The Public Sector, 1983 January 14

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Official Publication of The Civil,
Service Employees Association
Local 1000, American
Federation of State, County and
Municipal Employees AFL-CIO

Vol. 5, No.7 Ea

Friday, January 14, 1983 (ISSN 0164 9949)

PUSH RESUMES
TO RETIRE
TIER Wl...

CSEA
unveils _
its new
= package
f legislative proposals
.. see page 16

ay

Deadline nears for
$5 exam fee refund

ALBANY — Act quickly if you’re entitl-
ed to a refund of the $5 application fee
for a Civil Service exam taken since last
April 1. The fee reimbursement will stop
effective Feb. 9.

Between April 1 and Sept. 30, 1982,
CSEA-represented employees ‘in the ¢
three State negotiating units had to sub-
mit the $5 exam application fee, but
were entitled to reimbursement under
the auspices of CWEP, the joint
lahor/management Committee on the
Work Environment and Productivity.

Under the current procedures, effec-
tive last October, workers in the three
CSEA units are not required to pay the
fee for State open competitive examina-
tions. Eligible applicants now simply
print “CSEA-No Fee” in box 9 on the ex-
am application form.

Reimbursement of the fee can be ob-
tained by sending in a copy of the exam
test score, cancelled check or other
satisfactory evidence that the fee was
paid.

Fee reimbursement requests should
be forwarded immediately to CWEP,
Suite 2008, 99 Washington Avenue,
Albany, NY 12210.

‘Good government is not just a matter

depends on the
people who staff
its agencies,
directs its
programs, and
executes its —
policies. Over
the past decade,
public employees
have been called
on time and time
again fo
sacrifice in the
name of fiscal
stability.’

ANEW |
PARTNERSHIP
IS FORGED...
pages 10-11

‘I hope that the Governor taken:

his remarks about our sacrifices when
puts fogether the budget. Ou

ple have been carrying this state on

of laws. It

Region IV stocks public school
libraries with labor publications

ALBANY — ‘‘Most students are very ignorant of
the union forces which have created the American
way of life,’ Joseph E. McDermott said
commenting on the lack of labor studies in the
American elementary and high school education
systems.

“Between the 7th and 11th grades, the average
public school student will only have a few short
brushes with the long history of the American labor
union movement. That’s a shame and our region
education committee is doing something about it.”

McDermott, president of CSEA Region IV and an
AFSCME international vice president, noted “Most
of the public school systems in our 14-county area
have CSEA units, so our education committee is
sending all school district unit presidents a copy of
‘Why Unions?’ a small informational publication
from the AFL-CIO. We are asking them to give the
booklet and a small folio, ‘What’s 100 ... And
Counts’, a history of the AFL-CIO, to their school
library. Both are well written and explain why
people need unions today. Most importantly, they
plant the seeds of labor justice in the minds of the

Suffolk oks pact

HAUPPAUGE — Suffolk County Local 852
members have approved overwhelmingly
their tentative four-year collective bargaining
agreement with Suffolk County.

The white collar bargaining unit of Local 852
approved the contract by 3,814 to 168; the blue
collar unit approved it by 1,073 to 33 against,
according to the Independent Election Cor-
poration of America which conducted the mail
ballot ratification for CSEA.

The agreement now goes to the Suffolk
County Legislature which must approve it for
the agreement to become legally binding. Suf-
folk Local 852 President, Charles Novo asks
all CSEA members in Suffolk County to con-
tact their Legislators to urge them to vote for
the contract when it comes before the
legislature either on Jan 25 or Feb. 8.

Local 830 moves office
out of watchful

eye of management

MINEOLA — Nassau County CSEA Local
830 has moved to new quarters, more con-
venient to its membership and out of the
watching eyes of management.

On Monday, Jan. 17, Local 830 will open the’
doors to members of its new facilities at 1101
Stewart Avenue in Garden City. The offices,
which are located on the third floor of the”
building, are larger than the Local’s former
offices in the Mineola Court house. In addi-
tion, there is reserved parking for all
members at the building, something which
was not available at the congested Court and
County Government complex.

There were other causes for the move, as
well, according to Jerry Donahue, president
of Local 830.

“We're an independent union and we felt it
didn’t look good for us to be located in the
employer’s facilities, Donahue said. He added
that the new offices are convenient to the en-
tire membership and are centrally located in
Nassau just west of the Meadowbrook

young students.

“Most public school libraries are often devoid of
current information on the union movement.
Children in the elementary school level learn a little
about the Knights of Labor and Unions and the New
Deal. In the 11th grade, they touch on the American
economic system and its underlying forces: supply,
demand, profit, unions, etc. But rarely are students
exposed to why people need unions today. The
pamphlets may provide them with enough
information to start them asking questions. Once
that starts, the educational system will have to
begin providing current information as answers,”
he said.

Any public school library in the 14-county Capital
Region area can request a free set of the
publications by contacting the Regional office of
CSEA at (518) 489-5424.

“If we take the time now to plant the seeds of
unionism in our youth, who can predict the crop of
union oriented citizens we may have in the future?”
McDermott asked.

Driving class offered

ALBANY — CSEA members, their families and
all public employees may now enroll in a Defensive
Driving Course that, besides teaching them how to
drive better, can reduce auto insurance premiums,
and even take three points off driving records.

CSEA was recently certified by the National
Safety Council and the:state Department of Motor
Vehicles to be a-private training agency with its
own corps of instructors to teach the 8-hour course.

Health and Safety personnel assigned to each of
the six regional offices, and Sean Turley of the
Education Department, have been trained to teach
the Defensive Driving Course. Its benefits include:

10 percent reduction in car insurance premiums
ey most insurance companies, and

ETE IE EE ARE AE AES

e 3 point reduction from drivers’ licenses.

Details regarding the course are now available
by contacting regional Health and Safety staff peo-
ple. They are:

Region I James May (516) 273-2280
Region IT Mitchell

Brathwaite (212) 587-8200
Region IV Angela DeVito (518) 489-5424
Region V Denis Kovalich (315) 451-6330
Region VI John Bieger (716) 634-3540

The OSHA position in Region III is currently
vacant, but as soon as it is filled, the name will be
announced so the person may be contacted about
the course.

Parkway. A DIFFERENT KIND OF UNION — A 1979 CSEA convention at the Concord marked the beginning of a

Local 830 will have the same telephone courtship and ended in a marriage ‘contract’ to be signed January 16 for Local 105 First Vice President Jim @
numbers (516) 535-3305, 3306 and 3307; office McGuiness, left, and Local 860 Second Vice President Janice Schaff. Local 860 President Pat Mase’ ioli,
hours are from 8 a.m. toS p.m. center, congratulates the happy couple.
Copod REL at gars oor? ACD]
Bane 2 ETT Y8T VO alll tan dat ea PoP) ni a

Albany County ‘violating’ Taylor Law

i he

Collective Bargaining Specialist Pat Monachino
... “This disregard of the Taylor Law and the
PERB determination shows the anti-union, anti-
employee rights attitude of the County
administration.”

JANUARY

Albany, 1 p.m.

6 p.m.

11 a.m.

19—Membership Committee meetin:

EVENTS Calendar

17—Region IV Executive Committee meeting, Tom Sawyer Motor Inn,
17—Region II Executive Board meeting, 140 Park Place, New York City,
18—Communications Committee meeting, 33 Elk Street, Albany, 10:30
18—State Workshop Sites Committee meeting, 33 Elk Street, Albany,

18—Region | Executive Board Meeting, Region | Headquarters, 7 p.m.
19—Statewide Officers. Meeting, Albany Hilton, 10 a.m.

19—State Executive Committee meeting, Albany Hilton, 7 p.m.
19—County Executive Committee meeting, Albany Hilton, 7:30 p.m.
19—Personnel Committee meeting, 33 Elk Street, Albany, 10 a.m.
19—Judicial Board Meeting, Steuben Athletic Club, Albany, 10 a.m.
19—Public Sector Committee meeting, Albany Hilton, 10:30 a.m.

, 33 Elk Street, Albany, 11 a.m.
19—Convention Committee meeting, 21 Club, Albany, 11:30 a.m.
19—Charter Committee meeting, Albany Hilton, 1 p.m.

19—County Workshop Sites Committee meeting, Albany Hilton, 5 p.m.
20—Statewide Board of Directors meeting, Albany Hilton, 9 a.m.
20—Region Ill Board reps meeting, Albany Hilton, 8 a.m.

20—Region IV Board reps meeting, Albany Hilton, 8 a.m.

22—Region II Election Procedures training program, Travelers Motor

ALBANY—‘Albany County is not only ignoring the
Taylor Law, but it is also violating it, and
expending taxpayer monies unnecessarily during a
supposed fiscal crunch,” charged Patrick J.
Monachino, CSEA collective bargaining specialist.

Monachino issued his allegations while
announcing that CSEA had declared impasse in its
negotiations with the County for a contract in its
550-member Social Services Unit. CSEA also
represents county workers in the Highway, Health
departments and County Jail. All CSEA contracts
with the County expired Dec. 31.

CSEA is Albany County’s largest public employee
union, representing nearly 1,000 of the unionized
county workers. The Social Services Unit im-
passe was declared due to the administration’s
continuation of its no pay raise bargaining position
as well as its unilateral change in the employees
health care benefits.

“On Dec. 30, at a Public Employment Relations
Board session, Albany County was told it was in
violation of the Taylor Law for changing its
employees health insurance benefits without
negotiations with the union,” Monachino said. “A
PERB hearing officer indicated that the County
would be required to rescind its withdrawal request
if the matter went to a formal hearing, and he
strongly recommended that the County avoid that
by rescinding the action immediately. He even

wrote a stipulation of settlement requiring this
action.

“But on Jan. 4, Albany County Employee
Relations Representative Terrence McArdle
informed CSEA that the County was not willing to
withdraw its letter terminating the state insurance
program for its 3,000 employees, even in light of the
PERB determination.

“This disregard of the Taylor Law and the PERB
determination shows the anti-union, anti-employee
rights attitude of the County administration,”
Monachino said.

During the wait for the County’s decision, CSEA
learned that the administration was prepared to
repay a near $400,000 loan from the State Insurance
Health Plan in order to withdraw. and establish its
own self-insurance program.

“The County’s action doesn’t make any economic
sense in view of its supposed poor fiscal situation,”
Monachino pointed out. “The County will have to
pay out funds it says it doesn’t have to get out of one
system. Then it will have to expend additional tax
dollars to pay for the various medical bills of its
3,000 employees, their families and County retirees.
Again, with money the County says it doesn’t
have.”

CSEA has moved to have PERB issue a decision
on the County’s action as soon as possible.

er!

Inn, Grand Central Pkwy, Queens, 10 a.m.
22—Women’s Committee meeting, Northway Inn, Albany, 11:30 a.m.

OSHA
relaxes
rules on
records,
cancer lists

WASHINGTON — Safety in the
workplace took two giant steps
backwards with the Occupational
Safety & Health Administration’s
wholesale exernption of nearly a
half-million employers from
recordkeeping requirements and
its decision to stop publishing a
quarterly list of potential cancer-
causing substances found in the
workplace, according to George H.
R. Taylor, director of the
federation’s Dept. of Occupational
Safety & Health.’

He charged that the
recordkeeping exemption is a
reward to industries that have

resisted OSHA enforcement.
Industries qualifying for
exemption are those with injury
and illness rates at least 75 percent
below average and which are not
“targeted”’ for general inspections.
The rule change also eliminated
the requirement that employers
post an annual tally of occupations
illnesses and injuries in the
workplace, :
Under the new rule, the
exempted firms will remain
subject to OSHA inspection in case

ACCEPTING OATH OF OFFICE as officials of the Suffolk County Data Pro-
cessing CSEA Unit are President Rochelle Silverman, left, and fellow officers
Stella Gnutzman and Ruth McLaughlin. Administering oath is Suffolk County
CSEA Local President Charles Novo.

situations.

OSHA’s decision to halt the
listing of potential cancer-causing
substances until the agency
finishes, revising its policy on
carcinogens was branded a
“watering down” of the federal
cancer safeguards by Sheldon
Samuels, safety director of the
federation’s Industrial Union Dept.

Samuels warned that without the
lists, “there’s no way to measure
what they’re doing in this area. It’s
a relapse to the pre-OSHA days

of employee complaints, incidents ywhen research= and regulatory

of fatal or multiple hospitalization
accidents or imminent danger

targets were chosen literally in
secret.”

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, January 14, 1983
2 eeeeeeeeeeeEeEeEeEeEe—e—e—E—EeeEeEee

Page 3

OF COURSE, I REALIZE
IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO

icial publication of
The Civil Service Employees Association
Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
33 Elk Street, Albany, New York 12224

The Public Sector (445010) is published every
other Friday by the Civil Service Employees
Association, 33 Elk Street, Albany, New York
12224.

