V AFSCME delegates nominating
Official publication of meetings set for Feb. 21
as — see page 18
lege v Board petitions deadline Feb. 23
Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO — See page 17
Vol. 21 No. 2 FEBRUARY 1998 |
The Work Force
ail _‘Tesponds to
te
Photo by Bill Podgurski
"Photo by Mark Mf. Kotzin-
SUNY Canton, SUNY Potsdam promote system
State University at New York (SUNY) officials, union activists and
community leaders joined forces in
December to sponsor “Operation
Safeguard SUNY” events at 25
campuses across the state to
promote the value of the SUNY
system and remind the public
that SUNY and the cities and
villages where the campuses are
located depend upon each
other in many ways. SUNY
Potsdam hosted a joint SUNY
Canton-SUNY Potsdam program. In
photo above left are, from left front
row, state Assemblymember Chloe Ann
O'Neil, Potsdam Mayor Ruth Garner and SUNY Potsdam CSEA
Local 613 President Colleen Wheaton. At rear are SUNY Canton
UUP Chapter President Fred Monaco and SUNY Canton President
Joseph Kennedy. In photo at right above are SUNY Canton CSEA
Local 603 President Jan Johnson, front, SUNY Potsdam Interim
President John Kalas, left, and Canton Mayor Ron Houle.
aa =
A note from CSEA President Danny Donohue
The Public Sector's reputation for journalistic excellence extends well beyond
CSEA. Our goal is to uphold and increase the quality of the publication in both
style and substance.
Over the past year, CSEA has been engaged in a process of transformation
as we seek to become an even better union. Among the issues that have been
raised in that process is the name of our publication. One measure of any
publication's effectiveness is its ability to be instantly recognized and respected
as representing the organization that publishes it. The name The Public Sector
was particularly descriptive and effective when CSEA was exclusively a public
sector labor union.
But CSEA continues to change as a union. In the past we have had many
conversations suggesting that the name of our publication ought to accurately
reflect our entire membership.
For this reason, we are considering a name change for The Public Sector.
What do you think? I'd like your ideas and input. If you have suggestions,
please share them. Complete the coupon below and send it to: CSEA
Communications Department, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210.
Address
City
| am a member of CSEA Local —
| suggest the following name change(s) be considered for CSEA’s official
publication: = EE tee et ara
The Public Sector (USPS 0445-010) is published monthly by The Civil Service Employees Association.
Publication Office: 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12210,
THE
Periodical Mail Postage paid at Post Office, Albany, New York 12288.
Postmaster: Send address changes to: Civil Service Employees Association,
Attn: Membership Department, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12210.
CSEA on line: The CSEA web site can be accessed at www.cseainc.org
nae
SHERYL C, JENKS
PUBLIC
CCLO“Ln
Official publication of
The Civil Service Employees
Association, Inc. Local 1000, AFSCME,
AFL-CIO
143 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12210-2303
Danny Donohue, President
STEPHEN A. MADARASZ,
Communications Director & Publisher
STANLEY HORNAK,
Asst. Director of Communications
ROGER A, COLE, Editor
KATHLEEN DALY, Associate Editor
CATHLEEN HORTON
Graphic Design & Support Services
RALPH DISTIN, Graphic Artist
JANICE NUSBAUM,
Communications Production Coordinator
Readers: Send any comments, complaints, suggestions or ideas to:
isher, The Public Sector, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 1221
COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATES
RON WOFFORD
Long Island Region
(516) 462-0030
Metropolitan Region
(212) 406-2156
Southern Region
(914) 831-1000
Capital Region
(518) 785-4400
Central Region
(315) 433-0050
Western Region
(716) 886-0391
Headquarters
(518) 257-1272
LILLY GIOIA ED MOLITOR
ANITA MANLEY
\ABOR_COMMUH cy
DAN CAMPBELL 4
SERNATIONAL
MARK M. KOTZIN
BCSEA
oot ww co
7 *AFL-CIOICLS *
The Public Sector Committee
LONG ISLAND REGION John C, Shepherd CAPITAL REGION Marguerite Stanley
METROPOLITAN REGION Jimmy Gripper, Chairman CENTRAL REGION Bruce Damalt
SOUTHERN REGION Diane Hewitt WESTERN REGION James V. Kurtz
Page 2. The Public Sector.s February 1998 ———--=
the storm
“I've been through the
blizzard of ‘77, ice storms,
hurricane on Long Island, and
this is the worst
I've ever seen.”
