The Public Sector, 1996 October

CSEA delegates meet Sept. 29 - Oct. 4:
See officers’ statements, pages 13 - 18

Official publication of

Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO

is at the heart of CSEA’s new ad campaign — see page 3

|

Oct. 24 is deadline for filing for
retro membership in retirement system

Section 803 of Article 18 of
the Rétirement and Social
Security Law, which allows for
retroactive membership to the

| retirement system, will expire

| Oct. 24, 1996. Granting
retroactive membership under

| this provision may result in tier

changes based on the new

retroactive membership date

Retirees are not eligible for

retroactive credit

Employees are eligible if:

%* you are currently an active
member in a public retirement
system (excluding New York
City):

%* you have been continuously

1 without a break of one

the date of retroactive

%* you are currently a member
of a New York City retirement
system or are seeking to transfer
credit from a New York City
Retirement System;,

* you must not have been
employed in CETA, which began
on or after Sept. 1, 1975;

* You miss the Oct. 24,
filing deadline.

YOU are responsible for filing
the Section 803 application
form, which must be filed on or
before Oct. 24, 1996

Section 803 applications can
be obtained from your personnel
or human resources department.
Applications can also be
obtained by calling the New York
State Comptroller's office at
(518) 474-7736. This is also the

1996.

| membership;

number to call if you have any
| Employees are not eligible if:

questions regarding this issue.

Herkimer, Orange counties
remain solidly CSEA country

Herkimer County in CSEA’s Central Region and Orange County in
CSEA’s Southern Region both remain solidly CSEA country after
county employees in both locations recently voted to continue CSEA as
their bargaining representative.

CSEA-represented county workers in Herkimer and Orange counties
rejected raids by a questionable operation known as Local 424.

“Local 424 should finally have gotten the message that a majority of
Orange County employees are not interested in their empty promises,”
CSEA Orange County Unit President Sabina Shapiro said.

“We will now be negotiating from a stronger position because both
we and the county know we truly have the support of our members,”
Herkimer County Unit President Candy Mancini said.

“This will send a strong signal to Local 424 that they can’t come
into CSEA territory and start spreading lies and trying to divide our
members,” CSEA statewide Executive Vice President Mary Sullivan
said of the union's victories. Sullivan rose to statewide lead iip out
of the Herkimer County CSEA unit and local and was actively involved
in the CSEA campaigns against Local 424.

Applications being accepted now for

1997 AFSCME FAMILY ee!

Ten (10) $2,000 AFSCME Family Scholarships will be awarded to
children of AFSCME members for 1997. Winners will be selected from
applications that meet the eligibility requirements. The scholarships will
be renewed for $2,000 each year for a maximum of four years, provided
the student remains enrolled in a full-time degree program at an
accredited institution.

Applicant must be a high school senior graduating in the Spring of
1997 who intends to enroll in a full-time, four-year degree program at
any accredited college or university. Applicant must be a daughter or son
of an active AFSCME member, or whose legal guardian is an active
AFSCME member.

Applications must be postmarked by Dec.
announced by March 31, 1997.

Applications are available from: AF
Education mene 1625,

31, 1996. Winners will be
CME Family Scholarship Program, I
L Street, NW Washington, DC 20036.

Fertility medications —

now a covered benefit

Effective Aug. 1, 1996, fertility medications are
a covered benefit under the CSEA Employee

AFSCME Local 1000, AFL-CIO
EMPLOYEE
BENEFIT FUND

service where practicable.

Benefit Fund Prescription Drug Plan, subject to
prior authorization and dispensing through mail

Reimbursement for these medications are capped at $5,000 per year
with a $10,000 lifetime maximum payment limit.

Members may call Paid Prescriptions at 1-800-457-1020 or NRx
| Services at 1-800-445-9707 for information and assistance.

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
offic

%* signing nominating petitions
for potential candidates,

¥* voting in union elections, and

% voting on collective bargaining
contracts.

Only members “in good standing”
can participate in these activities.
To be in “good standing, ur dues
cannot be delinquent.

If you go on unpaid leave or for
any other reason have a break in
your employment status, your dues

Always protect your membership status

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
membership status for a period not
to exceed one year.

You must notify the CSEA
Membership Records Department
at 1-800-342-4146, Ext. 327, of
any change in your status and
what arrangements you are making
to continue your membership in
CSEA.

The Public Sector (USPS 0445-010) is published monthly by The Civil Service Employees Association
Publication Office: 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12210.

THE
PUBLIC

COOL

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

STEPHEN A. MADARASZ, Publisher

STANLEY HORNAK,

Asst. Director of Communications
ROGER A. COLE, Editor
KATHLEEN DALY, Associate Editor
CATHLEEN HORTON
Graphie Design & Support Services
RALPH DISTIN, Graphic Artist
JANICE NUSBAUM, Secretary

SHERYL C. JENKS
LILLY GIOIA
ANITA MANLEY
DAN CAMPBELL

MARK M. KOTZIN

2 October 1996

LONG ISLAND REGION Gloria Moran
METROPOLITAN REGION Jimmy Gripper, Chairman — C
SOUTHERN REGION Diane Hewitt

Periodicals Mail Postage paid at Post Office, Albany, New York 12288.
Postmaster: Send address changes to: Civil Service Employees Association,
Attn: Membership Department, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12210.

Readers: Send any comments, complaints, suggestions or ideas to:
Publisher, The Public Sector, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210-2303.

COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATES

Long Island Region
(516) 462-0030
Metropolitan Region
(212) 406-2156
Southern Region
(914) 831-1000
Capital Region
(518) 785-4400
Central Region
(315) 433-0050

The Public Sector Committee

CAPITAL REGION
‘RAL REGION
WESTERN REGION James V. Kurtz

RON WOFFORD

ED MOLITOR

Western Region
(716) 886-0391
Headquarters

(518) 434-0191

Marguerite Stanley
Bruce Damallt

Bay

New ad campaign unveiled

CSEA is on the air again with a new
advertising campaign that puts the vital
work of CSEA members clearly in the
public eye.

The campaign theme highlights
the CSEA Work Force as “The
Heart of New York”. It
reinforces CSEA’s role as a
union of hard-working,
dedicated people who
provide services that
people depend on 24
hours a day, seven days a
week.

“CSEA is proud of who
we are and what we do and
we want the public to
understand the value the CSEA
Work Force provides,” CSEA
President Danny Donohue said. “We

want people to see the real work that our
members perform so that when politicians
talk about budgets there can be recognition

rs ae fe oi if u z Sie aes
The State Fairgrounds provided the background for some of the
scenes of CSEA members at work. The camera rolls as CSEA

member Ed Cook, driving, makes his film debut above.

csea.on.line

CSEA has entered the cyber world with a new site on the World
Wide Web. The CSEA site provides information about the union,
current and archived news releases, up-to-date details about hot

nd a way to E-mail CSEA statewide officers and staff.
is another positive step in our efforts to be in touch with
you and provide important CSEA perspective in the information
age,” CSEA President Danny Donohue said.

Members with access to the World Wide Web can learn more
about CSEA positions and activities easily and effectively. But it is
just as important as another way to present CSEA’s point of view
and profile to the general public and others involved in the public
policy arena.

The CSEA web site can be ace!

Iscezor

ed at www.cseaine.org.

of what is really at issue.”
The ads will run on radio, tv and select
print outlets statewide. The initial phase of
the campaign targets voter
registration and get out the vote
efforts. It will then transition
into local government and
state budget messages.

For the past several
years CSEA ad campaigns
coincided with state budget
negotiations. This year the
campaign is beginning
earlier to build on CSEA
momentum and keep the

pressure on, particularly as
the local government budget
process moves forward.
“We live in a media oriented
world and efforts like this are ne ary
to make sure that our message gets heard,”
Donohue said.

One exciting feature of the campaign is
special theme music that will become a
familiar jingle to CSEA members and state
residents in the months ahead:

New York has a heart,

A very special part.

It’s your family, friends and neighbors -
You depend upon our labors.
We're your work force

A vital part of New York,

CSEA!

We're your work force

We're the heart of New York
CSEA!

We drive your kids to school

On roads that we maintain

We obey the golden rule,

and ease our neighbors’ pain.
We answer Nine One One,

Keep you safe all night and day
The work force gets it done.
While you go on your way.

To some it’s a surprise

That we're working everywhere.
But you'd come to realize

If someday we're not there...
that...

We're your work force

A vital part of New York,

CSEA!

We're your work force

We're the heart of New York
CSEA!

October 1996

CSEA member Dan Welton running in
Marine Corps Marathon to honor Emily
on Oct. 27; your contributions needed

WATKINS GLEN — CSEA member Dan
Welton hopes to run the race of his life to help
a 16-year-old victim of
leukemia, and he’s
hoping CSEA members
will support his efforts
by contributing to the
Leukemia Society of
America.

Welton, a
maintenance mechanic
for the Office of Fire
Prevention and Control,
Department of State,
says he's in top shape
and ready to compete in
the Marine Corps
Marathon against about
13,000 other runners in
Washington, DC on
Oct. 27.