Publication office, 1 Columbia Place, Albany,
New York 12207.

Second Class Postage paid at Post Office,
Albany, New York.

GARY G. FRYER — Publisher

ROGER A. COLE — Editor

TINA LINCER FIRST — Associate Editor
GWENN M. BELLCOURT — Assistant Editor

Address changes should be sent to Civil Ser-
vice Employees Association, The Public Sector,
33 Elk Street, Albany, New York 12224.

ANTICIPATE EVERYTHING
THEY'LL COME UP WITH,
BuT I THINK IF YOU'RE
HALF-WAY PREPARED,
YOU DON'T HAVE
ANYTHING TO
BE SCARED OF...

| Bees

™ T
Percent of Labor Force |

Seasonally Adjusted

10.8% jobless in December

Job situation still deteriorating;
Kirkland repeats call for action

|
eo eS FF | E

WASHINGTON — The job situation continued
to deteriorate in December as unemployment
edged up to 12,036,000 and the average length of
unemployment reached a post-World War II
record of 18 weeks, the Labor Dept. reported.

The Labor Dept. put the nation’s jobless rate at
10.8 percent in December, up slightly from
November’s revised rate of 10.7 percent.

The report also said the number of discourag-
ed workers — those who have stopped looking for
jobs altogether — rose by 210,000 in the fourth
quarter of 1982 to a new high of 1.8 million.

The 12 million jobless, plus 1.8 million drop-
outs and an additional 6.6 million on involuntary
part-time means more than 20 million people are
unemployed or underemployed.

“These new unemployment figures are further
proof that the national economy is still wallowing
in the recession brought on by the Administra-
tion’s discredited policy experiments,” declared
AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland.

Noting forecasts of ‘‘more bad news to come,”
Kirkland added: ‘“‘The AFL-CIO reiterates its
call for the President and the Congress to act
quickly to provide jobs programs to put people
back to work; to extend unemployment benefits
to protect those whose benefits are expiring; and

to provide health care for the jobless and their
families who have lost protection.”

Commissioner of Labor Statistics Janet Nor-
wood said the December statistics ‘suggest
some leveling off from the steady deterioration”
since mid-1981.

Payroll employment fell by 165,000 to 88.5
million. The decline of 50,000 jobs in the factory
sector was the smallest in a year. A less than ex-
pected jump in retail trade in December caused
a seasonally adjusted decline of 65,000 jobs.

Kirkland noted that the ‘‘burden of unemploy-
ment” has fallen particularly on adult males,
with their jobless rates soaring from 6.1 percent
two years ago to 10.1 percent today. He said the
jobless rate for adult women also worsened,
from 6.7 percent two years ago to 9.2 percent
now.

The jobless rates in December were 24.5 per-
cent for teenagers; 9.7 percent for white
workers; 20.8 percent for blacks; 15.3 percent for
Hispanics.

The change in the overall November jobless
rate from 10.8 percent to 10.7 percent came with
the annual revision of monthly rates at year’s
end. It tends to alter a month’s rate by 0.1 per-
cent up or down.

Congressional leaders urge passage of jobs bill

WASHINGTON — The new 98th Congress convened on Jan. 3 with
leaders of both parties calling for action on unemployment, which persisted
at a 10.8 percent rate in December.

As the Reagan Administration prepared the details of its proposed
Fiscal 1984 budget for submission to Congress on Jan. 31, key Republican
House and Senate leaders strongly urged the President to trim his planned
$1.6 trillion defense buildup to keep deficits from soaring to $200 billion and
beyond. High deficits contribute to high interest rates which choke off
economic growth.

House Democratic leaders, meanwhile, their ranks strengthened by a
gain of 26 seats from the November elections, aimed to break the strength of
the coalition of Republicans and conservative Democrats which gave
Reagan his budget and tax victories during the past two years.

The House Democratic leadership also tightened its control by changing
House rules to make it more difficult to add legislative restrictions to ap-
propriations bills.

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, January 14, 1983

Having taken care of committee assignments and other housekeeping
business, Congress.adjourned until Jan. 25, when President Reagan will
deliver his State of the Union message.

In a White. Hotise meeting, House GOP leader Robert Michel (IIl.)
reportedly urged Reagan to come up with some alternative to the anti-
recession jobs and housing bills which the Democrats are expected to
propose.

During the lame-duck session which ended Dec. 23, Michel backed
Reagan in opposing public works and other jobs measures passed by both
houses but dropped after a Presidential veto threat.

Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker (R-Tenn.) said his main goals in
the new session would be “increasing economic activity, producing jobs,
and solving the Social Security problem.”

The White House is due to receive in mid-January the report of a bipar-
tisan commission which has been debating proposals for shoring up the
funding of the Social Security system.

PORES PPLE TENY TT moss

LISTENING TO THE ADVANTAGES of having the state assume Medicaid expenses were various
CSEA officials who met with Dutchess County Executive Lucille Pattison recently. Seated at the
head of the table is Mrs. Pattison, and clockwise are County Unit President Mary Rich, Southern
Region President Ray O’Connor, Field Representative John Deyo, Dutchess County Local 814
President Ellis Adams, County Budget Analyst John Spence, Dutchess County Political Action
Committee Chairman Carl Matheson, County Unit First Vice President Helen Zocco, and
Southern Region Director Tom Luposello.

‘More security for our employees,’
says regional president

FISHKILL — Officers of Region III want
CSEA to lobby Gov. Mario Cuomo to have him
include money to fund the Human Services
Overburden Act, which would start to relieve
counties of the local costs of Medicaid.

“Ultimately,” says Region III President
Raymond J. O’Connor, “it could mean the
difference between having a job and being
laid off by a county.”

The region’s Counties Division Committee
sent a telegram to CSEA President William L.
McGowan on Jan. 7, urging the union to back
county governments’ efforts in having the
money placed in Cuomo’s Executive Budget
for fiscal 1983. According to O’Connor, the aid
that would come to the counties from Albany
would lead to “healthier county budgets,
which means more security for our employees
at the county level.”

He adds, “A number of counties have
already budgeted this money into the revenue
columns of their 1983 spending plans, since the
concept of the state taking over the local share
of Medicaid costs was approved in theory last
year. Yet the money is not guaranteed.”
O'Connor believes if the money does not come,
“budgets will have to be cut, and we all know
what areas of the budget will be affected most

... our valuable county employees.”’
Regional Director Thomas Luposello cites
figures from Dutchess County Executive
Lucille Pattison’s office, which show Dutchess
would gain $1.6 million in 1983. “That aid
would pay the salaries of almost 1,300 county
employees. Each county in the state would be
hit just as hard if that money doesn’t go to pay
at least part of the counties’ Medicaid costs.””

Counties Division Committee Chairman
Ellis Adams fears counties may be forced to
lay off personnel to make up any budget
shortfall. He says, ‘‘This would not only mean
Social Service workers, but cuts may have to
be made in other departments as well. CSEA
should lobby hard to make sure our new
governor includes this money in his first
budget.”

The seven counties of Region III would
stand to receive $24.76 million in overburden
aid for fiscal 1983. Projected figures for 1984
amount to more than $30.5 million.

O'Connor is seeking additional support from
other regional presidents, as well as from
President McGowan, to have the union lobby
for inclusion of the Medicaid overburden
funds in the state’s 1983 budget.

considers
state
takeover

of Medicaid

An issue of
‘mutual concern,’
says county executive

POUGHKEEPSIE — Dutchess County Executive
Lucille P. Pattison met with the leadership of CSEA
Region III and Dutchess County Local 814 Dec. 28 to
discuss what she termed “an issue of mutual
concern,” the possible state takeover of local
Medicaid costs.

Pattison is president of the Hudson Valley
Regional Council, a group of government officials
in the seven counties covered by Region III. She
told those at the meeting that 30 counties in New
York State would be forced to borrow money for
their budgets if the Medicaid money does not come
from Albany.

Pattison pointed out that 42 counties expect
deficits at the end of the fiscal year, and tax
increases by county governments statewide
average 26 percent. She says county budgets would
suffer if the state does not move to pick up the
counties’ share of the Medicaid program costs.

The Dutchess Executive expects the City of New
York to be ‘‘a big ally with the counties on this
issue.” Dutchess would receive about $2.3 million
under the proposed plan, which would be for 1983
and 1984.

Region III President Raymond J. O’Connor told
Pattison he would have the region’s Counties
Committee study the matter. O’Connor and Local
814 President Ellis Adams, chairman of the
Counties Committee, set up a meeting for Jan. 6 at 7
p.m. in the Region III Fishkill office.

CSEA REGIONAL OFFICES

LONG ISLAND REGION I
Hauppauge Atrium Building

300 Vanderbilt Motor Pkwy.
Hauppauge, N.Y. 11788

(516) 273-2280

CAPITAL REGION IV
1215 Western Avenue
Albany, N.Y. 12203

(518) 489-5424

ee

New York, N.Y. 10007
(212) 587-8200

(516) 435-0962

METROPOLITAN CENTRAL REGION V
Suite 308

araton M3 290 ‘Elwood David Road

Room 1620 Liverpool, N.Y. 13088

(315) 451-6330

SOUTHERN REGION III
Rural Route 1

Box 34 s

Old Route 9

Fishkill, N.Y. 12524

(914) 896-8180

WESTERN REGION VI
Cambridge Square

4245 Union Road
Cheektowaga, N.Y. 14225
(716) 634-3540

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, January 14, 1983

Page 5

A critique of
New Federalism
and Reaganomics

GERALD W. McENTEE

An address by Gerald W. McEntee,
President, American Federation of
State, County & Municipal Employees

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Forum Lecture Series of
the John F’. Kennedy School of Government at Har-
vard University recently sponsored an address by
Gerald W. McEntee, president of AFSCME, the na-
tion’s largest union of public employees, with one
million members. Following is the text of
McEntee’s lecture, entitled “Passing the Bucks: A
Critique of New Federalism and Reaganomics.”

he Constitution of the United States is one of the

most remarkably resilient social contracts ever
forged. It has continued to bind us together through
two centuries of profound change—from an agrarian
society perched on the edge of nowhere to a major
global power that may have already transited the in-
dustrial age

When it was written, the Constitution included a
great number of novel ideas. For example. those who
designed it did so in the name of “We the people’—not
of the several states but all of the people regardless of
their zip codes. And the framers explicitly stated that
American government was to be responsible for pro-
moting the "general welfare.

Implicit in that term is the notion that a govern-
ment established in the name of all the people must
seek to deal with all people equitably, And while we
have often stumbled and slipped, as a people we have
continued to equate equity and the common good. In
fact, we have elaborated on the functions of our gov-
ernment, which was and remains the only institution
in this society that is common to us all

I think there have been two primary causes for this.

First, over a score of decades. we have distinguished
when a local or regional situation has, for whatever
reason, expanded to affect the general welfare. Thus
government has taken over such responsibilities as
flood control, protecting air travelers, and setting
aside lands for national parks.

Second, we have felt it necessary to act in the name
of we the people when the general welfare has been
threatened by the abuses or inactions of the priv
sector or of lower levels of government. We have found
that we cannot always depend on the free, market the,

profit motive, or state discretion to serve the common.
good.

I need only mention legislation on civil rights, stock
trading, child labor, pure foods and drugs and environ-
mental protection.

Over time we have built an edifice of tax-funded and
publicly provided services: education, cancer research,
interstate highwi and, in more recent years, pro-
grams to ensure that no citizen need lack basic shel-
ter, health care, and nourishment.

We have done all these things because the majority
have wanted government to do these things.

This notion of government is now under unprece-
dented assault.

Just last week, the Urban Institute, the prestigious
non-partisan social research organization, published

the most detailed analysis to date of the social and
economic policies of the administration led by Ronald
Reagan.

In the Urban Institute’s words, he is attempting to
“restore economic policy and intergovernmental rela-
tions to their status before the New Deal” The Urban
Institute's analysts called this a “counterrevolution:
and I believe that the term is well-chosen

Ronald Reagan campaigned on a contradiction: He
ran against government while comparing himself to
Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In practice he pursued the
philosophy of Calvin Coolidge—the business of Amer-
ica is business, and nothing more—but comes more
and more to resemble Herbert Hoover, who presided
imperturbably as the economic ship of state foundered
and sank.

Candidate Reagan said he would reduce government
by cutting taxes. spending. and regulations and
through these means stimulate the economy.

In practice. the Reagan tax cuts benefit a relative
handful, those who enjoy an annual income of
$50,000 or more. The real burden on low and moder-
ate income taxpayers has actually increased.

In practice, the Reagan budgets have substantially
reduced the dollars going to domestic needs. He has
dedicated those dollars, and billions more, to pursuing
the illusion of absolute military superiority.

In practice, he has attacked regulatory protections
of the general welfare in every area, regardless of pub-
lic need.