CSEA Local 015 Shop Steward Kurt
Robbins, NYS DOT, Jefferson Residency
A devastating ice storm that paralyzed
New York's North Country area, leaving
hundreds of thousands of people without
power for days and weeks, brought out
the best in the CSEA workforce under the
worst of conditions.
Although they were there when it
began and will be the last to lay down
their shovels, axes and chainsaws, the
CSEA workforce has been largely taken
for granted in the massive news coverage
surrounding the disastrous ice storm that
began on Jan. 7.
Still, most CSEA members wear the
anonymity as gracefully as they perform
their responsibilities. Their efforts are
' routinely taken for granted when they are
out there in the teeth of any storm, and
this natural disaster was more of the
same. In the eyes of the news media,
those familiar orange, yellow and red
vehicles usually identified with public
employees evidently were invisible
compared to those of utility companies,
National Guard and volunteers that rolled
into the North Country in the aftermath
of the ice storm and garnered most of the
publicity. Worse yet, members of the
CSEA workforce coordinating the
emergency response and logistics out of
offices and crisis centers have received
even less attention.
Thousands of CSEA members live and
work in the hardest hit areas. Many
county, town and village employees and
state DOT workers were on the job
preparing for the storm well before it hit.
Hundreds more were sent in from all over
the state to assist in the aftermath.
Others came on their own, volunteering
to help in any way needed.
“Even as their own homes were without
heat or electricity, CSEA local and state
government employees in the North
Country worked 12-hour shifts or more
around the clock, day after day, to help
others,” said CSEA President Danny
Donohue, who toured the devastated area
and met with CSEA members there.
“Others worked in shelters, as volunteer
firefighters and in dozens of other ways.
Hundreds more left their families behind
across the state and came to help. I have
never been more proud of CSEA
members, and their story is not over yet.”
A pictorial essay of one of
the worst natural disasters
in New York state history
THE GREAT ICE STORM
OF 1998
See pages 9 - 12
State DOT workers
clear highway of
storm debris near
Watertown
CSEA establishes Disaster Relief Fund
to aid storm victims in North Country
Your help is desperately needed now
for victims of one of the worst natural disasters
ever in New York state.
Please donate to the
‘CSEA Disaster Relief Fund’
Our goal is for a donation of at least one dollar
from each CSEA member. Please be generous.
Make checks payable to
“CSEA Disaster Relief Fund”
and mail immediately to:
CSEA, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210.
CSEA is also collecting non-perishable food items,
water and diapers. Contact your CSEA Region Office
for information about drop off points.
Local governments, schools, SUNY get boosts
No state
layoffs in
‘welcome news if it
results in more
stability for the
CSEA workforce.’
billion spending plan »
The $71.9
submitted to the state Legislature, increases
overall spending by 7.6 percent. There are no
state layoffs.
The budget hikes aid to local governments
and school districts and fully funds the
Community Reinvestment Act.
The union is encouraged by a multi-year
proposal to invest nearly $2 billion in SUNY
capital and technological improvements.
Donohue calls the proposal “encouraging as
<<
Patakr
proposed
budget
ALBANY — As The Public Sector went to
press, Gov. George Pataki released his
proposed 1998-99 budget which President
Danny Donohue calls “welcome news if it
results in more stability for the CSEA
workforce.” He also warns that “while a first
look is promising, concerns remain that new
initiatives not create a budget crisis in future
years,”
long as SUNY provides adequate staffing to
properly maintain those improvements.”
Funding is also proposed for a new 750-bed
maximum security prison.
CSEA will provide additional information
and analysis in the next edition of The Public
Sector.