The member of CSEA
Department of State Local 013 will be running
in his fourth consecutive Marine Corps
Marathon and his third in a row to benefit the
Leukemia Society of America in honor of
Emily, a 16-year-old leukemia victim in
Watkins Glen.

Last year Welton raised more than $2,000
in pledges for leukemia research and to help
families of leukemia victims with health
related costs. This year his goal is to raise

Dan Welton

CSEA-sponsored
counseling service
can help you
prepare for retirement

If retirement is in your future plans, you
should be considering taking advantage of
the free retirement counseling service offered
by CSEA through its insurance
administrator, the Jardine Group Services
Corporation.

For more than 60 years, the Jardine
Group Services Corporation has helped
CSEA members plan for the financial
security they need for a happy retirement.

Retirement counseling is a free,
no-obligation service available only to CSEA
members with a minimum of 10 years of
service with New York State. CSEA
counseling specialists located throughout
the state will:

%* develop guidelines to create flexibility
within your pension,

%* suggest and advise you on what you
can do with your pension money,

% provide you with an overview of your
retirement options,

% outline how your CSEA Security Life
Insurance can continue to serve as
additional protection for your family after
your retirement. — ‘

* For information, call Jardine Group
Services Corporation at 1-800-697-CSEA.

$5,000 in pledges, in honor of Emily, by
running in the Marine Corps Marathon on
Oct. 27 and in a marathon in Bermuda on
Jan. 19, 1997.

Welton said Emily attended the same school
with his own two daughters until she fell ill
with leukemia a couple of years ago and had
to be tutored at home. The good news is, he
said, Emily's leukemia is currently in
remission and she is back attending school.

Welton is injury-free for the Marine Corps
Marathon this year and hoping to establish a
personal best time, which is currently three
hours and 44 minutes for the 26.2 mile event.
Last year he suffered a stress fracture of a toe
on the left foot leading up to the marathon,
missed weeks of training, but turned in a
gritty, gutsy performance to complete the
marathon well back in the pack. He said he
was inspired by the thoughts of Emily and
other leukemia victims to overcome his
injuries and complete the grueling run. A
personal best this year would also qualify
Welton for his age group in next year’s Boston
Marathon.

Welton, a CSEA member for 19 years, runs
daily to maintain his peak physical condition.

Welton thanks everyone who pledged
contributions to leukemia research in Emily's
name in the past and is urging CSEA
members to contribute to the cause again this
year.

Those wishing to make pledges to help
leukemia research can send contributions
(specify you are pledging for Dan Welton) to:

Leukemia Society of America
Central New York Chapter
847 James Street, Suite 201
Syracuse, NY 13203

The CSEA Advantage Cellular
Phone Discount Programs

FRONTIER CELLULAR

(Special Plan Features Available)
County Service Areas: Erie, Niagara,
Chautauqua, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming,
Cattaraugus, Allegany, Monroe, Livingston,
Steuben, Wayne, Ontario, Chemung, Tioga,
Onondaga, Broome, Oswego, Oneida,
Madison, St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis
and Herkimer.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL
1-800-440-1894

Members assisting co-worker

ALBANY — Jennie Henderson, a state
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
employee for 33 years, suffered serious face
and eye injuries when she was attacked by
an intruder in her Albany public housing
complex apartment recently.

But it could have been even worse for the
55-year-old grandmother. Henderson had
nearly exhausted her leave accruals due to
a bout with diabetes before she was
assaulted by the intruder just a short walk
from the DMV office where she worked.

DMV co-workers in large numbers began
donating portions of their own leave
accruals to be used by Henderson to keep
her on the state payroll with full health
coverage until she is well enough to return
to her job. CSEA developed the innovative
sick leave time donation bank program
years ago to assist seriously ill or injured
co-workers who had exhausted their sick
leave accruals.

And co-workers also raised funds to
provide Henderson and her family with a
means of transportation for needed medical
visits and family support during the
recovery period.

“Our members are very generous and
very supportive of the co-workers in need,”
CSEA DMV Local 674 President Michael
Febraio said. “Years ago when the CSEA
sick leave time bank wasn't in existence,
humane efforts like this one were often
curtailed by management because there was
no legitimate way to allow such worthwhile
efforts. Now there is, and our needy
members are benefitting.”

— Daniel X. Campbell

CELLULAR ONE

Service Areas: Tompkins, Cortland,

Chenango, Seneca,
r NEW Cayuga, Yates and
Schuyler
Monthly access charge: $12.00
Per minute charge: $.21 peak/off peak
Activation fee: Waived until 9/30/96
Contract term: 12 months
Discounted equipment
For more information, call:
Stephanie Togni
1-800-524-2351
607-273-0400 or 607-280-0606

CELLULAR ONE
Service Areas: Ulster, Sullivan, Dutchess
and Orange

Monthly access charge: $15.95

Per minute charge: 100 free, $.35 peak,
$.25 off peak,
$.55 NYS roam

Activation fee: Waived

Contract term: 2 years

Discounted equipment |

CELLULAR ONE
Service Areas: Columbia, Greene, Otsego,
Schoharie and Delaware
| Monthly access charge: $8.95
Per minute charge: 100 free, $.19 peak,
$.16 off peak,
$.45 NYS roam
| Activation fee: Waived
Contract term: 2 years
| Discounted equipment

For more information, call:
ED FRATZ 607-434-1128, 434-1129, 914-399-1129 or 914-389-9000
RON BROWN 914-389-9000

4 Octobe OOS coe ee

_. IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR CSEA-REPRESENTED STATE EMPLOYE

LEAP deadline approaching;
Labor-Management workshops offered

REMINDER:

Applications for the Winter/Spring ‘97
semester will be accepted from September
1 until 5 p.m., October 16, 1996. Any
application received after the 5 p.m., October
16, 1996 deadline cannot be »pted. If you

did not receive a
catalog in the mail
or if you are unable
to obtain one in
your agency, please
call us at
1-800-253-4332.

If you have
questions about LEAP or other education and
training benefits for state employees
represented by CSEA, call the LEAPLINE at
1-800-253-4332.

The New York State Governor's Office of
Employee Relations (GOER), in cooperation
with CSEA, is offering their fourth series of
workshops across New York State. The
expanded catalog, entitled Workforce
Development Opportunities 1996-97,
includes opportunities for all New York State
employees to develop new skills and broaden
their professional horizons. The workshops,
listed below, offer choices in a variety of
topical areas to meet the needs of our diverse
work force. For example:

For All Employees:
© Building Effective Relationships in a

Diverse Workplace

Using Diversity Skills in the Workplace

Effective Communication

Handling Conflict

Working in Teams

Career Planning Skills

Effective Meeting and Team Skills

Working Through Transition

For Supervisors and Managers:

Making Change Work for You

Innovation and Customer Service

Leadership and Empowerment

Facilitative Leadership and Team

Development

Managing Change

Building Effective Teams

Managing Conflict

Helping People Through Change

Keep in mind both your organizational and
personal needs for continuing professional
development. If you need additional
information, contact LEAP Director Ira
Baumgarten at 1-800-253-4332.

Before registering for any of these open
enrollment courses, you should check with
your training or personnel office to see if this
program is already being sponsored at your
workplace.

Minimum Wage Bill amendment

An important amendment was attached
to the recently passed Minimum Wage Bill.
The amendment extends the employer-
provided tuition assistance tax exemption
retroactively to December 31, 1994. CSEA
members will be eligible for a refund if
taxes were paid in 1994 and 1995 on an
employer-provided tuition course. The tax
benefit for graduate level courses does not
extend to courses beginning June 30, 1996.

CSEA members should contact their
personnel officer or agency to request an
amended U.S, Individual Income Tax Return
and Form W-2c to file for their refund.

Additional questions should be directed
to LEAP at 1-800-253-4332.

1 e

THIS LARGE GROUP OF CSEA MEMBERS proudly display their certificates in Psychiatric
Rehabilitation from Lehman College in New York City. The CSEA members earned their
certificates through the CSEA LEAP program. More than 500 front-line NYS mental
health and mental retardation workers have graduated from the certificate program at
Lehman College. “These workers deserve extra special recognition because what they
have learned can help save lives and families," LEAP Director Ira Baumgarten said.

CSEA Statewide Secretary Barbara
Reeves, left, and DOT Commissioner
John Daly, right, present CSEA Local
007 President John Wallenbeck with an
award for his labor-management efforts.

Local presidents
participate in statewide
DOT L/M conference

EAST SYRACUSE — Labor and
Management working together was the
main theme of a forum which recently
brought together more than 150 CSEA
Local Presidents and Managers working in
the State Department of Transportation
(DOT).

The union and management
representatives participated in a two-day
statewide Labor-Management conference,
the first held under the reign of DOT
Commissioner John Daly.

While there, participants attended
workshops on Time & Attendance, Human
Resources, Drug & Alcohol Testing,
Highway Maintenance Worker Series, and
held an open question and answer session
with Commissioner Daly.

In a special dinner, CSEA Statewide
Secretary Barbara Reeves and DOT
Commissioner Daly presented CSEA Local
007 President John Wallenbeck, statewide
DOT Labor-Management Committee chair,
with an appreciation award for his efforts.
DOT Regional Director Bonny Cawley was
also honored with an award.