President Reagan’s policies can be fairly described as
a program to halt history and then retreat, to redis-
tribute the nation’s wealth from the majority of the
population to the few who already have enough.

Every major Reagan initiative—the attempt of New
Federalism to transfer broad social responsibilities to
state governments, privatization of public serv de-
pendence on corporate philanthropy and voluntee
ism, the Balanced Budget Amendment—has a com
mon result: redistribution of wealth from working
people to the rich.

He has camouflaged this with homilies about the
sturdy American yeomanry—as if we still lived ina
time of quilting bees and barn raisings—and with dia-
tribes against government fraud, waste. and abuse

We can find much to fault government for. We can
all point to programs that were ill-founded or that
have outlived their usefulness. We can acknowledge as
well the continuing need to sort out public and private

responsibilities and to sort out the roles of state, local
and federal governments

But the Reagan administration's approach to these
most important issues is not just superficial but
specious.

For example, he has cast the debate on Federalism
as the simple matter of getting government closer to
the people. But what people? Whom do we expect to
pay for the consequences of widespread poverty, of
misdirected economic policy, of natural disaster, of de-
mographic and technological change. of foreign
turbulence?

If one jobless worker in Detroit takes Reagan’s ad-
vice, votes with his feet, and heads for Houston, it may
make little difference. But if the 1,900,000 unem.
ployed workers in Michigan, Ohio and Illinois follow
suit, is Texas to be stuck with the tab?

The legions of senior citizens migrating to the
warmth of Phoenix or St. Petersburg carry their med
ical problems with them. Are Arizona or Florida solely
responsible for the bill?

Geography does not rule equity. We share these
sponsibilities federally because that is the best way we
know to achieve the equity of burden as well as the eq-
YAW OF DERE wnnnrnnnnnnnnienannannnianianics

Page 6

THE PUBLIC SECTOR) Friday, January 14, 1983

Now, what's all of this have to do with AFSCME?
Why is the president of the union of one million pub-
lic workers—a union with large numbers of hospital
orderlies and prison guards and trash collectors—here ()
talking to you about such arcane stuff as the constitu-
tional’ethic, the distribution of wealth. and
Federalism?

Simply put, I believe that organized workers have a
vital stake in this society and in its condition.

I beliéve just as strongly that. given their experi
ence, organized public workers must play a crucial
role in resolving one of the most vexing problems of
our time: the need to balance our finite public re-
sources with changing public needs while maintaining
equity and quality in public services. @

President Reagan does not share my view. He is
clearly against organized labor. He has even estab-
lished the priorities of his dislikes. and public workers
head the list. Oddly, he supports Poland’s public work-
ers; it’s just the American variety that bothers him.
Public unions are, in large part. a response to the
abuses in patronage. a system in which the prime
qualification for patching potholes or sewer lines was
party allegiance
Public unions are a response also to shortcomings @
in public management. Your school of business here
has repeatedly pointed out that the problem of busi-
nes business, that American private management
has pursued short-term gain at the expense of long-
term growth and stability. The Reagan tax cut provides
a salutary example of this. Corporations have not used
their windfall dollars for rebuilding or expanding
plants but instead for what some have characterize:
corporate cannibalism. a wave of mergers that hi
sulted in still fewer jobs and still richer lawyers.

There is a reflection of this in public-sector manage-
ment, in outdated systems of accounting. in weak fis-
cal controls, in haphazard and reactive planning. and
in uncertain productivity.

IBM does not build roads and General Foods does
not maintain inland waterways. The infrastructure on
which private enterprise depends is all publicly fi-
nanced. Despite this. the nations’s public infrastruc-
ture is falling apart. and meanwhile the public capital
budget remains a rarity.

We are often accused of fighting to preserve the sta- e
tus quo. AFSCME’s record refutes this. For example.*
here in Massachusetts, AFSCME supported major
changes in the financing of health services. saving
millions of dollars in Medicaid costs. We have taken
similar positions in Philadelphia and New York City
and Rhode Island

We have supported countercyclical aid to the cities,
education and retraining programs for industrial
workers, the more effective use of Federal, state and
local tax codes to bring about economic health. In co- e@
operation with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, we sub-
mitted a proposal earlier this year to the leadership of
Congress which would put 2! million people to work
in the private sector rebuilding roads, highways
bridges, sewers, and the other essential components of
this nation’s public works.

I want to make one final point, and then invite your
questions.

AFSCME and other public worker unions are fre-
quently accused of narrow self-interest, and we hear
this most loudly every time we sit down to negotiatea  @
new contract

No matter where they are or what they do, working
people have every right to protect their elemental eco-
nomic interests—to bargain the wages and benefits
paid for their labor and the terms and conditions of
their employment.

This is as true in the Soviet Union, in Poland, in
South Africa, and in Brazil as it is in France or in the
United States of America. And it is true for all workers
in our nation, including those in the public sector ry

As a union of public service workers in a society
that is now service oriented, we have a legitimate
voice in what we do and how it is to be done

We believe also that our members’ best interests can
be realized only when the national, state, and local
economies are strong. when state and local govern
ments are fiscally sound. and when the social climate
is healthy. \

It is only in this climate that equity can flourish for
members of AFSCME and everyone else

I assure you that we intend to continue our fight to e
achieve this climate of equity. It is a right we will exer.
cise and responsibility that we will fulfill,

NEW YORK CITY — The State Insurance

Liquidation Bureau, the target of an organizing drive by

Metropolitan Region II, has fired the primary organizer
for CSEA inside the Bureau.

Kirk Cronk, a claims examiner for the Bureau for
nearly six years, was fired without benefit of a hearing or
representation. His termination letter notes that his
discharge is based on ‘‘acts by you that were detrimental
to the best interests of the Liquidation Bureau.’’ No
“acts’”’ are cited, and, because there is no union to
represent the Bureau’s employees, Cronk is, for the
moment anyway, out of a job.

Metropolitan Region II has been in the process of
organizing the Bureau’s employees for nearly a year.
The issue is before the Public Employment Relations
Board (PERB) where the Bureau’s management is
challenging CSEA’s right to represent the agency’s
employees, claiming that the Liquidation Bureau — part
of the New York State Insurance Department — is a
private organization and, therefore, PERB has no
jurisdiction.

CSEA is confident that PERB will rule that the
Bureau’s employees are public employees and will order
a union election. The union has produced substantial
evidence that Bureau’s employees are indeed public
employees, including their participation in the State
Employees Retirement System, an act of the Legislature
that imposes a specific function on the Bureau, and the
fact that the top official of the Bureau, the

superintendent of insurance, is appointed by the
governor.

Meanwhile, Kirk Cronk is out of a job.

CSEA has filed an Improper Practice charge with
PERB asserting that the Bureau fired Cronk because of
his union organizing activities, and seeking his
reinstatement with full back pay and benefits lost as a
result of his illegal termination.

Cronk was extremely active and successful in
getting Bureau employees to sign CSEA designation
cards. He does not deny that the Bureau’s approach to
managing its employees made the job of signing up union
members easy and the organizing necessary.

Cronk and other employees of the Bureau report that
partisan politics has so strongly entered the Bureau that
it has been nearly impossible for the average worker to
get a decent raise. “The privileged few, with the right
political connections, have been reaping the benefits for
years,” one employee charged.

Cronk said he recognized the inequities of a system
based on politics and saw CSEA representation for the
Bureau’s employees as one way to clean up the Bureau.
He noted that management was well aware of his
important role in organizing the union. He wasn’t aware,
he says, of how closely they were watching him, waiting
for the chance to get rid of him.

Cronk realizes that the Bureau will try to persuade
PEBRB that his union activities had nothing to do with his
firing, but, he asserted, “I was organizing for CSEA;
that’s the real reason the Bureau fired me.”

Prison conversion suit dismissed by State judge

ALBANY — Litigation brought by CSEA to
thwart Gov. Hugh L. Carey’s proposal last spring to
convert several state mental health facilities into
correctional facilities was dismissed last week by a
State Supreme Court Judge here.

CSEA had filed the action shortly after the then-
governor announced a four-phased plan to establish
state prisons on the grounds of Pilgrim, Utica, and
Gowanda Psychiatric Centers and the Craig
Developmental Center. Under Carey’s original
plan, the state intended to transfer all patients out
of the latter three facilities by 1985, converting each
facility entirely to correctional use.

In addition to CSEA’s suit, state lawmakers
raised questions about the authority of the governor
to propose closing mental health facilities without

Three to run
for Health Dept.
Board seat

ALBANY — Three nominees have been tap-
ped by the Statewide Nominating Committee
to run for the Health Department represen-
tative seat on the union’s statewide Board of
Directors.

The nominees are: Charlotte Freeman of
Region II; C. Allen Mead of Region IV; and
Elizabeth Watts of Region VI.

Others interested in running for the Board
vacancy may still be placed on the official
ballot by qualifying by petition. This requires
submitting 316 signatures of members in good
standing eligible to vote in the election. Of-

legislative authorization. The Carey administration
subsequently changed its position and said it would
not attempt to phase out patients or jobs at the
facilities without legislative approval.

In a more recent development, Gov. Mario M.
Cuomo has ordered the 600 inmates already moved
into converted, vacant buildings at Pilgrim to be
moved out before the end of 1983. Cuomo had.
pledged during his campaign to close the Pilgrim
correctional operation as inappropriate for the
facility and its surrounding community.

CSEA had sought a temporary restraining order
to stop the Carey administration from beginning
conversion construction during the litigation, but
that action was also rejected by the courts.
Conversion work has continued at all four facilities

Attorney Michael J. Smith, representing CSEA in
the case, said there would be no immediate decision
on an appeal pending a comprehensive review of
the decision and clarification of the Cuomo
administration’s intentions regarding the plan that
Carey began.

During his recent campaign. Cuomo had favored
another prison bond issue to be brought to state
voters. A similar bond issue was very narrowly
defeated two years ago. CSEA had’ supported the
prison construction bond issue concept as a more
practical long-range solution to the problems of
prison overcrowding.

The union has recognized the danger of
continuing high correctional populations, both for
the inmates, correctional officers and all facility
support personnel. CSEA represents thousands of

{SE eS H
No accord reached in

in the interim. correctional employees.

Onondaga County talks

SYRACUSE — CSEA and representatives for
Onondaga County have yet to reach a tentative agree-
ment in contract talks that began last spring.

Roger Kane, CSEA collective bargaining
specialist and chief neogitator for the more than 3,700
county employees represented by the union, said a
conceptual agreement with the county has been reach-
ed, but the language has not been finalized in several
key issues.

Since receiving the fact finder’s report several
weeks ago, the two sides have met several times. Last
week it was announced that a conceptual agreement
had been reached. Following a second day-long ses-
sion on Jan. 12, it was mutually agreed to resume talks
Jan, 18.

No details of the conceptual agreement have been
released pending a full review by the membership at
an informational meeting to be called when a tentative
agreement has been finalized.

Sue Smith, chairwoman for the 12-member nego-
tiating team, said all CSEA members represented by

ficial petition forms must be used, and the
petition deadline is Jan. 24,

The Statewide Election Procedures Com-
mittee will draw for ballot placement Jan. 26,
and official ballots will be mailed to eligible
members Jan. 29.

The special election is required to complete
the term of Board representative Genevieve
Clark who recently retired. The term expires
June 30.

a

REGION SUPPORT HONORED — The
membership of the Capital Region of CSEA has
been honored for supporting the various health
organizations involved in the Northeastern NY
Health Council. Jayne Hester, executive director
of the Health Council, is shown presenting an
award to John D. Corcoran, Jr., Capital Region
director, who accepted the plaque on behalf of
the region’s 50,000 members.

the contract will be notified of the place, date and time
of the informational meeting.

“We will make every effort to alert all members
when our negotiating team does reach an agreement.
The entire negotiating team will attend the meeting to
fully explain and discuss any tentative agreement and
answer all questions.”

The county employees represented by the current
agreement have been working without a contract
since July 1,.1982. ee eee a

1. THE SRUBLIG “SECTOR, Friday, Uiinvany 114.1 1983
eGo

¢ Page 7

A SINCERE THANK YOU — Montgomery County Social Service Commissioner Francis G. Dimond
shakes hands with CSEA Capital Region Field Representative Joseph Bakerian, right, after
receiving a check from the region’s professional and clerical staff for $218.50. CSEA Montgomery
County President William Zippiere, Child Welfare Case Supervisor Ceil Sitterly, Family Services
Supervisor Joan Crowley and Welfare Examiner Cindy Noble, all holding presents for area children,
look on with pride for the staff’s charitable efforts. Schoharie County’s Social Services Department
received a similar contribution from the staff presented by CSEA Field Representative Donald

McCarthy.

ALBANY — Nearly $600 was donated by the
CSEA Capital Region professional and clerical
staff to needy causes during the past year.

