayers millions of dollars annually
by fabricating huge replacement parts and
repairing the massive steel flood gates.
GSEA REPRESENTS:
Barge Canal system flowing
Best in the business
“An outside contractor looked at our
operation and told us he couldn't find a
better product than what we produce here,”
said Supervisor Tim Dockerty of the Fonda
operation.
“Making the lower gates in-house is cost
effective, and we’re proud of our employees
for the high-quality skills they have,” Canal
Corp. Engineer Don Bell said.
Union members have the skills to get the
job done.
CSEA member Geardo “Premo”
Oconitrillo, a native of Costa Rica who came
to America in 1968 and joined the Canal
Corp. in 1987, is a steel fabricator who makes
the numerous parts needed to construct the
gates.
With the modern day canal dating back to
the early 1900s, the sources of replacement
parts are long gone.
It’s the skills of the Canal Corp. workers
that will keep this living museum moving in
the new millennium.
“Premo knows how to make every part of
the upper and lower gates” said Brian Swift,
a maintenance supervisor.
Oconitrillo proudly points to a huge
supply of pre-cut parts neatly stacked under
his work table and to long pieces of steel
precisely marked for careful cutting and
welding that stretch deep into his work area.
Industrial ballet
The Fonda shop hosts a daily
performance of industrial ballet by union
members working with huge machines to
make even bigger parts.
Each lower gate stands almost 13 feet, is
30 feet wide and
weighs as much
as 9 tons.
Building a
lower gate takes about three weeks, not
counting the time the crew spends crafting
the hundreds of parts that go into the huge
door.
CSEA member Ron Hyatt cut long pieces
of channel steel into specific lengths.
Bob Lisco, a 10-year canal employee,
carefully drilled holes into those steel
lengths.
“This isn't a job for a computer,” Lisco
said. “It takes a different type of skill, one
passed down from worker to worker.”
“We have control of the economics and
the quality of the product — that’s our key
to success,” engineer Bell said, emphasizing
the value of the CSEA work force.
— Daniel X. Campbell
Ci ne
“M0 Workers iw THIS WO
What you should know
about Gov. Pataki’s
recently proposed state
budget:
Would eliminate $34.9 million in
CHIPs Operating and Maintenance
aid to counties and NYC.
(_] CHIPs capital and Marchiselli aid
remain at 1999-2000 level.
8
66 [like my job. I work on 50 different types of vehicles, police cars, trucks, 1-ton trucks,
plows. It’s always something different, always different problems. I work on 20 or 30 a
week. I don’t work on my own vehicles —I can’t stand it!??
Steve Gentile, automotive mechanic — Town of Fallsburg, 17-year-employee
Pee THE WORK FORCE
February 2000
Bill to unionize charter schools,
help families, vetoed by Pataki
CSEA has blasted Gov.
George Pataki for his recent
veto of a bill that would
GSEA REPRESENTS
acion|
York’s working families.”
The legislation would
have required all
allow non-instructional
employees of large charter
employees in charter
schools to unionize.
Union leaders said the
move again illustrates the
Pataki administration’s
“complete and utter disrespect for New
STATE’—,
BUDGET 17/-
What you should know
about Gov. Pataki’s
recently proposed state
budget:
Overall SUNY funding increase
of $87 million.
No tuition increases proposed.
Proposes to transfer state
library, state museum, state
arhives to new Office of
Cultural Resources.
Proposes fingerprinting of
prospective school employees.
20 percent cut in BOCES
funding and futures increases
limited to overall operating aid
growth.
vices
55. a
200 WonKens mw THs WY
schools with more than 250
workers to be organized if
the charter school’s
neighboring public school
district was organized.
Pataki signed a bill last year
authorizing charter schools, which
essentially are private schools that can
receive public funding.
The recently vetoed bill would have
helped level the playing field for public
school districts and their employees by
requiring charter schools to play by the
same rules.
Currently, only instructional
employees in charter schools of more
than 250 workers can unionize if the
charter school is located in a school
district that already has organized.
CSEA Statewide President Danny
Donohue said Pataki’s veto shows a
further erosion of worker protections in
New York State through the
quasi-public private partnerships the
governor fosters.
“This is yet another slap at working
families from this administration,”
Donohue said.
“This governor, more than any other,
seems intent on destroying the very
foundations working men and women
have built to bring job security and
decent, respectful wages into the
workplace,” the president said.
Healthy school
workshops to promote
classroom wellness
CSEA is organizing workshops on Long Island
and the mid-Hudson Valley the next several
months to promote healthy and safe schools for
students and employees.