— Mark M. Kotzin

n Py

romeemrsncial titi
From left to right — CSEA Local 002
President Lyman Switzer, CSEA Local
514 President George Pierakos and
Frank Martello, a retired CSEA staffer
and currently a time and attendance
umpire, participated in the DOT labor-
management conference.

Sectax

October 1996 5

John Melfi, thoroughly cleans a
window at the Seymour
Elementary School.

Bob Seeley helps keep the
grounds outside as clean and
safe as the interior of the
school buildings.

Ray Wentworth uses a backpack
vacuum to clean a gym floor
that reflects his image in its
mirror-like finish.

Willie Thomas buffs a corridor
to a high gloss as part of Team
Cleaning for Health program.

A sweeping success in Syracuse School District

SYRACUSE — For the
administration in the Syracuse
City School District, their new
cleaning program started as a way

to cut costs without cutting

workers. For the CSEA-represented
school district workers involved
with its development, it was a
chance to gain job security by
proving they could do their jobs
better and less expensive than any
contractor, while making their
schools cleaner and healthier.

What they came up with is a
model program called “Team
Cleaning for Health,” benefiting all
involved and showcasing what can
be accomplished when workers
are given the opportunity to
redefine how they work. The
program is being hailed as a huge
success, saving the district money
and making schools cleaner,
healthier and safer.

“This is a win-win program for
everyone involved,” CSEA

“Onondaga County Local 834
President Frank Forte said.

“A cooperative labor-
management approach like this
should be a model around the
state,” Syracuse Schools Unit
President Rick Adsitt Jr. said.

“This is the best thing that ever
happened. You can see it in our
people — the motivation, the pride
in their work — they're happy and
we've got a cleaner environment,”
said CSEA member Ray Wentworth,

Wentworth is one of four CSEA
team members which brought the
new program to the district, along.
with co-workers John Melfi, Bob
Seeley and Willie Thomas, all head
custodians working in the district.

6 October 1996.7 = ——

The other integral member of the
team is District Assistant
Superintendent for Personnel and
School Services Dr. Tom Cappa,
who helped push the project with
the district's administration and
school board.

The team formed about four
years ago as a district “Custodial
Committee” and started
implementing their “Team
Cleaning for Health” program a
little more than a year ago in the
Seymour Elementary School.
They've since brought 12 more
schools on-line, and hope to bring
half of the district's 40 buildings
into the program by the end of
this year.

“We were looking to update our
cleaning program into the 21st
Century,” Wentworth said. “We
had to re-do it, re-make it, and we
got it working. We're not working
in the dark ages any more.”

The program is based on the
innovative program developed by
Custodian Barry Moore of the
Clark County School District in
Las Vegas, Nevada, who trained
the team as a consultant. It
centers on utilizing the correct
chemicals, tools and supplies,
training the employees on their
use, and then taking a systematic
team approach to cleaning.

The team appro: uses a crew
of four “technician: ch with a
specialized job function, who clean
throughout the whole building,
not just for appearances, but to
disinfect all surfaces, including
desktops and doorknobs, windows
and bathroom stalls, to make the
schools healthier for both workers

and students.

Gone are the pails and rags, the
string mops and the large
vacuums that blow dust around.
Replacing them are spray bottles,
swivel mops that can clean floors,
walls and ceilings, and special
four-stage filtration backpack
vacuums that actually purify the
air in the buildings as they clean.
And amazingly, the new program
has also reduced the number of
cleaning products and chemicals
used, from several hundred to just
three different products.

“We eliminated the pail and the
rag. It’s really difficult to do that
after you've been doing it for
twenty years,” Thomas said.

“The hardest part for the
workers is change. They're so used
to cleaning the old way, they're
naturally afraid,” Melfi added.

The team spends two weeks at
each location thoroughly training
the workers in the new system,
focusing on cross-training all the
workers in each of the special
“technician” roles, and teaching
the workers accountability for
their work.

“We wanted to teach our people
accountability,” Thomas said. “If
you're not accountable, they don’t
need you.”

Currently, more than 60 CSEA-
represented workers have been
trained in the new system, and
Thomas said that the team
concept and accountability for
their work has fostered a new
sense of commitment and has
built morale and productivity.

Seeley, also a CSEA unit vice
president, says that the changes

have made the schools cleaner,
safer and healthier for both
workers and students. Workers no
longer use cleaning products with
alkaline or acid-based chemicals,
which could cause them harm due
to long-term exposure or to school
children if accidentally ingested.

“If one of the kids were to get a
hold of them, we'd know it was
one of three chemicals and what
kind of treatment to provide. We're
really cleaning for the safety of
these kids,” Seeley said.

The program has definitely
created a healthier school system
with verified improvements in
student attendance since the
program began, Wentworth noted.

“We do have the full backing of
the administration. Without Tom
Cappa, this wouldn't have
worked,” Melfi said.

Cappa said he’s thrilled with the
program's results, and the savings
achieved through being able to re-
deploy workers throughout the
district, while at the same time
eliminating vacant positions.

“It's moving more successfully
than expected. We have cleaner
buildings, staff morale is higher,
and our total staffing costs have
reduced and we've saved jobs, “
Cappa said.

“If it weren't for the guys in the
program who took on the
responsibility of developing it, way
beyond their duties as custodians,
this never would have gotten off
the ground. They were the key
ingredient. It was a pleasure
helping them out.”

— Mark M. Kotzin

Pool corrosion can be
a disaster waiting to happen

MONTGOMERY — CSEA member Mike Bard
and co-workers Roy Davis and Bob Gates
discovered the corrosion when they were
cleaning a skylight and
happened to find that
the stainless steel wires
holding the dropped
ceiling had become so
weak and brittle that
they broke from just
touching them — “like
uncooked spaghetti.

Bard, a Certified Pool
Operator in the Valley
Central School District
(Orange County),
maintains the large
eight-lane pool at Valley
Central High School.
The pool is used by
hundreds of school kids
and is open to the
public during the
summer and in the
evenings. Asa
former welder and
someone who possessed
some knowledge of
metals, Bard was
justifiably concerned.
He said ceiling tiles
hanging over indoor
pool areas are much
heavier than ordinary
ceiling tiles.

“If they were to be soaked with condensation
and then fall 30 feet or so,” he said, “I think it
would be conservative to say that they would do
considerable harm to anyone they landed on.”

Valley Central School District officials were
so pleased that Bard realized that the broken
wires were a serious problem that they recently
awarded him a certificate of commendation.
Bard, who said the award should be shared

with his co-workers and the school's

administration, appreciated the honor. But he

is concerned that other school districts and for
that matter, anyone
with an indoor pool,
become aware of the
danger of corrosion.

So why aren't the

people who design
indoor pool areas

SEA member
Mike Bard,

a certified pool operator,

_ cleans the pool at

Valley Central High School.
At right Bard shows how he checks
-stainless steel wires that hold up

the ceiling.

aware of this and why aren't they using
a material that won't corrode, posing a real
life-threatening situation to anyone who uses
the pool. (In fact, just a few years ago, 13
people were killed in Switzerland when a
concrete ceiling fell because of the same
problem.)

Bard said it’s about time people did become
aware and through an article he has written

and contacts he has made, he intends to get ~
the word out. He also would like people to

know that there is a material called “monel
metal” that will stand up to the corrosive

effects of chlorine and the indoor pool
atmosphere.

Meanwhile, he advises, inspect your wires!

“Get up on your roof or your ladder or your
scaffolding.” he said, “and wiggle around all
the wires you can reach. Don't think every one

will be bad. I found that about 15
percent of the wires were weak. If
you find even one, I suggest you
report that to those in charge and
explain the dangers involved. If one
wire lets loose suddenly, and there
are others that are weak, who is to
say the whole ceiling won't come
down like a house of cards?”

Bard urged school officials to get
an architect or other structural
expert to assess the problem,
especially if the building is more
than three years old.

In the case of the Valley Central
pool, district officials closed the
pool until the problem could be
fixed. A contractor has been hired
and every wire that holds up the
Valley Central pool area ceiling will
be replaced with monel metal, a job
that could take many weeks. pin)
Incidentally, monel metal costs
about three or four times as much
as stainless steel, but obviously,

you can’t put a price on human lives.

Bard intends to spread the word about the
dangers posed by this form of corrosion and
said anyone needing more information can
contact him at (914) 457-3124, Ext. 332 or via
e-mail at mickeyb@warwick.net.

— Anita Manley

BOCES antics leave little to be desired

CSEA is so upset with the way Nassau
County BOCES treats its employees that Long
Island Region President Nick LaMorte recently
wrote a letter to the editor of Newsday,
denouncing the BOCES administration.

According to LaMorte and Unit President
Mary Rossano, labor-management is a concept
unknown to the BOCES administration.

Union members have been unable to secure
a contract for more than two years and CSEA
has charged the administration with “anti-
union animus.”

The unit is part of CSEA Nassau Educational
Local 865.