“Our region staff developed a_ bi-weekly
contribution system which has provided $583 to
various causes, especially two county Social
Service Christmas programs, in 1982,’’
according to John D. Corcoran, Jr., Capital
region director.

“Clinton and Essex County Social Service
Christmas programs already receive annual
contributions from Field Representative,
Charlie Scott. So we drew for two counties from
the remaining 12 in the region and divided the
available funds between their Social Service
Department’s Christmas programs,” Corcoran
explained.

Capital Region
staff donates $600
fo needy in '82

This year, Schoharie and Montgomery
Counties received $218.50 each from the region
staff charity fund. A $100 contribution was also
made earlier in the year to help pay for needed
surgery for the child of an area resident.

“The Social Service employees were thrilled
with the extra funds, and the selected families
were overjoyed,” Field Representative Donald
McCarthy said in describing the reaction of the
Schoharie County Social Service Department to
the staff’s donation.

“It was like Christmas, New Year’s and every
holiday rolled into one,” Field Representative
Joseph Bakerian said, relating the Montgomery
County Social Service Department’s reaction.

Grievances filed
against OCA

...for forced holiday recess

ALBANY — “It’s ironic. The judges complain
about backlogs and then close up shop for a week.”

With that comment, Collective Bargaining
Specialist Bob Guild announced that CSEA
Judiciary Local 694 President Tom Jefferson has
filed a grievance against the Office of Court
Administration because trial courts were shut down
between Dec. 24 and Jan. 2. Employees had to
charge the time off to accruals.

Guild believes that based on the intent of
negotiations, the court system cannot unilaterally
declare the recess.

...for changes in insurance
benefits

ALBANY — A grievance has been filed against
the Office of Court Administration for imposing
changes in employee’s health insurance benefits
sarout reviewing them with CSEA Judiciary Local

The class action grievance was filed Dec. 20, 1982,
by Judiciary Local President Tom Jefferson.

New career series for
word processing operators

ALBANY — One of the main goals of the
Clerical and Secretarial Employees
Advancement Program, otherwise known as
CSEA/P, is to develop increased training and
advancement opportunities for entry level
employees. Collective Bargaining Specialist
John Conoby reports that CSEA/P has helped do
just that with the establishment of a new Civil
Service career series for fulltime operators of
word processing equipment.

The new series is as follows: _

« Information Processing Specialist Trainee

¢ Information Processing Specialist I (Grade 6)
¢ Information Processing Specialist II (Grade 9)
« Information Processing Specialist IIT (Grade 12)

Technical information regarding the new titles
is available by contacting the state Department
of Civil Service. Requests for reclassifications
will be handled by the department’s Division of
Classification and Compensation.

Conoby said he was pleased by the cooperation
received from the state’s Employee
Advancement Section which worked closely with
CSEA/P to open up the new promotional
opportunities for secretaries and other clerical
workers employed by New York State.

Westchester
Budget Hearing

JACK WHALEN, president of the Westchester
County CSEA Unit, which represents approx-
imately 5,000 people, recently spoke at a budget
hearing where he told county legislators, “The
proposed budget, in large measure, realistically
addresses the level of services we must provide
to maintain our quality of life.”” The union leader
said he was pleased that the proposed 1983 spen-
ding plan contains no layoffs and, in fact, adds
positions. But he did speak out against a proposal
to turn Westchester’s motor vehicle offices over
to the state. Listening to Whalen were, from left,
County Legislators Ed Brady, Ed Gibbs and
Audrey Hockberg.

suceerpetue

pA SE APRS SRET OR

* comers

Public employees in this state have been shouldering more of New
York’s fiscal burdens over the past decade than any other single group
of people. That’s not an opinion, it’s a fact. Even Gov. Mario Cuomo
acknowledged our sacrifices in his first State of the State Message to
the Legislature (See pages 10 and 11).

This state has been in bad shape financially for too long, largely
because of its own mistakes. We’ve had to help get it out of trouble
more than once and we have the scars to prove it. And now the national
economy is in trouble, bad trouble. That means high unemployment,
high government costs for ‘‘social services’, and low government
revenues.

lf the rumors flying around the capitol are any indication, this state
is already in the midst of a quarter of a billion dollar deficit. The next
fiscal year, which is only three months away, looks even worse. That
could mean big trouble for all New Yorkers, but particularly for state
and local government employees.

Already, at the capitol, a high ranking Republican finance
specialist has publicly suggested the state may want to renegotiate our
new state contracts. Others are talking again about ‘‘furloughs’’ and
others are predicting high numbers of layoffs. If the state cuts back on
aid to local governments and schools, it won’t take long for those same
threats to start percolating out of hundreds of other bargaining units.

Ronald Reagan promised this country prosperity. He’s delivered
the worst unemployment level since the Great Depression. Bankrup-
tcies continue to soar, foreclosures are being made at a record clip,
and each week brings’new horror-stories about factories shutting
down, families going broke and communities facing economic disaster.

The federal government has a hedge on reality. It can run in the
“‘red’’ and get away with it. Next year, the news media tells us, the
Reagan Administration is facing a $200 billion dollar deficit. In New
York State, however, the Constitution requires at least the appearance
of a balanced budget. That’s going to be no small trick now.

For anyone who cares about working people, you don’t need an
economist to tell you if there’s a new depression. We can feel it in our
hearts.

The unemployment rate in manufacturing industries hovers near
25%. Think about that statistic in human terms. One out of every four

RAS UDO SSN PSA

SCADA ELT AT A

lt might fest our
resolve as a union

people looking for work can’t find it! The rates for minorities and the
young are no less of a national disgrace. Those bubbly ‘‘supply-side’’
economists we all heard so much about a few years ago are in full
retreat. In their wake lies the worst economic mess our nation has en-
dured in half a century.

There is such a temptation to sit back and say, ‘‘We told you so’’,
that it’s hard to face the fact that we are in this mess now and we must
work together to get out of it before it really does turn into a replay of
the ’30s.

In New York State, we mustered our forces as a union and helped
elect a governor who claims to care about people like us. His first major
test will be his proposed budget, the sacrifices it calls for and how
those sacrifices are to be shared among all New Yorkers, not just public
employees and other working people.

Frankly, we can expect that more sacrifices are in store for us.
There will be some we can’t avoid, despite the endless sacrifices we
have already endured. There will be others that we will not make, no
matter who wants them or why.

But as much as the new state budget will be a test of the new
governor’s word, it will also be a test of us as a union. Hard decisions
may have to be made. Hard fights may have to be fought. New ideas
may have to be tried. If we are up to the test, our losses will be minimal
and the effort well spent. If we fail, then our fate will ultimately be
decided by others and we will have gotten what we deserved,

This year we proved what we can do when we work together for a
common goal. We must again harness that spirit and enthusiasm to
keep fighting tor what we believe in. We must remain calm, determined
and willing to do what must be done to protect each other.

In the near future, | plan to’get around the state to talk to our
members directly and listen to your concerns and your ideas. | would
hope that as the next few months unfold, you will listen to what we have
to say and consider our ideas as well. That’s what unions are all about:
listening to each other, deciding what we must do and then having the
strength and the resources to get it done.

The struggle for financial survival for public employees in this state
has been going on for nearly ten years. Whether we like it or not, it isn’t
over yet.

SSRN 8 SOP NN SR SNS

Arbitration set over Erie County insurance issue

BUFFALO — A Supreme Court lawsuit against Erie County has been
dropped by CSEA Local 815, following an agreement to speed up contract
arbitration hearings involving psychiatric insurance coverage.

The 4,000-member local had earlier filed suit to force the county to pick
up the psychiatrie insurance coverage which was discontinued when Blue
Cross and Blue Shield dropped a rider clause effective Jan.1.  ~

The CSEA white-collar local was joined in a parallel suit by AFSCME
Council 66, which represents 5,000 blue-collar county workers.

CSEA Attorney Ron Jaros and AFSCME Attorney Michael Tremont
said the court actions were dropped when the county agreed to let Cornell
University professor Alice Grant conduct speeded-up arbitration
proceedings that normally might not have started for months.

A class-action grievance filed by Local 815 President John Hiss charged
the County’s unilateral decision to drop the psychiatric coverage, which it
had carried since 1978, violates the collective bargaining agreement.

We have a number of members who utilize this coverage, and we want
to eee interim period before a decision is made, as short as Possible,”
said

Eiss said the estimated $300,000 the county would save uta by not

jicking up the coverage “could not be measured
juman si
group rider is allowed to be cancelled.

against the
ering that some of our members and their families face” if the

CSEA Field Representative Robert Young advised members who must
utilize psychiatric services before a final decision is made on the matter to
save all receipts for payments made, so they may be reimbursed if the
arbitrator finds in the union’s favor.

Young said the psychiatric rider cannot be paid for on an individual
basis, as Blue Cross and Blue Shield only offers it through group coverage.

“And evidently there are many who need and use the coverage because
Blue Cross is saying they dropped the rider due to their inability to continue
paying for large-scale use of it,” said iss.

“The whole issue boils down to whether Erie County must provide
“equivalent” coverage, even from another source, in the face of Blue
Cross roping the rider from the present health benefit package,” said

Young.

Young said a similar test will be made soon regarding coverage for the
80-member Local 815 PEE Sewer Auinoeity Unit, which is covered under
a separate contract.
Arbitrator Grant has a decision within a week of the
conclusion of arbitration hearings, which begin Jan. 18. Attorney Jaros said
CSEA will argue that the county should be directed to pay for all out-of-
pocket expenses members have been forced to pay, as well as provide for
continued psychiatric insurance coverage.

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, January 14, 1983

Page 9

Governor Cuomo’s State of the State message to Legislat

ALBANY — Calling for a ‘‘new
partnership” of business, labor and
government, newly-inaugurated Gov.
Mario M. Cuomo mapped out his
plans for New York in his first State of
the State Message to the Legislature
last week.

The governor, elected with the help
of thousands of CSEA members
throughout the state, pledged to deal
with the state’s impending billion
dollar budget deficit, ‘. . .the way a
family would — without abandoning
our weak, without sacrificing the
future of our young, without destroy-
ing the environment that supports
us.”

In a 33-page written message, Gov.
Cuomo pointed to numerous changes
he hopes to make in the state during
the coming year. A major cornerstone
of that plan, of course, is the Ex-
ecutive Budget which Cuomo is re-
quired to present to the Legislature by
Feb. 1. I t is that document, more

than any other, that will tell public
workers what additional sacrifices
they may be asked to make to accom-
modate the state’s fiscal problems,
greatly heightened by the deepening
national recession.

Yet the governor took time in his
State of the State message to
specificially note the sacrifices
already made by public workers over
the past decade in the name of fiscal
stability and the concessions public
workers have approved in their
contracts to help state and local
governments weather the fiscal
storm.

Commented CSEA President
William L. McGowan, following the
address, ‘I hope that the governor
remembers his remarks about our
sacrifices when he puts together the
budget. Our people have been carry-
ing this state on their backs for too
long and we can’t afford to do much
more. Even in their new contract

Tribute to public workers

ALBANY — In his first major
address to the New York State
Legislature, outlining his plans for
the future, Gov. Mario M. Cuomo.
paid tribute to the sacrifices of the
hundreds of thousands of public
workers in this state. Following is
the text of those remarks:

“Good government is not just a
matter of laws. It depends on the
people who staff its agencies,
direct its programs, and execute
its policies. Over the past decade,
public employees have been called
on time and time again to sacrifice
in the name of fiscal stability. At
one time they were insulated from
economic conditions, but today
they are frequently the first to feel
their impact. Public employee
unions were called upon to make
major contract concessions long

before similar actions were taken
in the private sector.

“Of great concern to public
employees is the issue of pension
reform. Although controlling
public employee pension costs is of
the highest priority, we must in-
sure that our actions do not result
in the inequitable treatment of dif-
ferent groups of public employees.
This spring I will receive the final
report of the Pension Commission
on the various public pension pro-
grams. I shall then develop and
submit recommendations for
changes in the pension system
where appropriate.

“In order that all who benefit
from the collective bargaining pro-
cess share equitably in its financ-
ing, I shall submit legislation mak-
ing the agency shop fee deduction
permanent and mandatory.”

state employees have accepted a lag
payroll and a share of health in-
surance premiums for the first time.
We have endured all that we can. It’s
time someone else made some
sacrifices now.”

But while the first Cuomo State of
the State lacked specific insights on
how the governor would propose to
deal with the impending deficit, it did
not lack for areas that he has targeted
for change.

For public employees, however,
those areas were not overly
threatening.

Gov. Cuomo said he will propose
legislation to “reform” statutes
governing investments of public
employee and private insurance com-
pany pension funds, to ‘“‘make it possi-
ble for the pension funds to invest in
promising new ventures, in the
modernization of existing companies,
and in major public-private develop-
ment projects...”