“Every union and every union member should
be involved in this program,” said Mae
Tyropolis, CSEA Unit president for the Yonkers
School District which has a model school health
and safety program.
“If employees and students are going to work
effectively and efficiently, the state of their
health is very important, as is the health of the
building they are in,” she added.
These initial healthy school programs are the
outgrowth of a year-long public education
campaign aimed at school administrators,
employees and parents.
The union and other members of a statewide
coalition have testified at legislative, Regents
and state Education Department hearings about
school health and safety, including the use of
pesticides,
The programs are part of the Healthy Schools
Network, a statewide project supported by CSEA
and other organizations.
Simple, low-cost steps can be taken by school
administrators to avoid unnecessary poison and
pesticide exposures in schools, health and safety
experts said.
Larger classes and the ebb and flow of
students often make it difficult to clean and
maintain classrooms, hallways, cafeterias and
gymnasiums, workshop leaders added.
For information about arranging a workshop
or briefing, contact John Phillips at CSEA
headquarters at 800-342-4146 ext. 1452.
} of the Work Force )
| really like my job and my supervisors are very good. They are understanding and we work
together. In 12 years I have no complaints except that | am a single woman trying to pay
bills on one salary and I need a contract!??
Millie Thurston, keyboard specialist — CSEA Stony Brook Hospital Local treasurer,
12-year member
February 2000 THE WORK FORCE fartes)
TREWORKEORGE
takes the Governor to task in a TV
interview. Below, the throng outside at
the Empire State Plaza. At right, getting
members who showed up Jan. 5, such as the wo]
below. One newspaper columnist decried the
governor's show of force as grossly out of propo
CSEA, joining forces with PEF, had an overwhelming success
in shining the public spotlight on the governor’s inability§ to
treat state workers fairly by negotiating a respectable
contract,
At 20,000 strong, the rally showed that union members
remain united and a force to be reckoned with.
“We put a face and a lou
voice to the message our
union has been sending] to
Albany!” .. Standing in a row with
ai Brian Maid batons in hand, hovering in clumps
en brian Magdden Gillavenine place eran pce cans
CSEA local presffident ee AU ART | ercbosinania,
Roswell Park Cancer Intititute parked all about, were more cops in uniform
at the ready than I've seen in Albany since George
eae ORES ae Wallace made a pit stop here during a presidential
Above, CSEA President Danny Donohue, Below left and right, Albany police in riot gear Jjand run
flanked by PEF President Roger Benson, mounted patrols provide a stark contrast to the §CSEA It was a shocking display of state and city
police and it was offensive.
FRoM Prep LEBRUN’S COLUMN
ALBANY TIMES UNION, JAN. 6
to the “legion of soccer moms and Little League
somewhat self-consiously demonstrating for a pi
raise.”
warmed up for the main event.
The ubiquitous “Peanut Man” egged on the crowd. Above
and below, some of the press coverage from the rally.
Papers across the state gave the rally equal billing with
stories about the governor's State of the State address.
Below, the chanting throng swells outside the state
Above, Statewide Treasurer
Maureen Malone, left, and
Executive Vice President
Mary Sullivan encourage
members to show the Capitol.
Governor who's got the cn r Manz Dinwal .
power. State Workers Protest Pay Level
Pee te THE WORK FORCE February 2000 February 2000 THE WORK FORCE FEI
More than 500 state
troopers who cordoned off the
state Capitol where Gov.
George Pataki was giving his
annual State of the State speech
created an imposing police
presence at the rally.
No incidents were
reported, however, and union
leaders thanked the individual
State Troopers and Albany
Police officers for their
professionalism in the very
difficult situation the
administration put them in.
Buses teeming with
union members backed up
traffic in downtown Albany and
snaked onto the nearby
interstates, delaying the arrival
of thousands of protesters to
the main rally.
The Pepsi Arena was
jammed with more than 12,000
union activists who were
whipped into action with
videos, music and speeches by
union leaders and rank-and-file members. The rally generated significant
coverage in daily newspapers and on television and radio stations across the
state.
| “We sent the governor a message and it was
important that he see thousands of members behind
the negotiating team.”
Pr ; — Alfredo Carlo
rotesting CSEA Local president
» UNIONS send SUNY Stony Brook
message i
tO governor
page 12 GEO a February 2000
The Annual Check-Up
a
CHART?
WHAT CHART?
RALLY?
| WHAT RALLY?
| | POLICE?
WHAT POLICE?
}
{1
| RAISE?
WHAT RAISE?
ey
(CONTRACT?
WHAT CONTRACT?