Some of the antics of BOCES administrators
include docking an employee for two of the five
bereavement leave days used after the
employee's sister was killed by a train.

The CSEA-BOCES contract gives employees
up to five days leave. The CSEA legal staff won
this issue in court and BOCES wasted
taxpayers’ money on a second appeal, a futile

effort which is cruel to the employee and costly
to the taxpayers.

Employees are extremely concerned about
safety at BOCES. While at least six
administrators are driving around in new cars
provided by BOCES for both business and
personal use, including gas, CSEA members
are working with broken forklifts and trucks
from the 80's, many of which can't pass
inspection.

One employee was told to continue driving a
van with an expired inspection until an
a ant facility administrator got a new car
and handed over his old one.

It took an additional month for the
administrator to clean out the car and give it
to the employee for work.

When three openings for head custodians
were announced this past spring, the union
asked when they would be filled. Administration
claimed they never received the list from the
Department of Civil Service. One phone call,

followed by written confirmation, revealed
BOCES received the list in April.

“These are just some of the problems. We
have year-round, 10-month employees who are.
denied benefits when they work the BOCES
six-week summer program,” said Rossano,

The BOCES administration was recently
hammered by the press for the internal theft of
cars and boats.

The Department of Labor also found the
administration was in violation of DOL
regulations regarding the payment of overtime
because BOCES employees were working in
excess of 60 hours with no overtime pay.

LaMorte ended his letter to the editor by
writing, “As you can see, there is a total lack of
respect for the BOCES workforce. Efficiency,
accountability, dignity and fair treatment for
all should become BOCES new creed.”

— Sheryl C. Jenks

October 1996 7

Get to know the candidates

and the issues and VOTE

The past number of weeks have been a high
activity period for CSEA offi and staff on a
number of fronts. A new advertising campaign
has been launched to reinforce to the public
the value of the CSEA Work Force (see page 3).
At the same time CSEA is stepping up its
efforts to make a difference in the approaching
November election.

The two issues are directly related.

CSEA wants our members and the general
public to understand the issues and vote.

CSEA is proud that the AFL-CIO is back as a
strong political force for working people. We're

proud that our International union, AFSCME,
played a key role electing John Sweeney as AFL-
CIO President last year, along with the UMW’s
Richard Trumka as Secretary-Treasurer and
AFSCME's Linda Chavez-Thompson to the newly
created position of AF IO Executive Vice
President. Under their leadership organized
Labor has been revitalized.

We are especially proud that AFSCME
President Gerald McEntee has been a visible
and vocal force in the AFL-CIO’s aggressive
political education efforts.

But this renewed activism has also been the
target of criticism by those who don’t want to

see working people as a potent force.

There has been a concerted effort to
split off rank and file union members
from their leaders by suggesting that
union political endorsements

NEIGHBORS %

are the work of Labor “bosses” and don’t
represent the real interests of working people.

Don't buy that nonsense.

Read the story on page 18 of this edition
which explains CSEA's political endorsement
process. The choices are not always easy but

that CSEA carefully considers the
candidates and the issues with input from
members and makes its decisions based on
what will be best for all our members. CSEA
endorsements are not based on party
affiliations or political deals.

CSEA members have an opportunity for
political action involvement in CSEA at every
level and that’s what we want. Get to know the

candidates and issues and vote.

The same holds true for the general public,
which is part of why our advertising message
encourages people to get involved in the
political process. We all win when people are
informed, exercise their right to vote and
participate in public policy debate.

This November 5 you can move us closer to
that goal by voting and getting your family,
friends and neighbors to do the same.

8 October 1996

They’re the

unsung heroes,

the first line

of defense,

helping CSEA members

in the workplace every day

A Salute to
Shop Stewards $,

See pages 10 & 11

October 1996 Q ~

The CSEA Work Force _A SALUTE T

CSEA salutes alj
the dedicated ,
men and wome
who form the
backbone of the!

union - SHOP,
STEWARDS)

SSEA Connetquot Custodial, Maintenance and
Cafeteria Unit President John Merschoff has high
teward Randy Sedler. “Randy is a great shop steward,
the job he does for his members in the Suffolk County

lucational Lo
proven he

This is his first year as a shop steward and he has
ally wants to help the union. Whenever you need him, Randy is there,”
Merschoff said. In above photo, Sedler, second from left, talks with, from left, unit
members Bob Hochstein, Maila LeFurgy and Unit President Merschoff.

We couldn't do it without the

ig in the union and
fighting for what I can do to
help out. | think ¢ needs
more fighters,” says CSEA
South Beach Psychiatric

“Members are paying dues to
make things better, and they
have to fight for what they
want,” King said. “I always tell
members to read their contract
and know their rights. You are
the union, we are the union,
and we have to fight for what
we want.”

Doug Simek, Fulton County
CSEA Office Building Unit
member, got involved as a
union activist a year ago when
CSEA sponsored a shop
steward training program. Now
he's deeply involved
representing co-workers.

“People had questions about
the union, so I took the
training to learn about CSEA
and to fill the communications
void,” Simek said, “Now I do my
best to keep my members
informed; communications is
an important part of my job as
a shop steward.”

1 O October 1996

Chenango County Highway
Department Laborer Steve
Sergent “is one
of the best shop

co-worker Paul
Martin, a truck
driver and one of
five workers who
received
promotions after
Sergent went to
at for them. Paul Martin
“He's very knowledgeable about
the contract and really does a
great job with the union.”

“The more management tried
to mess with us, the more I
wanted to get involved,”
Sergent said of why he became
a shop steward. “Any problems
that come about, I try to
handle them as best | can.”

n Pinto says
r't ow what she would
do without Shop Steward Don
Deleso. “He's the best. I can’t
say enough about him,” Pinto

If I see the boss taking
advantage of the guys, I know I
can keep things on an even

said Deleso, whose
father served as unit president
for many years.

“Donald tackles every issue
with enthusiasm and passion,”
CSEA Labor Relations
Specialist Shawn McCollister
said. "He's very well equipped
to deal with any issue that
arises in the department.”

The CSEA Work Force

A SALUTE

OP STEWARDS

: ) Hop st rE

The CSEA Work Fo

Merschoff said. In above photo, Sedler,
members Bob Hochstein, Maila LeFurgy and Unit President Merschoff.

sident John Merschoff has high
Rana is a great shop stewar
YS o Se: dler or ie job Te apes for his members in the Suffolk County
Educational Local 870 unit. “This is his first year as a shop steward and he has
proven he really wants to help the union. Whenever you need him, Randy is there,”
econd from left, talks with, from left, unit

the dedicated
men and wome
who form the
backbone of the!

union - SHOP,
STEWARDS’

We couldn’t do it without the

CSEA salutes alj
i U

aft

“L like being in the union and
fighting for what I can do to
help out. | think CSEA needs
more fighters,” says CSEA
South Beach Psychiatric
Center Local 446 Shop Steward
Lalia “Lovey” King.

“Members are paying dues to
make things better, and they
have to fight for what they
want,” King said. “I always tell
members to read their contract
and know their rights. You are
the union, we are the union,
and we have to fight for what
we want.”

Doug Simek, Fulton County
CSEA Office Building Unit
member, got involved as a
union activist a year ago when
CSEA sponsored a shop
steward training program. Now
he's deeply involved
representing co-workers.

“People had questions about
the union, so I took the
training to learn about CSEA
and to fill the communications
void,” Simek said. “Now I do my
best to keep my members
informed; communications is
an important part of my job as
a shop steward.”

1 O October 1996

Chenango County Highway
Department Laborer Steve |
Sergent “is one
of the best shop
stewards we've
ever had,” said
co-worker Paul
Martin, a truck
driver and one of
five workers who
received
promotions after
Sergent went to 2
bation them. Paul Martin
“He’s very knowledgeable about
the contract and really does a
great job with the union.”

“The more management tried
to mess with us, the more I
wanted to get involved,”
Sergent said of why he became
a shop steward. “Any problems
that come about, | try to

wn of Eastchester Unit
President Joan Pinto says she
doesn’t know what she would
do without Shop Steward Don
Deleso. “He's the best. I can't
say enough about him,” Pinto
said.

“If 1 see the boss taking
advantage of the guys, I know I
can keep things on an even
basis,” said Deleso, whose
father served as unit president
for many years.

“Donald tackles every issue
with enthusiasm and passion,”
CSEA Labor Relations
Specialist Shawn McCollister
said. “He’s very well equipped
to deal with any issue that
s in the department.”

Bill Davigno

A laboratory technician for
the North Tonawanda waste
water treatment plant, Bill
Davignon has been chief shop
steward for this CSEA unit for
four years. “I thought I could
help,” he said.

“Bill handles grievances very
well, and stays on top of things
so our members’ rights are
always protected,” Unit
President Mark Behnke said.

“Bill's very thorough and
committed, CSEA Labor
Relations Specialist Lou
DalPorto said. “He makes my
job a lot easier, and represents
his membership very well.”

handie them as best I can.”