Additionally, he said, the changes
would increase pension investments
within New York State, including
small and minority businesses. The
governor claimed that just a minor
shift in pension investments could add
nearly $3 billion of capital to help
revitalize the state’s economy.

President McGowan, noting
CSEA’s history of caution on pension
investment changes, said the union
would be willing to look at the plan
and would welcome increased invest-
ment within the state which could
ultimately benefit public employees.
It must be certain, however, that such
investments are reasonable and pru-
dent and conform to normal invest-
ment practices.

In another area, Cuomo pledged to
submit recommendations to
lawmakers for changes in the Tier III
retirement system which links pen-
sions for some public workers to
Social Security and requires a 3
percent contribution of gross earnings
while other workers contribute
nothing and have benefits that are not
tied to Social Security payments.

Cuomo did not say what specific
changes he would propose.

He did, however, pledge to help
public employee union members dgal
with the financial burden of collective
bargaining and contract administra-
tion, by proposing to make permanent
and mandatory the agency shop law
for New York that requires many
public employees receiving benefits
from union representation to share in
the cost of representation. Presently
the agency shop law is renewable and
negotiable.

The governor also vowed to creat®a
special commission to propose
overhauling the state’s mental health

re system for increased efficiency
improve coordination of state and
al programs. He also vowed to “‘in-
easy the role”’ of the Commission on
Quality of Care for the Mentally
bled. He offered no specifics,
ver, about either proposal.
President McGowan said the union
id initiate immediate contacts
state officials concerning the
sals.

Cuomo also pledged to:

@ continue the Executive

regarding affirmative ac-

on programs
igencies.

in state

© propose an immediate in-
crease in maximum Unemploy-
ment Insurance Benefits.

@ propose outlawing man-
ory retirement based on

@ expand correctional

facilities, but eliminate plans to
convert part of the Pilgrim
State Hospital for correctional
uses.

@ consolidate three public
authorities the Housing
Finance Agency, the State of
New York Mortgage Agency,
and the Dormitory Authority, in-
to two agencies.

@ reconstitute the Urban
Development’ Agency into a
New York State Development
Agency, including rural
development in its activities.

®@ reorganize the Commerce
Department to accommodate
Regional Development Task
Forces to be created
throughout the state.

‘Please

expenditures.

© propose a five-year, $1.25
billion Infrastructure Bond
Issue to rebuild the state’s
highways and bridges, ports
and rail facilities.

@ propose major changes in
criminal justice practices, jury
selection, new sentencing stan-
dards, and possible redeploy-
ment of the State Police.

@ propose construction of
6,000 permanent housing units
for the state’s homeless.

®@ present a comprehensive
Medicaid Reform Program.

@ propose public financing
and spending limits for
statewide premary and general
elections.

® begin efforts to identify job
development opportunities, ex-
pand markets for state pro-

don’t let
me forget’

ALBANY — For Mario M. Cuomo, the son of im-
migrants, taking the oath for the highest office in the
state was a personal vow to take care of the needy, the
jobless and the destitute. i

In fact, Governor Cuomo said in his inaugural address,

he was “borne into the highest seat in the state”
of a government which gave his Italian parents the op-
portunity to work, build a family and “‘live in dignity.”
As he traced his immigrant roots, Cuomo echoed a
popular campaign theme: fiscal prudence does not pre-
vent government from providing ‘‘shelter for the
homeless, work for the idle, care for the elderly and in-

firmed and hope for the destitute.”

Statements like this brought the 2,600 inaugural guests
to their feet, applauding a total of 14 times during

because

handicapped.

LS A SL LLY TE SE LP ELE I oe SLI PI A

ducts, and encourage business
expansion.

As is common in State of the State
Messages, there were few specifics
outlined. They will come in time as
various pieces of legislation to imple-
ment the ideas outlined in the State of
the State, are drafted.

Concluded President McGowan,
“Overall it was an upbeat address
that expressed the governor’s per-
sonal confidence in the ability of this
state to pick itself up from its current
troubles and put itself back to work.
But we all will have to await the Ex-
ecutive Budget to see precisely what
he has in mind and what the actual
implications could be for public
workers. While we are anxious to help
Gov. Cuomo get New York moving
again in any way we can, we obvious-
ly will do what we must to ensure that
public employees will not be asked
again to bear an unfair share of the
burden.”

redistribution of national wealth currently in effect
under the Reagan Administration.

The new governor viewed his inauguration at Albany’s
Empire State Plaza as a celebration of the state’s unity.
To illustrate this, Cuomo broke with tradition and held
the ceremony at the spacious Convention Center instead
of the relatively small Assembly Chamber to accom-
modate a broader spectrum of people such as represen-
tatives of the state’s Indian nations, leaders of the
Republican and Conservative parties, the elderly and the

At the end of his address, Cuomo appealed for the help

of God and the people of New York State to help him

remember his pledges. And in a rather unorthodox, yet
touching gesture, Cuomo recalled his deceased father

... “wherever you are, and I think I know, for all the
ceremony and the big house (the Governor’s mansion)
and the pomp and circumstance, please don’t let me
forget.”

Cuomo’s highly emotional speech.

Cuomo used words like “family” and “blessed socie-
ty” to describe the residents of New York State. This
family, he promised, will not fall prey to the new

PLANS|
inaugu
course
ad@es:

‘OR THE FUTURE — Newly-
d Governor Cuomo maps out a
ct for the state in his first major
th@egislature last week.

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, January 14, 1963

Page 10 THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, January 14, 1983 Page 11

LEGISLATIVE.
INSIGHT

<i oe /))/
La a ey a Ve aT

New administrations are a lot like new shoes.
Even when you’re happy with the style, and
you’ve checked the fit carefully, they tend to
pinch a bit at first. The Cuomo administration
Started out pinching a bit, when 24 hours after
the new Governor delivered his State of the
State Message, stating ‘‘In order that all who
benefit from the collective bargaining process
share equitably in its financing, | shall submit
legislation making the agency shop fee
deduction permanent and mandatory for all
public employees in this State.’’

Within 24 hours, ‘“‘spokesmen”’ stated that a
terrible mistake had been made and that in fact
the Governor only intended to say that he would
submit legislation making the agency shop law
permanent, in its current form. In other words,
local government and school district
employees would continue to have to negotiate
for an agency shop, while State employees
would be the automatic beneficiary of the
agency shop legislation and would not be
required to trade away benefits in order to
secure it.

The State of the State speech was 33 pages
long. It was an excellent, and in many parts,
both an inspiring and inspired document
fulfilling your union’s confidence in the new
Governor. How odd, that the only so-called
mistake in the entire speech occurred at the
end of the Governor's message, in a very

modest section dealing with the contributions
of public employees and the public employee
unions. Odder, still, that the repudiation of the
statement came on several occasions from the
ubiquitous ‘‘spokesmen’’ but never, at least in
the papers | read, from the Governor himself.

| would expect that a mistake was made, but
that the mistake was the failure to stand up for
what was right in the first place. The aide,
whoever he or she might have been who
convinced the Governor to allow the statement
to be repudiated at the first sounds of
caterwauling from local government and school
district officials who oppose the mandatory
agency shop for no other reason than to seek a
bargaining advantage, made the mistake. The
local officials who succeeded will think the
Governor weak and susceptible to bullying, and
will surely like him no better for it and public
employees who applauded his initial stand will
surely be disappointed.

The Governor was correct when he said that
all who benefit from the collective bargaining
process should share equitably in its financing
just as all of us who share in the services
provided by government must pay taxes.
Having arrived at this logical and equitable
conclusion does it then make any sense to
insist that employees who are paying more
than their fair share of the costs of collective
bargaining give up some portion of the fruits of
that bargaining in order to achieve an equitable

CSEA is the winner, and Orange County the loser, in a

Union is
upheld in
court case
involving
retirement
funding by
Orange Co.

Paget?

battle which has raged since 1979 over exactly how the coun-
ty should calculate contributions into the State Employees
Retirement System.

The controversy started in 1979 when the county began
paying the employees’ share of the Social Security (FICA)
tax. However, in computing the retirement system con-
tribution, the county refused to include the 6.13 percent
FICA payment as part of the employees’ annual salary.

CSEA, at the time, won a court order to have the money
counted, but the county appealed and the matter finally
ended up in state Supreme Court as a contest between
Orange County and the State Employees Retirement
System.

So it was with a great deal of satisfaction that CSEA
County Unit President Kay Cayton learned on Jan. 10 that
the court upheld the employees and ruled that, “FICA
obligations constitute annual compensation within the
meaning of the Retirement and Social Security Law.” The
decision noted the county already included FICA payments
when calculating wages for income tax purposes as well as
the fact not counting the payments would reduce eventual
pension benefits.

CSEA Attorney Pauline Rogers Kinsella says that she
now expects the county will be directed to make retroactive
contributions to the retirement system, and that benefits for
employees will be recomputed.

THE PUBLIC\SECTOR,; Friday) Vanuary 14, 1983

contribution from their fellow employees? The
Governor was right in his State of the State
speech and his ‘‘spokesmen’’ were wrong. We
invite the Governor to return to his original
stand and submit legislation making the
agency shop fee deduction permanent and
mandatory for all public employees. CSEA will
submit legislation to accomplish this end, in
any event, and we invite the Governor to
support it.

The good news about the new administration
is that it and the Governor have already
exhibited most of the traits that led so many of
us to support him. The appointment of women
and minorities to senior administration posts
with high visibility has signalled the Governor’s
genuine commitment in these areas. His
special effort in the State of the State address
to signal his concern for public employees and
to invite Tier Ill reform was unusual and
appreciated and | could not help but wonder, as.
[listened to both the inaugural address and the
State of the State Message how much different
these speeches would have sounded had Ed
Koch or Lew Lehrman delivered them.

Your union and Cuomo administration are
beginning a long voyage together through
rough seas and it is to be expected that there
will be serious disagreements along the way,
but as long as mutual respect, open
communication, and affection can survive we
should all arrive at our destination safely.

Local law rejection urged

HAUPPAUGE — Region I publicly stated its
opposition last week to a local law that would
change the method of filling vacancies in the Suf-
folk County legislature.

The new law, already passed by the legislature,
would eliminate an amendment to the Suffolk Coun-
ty charter that calls for the filling of vacancies
within 90 days by special election. The law would
permit the legislature to appoint a candidate to the
vacant seat who would serve until the next general
election.

Appearing at a public hearing on the law con-
ducted by County Executive Peter Cohalan, Danny
Donohue, Region I President, urged Cohalan to veto
the law.

“If you sign this bill, it will disenfranchise Suffolk
voters and put a dangerous amount of power into
the hands of unelected party officials, be they of
whatever political party,’’ Donohue said.

“CSEA is a democratic union; our members
went to be able to vote directly for their legislative
representative just as they are able to vote directly
for their union representatives,’”’ Donohue said.

Legal

Briefs

“Legal Briefs” is a periodic column about
Civil Service Law and legal matters of interest to
public employees. Material is compiled and
edited by the Albany law firm of Roemer and
Featherstonhaugh, counsel to CSEA.

‘Safety Equipment’

New York State has the right to order employees
to wear certain ordinary work clothing for safety
and health purposes without having to provide this
clothing, an arbitrator has held.

The recent arbitratin case concerned a Depart-
ment of Transportation work clothing guideline
which said that under certain circumstances,
employees could not wear short pants, short sleeve
shirts, or certain inappropriate footwear for safety
reasons.

A grievance was filed by CSEA alleging that the
state violated Article 15.1 of the Operational Ser-
vices Unit collective bargaining agreement, which
provided that . . . ‘‘Safety equipment such as safety

shoes, safety goggles, hardhats, vests, etc. which is
officially required by departments and agents for
use by employees shall be supplied by the State.”

CSEA argued that the work clothing guidelines
were issued to safeguard employee health and safe-
ty and established mandatory clothing re-
quirements such as the wearing of long pants, long
sleeve shirts and full foot coverage.

The union contended that since the items of
clothing were mandated for safety purposes and
were therefore officially required, the staté should
furnish such items.

The state argued that the items set forth in ithe ©

guidelines were not safety equipment within Article
15.1, and maintained that the term ‘‘safety equip-
ment’) meant special devices. or other items
specifically engineered for safety purposes. ,

The arbitrator, in denying the grievance, held
that the term ‘‘safety equipment”’ did not include
anything and everything required by the state for
safety purposes. Specifically, the arbitrator held
that ordinary clothing, even when mandated. for
safety purposes, is not safety equipment within the
meaning of Article 15.1. The arbitrator interpreted
the term “safety equipment” as meaning specializ-
ed items produced specifically for safety purposes.

Disciplinary Proceeding
An employee who is disciplined on the grounds of
insubordination but who is not entitled to a pre-
termination hearing is nonetheless entitled to a
hearing to remove the stigma of the insubor-
dination charge.