WZ
COVER STORY
PRE PUBNEBELIAS PARI 1998 © Bayes
Helen Hayes Hospital joins Empire Plan
WEST HAVERSTRAW —
Employees of Helen Hayes Hospital
will be seeing some new patients this
year and they couldn't be
happier. Those new clients
will be CSEA members who
need the outpatient
services provided by the
physicians within the
facility who have contracted
with United Health Care
(formerly Metropolitan), the
medical/surgical carrier
under the Empire Plan. The
agreement has been more
than a year in the making.
“Our own employees
could not
even use
the doctors’ services
we provide,” said
CSEA Local 302
President Bill
Curtin. “Our
workers had to go
elsewhere for
services when we
offer the best!”
Laura Balogh, director of CSEA’s
Joint Committee on Health Benefits,
said that negotiations were held with
the state and the Empire Plan
Curtin
“The CSEA
members who
work here at
Helen Hayes
look forward to
welcoming CSEA
members as
patients, and to
offer them the
excellent
services that we
are so proud of.”
carriers to alleviate billing
complications and to allow United
Health Care to cover outpatient
services in a hospital
setting,
Balogh emphasized
that Helen Hayes
Hospital has always
been a provider, but
before this change,
patients who used the
hospital for outpatient
services were required
to pay the hospital
outpatient co-payment
of $25. Under the new
agreement, the co-pay
is $5.
The facility, located
in northern Rockland County, offers
a number of covered services — all of
which are subject to medical
necessity guidelines.
“The CSEA members who work
here at Helen Hayes look forward to
welcoming CSEA members as
patients,” said Curtin, “and to offer
them the excellent services that we
are so proud of.”
“I really want to thank Bill Curtin,
Laura Balogh and CSEA Statewide
President Danny Donohue, who
this possible by working with
s,” said Helen Hayes Director of
Human Resources Walter
Czachorowski. “The hospital and the
employees were all in concert in
having Helen Hayes Hospital
participate in the Empire Plan.”
“We couldn’t have done it without
CSEA,” he said.
“We're thrilled to be able to offer
the members and their families the
best quality care they can get in this
area of the state.”
— Anita Manley
CSEA settlement satisfies seasonal
MOFFIT BEACH — “They said that
the union would never help you,”
Cynthia Dunham, a 10-year
seasonal employee of the
Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) said. “THEY
WERE WRONG!”
Holding two settlement checks for
nearly $12,000, Dunham admitted
calling 35 other places before she
sought the help of her own union.
“I always thought that CSEA
Lincoln's Birthday
floating holiday
In accordance with CSEA-NYS
contracts, the state has designated
Lincoln's Birthday as a floating
holiday for CSEA members in the
Administrative, Institutional and
Operational Services Units, as well
as the Division of Military and
Naval Affairs.
Feb. 12, 1998, will not be
observed as a holiday and is to be
treated as a regular workday.
ligible employees will receive
credit for a holiday to be used on a
date of their choice. The floating
holiday must be used in a full-day
unit no later than Feb, 11, 1999.
Page 4 “Rébryary i998" « ThePublic Sector
wouldn't fight for seasonal employees
and their problems, so I just went
looking for help elsewhere,” she said.
"Boy, was I wrong.”
She received sterling evaluations
over the years and won her
promotions the hard way; she
worked for them, Last summer she
supervised the entire Moffit Beach
camp; a 262-site DEC facility on the
Great Sacandaga reservoir.
But while she is a Republican in a
highly Republican area, apparently
she wasn’t the right Republican for
the position she held.
Somehow Dunham had gotten on
the wrong side of the Republican
organization in the Moffit Beach
area, When she reported for work
this season she discovered that she
had been demoted and reassigned.
No reason was given for the DEC
tion.
called everybody,” Dunham
said, “the Department of Labor, etc.
After 35 calls I was told to talk to my
union, CSEA.”
Dunham was amazed by the
service and support Local 116
sident Vern French gave her and
by the quick actions of CSEA Labor
Relations Specialist Jim Martin on
her behalf.
“Martin requested legal assistance
when his efforts to resolve Dunham's
problem internally did not achieve
the results he wanted,” CSEA
Attorney Robert Reilly said.
“CSEA started an Article 78
proceeding in State Supreme Court.