Youth Development Aide III
Greg Tiska says he stood up for
his own rights over a lot of
issues with management at a
DFY facility where he used to
wo! and how he
became
steward

‘Greg’s easy to
talk to and get
along with, and
always willing to
help you out,”
said General
Mechanic Scott
Adams, a co-
worker at the
DFY Allen
Residential Center in South
Kortright.

“I think Greg does a good
job,” agrees co-worker Joe
Lindner, a youth development
aide III also. “He's
knowledgeable about the
contract and when you've got a
question, he can answer it.”

“It's important to be proactive
and to solve situations before
they become problems,” Tiska
says.”That's where labor-
management comes in, to keep
it as a ‘we’ rather than an ‘us
versus them’ relationship.”

hop

Scott Adams

Joy Smi

Fulton County Office For
the Aging Shop Steward Joy
Smith enjoys helping members
solve their problems.

“When my members have an
issue, I want to get that issue
olved before it becomes a
major problem,” she said.
“Many worksite problems are
the results of bad
communications, I try to listen
to the members and ask
questions of management to
resolve most issues.”

Paul Droz nsk :

ie Fulton-Montgomery
Community College CSEA Unit
Shop Steward Paul Drozinski
is proud that he helped
prevent the college
administration from
contracting out work of his
members.

“CSEA puts on a lot of local
workshops so that we can
become better informed about
our union, and that makes it
easier for me to tell my
members what CSEA is doing
for them,” Drozinski said.

Bob Kuebler ’

Bob Kuebler has served as a
Smithown CSEA Unit shop
steward for 19 years. Unit
President Doug Keltner
describes Bob as “the kind of
guy who always goes out of his
way for the union members

“Bobby is always there when
you need him,” Keltner said.
“He is an exemplary shop
steward and | am proud to
recommend him for inclusion in
the Salute to Stewards.

B ‘Y MOORE, right,
is a dietary aide at A.
Holly Patterson
Geriatric Center on ||
} Leng Island. She is also
executive vice

president of the CSEA
AHPGC unit and a CSEA
shop steward. At left is
co-worker Jackie

Bullock.

tty Moore

“Betty Moore is an exemplary
union leader, CSEA AHPGC
President Les Eason said. “She
deals specifically with our
dietary employees and has
proven to be a role model and
problem solver. Betty Moore is
a tremendous CSEA asset.”

October 1996 1 1

wit ©

CSEA...
In Touch With You!

SYRACUSE — After saying “hi” to thousands of
CSEA members, handing out thousands of CSEA
shopping bags, and registering hundreds of people to
vote, CSEA recently completed another successful
12-day run at the New York State Fair.

Back for the sixth year in a row, CSEA expanded
its booth this ar to allow more room for our large
“Family, Friends & Neighbors” photo display, and
again held a special discount “CSEA Day” for
members to get into the fair for half-price with a
coupon that was distributed in the July and August
editions of The Public Sector.

In conjunction with the AFL-CIO’s “Labor ‘96”
campaign, C ‘A made a big push to register voters
at this year’s fair, and was very successful, with
nearly a thousand people signing up. Another special
event was the filming of CSEA members working at
the fair for CSEA’s upcoming television commercials
(see page 3).

Parades

Scores of CSEA
members
participated in the
two largest Labor
Day parades in the
state. Right, a float
traveling down
Fifth Avenue in
New York City =
carried CSEA’s message — “The CSEA Work Force is the Heart of New York.”
Labor's turnout was the best in recent history with hundreds of thousands of
union members participating.

Below, CSEA floats in the Rochester parade depicted CSEA's campaign to
prevent the privatization of several Monroe County programs,
including golf courses and the zoo. Children were also a big
part of the parades as Alison Koon, daughter of CSEA
member Tracey Koon, shows us, right.

hos, ae ars

privatization efforts at

LOWVILLE — CSEA’s fight against
privatization of the Lewis County Hospital gained
steam recently after the union successfully
lobbied to stop a bill that would have allowed the
county to bond for money to transfer the
hospital to a private not-for-profit corporation.

CSEA Central Region President Jim Moore
said that the union's success can be directly
attributed to the efforts of the more than 300
CSEA-represented workers in the hospital, who
generated more than 400 letters to the state
lature in opposition to the bill. Because of
trong message sent, the bill was held in
ative committee and never acted upon.
“Our workers can be proud that their political
action efforts were successful in protecting their
jobs and their benefits,” Moore said. This is a
prime example of how the union works when our
members take action.”

The victory boosted morale for the workers,
who have been fighting moves toward
privatization for almost two years and working to
educate the public and the county legislators
about the negative aspects that privatizing could
have. Recently, the union was joined in the fight
by a newly-formed Citizens Task Group, which is
helping to spread the anti-privatization message
in the community.

According to CSEA Lewis Hospital Unit
President Leona Ortleib, the union's efforts are
starting to pay off.

Employees play key roles in turning aside

Lewis County Hospital

“We got them to stop the bill, thanks to our
and we've been able to convince some of
ators and a lot of the public that
priva tion isn’t the way to go,” she said. “Most
people agree with us that they
don’t want to give up control of
our hospital by going private.”
CSEA will continue to push the

anti-privatization message to the
public and is urging the
legislature to replace the hospital's
management consulting firm,
which has lost __
money for
years and been
kicked out of
other area
hospitals due
to poor
performance.
The union is
also working
on alternate
proposals to
privatization
which would allow
the hospital to
become more competitive without
going private.

— Mark M. Kotzin

oh

| Karin Hennigan

faces of

Lewis .%
County fi
H ospital iotenda:Hommecls

Juanita Lanphier

Linda Sandri

1 P. October 1996

Sector

rh Ff EE ee oe oe Ue Uv OU mE
The year gone by represents a turning point in the history of CSEA,

AFSCME and all of organized labor.

And the hard work that CSEA members have put in at every level
demonstrates the commitment we have in making sure that the change
is for the better.

In the course of the past year, CSEA focused major efforts on
improving radical and destructive federal and state budgets that would
have hurt you no matter where you live, and no matter where you
work.

We achieved success but it was just a beginning.

At the federal level we witnessed the spectacle of a budget deadlock
that dragged on for months as the radical right in charge of Congress
sought to dismantle government. Not only would these plans have
limited fair standards and rights of Americans to the
circumstance of where they live, it would have been
achieved at your expense.

CSEA and AFSCME clearly and forcefully pointed
out that New York stood to be the biggest loser under
the federal cutbacks proposed by the Congressional
leadership. We demanded accountability from our
elected officials, many of whom had been strangely
silent on the issue until that point.

Our persistence paid off. Coupled with the
Congressional leadership's miscalculation in efforts
to shut down the federal government — a move that
actually demonstrated to the public the importance
of public employees — the more radical elements of
the Congressional budget plan were softened.

We faced a similar situation with an unfair and
radical state budget proposal. Though far from
perfect, the budget that was finally adopted was a
vast improvement over the document the Governor
initially proposed. There were significant restorations of funds in key
areas of concern to CSEA.

These improvements came about only because CSEA worked hard to
make it happen, and thousands of CSEA members in every part of the
state responded.

But the fight continues...

These budget issues affect you, the members, in more ways than you
might know. The state and federal budgets set the agenda for the
budget battles in your community and workplace. They also shape the

are the

Remember, you

You elect your
union
representatives
but you also
have a
responsibility to
get involved.

DANNY DONOHUE
143 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12210-2303
(518) 434-0191
1-800-342-4146

This November we must elect politicians who
care more about Main Street than Wall Street

debate over the role of government and the importance of public sector
work force that your local officials and managers address with you
directly.

All of these areas are tied together, which is why CSEA works hard to
address issues at every level.

None of this diminishes the importance of CSEA’s commitment in
your local efforts ... getting a good contract, fighting privatization,
improving your quality of life on the job and at home in your
community.

It must be understood that the difficulties we all face on these local
issues result from the larger budget and political circumstances.

CSEA can only succeed with your help, Remember, you are the
union. You elect your union representatives but you also have a
responsibility to get involved.

You also have a responsibility to elect fair minded
public officials — especially in this year’s general
election. There is much at stake — the presidency,
the leadership of the Congress and our own state
legislature.

Your vote counts so use it wisely.

We need elected officials who recognize the
necessity of responsible government. We need
officials who care more about Main Street than Wall
Street. And we need to send a message that
organized labor is back as the representative of
working people.

That's why AFSCME led the fight in changing the
leadership of the AFL-CIO and is aggressively leading
Labor's resurgent political education efforts. CSEA’s
own initiative in this area, Five for the Future, has
already resulted in thousands of activists getting
involved to register voters and get out the vote. It is
urgent that these efforts carry through to Election Day.

The success of the past year should make us all proud but there is
still so much to be done.

We work hard because we care about our jobs and the services we
provide, We work hard because we care about making this state a
better place to live. We do all this because CSEA is the Heart of New
York.

union.

Dauuy

President Donohue’s

visits to CSEA regions.

CSEA President Danny Donohue will
continue his series of “In Touch With You”

meet with Capital Region members
between 1 and 7 p.m. Appointments can
be made by contacting the Capital Region

‘In Touch With You’
visits to region
offices continue
throughout the year

On Thursday, Oct, 17, Donohue will
meet with Central Region members
between 1 and 7 p.m, at the CSEA
satellite office in Canton. Call the Central
Region Office at (315) 433-0050 to make
appointments.