AN
"a4
|
“0.K. Governor after we get you fitted for a hearing aid,
then wel/ have you read the eye chart over there.”
ye
THE WORK FORCE February 2000
The spirit of the season is reflected
in CSEA members’ holiday charity
Across the state, CSEA members
showed the true spirit of the
holidays by reaching out to those
less fortunate.
Thousands of union members
worked during the holidays, but
they didn’t let their jobs prevent
them from adopting needy families,
performing good deeds for
neighbors, donning Santa suits,
serving food in soup kitchens,
collecting toys for kids and hosting
holiday parties.
Charity abounds
In the Longwood School District
on Long Island, custodian Neal
Green suffered a massive shock
when his house burned and he lost
all his possessions while he was
returning from burying his mother
in North Carolina.
CSEA members joined
teachers from the district and
raised more than $5,000 for Green
and his family.
CSEA Pilgrim Psychiatric Center
Second Vice President Sarah
Mableton spent time over the
holidays visiting church members
in the hospital and later helped
host a holiday party for children.
“My children are grown and my
grandson is blessed. I need to
share what little | have with these
other children,” Mableton said.
Hugs, love and quality time
CSEA Long Island Region
President Nick LaMorte and his
members donated “a truckload” of
toys for less fortunate children.
Debbie O'Connell, a clerk at
Nassau County Community College,
worked at the Ronald McDonald
House over the holidays.
“My family came to the house on
Christmas day so we could all be
together and even though you give
up some holidays, it’s worth it
because working here makes you
feel really good,” O'Connell said.
In Brooklyn, the holiday spirit
also took hold.
“Most clients don’t get visitors,
so we make sure they have the best
Christmas they can
have,” said Thea SO — ae
Battle, a
developmental aide at
the Brooklyn |
Developmental Center.
CSEA members who
work at the
Shawangunk
Correctional Facility in Ulster
County donated gifts to local
families as part of the “Tiny Hands
in Need of Kindness” program.
Union members at the Montour
Falls Fire Academy in Schuyler
County raised almost $900 to buy
clothing, blankets,
food and toys for
aneedy local
family.
ACSEA
| member dressed
as Santa Claus
rode a local fire
| truck and
4) delivered the
| presents to the
family with
four children.
— Sheryl
Jenks, Ann
Carroll,
Anita Manley
and Mark
Kotzin
Food Service Worker Crystal Banks, dressed
as Santa, gets a gift package to deliver from
CSEA “Elf” Teresa Letteer, a cleaner.
Pere cm THE WORK FORCE February 2000
‘syooAt 1000 ite AL gy
Her vacations are usually disasters...
Dutchess worker volunteers
for Red Cross duty
POUGHKEEPSIE — Karen Anson’s last two
vacations in Florida and North Carolina were
both disasters.
Anson, a CSEA member and Red Cross
volunteer, was helping people, many of whom
had lost their homes and belongings to
devastating floods caused by tropical storms
and hurricanes.
A tax collection clerk for Dutchess County,
Anson has been a Red Cross volunteer since
1991.
Most of her volunteer time is spent helping her neighbors in the
Hudson Valley when their lives are disrupted by fires, gas explosions,
weather-related disasters and evictions.
She also holds a part-time paid position with the Red Cross,
working after hours to handle emergencies.
Karen Anson
Meeting their needs
As a Red Cross volunteer, Anson distributes vouchers
that are good for food, clothing and shelter.
Anson also teaches disaster training, family services
and shelter operations courses and she
* co-chairs a county disaster team.
Two summers ago, Anson joined other volunteers
from all over the country to help hurricane victims in the
Florida Keys. She handed out vouchers, assessed damage
and boosted the morale of thousands of victims.
The team also included nurses and mental health professionals.
“The first people who come to a disaster are the damage
assessors,” she explained.
“Then we set up the service center in a place such as a Mason's
Lodge and we meet with the people and see what we can do to help
them,” she said.
While most victims of such disasters are relieved to see Red Cross
volunteers, some are not so welcoming.
“Some people are very private,” she said. “They don’t want your
help. You meet all kinds.”
True volunteer spirit
In Florida, many of the victims were fishermen who lost their
boats. Unfortunately, many of them lived on their boats, so they lost
their homes also.
Anson’s trip last fall to North Carolina came after flooding from
hurricanes Dennis and Floyd and tropical storm Irene — all within
just a few weeks — badly damaged the area.
Anson remembered seeing areas where house trailers were under
water and farm animals were stranded on rooftops.
Anson, whose father and brother are volunteer firefighters, said
she’s been a volunteer since she was a teen.
“I've been a Candy Striper, | worked at an information desk at the
hospital, I've done work with hospice and worked with battered
women,” she said.