That decision was made in the Matter of Lutwin
v. Alleyne, in which the petitioner was employed as
a district manager of Community School Board
Number 9 in Bronx county. Sh erminated for
the inability to acquire suppert of staff in a timely
and effective manner; poor administrative and
supervisory abilities; and the failure to cooperate
with requests for a meeting and a service complaint
log.

The Appellate Division, Second Department.
noted that as a district manage:

served at the pleasure of the community board a:
was therefore not entitled to full procedural due
process and could be te ted from her position
without cause, notice, c hearing.

The court noted th he charges which
relate to poor or unsa’ story performance do not
Tise to the level of a deprivation of liberty such that
a hearing is required, insubordination is a charge
which carried sufficient stigma to rise to such a
level.

The court held that the charge that the petitioner
failed to cooperate with certain requests by the
evaluation committee amounts to a charge of in-
subordination. Therefore, while the other reasons
stated for the employee’s discharge were sufficient
to sustain the discharge, and even though she could
have been discharged for no reason, the court held
that the employee was entitled to a hearing to at-
tempt to remove the stigma of the insubordination
charge.

Mandatory health program begins April 1

Some important facts about
second surgical opinion program

ALBANY — Public employees who belong to the
Statewide Health (Metropolitan) Option are
reminded that the mandatory second surgical
opinion program will not go into effect until April 1.

Second medical opinions will, thereafter, be
required to receive maximum benefits for the

ANGELA DEVITO, Capital Region OSHA representative, left, discusses the importance of regula!
workplace inspections with Ellen Diange of SUNYA Local 691, center, and Sue Waltz of Motor Vehi-
Kole 674, during a recent education program sponsored by the region’s education committee.

following elective procedures: bunionectomy,
cataract removal, deviated septum, hysterectomy,
knee surgery and prostatectomy.

The cost of the second opinion will be paid in full
by the Health Plan, and the medical consultant will
be an independent, certified expert. Arrangements

should be made at least two weeks before the
surgery is scheduled.

To arrange for the second surgical consultation,
or to get answers to any questions about the
program, call one of the following toll-free
telephone numbers:

New York City area (including Long Island and
Rockland/Westchester counties)..... 1-800-832-4650

Other areas............. - +++ -1-800-342-3726

If, after the second opinion is given, a person
decides to have the elective surgery, hospital
expenses will be paid in full by Blue Cross, and
Metropolitan medical/surgical will pay 80 percent
of covered charges for surgery, anesthesia and
other related expenses. Payments will be made
regardless of whether or not the second opinion
confirmed the need for surgery. But, if a person
does not arrange for a second opinion, only 50
percent of covered hospital and surgical/medical
charges will be paid.

Other reminders:

e Effective immediately, specified surgical
procedures (breast biopsy, bronchoscopy,
colonoscopy, cyctoscopy, diagnostic D&C,
diagnostic laparoscopy, excision of skin lesion,
gastroscopy, myringotomy, vasectomy) when
performed in an ambulatory surgical center, or in
the physician’s office, will be reimbursed at 100
percent of usual, reasonable and customary
charge. If such surgery is performed on an in-
patient basis, reimbursements for the physician’s
charges and hospital expenses will be at 50 percent
of usual, reasonable and customary charge unless
hospitalization is a medical necessity.

© Effective immediately, in-patient hospital
days incurred for the purpose of conducting
diagnostic tests and X-rays will not be a covered ex-
pense, and the tests and X-rays (unless hos~ italiza-
tion is a medical necessity ) will be reimbu: ed at 80
percent of the normal hospital charges. Fees for

tests and X+rays will be paid:in full if performed.on

on an outpatient basis.

USATCO, rising from ashes
of PATCO, seeks donations

“ WASHINGTON — The struggle goes on
for PATCO, the Professional Air Traffic
Controller's. Organization, which is no
more (just like Poland's Solidarity). But a

group of dismissed controllers are carry-
ing on the fight, and have established a
non-profit corporation called the United

States Air rattle Controllers Organiza-
tion (USATCO},

PATCO itself. recently filed for
bankruptcy, Staggering debts caused by
heavy fines have ed it out. But USAT-
CO will carry onits Spirit,

Gary W. Eads, president of the new
organization, says the major goals are to
get dismissed controllers reinstated,
and to promote air traffic safety. Mean-
while, he reports that 10;900 dismissed
controllers have appealed their firings
to the U.S. Merit Systems Protection
Board. Thus far, most of the appeals
have been rejected, but there is an ap-
peal’s process that can go up to the

federal circuit of the U.S. Court of Ap-

peals.

It is estimated that approximately 75
percent of the fired controllers have
found other full or parttime jobs, or have
either entered vocational training pro-
grams or enrolled in colleges to pursue
new careers. Says Eads: ‘The real loser
here is the aviation community. The loss
of badly needed expertise will take
many years to replace.”

When asked how other unions might
help, Eads suggested financial contribu-
tions, “to assist ini jual members who
were assessed fines as a result of the
PATCO strike and for those who need
money to appeal their ‘criminal’ con
tions.” Contributions may be sent to:

“Legal Defense Fund”
210 7th Street, S.E.
Suite C-26
Washington, D.C. 20003

THE UNION’S PROBATION COMMITTEE met last month in Albany to discuss a number of topics
including job titles, the possibility of a State takeover of probation services and a recent survey com-
missioned by the division. From left, above, are Region I member James Mattei, CSEA Staff Coor-
dinator Walter Leubner, Committee chairman James Brady of Region VI and Region II member
James Brearton. In photo below, State Director of Probation Tom Callanan, second from right, ex-
plains the results of a recent survey during the union’s committee meeting as Deputy Director Ed-
mund Wutzer, right, listens. At left are Region I member Michael Thompson and committee chair-

man James Brady.
fm «°:
ak ay

\

p=

Pagel14 _>37HE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, January 14,1983

Now you can,

improve on
exam scores

Thanks to an important new educational service
now being offered by CSEA, thousands of public
employees are expected to improve their perfor-
mances on upcoming civil service examinations.

CSEA announced the exciting new program in the
previous edition of The Public Sector. Phase one of
the program has been launched with the production
of five booklets designed in cooperation with the
New York State School of Industrial and Labor
Relations, Cornell University. The five booklets in
the series contain information helpful in many dif-
ferent types of exams, and may be purchased by
CSEA members at a cost of $1.50 for each booklet
by using the coupon printed at the end of this
article.

Non-CSEA members can obiain the same
material directly from Cornell at the same price by
contacting: Cornell ILR, 112 State Street, Suite
1200, Albany, New York 12207,

The available booklets are titled, Booklet One,
Basic Math; Booklet Two, Arithmetic Reasoning;
Booklet Three, Understanding and Interpreting
Tabular Material; Booklet Four, Understanding
and Interpreting Written Material; and Booklet
Five, Preparing Written Material.

In the near future, the union expects to Jaunch
phase two of the exam preparation educational pro-
ject with a comprehensive, four-part video tape
program covering the same topics. Phase two was
made possible with funding of a grant from the
Committee on Work Environment and Productivi-
ty. Suitable for large audience presentation, the
video tape program may also be offered over
educational television stations throughout the state
if efforts to arrange such programming are
successful.

CSEA Education Director Thomas Quimby said
the initial reponse for union members has been
good since the concept was announced two weeks
ago, with most of the early orders for booklets com-
ing from the thousands of public employees ex-
pected to take the Public Administration Transition
Traineeship (PATT) exam on February 26.

CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES
iN

ASSOCIATIO! Date____

ATTN: CSEA EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
33 ELK STREET,
ALBANY, NEW YORK 12207

Please send me the booklet(s) indicated. | under-
stand the price is $1.50 (includes postage) for
EACH booklet ordered, and | have enclosed a
check or money order for $_ to cover the
cost of this order.

BASIC MATH. ARITHMETIC REASONING

UNDERSTANDING AND INTERPRETING
TABULAR MATERIAL

UNDERSTANDING AND INTERPRETING
WRITTEN MATERIAL

PREPARING WRITTEN MATERIAL
Send to:
Name. A ae

Address.

City a _= State/ZiP.

Social Security Number. CSEA Local

Employer

ee ee ee

NEW SAFETY REP WELCOMED — CSEA President William McGowan and state of-
ficials welcome John Pardee, seated center, as the neutral chairman for the joint CSEA-
state Safety and Health Committee. Seated, from left to right, are McGowan, Pardee and

SAFETY
IT CAN'T
HURT

NYS -CSEA

FETY HEALTH MAINTENANCE
COMMITTEE .

Jim Northrup. Standing, left to right, are Tom Hartnett, Al DeMarco, Nels Carlson, CSEA

safety coordinator, and Ted Todorov.

awareness
campaign

JOINT SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETS —
Members of the joint CSEA-state Safety and
Health Committee met recently in Albany to
discuss a new safety awareness campaign and
other health-related matters. Pictured, seated
left to right, are Dr. Beatrice Kovasznay, Nels

ALBANY — ‘‘Safety, It Can’t Hurt” is the theme of an awareness cam-
paign now underway to reduce the number of accidents and injuries which
occur at the workplace.

The campaign, according to Collective Bargaining Specialist and CSEA
Safety Coordiantor Nels Carlson, is the brainchild of the New York State —
CSEA Safety and Health Maintenance Committee, which receives $300,000
annually to implement its goals, The funds were negotiated during last
year’s state contract talks and are a first for the committee, which is made
up of an equal number of labor and management representatives and
presided over by an impartial chairman, John M. Pardee.

A former corporate safety director of Eastman Kodak Co., Pardee was
responsible for the company’s safety and fire protection program. In 1982,

) he was one of eight persons to receive the National Safety Council’s
Distinguished Service to Safety Award.

Carlson, Stanley Winter and Sue Bucrzinski,
Standing, left to right, are C. Allen Mead, Lou
Mannellino, Frank Falejczyk, Robert Thompson,
Al DeMarco, Ted Todorov, Skip Hommel, David
Rings and John Pardee.

Other committee members are: from CSEA, Nels Carlson, Robert
Thompson, C. Allen Mead, Sue Bucrzinski, Frank Falejczyk, Louis Man-
nellino and Phyllis Ferguson, and from the state, Allen DeMarco, David
Rings, Stanley Winter, Jeffry Brandywine, Dan Mencucci, Beatrice
Kovasznay and C. C. ‘“‘Skip’’ Hammel.

Posters, bumper stickers and lapel pins are all available to promote
“Safety, It Can’t Hurt,” and are expected to be distributed in the near
future. Ted Todorov, program coordinator, says the aim of the campaign is
simple — “to have a positive impact on attitudes toward safety ...
awareness is a good place to start.”’

Says Nels Carlson: “‘The idea is to cut down on the number of accidents
and serious injuries to public employees, particularly state employees,
since this came out of the state contract talks.”

Nn NS DE eT Cnn Un DRO DEST

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, 'Friday, January 14, 1983 Page 15

AN AMBITIOUS LEGISLATIVE
PROGRAM

legislative bills '
enacted into law
issue of The Public
A proposal to make
manent and mandai

AGENCY SHOP — A proposal to make
Agency Shop permanent and mandatory for
all public employees.
LOBA — A proposal to allow an arbitration
panel to select the last best offer from either
side in its entirety on disputed issues.
LIMITED RIGHT TO STRIKE — A bill
which would make the right to strike legal for
public employees who have reached impasse
and who do not have benefit of interest ar-
bitration, either by law or agreement.
EMPLOYER IMPROPER PRACTICE —
Would eliminate the “‘two for one’’ penalty and
the loss of dues deduction forfeiture where a
strike was caused in whole or in part by an im-
proper employer practice as determined by
PERB.
COMMUNITY SERVICE BOARDS — Bill
would delete that provision of Mental Hygiene
Law which precludes employees of Depart-
ment of Mental Hygiene from service on such
boards.
U-GRADES — A bill would prevent the
Chancellor of the State University from
unilaterally moving positions from the com-
petitive class to the unclassified service in the
State University system.

¢ MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY — Would
make Martin Luther King Day a state holiday.

¢ MILITARY LEAVE — Would provide 30

days paid military leave on a “working day

basis” rather than a calendar day basis for

public employees.

° INDEPENDENT HEARING OFFICER —
Would provide an independent hearing officer
for Section 75 hearings.

e MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DIS-
ABILITIES — Would provide for a hearing
when an employee is alleged to be physically
or mentally incapable of performing duties
under civil service law.

« LAYOFF UNITS — A proposal that ina civil
division of 50,000 or less, all departments or
agencies would constitute a single layoff unit
unless the local legislative body passes a

Page 16

UNVEILED

resolution maintaining the entire department
or agency as a layoff unit.

LOCAL CIVIL SERVICE NOTIFICATION
— Would require that notice be given to any
person or agency filing a request for it when
there is to be a rule change by local civil ser-
vice commission or personnel officer.