On Monday, Nov. 18, Donohue will be
at the CSEA Plattsburgh saiellite office to

Office at (518) 785-4400.

Donohue will be at the CSEA Southern
Region office in Beacon on Tuesday,
Dec. 10 to meet with Southern Region
members between | and 7 p.m. Call the
Southern Region office at (914) 831-1000
to make appointments.

Sector

October 1996 1 3

ace etre Meh lem Tae i Pe a a Ge SE ND Se ao Me ee RS ee eee etc!

EXECUTIVE
| VICE PRESIDENT

MARY E. SULLIVAN
143 Washington Avenue

Albany, NY 12210-2303
(518) 434-0191
1-800-342-4146

BARBARA REEVES
143 Washington Avenue

a

Be adaptable, adjust attitude
and seize the opportunities

We live in a time of opportunity and transformation that requires us
to be adaptable if we are to best represent our members. Some
shanges literally occur overnight, others take more time, but almost
always it happens when we seem least able to take on “one more
thing.” But we must.

We have to adjust our attitude and our responses to what is going
om in our workplaces. We can no longer rely just on the laws of labor
-elations and employment to solve problems. We must rely on our
nembers to do their part; and to do that we must teach them,
yurselves and our staff to recognize that organizing a critical
-omponent of any challenge, of any part of solving a problem.

WE ALL MUST BECOME ORGANIZERS.

We must recognize that organizing is more than signing up new
members; it’s also recruiting, encouraging and empowering our
members to participate in their union, to be part of the Labor
movement. We must live the truth that in numbers there is strength
and that an injury to one is an injury to all, no matter who the
employer.

WE MUST ALL BE UNITED.

The economy isn’t working for us any more. It is working for big
business. Corporate greed is devouring the future of working men and
women. Companies downsize and Wall Street booms. Unemployment
goes down and the stock market gets the jitters. Our elected officials
look to the private sector for their inspiration and then impose short-
sighted solutions on the backs of workers. We need to be united in our
effort to level the playing field.

WE MUST BE ENERGETIC.

Our commitment to the Union must be infectious. We must be
leaders who challenge, who share our vision and who cause others to
follow us because we are right!

WE MUST BE COMPLIMENTARY.

Our criticism of each other kills our spirit but a kind word breathes
new encouragement and motivation.

WE MUST BE PATIENT.

Learning new ways to make progress takes time. We must accelerate
our efforts to nourish today’s leaders and, together, seek and teach
new leaders to take over in the future.

WE MUST BE VISIONARIES.

Without vision, without a sense of direction, we have no hope. As
union activists, we must inspire and empower our members to jointly
pursue the goals that will guarantee better lives for ourselves, for our
children and for our grandchildren.

Albany, NY 12210-2303
(518) 434-0191
1-800-342-4146

We’ve had it up to here with
right-wing anti-union agenda

It's not easy to work for a living in the 1990's unless you are a
corporate executive. Average CEO's salaries, including bonuses, now
total $3 million while average worker's wages and benefits total
$23,000.

This massive shift of wealth is giving birth to two Americas: one
struggling to make ends meet; the other smug, self-satisfied and
committed to Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich.

Never before in the history of our nation have we seen such a
massive shift of wealth which coincides with the right-wing agenda to
destroy unions. Indeed, the weaker unions become, the wider the gap
grows between the two Americas.

Conservative defenders of big business are furious that we are
fighting back. Our campaign is called Labor ‘96 and the message is
simple: we're not going to take it anymore.

We're tired of living from paycheck to paycheck.

We're tired of worrying about job security.

We're tired of worrying about health care.

We're tired of worrying about the costs of higher education.

We're tired of needing two or even three jobs to have a decent
standard of living.

We're tired of worrying that our children will be worse off than we
are.

We're tired of worrying about our pensions and Social Security.

It’s time for us to reclaim our piece of the American pie. And
Labor '96 is the way to go.

We will educate working people about where their members of
Congress stand on issues important to us. We will do it at the
grassroots with letter writing, phone campaigns and public events. And
we will get out the vote on Nov. 5.

The Dole/Gingrich Congress was caused by low voter turnout.
National surveys show that 45% of all eligible women reported voting in
1994, compared with 67% in 1964.

Because too many people stayed home and didn’t bother to vote, a
new Congress took over and declared war on the middle class. We can't
let it happen again in 1996.

We must re-order the nation’s economic, social and political
priorities.

We are Labor ’96. And Together, We Make It Happen.

Barbara

(Pick up a registration form at your Post Office and mail it in)

1 4 October 1996

MAUREEN MALONE

143 Washington Avenue

Albany, NY 12210-2303
(518) 434-0191

| 1-800-342-4146

LONG ISLAND REGION

NICK LAMORTE
President

Dick Armey, I'd like to
g introduce you to CSEA/AFSCME

While channel surfing on a rainy Saturday afternoon, I happened

upon Representative Dick Armey (R) Texas, Majority Leader of the

E House of Representatives, reiterating the party line; unions do not
represent their membership and unions are on the downslide across
this country. Perhaps Representative Armey has never heard of
CSEA/AFSCME.

| lam so proud to be part of CSEA, doing my best to represent your
interests. As the Statewide Treasurer, the opportunities to meet and
assist members around New York State are rewarding as well as
challenging. This past year more than 1,500 individuals, who give their
time as leaders of our Locals and Units, attended Treasurers’ Training
to learn the importance of properly managing members’ and fee payors’
dues money. CSEA’s comprehensive Financial Standards Code
establishes financial guidelines, sets spending limitations in many
areas and assures Local members that the money is well managed.

As the national political scene heats up, many questions arise
concerning use of union dues for political action. CSEA cannot and
does not use members dues and agency shop fees to support
candidates at the national level. That is the function of our affiliate,
AFSCME International, which raises money through the PEOPLE
Program (Public Employees Organized to Promote Legislative Equality).
CSEA's Political Action Department is funded through the Political
Action Fund, which consists of 3% of dues and agency shop fees paid
annually. This Department does so much more than recommend
endorsements and give money to politicians. In this time of downsizing

| privatizing, the CSEA Political Action Department worked twenty-
hour days to ensure the State Budget included funds necessary to
support our State, Local Government, School District, and Public

Boece: jobs and the funds used to support many of the functions
carried out by our Private Sector members

No group, political party or union can please all its members all the
time, but we can keep trying, and we do. CSEA leadership and staff
work together to protect and represent all our members and fee payors.
You have to help by getting involved, speaking your mind and
becoming someone CSEA counts on. Call me, write me, help me help
you.

Waureen

Local, Unit Treasurers’ training sessions
continue during October, November

CSEA Local and Unit treasurers’
training will continue during
October and November, CSEA
Statewide Treasurer Maureen
Malone reminds. Sessions were held
in the Capital, Central and Western
Regions during September.

Notices with training session
details, including time and location,
will be sent to treasurers prior toa
training session, Treasurers who do

not receive a detailed notice
approximately five weeks prior to
the session in their region should
call 1-800-342-4146 Ext. 254.
Treasurers’ training schedule
Central Region - Auburn, Oct. 10
Long Island Region - Region Office,
Oct. 22
Southern Region - Local 860 Office
re Oct. 23
Capital Region - Albany, Nov. 13

| 3 Garet Place
Commack, NY 11725
(516) 462-0030

c 5
Diversity abounds in our efforts
to reach, represent, all members

Region One greetings to all! It is with great pride and personal
privilege that I first address our Region One members with a THANK
YOU for re-electing me President. I will continue to work long hard
hours to give the absolute best representation to our members on Long
Island.

My goal remains as before, for CSEA to be the best and most
effective union in our region, second to none on Long Island.

As a Statewide Vice President, I also pledge to you, to keep your
concerns paramount in my decisions and to make you proud that I am
your representative. It is no secret that I love what I do, working for
the union, but union leaders can not do it all alone. Leaders must
delegate and spread their powers to others if they are ultimately going
to be successful. They should not be afraid to share some duties so
more can be brought into the fold.

Our union has always been a union of inclusion, not exclusion. In
Region One, we practice what we preach. Since the last delegate report,
we have initiated new programs and ideas that have solidified us as a
region. We will gather at meetings, seminars, workshops and rallies
with pride that we know one another, talk to one another and feel
comfortable in each others’ company. There is a feeling of common
purpose, for we are CSEA, a union that fights for members rights,
negotiates good contracts and stands up against management to
provide the best darn union representation on Long Island.

We have region committees that work, that include members from all
the locals of the region. These committees are comprised of state,
county, town, school district, library and local government subdivision
members throughout the region. One of our shining hours as a
diversified region was exemplified by an International Day Festival held
in our region headquarters. What a beautifully wonderful experience
that day was. To be able to share our ethnic traditions, customs and
cultures with each other was truly the culmination of the dream we
have of reaching true peace with one another. We look forward to doing
it again this year, with even more participation from the membership.
If you're on Long Island that weekend, please stop by. You will be
welcomed with open arms and | guarantee you a day you'll remember
for a long time.