“I guess it’s just been in me to do volunteer work. To me, that's
what it’s all about — helping your neighbor,” Anson said.
“My trip to North Carolina was a turning point for me,” she said. “I
realized how lucky I am.”
— Anita Manley
Norton receives Rochester
labor council award
ROCHESTER — Bruce
Norton, a Monroe County &
CSEA activist and 28-year rs
Town of Penfield employee,
has been honored as
activist of the year with the
first Robert Flavin Award
from the Rochester Labor
Council.
“This is a real honor, and I appreciate
it,” said Norton, who is the Political
Action Committee (PAC) chairman for the
Monroe County CSEA Local and vice
president of the Penfield Unit.
“Especially since this award is named
for someone | really admired, and who
was the father of fellow CSEA activist
Mike Flavin. And I was really honored
that Mike sat at our table during the
dinner and program,” Norton said.
The late Robert Flavin was a long-time
member of the Rochester Labor Council
and activist for the Communications
Workers of America.
“Bruce is réally deserving of an award
for his work in behalf of union-endorsed
AL 1000 AFSCME «
petol eve Ae
political action co-chair of
CSEA’s Western Region and
president and vice chair of the
Monroe County Central Labor
Council.
“He was everywhere this
past political season, going
door-to-door, passing out
‘Labor-to-Neighbor’ packets, distributing
candidate literature, getting out the vote,
working the phone banks. He is a fine
representative of CSEA, and a good
example for union members
everywhere,” Tripi said.
“It's something I believe in,” explained
Norton, “Public employees have an
opportunity to help elect or have a say in
who our bosses will be, and it’s
something we all should take a keen
interest in.
“And our collective activism has other
positive benefits, as well. | hope more of
our members will take up political
activism, wherever they happen to be,”
Norton said.
— Ron Wofford
ice Norton on
candidates,” said Florence “Flo” Tripi,
Farm workers’ minimum
wage boosted; CSEA, other
unions lobbied hard for law
By voting to increase the
minimum wage, state lawmakers
may have planted the seed that
will end the disparate treatment
long-endured by farm workers in
the state.
A new law, which CSEA lobbied
for, boosts New York's minimum
wage from $4.25 an hour to $5.15
an hour, tying it permanently to
the national rate.
More importantly, the law for
the first time gives farm workers
the same minimum wage as other
workers in the state.
For years, farm workers have
been specifically excluded by state
Labor Law from basic labor
protections such as a day of rest,
overtime pay, workers’
compensation and unemployment
insurance, the right to bargain
collectively, and a minimum wage.
Recognizing the injustice these
workers face, CSEA and other
groups pressed lawmakers to give
farm workers the same basic and
fundamental rights enjoyed by
other workers.
Union leaders said they hope
this wage hike will pave the way
for improvements in other areas.
Meanwhile, CSEA and other
AFL-CIO affiliates have joined the
United Farm Workers of America in
its fight against federal legislation
that would worsen the abysmal
working conditions for farm
workers.
The proposed “guest worker”
legislation would allow employers
to import immigrant workers who
are willing to work for
substandard wages and benefits,
rather than recruit American
workers by offering competitive
wages and benefits.
— Ed Molitor
the job in Penfield.
AMA votes to organize doctors
The union movement continues to grow as another
professional organization has voted to unionize its members.
In an effort to level the playing field with health maintenance
organizations and other managed-care providers, the American
Medical Association voted recently to form a union for doctors.
The new union will represent physicians who are salaried
employees and medical residents. Self-employed physicians are
prohibited by law from bargaining collectively.
AMA officials said the union will improve patient care in
today’s increasingly competitive health care market place.
Dr. George Bernstein, a CS9EA member who works at Erie
County Medical Center, said doctors can bring about change by
affiliating with a union.
“There is strength in numbers and strength in unity,”
Bernstein said, “Rather than acting individually where HMO’s
can use a divide and conquer strategy, it’s better to find
common ground,” he added. Bernstein also said belonging to
CSEA makes doctors and other unionized staff at ECMC feel like
a team.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees (AFSCME), which is CSEA’s international affiliate and
represents thousands of doctors nationwide, has long
recognized the value unionization holds for physicians and their
patients, 4
“The AMA's vote reflects a tidal wave of sentiment that
doctors want representation, that they want a voice at the table,
and that managed care has all too often tied their hands in terms
of their ability to provide quality patient care,” AFSCME
President Gerald W. McEntee said.