NY/NJ WATERFRONT COMMISSION
— Would provide civil service status for com-
mission employees.

WHISTLE BLOWER — Would provide that
an employer shall not take retaliatory person-
nel action against an employee for disclosure
of certain policies or practices believed to
pose a threat to public health or safety or
disclosure of substantial mismanagement,
gross waste of funds or abuse of public
authority.

VETERAN’S DAY — Would define the dates
of the Viet Nam conflict as being from 1/1/63
to 2/1/73.

VIET NAM VETS — VA HOSPITALS —
Would provide Viet Nam veterans with no loss
of accruals or monies to attend appointments
at VA hospitals or other medical facilities for
care of service connected disabilities.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES — Would provide
for an Employee Retirement System Board of
Trustees with employee representation
thereon.

SUPPLEMENTATION — Would add to sup-
plementation previously provided, and com-
puted on the first $8,000 of annual retirement
allowance, and would decrease the age for
eligibility from age 62 to age 55.

VET’S BUY BACK — Would give veterans
of WWII and Korea opportunity to buy back
service time.

HEALTH INSURANCE IN RETIREMENT
— Would allow unremarried spouse of an ac-
tive employee of state who died on or after
April 1, 1979 to continue individual coverage
and exhaust any accumulated and unused sick
leave up to 165 days.

¢ TIER | AND Il REOPENERS — Would

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, January 14, 1983

Legislative
Seminar set
February 2G

ALBANY — CSEA has announced
tentative plans for its sixth annual
Legislative Seminar for Saturday,
February 26, 1983 at the Empire
State Convention Center here.

When plans are finalized, details
will be mailed to all CSEA regional
Political Action Liaisons (PALS),
local presidents and members of
the Board of Directors. Ad nal
information also be publ
a future edition of The Public Sec-
tor.

allow employees in the wrong tier through no
fault of their own to be transferred to the
proper tier.

UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO BUY BACK
— Would allow employees to buy back service
credit for time prior to takeover by State of
New York.

ROME COMMUNITY STORE — Would
give retirement credit for employees of Store
rendered before State takeover.

HEART BILL — Would provide a presump-
tion that diseases of the heart for correction
officers were caused by employment at retire-
ment system accidental disability hearings.
TIER ti! ELIMINATION — Would eliminate
Tier III of the State Employees Retirement
System.

EXEMPTION OF FIRST $20,000 OF
RETIREMENT INCOME — Would exempt
that amount from Federal Income Tax.
RETIREE EARNINGS — Would increase
the amount a retiree can earn without loss or
dimunition of retirement allowance.
RETIREE DENTAL PLAN — Would
establish a statewide dental insurance plan
separately rated and administered for
retirees.

HEALTH INSURANCE AT 25% OF
COST FOR DEPENDENTS — Would
reduce the cost of continuing health insurance
coverage for all plans for unremarried
spouses and dependents’ of employees.
CORRECTION OFFICERS 25-YEAR
RETIREMENT PLAN — Would provide a
25-year, half-pay retirement plan for correc-
tion officers of political sub-divisions.
EDUCATION LAW PARITY — Would
equalize state aid for districts which operate
their own bus services.

CONTINGENCY BUDGET — Would
establish a procedure whereby school districts
could tax for items now not austerity budget
items.

BUS SEATS —- Would mandate a change in
the height of bus seats.

ARE OMRDD LAYOFFS NECESSARY?

Commissioner's answers raise

a barrage of questions in Region Il

NEW YORK CITY — Questions posed by
Metropolitan Region II developmental center local
presidents and Regional President George
Caloumeno about the planned layoffs at Office of
Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities
(OMRDD) facilities have been formally answered
by OMRDD Commissioner Zygmond Slezak.

But, according to Caloumeno, the answers “raise
further questions about the scope and even the
necessity of the layoffs.”

The questions originally were raised at a meeting
in New York City between developmental center
local presidents and OMRDD personnel
administrators and were put in writing to Slezak by
Caloumeno.

At the meeting the personnel administrators
reviewed the layoff procedures and expressed a
desire to work with CSEA to ensure that the rights
of OMRDD employees in CSEA bargaining units
are protected during the layoff process.

However, union representatives, while sharing
and appreciating OMRDD’s articulated interest in
employee rights, wanted the “facts and figures” to
support OMRDD’s contention that layoffs are
indeed necessary. The Region II developmental
center local presidents also wanted data explaining
the geographic distribution of the layoffs, which
they felt unreasonably impact on New York City.

The personnel administrators explained that they
were unable to answer the union’s questions, but
would forward them to the responsible officials for
response.

In keeping with their pledge to protect
employees’ rights, the personnel administrators
agreed to:

e designate an OMRDD staff member at each
facility affected by the layoffs to answer questions
and resolve problems that are encountered by
CSEA local representatives and members;

e develop a selection process for laid off
employees that will enable CSEA representatives
to monitor job opportunities for affected members
in their locals (local presidents will receive a list of
the least senior employees in the layoff unit, as well
as the names of employees in their locals who may
be “‘bumped’’) ;

@ meet with CSEA local representatives, once
the names of the affected individuals are identified,
to find other job opportunities and discuss other
information regarding separation from state
service.

“I’m pleased that OMRDD is making every effort
to work with us in protecting employees’ rights,”’
Caloumeno says. ‘‘But our first obligation as a
union has to be to do all we can to prevent even one
employee from being laid off.’’

The answers to the admittedly “loaded’’ but
necessary questions raised by the local presidents
and put in writing to Slezak drew, in Caloumeno’s
words, “revealing but less than satisfactory
answers.”

The key question posed to Slezak was: ‘‘Exactly,
what is the projected OMRDD deficit for the
current fiscal year?”

Slezak responded by writing, ‘‘There is no
projected deficit for the current fiscal year. He
went on to point out that OMRDD expects to spend
“the full amount of personal service (salary) funds
appropriated by the legislature,”’ thus, according to
Slezak, the reason for the layoffs is a projected lack
of funds to pay the salaries of all the employees
currently on the OMRDD payroll.

However, while providing no specific figure,
Slezak, in response to another question, noted that
without layoffs, ‘ta deficit would result and, in the

current budget environment, no additional funding
can be anticipated.”

Slezak also discounted a possible increase in
overtime costs as a result of the layoffs, pointing to
a recent expenditure analysis done by OMRDD that
showed “overtime has been reduced since the
initial layoffs were affected’’ in Oct., 1982.

At a meeting with OMRDD officials to discuss
Slezak’s response to questions concerning the
layoffs, Caloumeno reports that he received more
detailed responses that ‘‘were quite revealing” and
led to more questions.

“First of all,” he says, ‘they dropped what to me
is a bombshell: While planning to lay off 307 CSEA-
represented employees at developmental centers in
New York City and at J.N. Adams, Craig and
Newark Developmental Centers, OMRDD is
actually hiring people at other facilities.”

OMRDD maintains that the hiring and the layoffs
will bring the agency in line with appropriate
staff/patient ratios. Caloumeno dismisses that
argument.

“T do not begrudge in any way any facility getting
needed staff to care for clients,” he says. ‘‘But the
reality, not the numbers on a piece of paper, is that
staffing at developmental centers in New York City
is simply inadequate as it is. One fact that reveals
this is the inordinate amount of forced overtime at
these facilities.

“Slezak believes that despite the layoffs,
overtime will not increase. I certainly fail to see
that logic.”

Caloumeno views the planned layoffs as a
“budgetary game.”

“The overtime budget is separate from the
personal services budget that will supposedly be
short without layoffs,” he says. “So we have
OMRDD eager to cut one budget line, but ready to
accept an increase in another.

“Further,” he continues, “I asked OMRDD to
give a specific dollar savings for this fiscal year as
a result of the layoffs. Not surprisingly, I was told
‘We'll get back to you.’ ”

Caloumeno points out that since the current fiscal
year ends on March 31 and the layoffs are not
scheduled until late Feb. or early March, “how can
a significant amount of money really be saved,
especially when vacation pay due any laid off
employee has to be factored in.”

Other issues raised by the Region II
developmental center local presidents and
Caloumeno also drew ‘‘revealing” responses from
Slezak.

On the status of the more than $10 million the
United Cerebral Palsy Association billed to
Medicaid for services the agency did not provide,
Slezak reported that all monies due the State from
UCP “have been collected or are being collected.”

u

1 iy }
METROPOLITAN REGION II local presidents, Region II Presi-
dent George Caloumeno and CSEA staff ‘caucus prior to a
meeting to discuss with OMRDD and OMH representatives.

THE PUBLIC SEC

He pointed out, however, that ‘the State Finance
Law requires that such funds be repaid to the
general fund and, therefore, they are not available
for expenditure by OMRDD.””

As in the case of the reasons for the layoffs,
answers to questions lead to more questions.
Caloumeno has asked OMRDD why the agency has
not gone to the Division of the Budget to seek a
share of the funds UCP repaid?

Of particular concern to the CS9EA membership
in Region II is the fact that more than two-thirds of
the planned OMRDD layoffs in the CSEA
bargaining units are slated for facilities in New
York City, which has only about one-fifth of
OMRDD employees state-wide.

In his letter to Caloumeno Slezak denies the
implication that the City was “arbitrarily assigned
a disproportionate share of the layoff
responsibility.”’ He justified the burden that Region
II facilities must bear in the layoffs by pointing out
that the “layoffs resulted from the consistent
application of the (OMRDD) spending plan
methodology, the purpose of which was to live with
available legislative appropriations,’’
appropriations, Slezak noted, that contain no funds
to continue ‘‘in excess of accepted ratios.”’

In response to the concern that the layoffs will
primarily affect women and minority employees,
Slezak acknowledged that the layoffs will “in fact
fall heavily upon both women and minorities
because the basic workforce in this area (New York
City) is made up predominantly of people in these
categories.”

“So what we have here,’’ Caloumeno charges, ‘‘is
a layoff plan designed to close a miniscule portion
of the entire state’s $500 million plus budget gap for
this fiscal year, that will impact most severely on
women and minorities who, given the state of the
economy will most likely end up on the
unemployment line, may not in fact save any
money and may reduce the quality of care in State
developmental centers, which have been the target
of attacks on the quality of care issue for years.”

Under the direction of Caloumeno and Region II
Political Action Chairman Robert Nurse, in
Caloumeno’s words, ‘‘a massive effort has been
launched to alert the legislature to the devastating
impact of these layoffs.”

Letters have gone to legislators from New York
City, and Region II local presidents will be making
personal visits and phone calls to reinforce the
message.

“CSEA gave most of these legislators substantial
support in the last election,” Caloumeno says.
“Let’s see what kind of support they will give us.”

He asked every member in Region II to contact
his or her legislators and urge them ‘“‘to stop the
layoffs.”

riday, January.

CLUW RECEPTION WELL ATTENDED
— Marilynne Whittam, left, is relieved that
the Coalition of Labor Union Women’s
reception at NYSUT Headquarters in Al-
bany was well attended by union and
elected officials alike. Sharing her satisfac-
tion is CLUW President Betty Kurtik who is
flanked by State Senator Joseph Bruno and P
CSEA Capital Region President Joseph E.

McDermott. Kurtik and Whittam are CSEA

members. Both are interested in increasing

support for CLUW activities.