Justice Thomas Keegan ordered us
to trial and we began the process of
discovery. When discovery is ordered
we can have the other side provide
us with all documents they have
relevant to the issue,” Reilly
explained, “Well, the discovery gave
us incriminating documents which
showed that a local politician had
used political influence to get
Dunham demoted and reassigned;
she had not done anything to
deserve such bad treatment.”
Settlement negotiations with the
State’s Attorney General Office began
soon after.
While the state and DEC admitted
to no wrongdoing, they agreed to pay
CSEA member Dunham $11,582.64
in lost pay and unclaimed
unemployment insurance payments,
And, most importantly, to restore her
to her rightful position in D)
“I feel just wonderful, really proud
of my union and I'm so happy I
didn’t listen to those who supposedly
(Top photo) Howard Yegelwell,
supervisor of the Helen Hayes
Radiology Department, sets up
an x-ray machine. The “patient”
is his Darkroom Assistant Mirtha
Figueroa. Both are members of
Local 302.
(Left photo) Terry Berg, associate
director of Helen Hayes
Occupational Therapy
Department teaches patient
Florence Covati bandaging
techniques for treatment of
Covati's swollen arm. Covati is a
CSEA Retiree member who
worked at Letchworth
Developmental Center.
Seasonal worker Cynthia Dunham,
right, with CSEA Attorney Robert
Reilly, who helped her win a
settlement of nearly $12,000.
know because they were totally,
totally wrong about CSEA,”
Dunham said.
“This agency has long held that
they can replace seasonal employees
for any reason what-so-ever,” Martin
said. “We have clearly shown that
they can't fire people because of
their political affiliation.”
— Daniel X. Campbell
VSTMTE GOVERNMENT NEWS.
Syracuse Public Safety Building is
Not so safe
SYRACUSE — It’s ironic that Syracuse's Public
Safety Building (PSB) is anything but safe for the
CSEA members who work within its walls.
Thankfully, CSEA’s continued push for change is
finally making some headway to clean up a
building many say makes them sick.
The building mainly houses C Central
Region Judiciary Local 334 members working for
the state Office of Court Administration (OCA).
For years, the CSEA court workers have been
complaining of health and safety hazards within
the building and of health symptoms related to
working in the building.
CSEA Local 334 President Sharon Carraway
said the union's main complaints deal with a
long history of hazards such as poor indoor air
quality, asbestos exposure and a general lack of
cleanliness. By working cooperatively with OCA,
the city and Onondaga County, Carraway said,
money has finally been budgeted for making the
building safer.
“We're working together on this,” she said.
“Finally, we're starting to see some positive
results.
“It's encouraging that we're finally seeing
cooperation and results in this building,” CSEA
Central Region President Jim Moore said, “but
that doesn’t mean we're going to stop pushing for
more significant changes that will ensure our
members a safe and healthy place to
work,”
Recently, OCA Administrator
Frank Jordan met with CSEA
members working in the building to
discuss their concerns and update
them on the status of upcoming
projects to make the building safer,
including the removal of asbestos in
ceiling and floor tiles, the remodeling
of areas where workers will be
relocated and a study of the
building's air handling system.
According to Court Reporter Gina
Rosato, who suffers from bronchitis
and sinus problems due to the dry air in the
building, it’s easy to figure out that it’s the
building making her sick.
“When I go home, | don’t experience these
problems. As soon as I get in the building my
sinuses fill up and my eyes start to itch,” she
said. “I haven't been able to wear my contacts in
three years.”
Judges Secretary Patricia Delperuto says that
the building's lack of fresh circulated air gives
her headaches and an overall tired feeling, and
makes the workers feel run down.
“You can come in here and feel fine in the
morning, and by 11 or 12 you feel stuffy and get
headaches,” Delperuto said.
She said the building's lack of proper cleaning
is a major part of the problem.
STATE GOVERNMENT. NEWS.
‘,. things
are being
done
because
of the
union.’
“It never gets dusted off,” Delperuto
said, referring to the office area. “It’s
filthy, and you've got all this stuff coming
out of the vents they don't clean.”
Senior Office Assistant Leslie Ricker
says she gets sick at least twice a month
from the building, and has maxed out her
sick time. Li
“I think fifty percent of the problems
would go away if they
cleaned. It’s disgusting
here — it really is — it's
so gross,” Ricker said.