February 2000 THE WORK FORCE Wertee)
May 15 is deadline
for submitting
proposed
resolutions, changes
to CSEA’s
Constitution
& Bylaws
Proposed resolutions and
proposed amendments to the CSEA
Constitution & Bylaws for
consideration by CSEA delegates to
the union’s 2000 Annual Delegates
Meeting must be submitted by May
15, 2000.
Proposed resolutions may be
submitted only by a delegate and
must be submitted on the proper
forms. Forms for submitting
resolutions are available from CSEA
headquarters and region offices.
Proposed resolutions and
proposed amendments to the
Constitution and ByLaws must be
submitted no later than May 15 to
Statewide Secretary Barbara Reeves,
CSEA Headquarters, 143 Washington
Ave., Albany, N.Y., 12210-2303.
The 2000 CSEA Annual Delegates
Meeting will be held Sept. 25-29 in
New York City.
Break in membership
affects eligibility for union
office, voting privileges
A break in union membership
status can have long-term future
implications. Your membership status
affects your eligibility with respect to:
* seeking or holding union office;
© signing nominating petitions for
potential candidates;
* voting in union elections, and;
* voting on collective bargaining
contracts.
Only members “in good standin
can participate in these activities. To
be in “good standing,” your dues
cannot be delinquent.
If you go on unpaid leave or for any
other reason have a break in your
employment status, your dues will
not continue to be paid through
payroll deductions. You must make
arrangements to pay your dues
directly to CSEA to continue your
membership status. If you are either
laid off or placed on leave without pay
status due to becoming disabled by
accident, illness, maternity or
paternity, you may be eligible for
dues-free membership status for a
period not to exceed one year.
Note, however, you must continue
to pay dues to run for office. Dues-free
or gratuitous membership allows
members to continue their insurance
coverage while out of work. It does
not protect your right to run for or
hold office.
You must notify the CSEA
Membership Records Department at
1-800-342-4146, . 1327, of any
change in your status and what
arrangements you are making to
continue your membership in CSEA.
The CSEA WORKERS’ COMPENSATION LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
covering Workers’ Compensa
If you are Injured on the Job or eustaln a job-related illness,
Assistance Program
dieabled, the program can help you ot
2 Absolutely Free, And So
Compensation or
IMPLY CALL
ct the proper
by the firm
WORKERS’ C
LEGAL ASS!
an help you navigate the maze known <
ial Security Disability b
Workers’ Compensation Legal
Compensation. If you become
Worker
1@ Call
@ Brochures
intake forme to aseist you in complling correct: and
complete information before making the initial call will
be available from CSEA Region ( SEA Local
and Unit Presidents and CSEA Labor Relations
Specialists.
@ Ali cal
down and t
members and their dependents for the progratr
scribing the program in detail and
will be accepted, no cases will be t
no out-of-pocket cost to CE
services.
1-800-342-4146
Follow the menu options for instructions
to access the program
Thomas H. McDonough
Continuing Studies
Scholarship winners
Six children of CSEA ia,
members, one from each
of the union's regions,
have been named winners
of the CSEA Thomas H.
McDonough Continuing
Studies Scholarships.
The winners were
announced by CSEA
President Danny Donohue
and Lamont Wade, chair of
CSEA’s Special Memorial
Scholarship Committee.
The awards are $1,000
each and are given to help
students pursue their
college studies by
supplementing the CSEA
Irving Flaumenbaum
scholarships which each of
the recipients had
previously won as
graduating high school
seniors.
The continuing studies
scholarships are named in
memory of the late
Thomas H. McDonough, a
longtime union activist
who served as acting
president and executive vice president of CSEA.
Winners of the 1999 CSEA Thomas H. McDonough Continuing
Studies Scholarships are:
The CSEA Memorial Scholarship Committee
reviews hundreds of applications and
selects winners on the basis of merit and
need.
Long Island Region
Edward J. Scali, Jr. of Massapequa, is a student at St. Joseph’s
College. His mother, Denise A. Scali, is a teacher aide at Nassau BOCES.
Metropolitan Region
Christina Yeung of New York City is a student at Cornell University.
Her mother, Keng Yee Yeung, is a file clerk at the state Insurance
Department.
Southern Region
Gabrielle Rizzuto is a student at Georgetown University. Her
mother, Rosemary Rizzuto, is a stenographer at the Croton-Harmon
School District.
Capital Region
Lauren M. Dillon is a student at Clarkson University. Her mother,
Joanne Dillon, is a typist at the Saratoga Springs Central Sc!
District.
Central Region
Erika S, Moshier is a student at Oswego State University, Her
mother, Janet Moshier, is an account clerk at Jefferson County Social
Services.