We have also made great strides in political action. We get involved
in all the issues that effect our members. Our committee was there
when a new county legislature was formed. We lobby and endorse or
oppose, federal, state and local government officials. We have become
players in Long Island politics. Highlights of our other committees
include social events during the holidays, a region workshop in
Washington D.C. (AFSCME), a non-instructional career day workshop
by our two educational locals, visits by State Comptroller H. Carl
McCall to our building, school district forums by the State School
Committee, a tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the celebration
of Kwaan and an ADA seminar. We plan many more activities,
trainings and seminars in the year ahead.

I wish to thank all activists in Region One for their loyalty, hard
work, dedication and time to CSEA and the membership, for without
their involvement and inclusion, none of the above would have been

possible.
Nick

October 1996 1 5

GEORGE BONCORAGLIO
President

40 Fulton Street

22nd Floor

New York, NY 10038-1850
(212) 406-2156

Guv deals from bottom of deck;
but we’re wise to his con game

Like a deck of marked patronage cards, our Governor shuffles jobs
from one end of the state to the other with no regard for the upheaval
in workers’ lives.

He shuffles the deck again and deals out more layoffs in already
dangerously understaffed mental hospitals.

He plotted to close Brooklyn's only major psychiatric hospital,
Kingsboro, and almost all its clinics.

Governor Pataki then launched a brutal effort to dismantle the
Workers’ Compensation system to stack the deck against injured
workers and in favor of insurance companies.

This is the treacherous game of Black Jack our Governor plays with
our lives. Meanwhile, he holds his cards close to the vest, concealing
facts about his mysteriously funded inauguration party that no one is
supposed to know who paid for.

Acting as if the income gap between the rich and the rest of us isn’t
the worst in 40 years, Governor Pataki deals it down and dirty with his
windfall tax cuts for wealthy real estate moguls, while he targets New
York’s most vulnerable for cuts.

But the dice are coming up snake eyes for Pataki. In no small
measure it’s because CSEA stood firm.

Region II CSEA members phoned, wrote, knocked on doors, lobbied,
rallied, put up signs in stores, handed out thousands of flyers, marched
and picketed in bitter cold and blazing sun — because we refused to let
Governor Pataki gamble away the future of our State.

From press conferences at Brooklyn Borough Hall and New York
City Hall, to the side of the FDR Drive, we told our story. We pleaded
for our clients.

We formed coalitions with families and advocates for the mentally ill
and with area clergy through the Labor & Religion Coalition. We joined
their 40-Hour Fast against the Pataki cuts.

We stood tall and never gave an inch because we refuse to see our
clients and our families lose in this Governor's risky games of chance

While all these incredible efforts went forward, all our Region II team-
building, leadership and educational programs continued full speed
ahead. Region Il LEAP Liaisons worked to improve educational
opportunities at area colleges. Safety and Health, Lupus Awareness and
Diversity training went on, as well as an ambitious schedule of general
membership meetings and on-site information days in all five boroughs.

As we welcome ©A 1996 Convention Delegates to Region II, we
look forward to working hand in hand. With the Presidential elections
approaching we are bound and determined not to let our country slip
backwards into Bob Dole’s hands. We cannot forget all of Senator Dole’s
major work to destroy all affirmative action gains achieved by women
and minority worker

We make no mistake about it, November 5th brings the highest
stakes game of the century and the American people cannot afford to be

r “Five for the Future” campaign is off to a flying start, kicked off
by so many volunteers from Local 010's NYS Social Services Dept.,
Local 406's Bernard Fineson Developmental Center and Local 401's
Bronx Developmental Center workers. For most of these rank and file
members it is their first time volunteering to help the union for five
hours and to register five voters.

They understand exactly how critical each and every CSEA member's

16 october 1996

SOUTHERN REGION
at
CARMINE DiBATTISTA
President
735 State Route 52

Beacon, NY 12508
(914) 831-1000

Cold and timid souls know
neither victory nor defeat

I was recently reminded of a famous quote by Theodore Roosevelt
that impressed me because | felt it was appropriate for a point that I
want to make in my first convention report.

Mr. Roosevelt said, “It is not the critic who counts, not the man who
points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds
could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is
actually in the arena, who's face is marred by dust and sweat and
blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again,
who knows the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause,
who at best knows in the end the high achievement of triumph and who
at worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows his place shall never be
with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

We are a union of doers and critics. The doers have met the
challenges and for the most part, have won their battles. If they did not
win, they at least have the satisfaction of knowing that they didn’t go
down without a fight. The critics are those famous “Monday morning
quarterbacks” who know just how those battles should have been
fought, but never dirty their hands for their own various and sundry |
self-serving reasons.

Here in Region III, we have some great doers who have faced hostile
school board members, pompous politicians, apathetic voters, renegade |
groups that call themselves unions and self-righteous — and usually
misled — taxpayer organizations.

Most of those doers have successfully defeated privatization and
downsizing, unseated anti-union incumbents and overcome voter
apathy by bringing out record numbers of voters to achieve our goals.

My point, of course, is that it can be done! We can meet the
challenges head on and — over the next few years, | expect many! We
can defeat and reject candidates and proposals that would undo years |
of union gains in local and state government. We can defeat and reject
so-called unions that seek to decertify us. All we have to do is say yes
when we're asked to make a phone call, get to the polls and vote, go to |
a meeting, learn how we can work together to fight a battle and realize
that it’s true that there is strength in numbers.

How can we achieve this? Make it your bu
workers. Tell them about the union and why i
and everyone becomes involved. Bring a co-worke
Shout union victories from the rooftops. Be a doer!

Our solidarity is truly our strength. This is more than just a cliche. |

to approach new co-
aportant that each
to a union meeting.

This is how we send a clear and concise message to those who would
try to defeat us.

Carmine

effort is to defeat the radical right at the ballot box. This election is one
jackpot union families deserve to win and we intend to work as never
before to make it happen. |

When it comes to supporting President Bill Clinton this November, we
have to be in it to win it. And CSEA is in it to win!

George |

Seed

CAPITAL REGION —

CARMEN BAGNOLI
President

One Lear Jet Lane
Suite Two

Latham, NY 12110-2394
(518) 785-4400

CENTRAL REGION

7 iy *
JAMES J. MOORE
President

Time to put our heads together,
21st century lies straight ahead

The Capital Region Officers, Georgianna M. Natale, Ellen
Krzykowski, Judy Gardner, Cindy Egan DerGurahian, Barbara Stack
and myself, extend a welcome to each attendee to this, the 86th
Annual Meeting, in New York City.

I personally am energized and eager to meet the challenges as the
newly elected President of Region IV. CSEA has gained for its
membership many benefits over the years. At the present time we are
facing an anti-union climate as well as a unpredictable economy. Our
task is to strengthen the union by getting our members involved, well
trained and politically active. By these methods we can stop the Pataki
Administration from trying to cut back the state labor force and
reducing aid to localities and school districts, which adversely effect
CSEA members.

The Capital Region must move to the forefront. I am eager to hear
from you, the membership. We may not have all the same ideas but we
certainly could share our ideas and suggestions to the benefit of all.
We must learn to work together so that these great challenges can be
met and bring our union successfully into the 21st century.

As public employees we do not get the recognition for jobs well done.
Heroes are ordinary people who do extraordinary things and each of us
has the capacity to become a hero. Recently, in Region IV, individuals
were recognized as heroes. Richard Rockwell and James R. Olsen are
police officers in the Village of Canajoharie CSEA Unit. They saved two
lives in an early morning fire in Canajoharie.

Charles L. Davis and Jim Coon of the Albany Housing Authority also
saved the life of a city resident. Davis has been honored by the City of
Albany. Coons ran to get the Albany Fire Department and by his quick
actions deserves recognition by this Union.

President Bill Betz, Schoharie County, and his 402 members deserve
recognition for their heroic efforts in the recent Schoharie floods. CSEA
members are heroes and vital to local, county and state government.

We must continually make the public aware of how important our
jobs are and how well we perform them as public employees.

WE DO IT BEST!

Carmen

6595 Kirkville Road
East Syracuse, NY 13057
(315) 433-0050

Fairness for working Americans
is definitely a character issue

The two conventions touted the concept of family. FAMILY FIRST.
FAMILY VALUES. FAMILY THIS and FAMILY THAT.

Family is important. We all want for our children a life better than
we may have had. We want them safe and we want them to be healthy.
We want them to receive a good education. Training that will equip
them to compete in a very competitive workplace. To enjoy the dignity
of bringing home a paycheck. Contrary to the thoughts of some, most
people do not prefer public assistance over the personal satisfaction of
earning wages.

But, what of our family? Are we not to have the same expectations
for our family of labor? When one of us is hurt, do we ALL not feel the
pain? When one of our family is unemployed, do we ALL not feel the
desperation? This is not a time to be cutting back on moneys to fund
OSHA or in diminishing its enforcement. Workers are dying. We are
being killed by unsafe equipment. We are slowly being poisoned by
chemicals and caustic compounds. Our family is hurting.