FILING ENDS JANUARY 17, 1983

Specialist II G-18............. sesseess.—Equalization/
TITLE DEPT. EXAM. Assessment ...... 37-779
2 NO. valuation Research and Development
Assistant Land Surveyor IT G-12. TDP. 37-764 Specialist III G-23............ Aura eres erage SECU
Medical Laboratory Technician : 37-811 Valuation Research and Development
Public Administration Traineeship. . . 00-150 Specialist [V G-27...........ec00rese ees Case ceamined ee 89-682
Supervising Bank Examiner M-4............. BANKING. 39-697 Public Lands Surveyor Examiner
Supervising Overseas Branch Bank GeO8 bl siete: Seelikey euler .—-OGS............ 87-805
Examiner
Land Surveyor (Transportation) G-19........ DOT..... 37-747 Laboratory Technician G-9.. Mic -HEALTH......... 37-812
Senior Land Surveyor (Transportation) G-23...... 37-748 Medical Laboratory Technician I G-9.... eee Seed 37-841
et Public Health Representative III G-20.. B cHanO AN cvae . 37-784
ArchivistiliG-18 0743. sock sft etn. 5 EDUCATION..... 39-704
Senior Resources and Reimbursement
Land Surveyor G-19 SESS. “Agent Gla uit ties. ichehiouncesitndee MENTAL e
Senior Land Surveyor G-23. . 37-766 HEALTH 37-594

EXECUTIVE Chief of Public Service Audits M-5..... ...PUBLIC

Valuation Research and Development SERVICE

open competitive

STATE JOB CALENDAR °

AN APPLICATION FEE OF $5 MUST ACCOMPANY Land Surveyor (Transportation), Senior $28,772 25-758
YOUR APPLICATION FOR EACH EXAMINATION Land Surveyor II, Assistant $14,515 25-790
Applicants MUST Be Postmarked No Later Than JANUARY 24, 1983 Land Surveyor Trainee I $11,582 25-789
Exam. Medical Laboratory Technician I $12,852 25-823
Title Beginning Salary No. Medical Laboratory Technician IT $15,239 25-824
Conservation Biologist (Ecology) $17,694 Public Health Representative III $24,569 25-804
Conservation Biologist (Ecology) Trainee $16,711 770 Public Lands Surveyor Examiner $28,772-$33,740 25-809
Conservation Biologist (Ecology) $17,694 (Range)
Conservation Biologist (Ecology) Trainee $16,711  *-771 — pirector, Bureau of Recreation Services $34,537 28-478 C
Conservation Biologist (Extension) $17,694 Curriculum Content Coordinator
Conservation Biologist (Extension) Trainee $16,711 25-773 (English as a Second Language)t $27,306 80-064
Conservation Biologist (Wildlife) $17,694 Curriculum Content Coordinator (Mathematics) t $27,306 80-065
Conservation Biologist (Wildlife) Trainee $16,711 25-775 Curriculum Content Coordinator (Reading) + $27,306 80-066
Curator, (History), Senior $18,323 25-766 © Emergency Health Services Communications
Health Planner $17,694 25-787 Assistant $22,132 28-444
Health Planner (Trainee) $16,711 25-786 Federal Funding & Contract Management
Health Planner, Senior $22,132 25-795 Specialist II $28,785 28-447
Historian, Senior $27,306 25-765 Supervisor of Federal Funds and Contract
Laboratory Technician $12,852 25-822 Management $31,104 28-448
Land Surveyor $23,351 25-826 + Obtain applications from the New York State Department of e
Land Surveyor (Transportation) $23,351 25-757 Correctional Services.

Page 18 THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, January: 14; 1983

CSEA REGION II PRESIDENT
Ramond J. O’Connor . . . “our prayers
were with them, and thank God those
prayers were answered.”

tunately, none of them was involved when inmates in Cell
Block B last week took 17 guards hostage and held them
for more than 53 hours until their demands were aired on
radio and television.

CSEA Region III President Raymond J. O’Connor
says, ‘‘We were all concerned for the safety of our
members. Luckily none of them was involved. As for our
brothers in District Council 82 (corrections officers),
we're glad they’re safe and back with their families. Our
prayers were with them, and thank God those prayers
were answered.”

CSEA Regional Director Thomas J. Luposello ex-
pressed ongoing concern for the environment that the
civilian employees have to endure in such a facility.

LTH LET

™ Civilian employees safe
during Ossining crisis

OSSINING — There are 165 CSEA members who
work at the Ossining Correctional Facility here. For-

“One can only imagine what may have happened if this
takeover occurred on a weekday when the civilian
workers were in the facility,” Luposello said. ‘Serious
consideration should always be given to our members’
safety.”

CSEA Local 161 President Pat Altieri first learned of
the prison uprising while returning home from a trip to
Florida. She said some CSEA members were asked to
work overtime during the crisis to cover telephones, and
others put in longer than usual hours in the cafeteria. But
none was in danger during the entire situation, she noted.

Altieri said most CSEA members at the prison work
in the Administration Building, away from the inmates.
She noted ‘‘there are many officers in here and not too
many inmates,” and so she normally doesn’t fear for her
safety while at the prison.

Negotiations at impasse
in Schenectady County

SCHENECTADY — Schenectady County has declared impasse in its
negotiations with CSEA Local 847.

The impasse came after several months in which the pace of negotiations
— lengthy bargaining sessions scheduled two and three times a week — had
created hopes for a settlement before the end of the year. But snags developed
and the county has sought the aid of a mediator from PERB.

Under the terms of a memorandum of understanding signed earlier in the
negotiations, salary and other provisions of the expired contract continue in ef-
fect until a new pact is ratified by both sides.

The 1,400 county employees represented by CSEA are coming off a two-
year agreement which provided a 7-percent hike in 1981 and an 8-percent in-
crease last year.

Monroe County unit contract vote,

informational meetings scheduled

ROCHESTER — The 3,100-member CSEA Monroe County Employees Unit
of Local 828 will vote on a recently-negotiated contract on Tuesday, Feb. 1.
Voting machines will be set up at three work locations.

The vote, following six contract informational meetings, will take place at
the following places and times:

¢ Monroe Community College, 1000 E. Henrietta Rd., 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

« Monroe Community Hospital, 435 E. Henrietta, 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

¢ Hall of Justice, 36 Exchange St., 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The contract informational meetings will be held at the same locations on
Jan. 24 and 25. The exact times will be announced on fliers, which will be posted
at work locations throughout the county.

Members may call the regional satellite office, 716-334-7140, for further
information,

New unit formed in North Castle

__ NORTH CASTLE — Despite some procedural barriers put up by of-
ficials of this Westchester County town, 26 clerical, water department,
recreation department, and hourly employees such as school crossing
guards will now be represented by CSEA.

The new unit was formed at the end of 1982 after an organizing drive led
by Region III Field Representative Joseph O’Connor. He credits the presi-
dent of North Castle Unit 1, Elmer Brill, with aiding the drive. Brill’s unit
covers the town’s highway employees. Also helping O’Connor were two
school district unit presidents, Doris Mikus of Byram Hills and Delores
Solazzo of Bedford. i

The Town of North Castle employees were independent, but decided
unanimously to join CSEA, And the workers wasted no time in filing their
first grievance against the town, challenging changes in their workday and
workweek,

____. Negotiations began Jan, 13 on a contract which will cover this calendar.
vee palo hist sat) Bi.

[

At White Plains School District: zl

Members protest for new pact;
feel cheated after helping
district solve budget problems

| WHITE PLAINS — “This is the thanks we get?” |
| That’s the reaction of White Plains School District CSEA employees who
{helped the district go from a budget shortfall to a surplus last year, only to
‘find out contract negotiations are going nowhere. Members of the unit have
been working without a contract since July 1.

Unit President Barbara Peters says she went to Albany with ad-

‘ ministrators last year to lobby for school district aid. ‘‘This is the first time
| they ever asked for help from the state,” she said. ‘They always felt they
| could get by on their own.”
| CSEA members signed petitions to state legislators. As a result, the
| White Plains School District received $1.5 million.
1 Peters explained: ‘‘An elementary school was sold in July for another
| $1.3 million. Teachers negotiated a good three-year contract, and the ad-
| ministrators also have a new contract. We feel there’s plenty of that big
| cake left for us to have a piece.”

CSEA members demonstrated in front of the district’s Education House
| last week to let-the administration inside know they want serious negotia-
| tions to produce a contract. The employees — clerical workers, custodians,
\teacher’s aides and assistants, cafeteria workers and groundspeople — |
marched Monday night, Jan. 10, as the Board of Education met. They con-
tinued their demonstration throughout the week, using their lunch hours and
breaks to walk in front of the administration building, formerly a private
mansion.

Notes Peters: ‘There are three issues we want removed from the table.
. . issues we don’t event want to discuss. Once that’s done, we’ll be glad to
go back to the bargaining session.”’

She says, “‘CSEA took a freeze on job hiring last January, while the
district was having its financial difficulties. Now that the district is in the
black, 25 positions abolished in June may not be reinstated.

“Yet, this district is top heavy with administrators. CSEA employees do
all the paperwork for them. There’s a new superintendent, assistant
superintendent, a new special assistant superintendent and two business ad-
ministrators, one of whom was hired at the last school board meeting. We
(CSEA employees) have continued in all instances to provide a viable
workforce without interruption, and we intend to do so in accord with our
contract agreement.”

The CSEA president says the employees
reorganization smooth and continued to do our job to get the childi

‘made the administrative
en and

staff ready for the new school year. Some of our employees were even
denied their summer vacations to get the system in shape for the September
opening.”

Field Representative Joseph O'Connor s
negotiating sessions so far, starting last Apri
are also sticking points. O'Connor

ys there have been 15
Salary and fringe benefits
he CSEA members are ‘‘ready to

Ny

UNITED
WAY union urges rest to comply

ALBANY — CSEA’s call for adoption of a
“labor policy’? by United Way affiliates across
the state has apparently had major impact. The
United Way reports many of its largest affiliates
in the state have now adopted the labor policy for
their chapters.

Union President William L. McGowan had
called upon the organizations to enact the pledge
to respect labor’s rights in November. The action
came in response to actions taken by CSEA’s in-
ternational affiliate, the American Federation of
State, County and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME), and the AFL-CIO.

At issue was the continuing role of organized
labor in the United Way’s fundraising efforts.
Several union groups, including elements of
CSEA, have charged that United Way funds were
being given to organizations that were com-
peting with public employees and other organiz-
ed workers for jobs. In some cases such as the
Staten Island Developmental Center, the non-
profit organizations receiving United Way con-
tributions were taking over care of mentally han-
dicapped patients previously cared for by CSEA
members.

United Way’s problems with the AFL-CIO
began when President Ronald Reagan
designated the National Right to Work Legal
Defense Fund as one of the organizations to
receive United Way contributions raised from
federal workers, infuriating organized federal
employees.

After discussions with a Special Committee of
the AFL-CIO appointed by federation President
Lane Kirkland, the national United Way agreed
to adopt a “labor policy” and recommend its
adoption by all affiliates throughout the nation.
The structure of United Way is such, however,
that the policy could not be uniformly mandated
at the national level.

The policy statement adopted by the Advisory
Council of the United Way of New York State
puts it plainly:

“The Advisory Council ... supports the
right of employees to join organizations of
their own choosing if that is their desire,
and to make that choice without
interference or coercion and recognizes
and respects established bargaining
relationships and the negotiated terms and
conditions provided for in collective
bargaining agreements or equivalent
understandings.”

President McGowan urged all United Way af-
filiates with which CSEA members cooperate in
fundraising programs, to adopt the policy
respecting the rights of organized workers or the
union, he said, would have no choice except to

Several United Way affiliates
adopt labor policy statements;

cease cooperating in raising funds that might
ultimately be used against union members.

Burton August, Chairman of the Board of
Directors of the United Way of New York State,
advised President McGowan on January 4, that
numerous United Way affiliates around the state
had already adopted the policy (see box on this
page) and others were now considering it having
completed their fall campaign.

Said Burton: “I consider passage of this
resolution significant for United Way’s continued
good relationship with the labor community,
whose members have supported the United Way
so generously with their time and
contributions.”

The Board also created a standing committee
on Labor Relations and Services at the state
level to pursue labor interests. It asked CSEA to
appoint a representative to serve as a consultant
to the committee.

President McGowan said CSEA members par-
ticipating in United Way affiliates that have
adopted the labor policy should continue their ef-
forts on behalf of the affiliate as a result of the af-
firmative step, but he cautioned those affiliates
that have not acted to do so as soon as possible.

“Our union is proud of how generously its
members give to charitable causes, particularly
in view of the hard times that-we all are enduring
and the modest incomes of most of our
members,” the union president said. ‘‘We are
gratified that so many United Way affiliates
have responded to our concerns. We would hope
the remaining affiliates do so at once.”

Thanks to you, it works
for all of us

LABOR RESOLUTION PASSED

UNITED WAY OFFICE LOCATION

United Way of Northeastern New York. ......500005
Genesee United Way.......s.05+5

United Way of Buffalo and Erie Coi

United Community Services of Chemung mainte A
United Way for Cortland County

Gloversville Area United Way

United Way of Johnstown.

United Way of Ulster County.

United Way of Long Isiand. .

Cab eee es Res ces TIAN,
. -Batavia

. shun

Gloversville
Johnstown
. Kingston
elville, L.t.

£}
.... Plattsburgh
- Poughkeepsie
....Rochester
. Schenectady

United Way of Dutchess County

United Way of Greater Rochester.......
United Way of Schenectady County...............
United Way of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties. . ..+- Ogdensburg
United Way of Central New York. 2.0... cee cence eee nents rene s SYFACUSE
United Way of the Greater Utica Area. cvsereuvcn ss Uticn
United Way of Jefferson County...... «ees... Watertown
United Way of Westchester. ........-.2-.+5 mene . White Plains
United Way of Rockland County. . .. West Nyack
United Way of New York State... . 2.0.6.6 cence cece eee ee eee eens Albany

“Our union is proud of how generously its members give to charitable causes, particularly in view of
the hard times that we all are enduring and the modest incomes of most of our members... Wwe are
gratified that so many United Way affiliates have responded to our concerns. We would hope the re-
maining affiliates do so at once.’

—CSEA President William L, McGowan