Western Region
Kendra Lee Weis is a student at Ithaca College. Her mother, Sandra
Lee Weis, is a typist at Wayne Central High School.
The McDonough scholarship recipients were selected on the bas
of merit and need from a pool of previous winners of the Flaumenbaum
scholarships.
In addition to Wade, the CSEA Memorial Scholarship Committee
includes Kathy Martinez h, Anita Booker, Lorraine Johnson,
Barbara DeSimone, Helen chedick, Sandra Delia, Bruce Norton and
Jeanette Newman.
Pee THE WORK FORCE February 2
New York State Health Insurance Plan
Empire Plan Clip and Save Co-payments
Benefit Blue Cross
Hospital
Provider/Specialty
Office Visit
Empire Plan
Par-Provider
$5/visit
Non-Par
Provider
Basic Medical
Blue Cross
Hospital
Benefit Non-Par
Provider
Empire Plan
Par-Provider
Skilled
Nursing
ility:
No Cost up
to 365
benefit days
Chiropractic
Treatment:
$5/visit
(MPN)
$250 deductible
50% of network
allowance, $1500
maximum
Hearing Aids: Up to $600 Up to $600
every 4 years _ every 4 years
Children 12 years and under;
$600 every 2 years
Diagnostic
Testing(e.g..
x-rays, labs)
$25/visit
$5/visit
Basic Medical
Radiation/ No Cost
Chemotherapy:
No Cost
Basic Medical
Pap Tests/
Mammograms:
$25/visit
$5/visit
Basic Medical
Pre and Post
Natal Visits:
No Cost
Basic Medical
Cigna/Express Scripts (formerly ValueRX):
You pay an $8 copayment for generic drugs and
brand-name drugs that have no generic equivalent.
One copayment covers up to a 90 day supply. When
you fill a prescription for a brand-name drug that
has a generic equivalent you pay the brand name
copayment plus the difference in cost between the
brand name drug and its generic equivalent. If you
use a non-participating pharmacy, you will pay the
full cost and then submit a claim for partial
reimbursement.
Emergency Room:
$30/visit (waived if admitted)
Ambulance:
$35 Copay
$35 Copay
Inpatiént Mental
Health:
No cost; un-
limited when
medically ne-
cessary (Value
Options)
$2000 deductible
50% of network
allowance 30
days/year
Outpatient
Mental Health:
$15/visit un-
limited when
medically ne-
cessary (Value
Options)
$500 deductible
50% of network
allowance 30,
visits/year
Inpatient Drug
Rehabilitation/
Inpatient
Alcohol
Rehabilitation
No Cost; 3
stays per
lifetime
more may be
approved case
by case (Value
Options)
$2000 deduct-
ible, 50% of
network allow-
ance. | stay
per year,
stays per life-
time
Durable
Medical
Equipment/
Diabetic
Supplies/
In-Home Nursing
No Cost
(HCAP)
Basic Medical
or 50% of net-
work allowance
(initial 48
hour nursing
exclusion)
Prosthetics:
Basic Medical
Orthotics:
Basic Medical
No Cost
for phys!
cal therapy
following
related sur-
gery or
hospitali-
zation
Rehabilitative
Care:
Physical
or occupa-
tional
therapy
$5/visit
(MPN)
Speech Ther-
apy $5/visit
$250 deduct-
ible, 50% of
network allow-
ance $1500,
maximum
Basic Medical
No Cost
No Limit
Hospice:
FYI Enrollees and their families who currently participate in an HMO should
contact their HMO to find out their specific copay amounts.
1999 Empire Plan
Claims Deadlines
Empire plan enrollees; March 31, 2000 (90 days after the end of the
calendar year) is your last day to submit your 1999 claims to:
United Health Care: For the Empire Plan Basic Medical Program and for
non-network physical medicine services.
United Health Care Service Corp.
(Administrator for MetLife)
P.O. Box 1600
Kingston, N.Y. 12402-1600
ValueOptions: For non-network mental health and substance abuse
services.
ValueOptions
P.O. Box 778
Troy, N.Y. 12181-0778
Please be certain to have your doctor or other provider fill-in all the
information asked for on the claim form. If the claim form is not filled out by
the provider, original bills must include all medical/diagnostic information
asked for on the claim form. Missing information will delay the processing of
your claim.
Express Scripts (formerly ValueRx): For prescriptions filled in 1999 at non-
participating pharmacies or without using your New York Government
Employee Benefit Card,
Express Scripts
(formerly Value Rx)
Member Reimbursement/Claims Review Unit
P.O, Box 1180
Troy, NY 12181-1180
Claim forms may be obtained from your agency's personnel office or from
United Health Care (1-800-942-4640), ValueOptions (1-800- 995) or Express
Scripts (1-800-964-1888). Make sure you complete the requested subscriber
information and don't forget to sign the claim form.