How much longer must we endure the burden of inappropriate
spending by public employers hell bent on increasing the deficit and
lowering our wages?

Should the infrastructure of our country be repaired by using our
pension funds, as suggested recently by one speaker at the Democratic
Convention? | think not. Taxes can and should be used to rebuild our
roads and bridges, and we should be allowed to do the work!

Four years ago, the Family Medical Leave Act was passed and signed
into law by incoming President Clinton, This is not the time to cut back
on the law. If anything, it should be expanded. No worker should be
faced with a decision of choosing between their job or their child.

What do we ask of our public officials? Simply fairness.

To working Americans, character does matter.

em

The month of
November is the annual
health insurance Option
Transfer Period for state
employees.

Employees who wish
to change Empire Plan.
or Health Maintenance
Organization (HMO) options must do so
during the November Option Transfer Period
by contacting their agency's Health Benefits
Administration (HBA), located in their agency

JOINT COMMITTEE ON

. Important Reminder: November is the
annual health insurance Option Transfer Period

personnel office.

The 1997 “Health Insurance
Choices” booklet containing
benefit overviews of all the
available health insurance
options will be shipped to

agency HBAs in early November.

Upon approval of the 1997
premium rates, an informational sheet listing
the rates of all available health insurance
options will be sent directly to enrollees’
homes. Employees will be given the required

30 days to make health insurance option
changes.

Employees who are currently not utilizing
the Pre-Tax Contribution Option, but wish to
participate, must enroll by Dec. 2, 1996.
Personnel/Human Resource offices will
provide basic information and all necessary
forms for enrollment.

Additional details regarding the annual
Option Transfer Period will be published in
the November edition of The Public Sector.

—______. October 1996 1 7

1996 ANNUAL

) deocege, ;

ROBERT LATTIMER
President

482 Delaware Avenue
Buffalo, NY 14202
(716) 886-0391

Remember to vote, and vote
for CSEA-endorsed candidates

Remember to vote on November 5, 1996.
Almost as important as voting is that you vote for candidates
endorsed by CSEA. These candidates have been sereened and most of

them have been questioned on the issues by your fellow CSEA members.

‘ommitted to support and work for issues important to
and therefore CSEA.
he entire thrust of the CSEA Political Action Program is to pass
regulation that benefits CSEA members and to defeat legislation that is
harmful to CSEA member
Remember, your fellow CSEA members made these recommendations.
Vote for them!

A contingent of CSEA members and staff turned out at
Farmingdale Republic Airport recently to welcome Vice
President Al Gore to Long Island. CSEA Long Island Region
President Nick LaMorte is shown holding a Clinton/Gore
placard. Behind LaMorte is CSEA Local 404 member Walter
Harris and at right is CSEA Political Action Coordinator Tom
Kilmartin. At left foreground is Tom McCarthy, brother of
congressional candidate Carolyn McCarthy.

Reminder: Register by Oct. 12

(pick up a registration form at your Post Office)

and VOTE ON NOV. 5

for candidates who support working families

1 8 October 1996

CSEA-endorsed —

candidates have
earned your support

With the ever increasing use of television and radio advertising
campaigns, it has become extremely difficult to get real answers
about where candidates stand on the issues. The C!
endorsement is a valuable tool to help members make an informed
and educated decision on election day, based on the issues that
affect your lives and livelihoods.

CSEA endorsements don't come easy. CSEA only make:
endorsement when a candidate will clearly fight for the n¢
CSEA membership. As CSEA President Danny Donohue puts it,
anyone who wants CSEA’s endorsement is going to have to earn it.

The endorsement pros begins with Political Action Committees
(PACs) comprised of CSEA members appointed by their unit and
local presidents with executive board approval. CSEA has PACs at
the unit, local, region and statewide levels, and the role of each PAC
in the endorsement process depends on the office a candidate is
seeking.

In county, local and school board races, the appropriate unit and
local PACs interview the candidates and make a recommendation to
the region PAC. The region PAC then reviews their recommendation
and makes the final decision regarding who does or doesn’t merit a
CSEA endorsement.

In State legislative races, the region “

PAC is responsible for ening Anyone
candidates and making endorsement

recommendations. It’s then up to the who wants

| statewide PAC to review the region U
PAC recommendations and make the CSEA s

endorsement, endorsement

Endorsements for candidates in

° °
statewide (Governor, Comptroller, 1s going to
Attorney General) or national

(President, U.S. Senate, Congress) have to
elections are made by the president ”
of CSEA after consulting with earn tt.
members and staff, including the CSEA President
statewide PAC, AFSCME and the Danny Donohue
Federal Issues Committee.

In each case, the records and
public statements of the candidates are reviewed at the appropriate
level. Candidates are invi to meet with the PAC to answer

ions regarding their position on matters of specific interest to

He members. A decision is then made regarding whether one of
| the candidates deserves CSEA's support. If so, a formal

recommendation is made smpanied by an explanation of why
the candidate deserves to receive CSEA’s support.

Every candidate for office has the same opportunity to earn a
CSEA endorsement regardless of party affiliation. When considering
a candidate for endorsement, the PACs examine a wide variety of
factors, but the most important factor is the candidate's record on

| issues of importance to CSEA members. Since actions speak louder

than words, PACs also keep an eye on elected officials throughout
their term of office.

Along with a CSEA endorsement comes a commitment that CSEA
will work on behalf of a candidate to ensure his or her election.
While this sometimes means a monetary contribution to the
campaign, it also means making the endorsement public so the
membership and the general public will know who we think the best
candidate is, conducting voter registration drives and contacting
members on or before election day to remind them to get out and
vote for candidates we have endorsed.

But the real value of a CSEA endorsement comes from the CSEA
membership. CSEA actively ruits members to volunteer for
campaign activities such as phone banking, leafletting or putting up
lawn signs, and many politicians have attributed their victories to
the grassroots activities of CSEA members.

So, don’t forget to register by Oct. 12 and vote on Nov. 5 for thos
candidates your fellow CSEA members have endorsed — candidates
who have earned your support.

Clinton and

LABOR

© Supports Striker
Replacement Bill

|
© Supports Davis-Bacon and

|
| © Vetoed Team Act that would
| have allowed company
unions

© Opposes pending legislation
that would allow employers
to force work beyond 40

| hours without paying

| overtime

Clinton and

EDUCATION

© Supports $10,000 tax
deduction for education

© Signed National Service
Act/Americorp which
allows students to earn
college credits in exchange
for public service

© Increased Head Start by
$760 million

& Created Goals 2000 program
promoting education

| Service Contract Act

and the AFL-CIO have

endorsed the CLINTON/GORE
team for re- -election, for many very good reasons.

Here’s a few of them.

CSEA, AFSCME,

Clinton and the
ECONOMY

© Will have cut deficit by 60%

© Created 10.2 million new
jobs

© Lowest combined rate of
unemployment, inflation
and mortgage rates since
1968

Clinton and

HEALTH

© Supports universal health
care

|® Signed
Kennedy/Kassenbaum
Health Care Reform Bill
which protects workers from
losing their health
insurance and prevents
denial of coverage due to
pre-existing conditions

© Supports keeping Medicaid
| as an entitlement
|
© Supports severely restricting
children’s access to tobacco

Clinton and the
FAMILY

© Signed Family and Medical
Leave Act

© Cut taxes for 15 million
working families by
expanding the Earned
Income Tax Credit

© Signed legislation raising
Minimum Wage from $4.25
to $5.15

© Supports $500 tax
deduction for children
under 13

| Supports expanding IRAs for

education, retirement and
nome ou gerenip

REGISTER TO VOTE

BY OCT. 12, 1996
(pick up registration forms
at your local post office)

VOTE ON NOV. 5
FOR CLINTON/GORE

AND ALL THE
CSEA-ENDORSED

CANDIDATES
(a complete listing will be
published in the next edition
of The. Public Sector)

-- October 1996 1 9g

ii eee

“We drive your kids
Flaster sgrogs

Work Force is

== the of NY
night and day...

“We obey the (P
golden rule, nee
‘We answer to ease our
nine one one...” Seaiiiie neighbor's

pain...”

The CSEA Work Force is at the heart of everything that makes New York State work.

Every day of the year, your family, friends and neighbors are on the job, providing vital
services that keep New York’s school districts towns, counties, even the state
itself, running. We care about making New Ye fate a better place. To accomplish
that, we all have a responsibility as citizens to participate in the electoral process.

There’s nothing more important to a vital democracy than exercising
your right to vote

We urge you to make your voice heard in November.

Register To Vote Now. 11 you're not registered, pick up a voter registration
form at your Post Office, Department of Motor Vehicle Office or County Board of
Elections, and mail it by October 11.

Vote On November 5. that’s the day you help determine the future of New York
State. Remember: your vote does count!

Bat

The Work Force

Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-ClO « Danny Donohue, President

Official publication of |
The Civil Service Employees Association, Inc. |
Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO |

143 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12210-2303

HE PUB
INSIDE THIS EDITION

® Officers’ statements to the delegates at the 1996 ADM — Pages 13 - 19
® Salute to shop stewards — Pages 10 and 11