“I don't feel I should
have my sick time
maxed out because they
don't clean the
building,” she added.
Principal Office
Assistant Norma
Tarquinio said she is
“very pleased to see that
people are interested in
trying to help us.”
Tarquinio said she
and her co-workers
continue to worry about
the dust they find on
their desktops and file
cabinets, and wonder what they're
breathing in.
CSEA Local 334 Health & Safety
Committee Chair Theresa Henley
pointed out that masonry walls were
recently knocked out near where
people were working, and that floor
and ceiling tiles containing asbestos
have often been worked on close to
workers.
“Ever since I've worked here,
they've always worked around us,”
she said.
Henley says other problems arose
about twelve years ago when workers
were tarring the roof with a coal tar pitch, which
was stored for about five months near the
building's air intake. As a result of breathing the
fumes, she said, she was diagnosed with chronic
athsma and has had trouble breathing ever
since.
“We all have had breathing problems and sinus
headaches since then,” she said. “I had great
lungs when I came in here.”
Henley said that she's glad that CSEA
Occupational Safety and Health Specialist Ed
King has been working with the CSEA local and
unit officers and the city and OCA administrators
to push for changes.
“Ed's been excellent. As a result of our efforts,
this is the first time that someone's finally doing
something,” she said. The visibility brought on by
SeBior Office Assistant’)
lie Ricker galls the”
Court Reporter Gina Rosa‘
suffers from bronchitis and
sinus problems broughton by
air problems in the building.
Patricia Delperuto
regularly gets
headaches and run
down from lack of fresh
circulated air.
building “gross.”
Assistant
Norma Tarquinio:
is “very pleased
to see that people
pie i are interested in
‘ying to help us.”
zea
i
see
he) Pe fenléy, CYA Local Safety and
ealth Committee chair, points out
where workers knocked out a wall
hile people Were working in the area.
a visit this past summer from CSEA President
Danny Donohue didn’t hurt either, she added.
“We were very pleased with Danny's visit.
That's why things are being done, because of the
union,” Henley said.
King says that change is coming slowly, but
that the real problems with the building's air
quality may be the hardest to solve.
“Without a legal standard on air quality that
we can go by, it’s hard to prove that the building
is making people sick and get changes made,” he
said, “We'll still keep pushing to make sure that
our concerns are being addressed.”
— Mark M. Kotzin
The Public Sector *-February 1998 «Page 5
PEEKSKILL — John Powers
doesn't let a disability get in the
way of performing his job and he
says he has his parents to thank
for his can-do attitude.
The 12-year Peekskill School
District employee lost his diseased
leg when he was 13 years old.
Because his leg had given him so
many problems for many years,
Powers explained, he became much
more active after he lost the leg and
was fitted for the prosthesis. In
fact, he was an active parti
on his high school swim team and
later on the Pocono Mountain Swim
Team in Pennsylvania.
“I had a lot of support,” he said,
crediting the Shriners Hospital in
Philadelphia and his family for his
recovery.
“It took some years to get used to
the prosthesis, but I knew in time I
would be back on my feet again.”
Powers said his family never
catered to him. He thanked his
parents, sisters and brother and
his wife Lynn for their support.
“If it wasn't for them,” he said, “I
wouldn't be as strong as I am
\ today.”
(Disability doesn't keep
Peekskill School District
employee from standing
on his own two feet
Powers never shunned physical
work and after high school worked
part-time as a groundsperson.
Twelve years ago he came to work
for the Peekskill School District,
where it is not unusual to see him
scrubbing floors or shoveling snow.
“I don’t hesitate to climb up on
the roof and shovel snow,” he said.
“My co-workers tell me to be careful
and I tell them I'm paid to do a job;
I don’t expect special treatment.”
Powers’ prosthesis takes a lot of
abuse.
[hey break,” he said. “I’m
wearing my spare today!”
A secretary of his CSEA Unit,
Powers has some advice for
workers with disabilities:
“Go for it!” he said. “I was always
taught to not feel sorry for myself.
Give it your best shot and don't
take sympathy or charity.”