February 2000 THE WORK FORCE (greys
CSEA’s Notice of Election
Elections for statewide officers, region
officers, statewide Board of Directors, as well
as for AFSCME delegates, are being held at
the same time.
All eligible voters will receive a ballot
containing candidate choices for the
statewide election.
Regions 1, 2, 3 4 and 6 ballots will include
their region election where there is a race.
The current Region 5 officers were
unopposed and are deemed elected.
Statewide Officers:
President, Executive Vice President,
Secretary, Treasurer
Region Officers:
Region 1: Executive VP, 2nd VP, 3rd VP,
Secretary, Treasurer [*President, *1st VP]
Region 2: Executive VP, 2nd VP [*President,
*Ist VP, *Secretary, *Treasurer]
Region 3: President [*Executive VP, *1st VP,
*2nd VP, *3rd VP, *Secretary, *Treasurer]
Region 4: President, Executive VP, lst VP,
2nd VP, 3rd VP, Secretary, Treasurer
Region 5; [*President, *Executive VP, *1st
VP, *2nd VP, *3rd VP, *Recording Secretary,
*Treasurer]
Region 6: President, 1st VP, 2nd VP, 3rd VP,
Secretary, Treasurer
*Unopposed/Elected
Statewide Board of Directors:
Twenty-nine representatives of the State
Executive Committee and 45 representatives
of the Local Government Executive
Committee were unopposed and are deemed
elected.
For the Board of Directors election, there
are only 14 contested elections.
If your board seat was not contested or
there were no eligible candidates, your
ballot will not reflect a board election.
AFSCME Delegates to be elected:
e LONG ISLAND REGION 1 — 40 delegates
¢ METROPOLITAN REGION 2 — 14
delegates
* WESTERN REGION 6 — 40 delegates
For Regions 3, 4 and 5, the AFSCME
delegate nominations were unopposed and
those candidates are deemed elected.
Elected delegates will attend the AFSCME
Convention scheduled June 26-30, 2000 in
Philadelphia, PA.
CSEA Election Schedule for
Statewide Officers, Region Officers,
Statewide Board of Directors,
AFSCME Delegates
Feb. 8: 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 March 2000 edition of
The Work Force.
Terms for
CSEA Statewide President, Executive Vice
President, Secretary, Treasurer
The statewide president, executive vice
president, secretary and treasurer terms will
start July 1, 2000 and shall be for a single
term of three and three-quarter years,
ending March 1, 2004.
Officers for CSEA’s Six Regions
With the election year 2000, region
officers will serve four-year terms,
commencing March 1, 2000.
Check the CSEA bulletin boards at your
Statewide Board of Directors
The board of directors terms will begin
July 1, 2000 and will run for a single term of
three and three-quarter years, ending March
1, 2004.
Election Process
The election process will be overseen by
the union’s Statewide Election Committee.
The ballot count will be conducted by True
Ballot, Inc. at the Desmond, 660 Albany-
Shaker Road, Albanly, New York.
Any CSEA member may
obtain information about
the election process by
calling the
Election Committee at
CSEA headquarters
1-800-342-4146 ext. 1477
workplace for more election details.
Special election to fill vacant seats on CSEA’s
Statewide Board of Directors
CSEA will hold a special election to fill Board seats where no candidate has previously
qualified to run. One vacancy exists in each of the following areas: Chenango County,
Franklin County, Lewis County, Ontario County, Rockland County, Schoharie County,
Schuyler County, Sullivan County, Tompkins County, Washington County, Reg. 5 Local
Government Educational. Please Note: There will only be this one special election for
vacant Board seats. Any seat not filled by this election cycle will remain vacant.
The election schedule for the special election appears below. Election results will be
published in the May, 2000 edition of The Work Force.
Feb. 14, 2000
Mar. 3, 2000
Mar. 30, 2000 —_Ballots mailed
Apr. 6, 2000
Apr. 20, 2000
May, 2000
(Southern, Capital, Central & Western) and CSEA Headquarters.
Deadline for receipt of nominating petitions at CSEA Headquarters by 5 p.m.
Replacement ballots may be requested if original not received.
Deadline for receipt of ballots by 8 a.m.
Start of petitioning period: Nominating petitions available from Region offices
|
Election results published in The Work Force
rage 18 Eee February 2000 ,
Activist on and off the job:
Carolyn Lee shares
many talents with
CSEA, CBTU
BUFFALO — For Carolyn Lee, her job as a child
protective worker for Erie
County, her union activism
and her participation in the
Coalition of Black Trade
Unionists (CBTU) are an
outgrowth of her natural
motivation toward helping
others.
“| like interacting with
péople,” said Lee, a 12-year
employee of the county’s
social services department
in Buffalo.
“I've taught in the Head
Start program and the
Educational O; tunit
Ni \ ICANAMERICAN Progpain|belore worked for
Carolyn Lee
the county.
As a child protective
worker, Lee interviews
children and family members during the
investigation of child abuse allegations, and she
provides referrals. She also works with police and
doctors and testifies in court when needed.
As a wife and mother, she is raising a 15-year-old
son, and also helped raise two other now-grown
children.
“I'm sort of new to union activism, compared to
some of my fellow members,” said Lee.
Active at all levels
“And | attribute my activism to my union mentor,
Sylvia Thomas (also a county worker and CSEA
activist), who urged me to get involved. We first
worked together on the CSEA local’s women’s
committee, and that led to my involvement with
CBTU.”
Lee said her CBTU activities address a broad
spectrum of service to the black community and
also reflect her personal concerns for community
improvement.
CONLEY
ELECTED VP TO
LABOR COUNCIL
— Westchester
County Local 860
President Gary Conley
has been elected Vice
President of the Westchester/Putnam
Labor Council. He was sworn in by
AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes.
Conley said the Council's priorities are
legislative and political action and
mobilization of members on such
issues of concern as health care,
workers’ compensation issues, contract
negotiations, organizing or community
... PEOPLE PERSON — The PEOPLE
recruiter for the month of December is
Rutha Bush of Local 430 on Long
Island. Bush has recruited 29 new
PEOPLE members. PEOPLE is
AFSCME’s political action program
aimed at getting friends of working
families elected to Congress ...
“LEFTY” MACCARO PASSES
\
765,000 mempens STRON™
READY FOR THE
L.I. EXPRESSWAY
— CSEA SUNY Stony
Brook Local member
Clay Colefield proudly
announced that 1,000
CSEA members and family have
graduated from Defensive Driving
courses he has taught ... UPGRADES IN
EAST HAMPTON — After negotiating
with the Town of East Hampton, 25
CSEA members will be upgraded.
According to Unit President Tom Horn,
the upgrade will mean thousands of
dollars for some of the members ... A
PIE IN THE FACE FOR A GOOD CAUSE
— Rochester CSEA DOT local members
chipped in recently to help the State
Employees Federated Appeal (SEFA)
fund by letting folks pay $1 to plaster
members in the face with pies. The
local has tallied at least $2,400 so far,
with donations still coming.
AWAY — CSEA mourns the
loss of CSEA retiree Bill "Lefty"
Maccaro. Bill died at age 65 in
his sleep at his home in
Commack. Bill worked in the
Town of Smithtown for more
than 20 years. In that time he
was the Town of Smithtown
Unit President for nine years
and the CSEA Suffolk Locals
President for six years. Bill
also served as a trustee on the
Employee Benefit Fund. Bill's
son, Billy, works for the Town
of Smithtown Traffic
Department. Maccaro is also
survived by his wife, Evelyn,
and two daughters ...
LAMORTE FETED BY
AFL-CIO New York State President Denis
Hughes greets Coalition of Black Trade Unionist
members at a community gathering in Albany to
HOFSTRA — CSEA Long
commemorate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Island Region President Nick
LaMorte was honored by the
“Tl be working on our Buffalo CBTU chapter's
annual conference in February, specifically the
The Albany event brought together labor and
community acitivists — including many from
Women’s Luncheon,” said Lee.
“This year we're doing something different from
the normal routine of having a guest speaker. We're
going to have an acting company act out a message
about domestic violence, followed by a dialog with
the actors,” Lee said.
“We think and hope it will add to the message
that there is another way to deal with family
problems, and that victims do have options.
— Ron Wofford
Hofstra Alumni Association
who presented him with its
distinguished Service Award
for 28 years of community
service ... ISLAND TREES
OKS PACT — The Island Trees
School District unit voted
nearly unanimously to ratify a
new, three-year pact ...
CSEA — for an afternoon of food, entertainment
and speakers. Above, Hughes meets CBTU and
CSEA activists.
Hughes was also on hand Jan. 5 to kick off the
“We've Got The Power” rally, where he helped
whip up the crowd of thousands in the Pepsi
Arena and pledged the full strength of the NYS
AFL-CIO to the state contract fight.
February 2000 THE WORK FORCE page LO