Powers said he would like to
hear from other workers with
similar disabilities and can be
reached through this writer in the
CSEA Southern Region 3 office at
1-800-757-2732.
— Anita Manley
f Ss
Onondaga Co.
Local 834
member
needs your
help in fight
against brain
cancer
SYRACUSE — Kimberly Leet, a
child protective investigator in
the Onondaga County
Department of Social Services, is
familiar to many for her untiring
efforts to protect and help
abused children. Kimberly has
given her all to protect our
children, and now she needs our
help to keep her with us — and
with her 2 1/2 year old child,
Alexander.
Kimberly has been diagnosed
with a malignant brain tumor,
(gliblastoma and glioma, Grade 4)
which, according to her doctors,
is the worst possible brain
cancer, She underwent surgery
on Oct. 28, 1997 and has begun
an aggressive treatment of
radiation and chemotherapy,
according to Onondaga County
CSEA Local 834 President Frank
Forte.
“Sadly, with those standard
treatments the prognosis is not
good — maybe a year and a
,” Forte said, “But there is
Dr. Keith Black at UCLA
Medical Cent atured in the
Fall 1997 special edition of Time
magazine for his efforts in the
war against brain cancer
(specifically, Kimberly's type of
cancer), is considering her to
receive his new experimental
treatment which is not available
in this part of the country.
“Kimberly desperately needs
this treatment for survival,” Forte
said.
A benefit fund has been
established to provide the
required funds for Kimberly's
medical care and travel expenses.
“We want to enlist your
support for Kimberly, who has
done so much for the children in
our community, in her time of
me \ wees 43 , : ee ee eee Se ed | need,” Forte said. “Her fight is
es our fight. Thank you in advance
WELCOME TO THE TOWN OF WALLKILL — Visitors to the Town of Wallkill are greeted with this new sign for your support.”
which is now a permanent fixture at one of the town's busiest intersections. CSEA Town of Wallkill Unit Donations can be made to the
President Dick Gesner, second from left, said the CSEA unit and the town board split the cost of the sign. “Karing for Kimberly Benefit
With Gesner is unit Vice President Charlie Romer. Standing at right of the sign is town Supervisor Howard Fund,” 200 Bartlett Road,
Mills, who said that more signs will be put up at other town crossroads. “This lets people know that CSEA is Liverpool, NY 13088 ae
out there,” Romer said,
Page 6 » February 1998 * The Public Sector LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWS
WM TMAMYAAVOD JAQO)
¥ eps © 8eer yisuides erolose oilduS oT ———-———_
CSEA supports Westchester
Medical Center switch to
Public Benefit Corporation
VALHALLA — January
marked the beginning of a new
era for the Westchester County
CSEA Unit: approximately half
of the members — about 3,000
—are now part of a separate
unit governed by a Public
Benefit Corporation (PBC). This
means that instead of relying
completely on the county for its
funding, Westchester County
Medical Center and the Ruth
Taylor Institute (county nursing
home) will now be able to seek
funding from alternative
sources.
CSEA backing of the PBC
plan was key to passage of the
legislation that was supported
by county lawmakers, who were
Westchester County Medical Center
concerned that the hospital and
nursing home were draining the
county coffers.
CSEA’s primary concern was protecting the
employees. Before the legislation was
submitted for consideration to state
lawmakers, the union made sure that workers
would remain in the state retirement system,
retain civil service status, maintain existing
salaries and salary scale and continue to be
represented by CSEA.
CSEA Southern Region 3 President Carmine
DiBattista said county lawmakers felt for years
that the hospital was losing money.
“They looked for ways to make the Medical
Center a moneymaker or at least tried to look
at ways to make it revenue neutral,” he said.
“After having exhausted all possibilities, they
agreed on the concept of a Public Benefit
Corporation. They made it clear to us that they
would otherwise have to close the facility or sell
it.”
DiBattista said the PBC makes the
institution more competitive in the present
health maintenance market.
“It will be able to borrow money, negotiate
contracts with the HMOs and it will be
separated from the county,” he explained. “In
other words,” he added, “it can set its own
agenda and decide its own future.”
Once the PBC legislation was passed, CSEA
was concerned that the Corporation have a
period for startup and transition without major
upheaval. CSEA’s Deputy Director for Labor
Relations Steve Alviene said both the CEO and
chairman of the board of directors agreed to
work with CSEA to improve operations.
“In addition,” he said, “the county will
continue to fund the hospital at last year's rate
for 1998 and then will have a major voice in
determining the services that are provided by
the hospital in the future. The county will
continue to subsidize the hospital for five
years.”
Last year CSEA was instrumental in working
with New York State to develop a plan to
convert the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in
Buffalo into a public benefit corporation. A
similar plan is in the works for the Nassau
County Medical Center.
— Anita Manley
CSEA member
elected county clerk
GOSHEN — A member of
CSEA Orange County Local
836 is Orange County's newly
elected county clerk. Donna
Benson said her experience as
a county employee well
prepared her for her new
position.
Benson began ber career
with Orange County in 1981
as a Motor Vehicle Clerk.
“I needed a full time job
with benefits,” she said.
After two years she accepted
a temporary opening for a supervisor's position.
Two years later she was provisionally appointed as
deputy director of the Motor Vehicle Department in
Middletown, later winning permanent appointment.
In 1991 she took a lateral transfer as an
administrative assistant to the county clerk, where
she gained valuable experience, learning about
aspects of the county clerk's office.
In 1991, the director of the Motor Vehicle
Department retired and Benson was asked if she
would like to fill the job provisionally and later,
take the test for the position. She took the job and
earned permanent appointment.
“I guess I'm a risk taker,” she said. “Even if you
just learn from your experience, it makes it worth
it. Anytime you get a chance to advance, it’s a
learning experience.”
In 1997 when the county clerk decided not to
seek re-election, Benson, who had served on the
county Republican Committee, received calls from
members of the party urging her to run.
“I did like the job itself,” she said. “I thought I
would like to be the county clerk.”
Benson decided to ask her family what they
thought and she got her answer from her son.
“My son said ‘Mom, you always tell us that if we
don't try, we'll never know’,” she said.
Benson was endorsed by the CSEA Political
Action Committee, won the election and began her
term on Jan. 1.
Benson's goals as the new county clerk come
right from her own experiences as a county
employee. She plans to develop training in how to
better relate to the customers. In addition, Benson
said she intends to solicit suggestions from the
workers on the front lines where she began in
1981. — Anita Manley
Member
activists
make a
difference
COMING IN MARCH It takes more than a slate of officers and a few membership
meetings a year to make a CSEA Unit or Local work.
One of the keys to CSEA servicing its members is member
activists who are available to assist their fellow members on
behalf of the union in a variety of ways, from answering
questions pertaining to the contract to filing grievances.
In the March edition of The Public Sector we'll take a closer
look at some of the member activists who help make CSEA work.
fan
Six $1,000 ssiclashict Sicha ¥
to Local 860 members
WHITE PLAINS — Six $1,000 scholarships are
available to graduating seniors who are children of
Westchester County Local 860 members and agency
shop fee payers with at least one year of employment
in a CSEA bargaining unit.
Applications are available by calling the local
office at 914-428-6452.
The deadline for filing applications is April 15,
LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWS —
The Public. Sectors * Febivary 1998 * Page z
In touch with you
A mente {rom CSEA President Danny Donokue
North Country disaster brought
out the best — YOU!
The North Country's recent ice storm disaster
should remind us how much we all take for
granted.
Imagine what it would be like to be without
power for weeks in the dead of winter, as tens of
thousands of our family, friends and neighbors
have been. Imagine the stress of responding to
the crisis and doing your job or whatever else is
necessary to help your
community, even as you
and your family face the
thanks and help that so many people deserve.
I cannot even begin to tell you how proud I am
to have seen some of the response of CSEA
members first-hand. Their commitment and
persistence coupled with the spirit of doing
whatever they could to help was overwhelming.
But the reality is that there is still so much help
needed.
CSEA has set up a disaster relief fund to assist
our brothers and sisters. I urge you to contribute
generously.
oes
same hardships.
Let me say directly that
the crisis response of
CSEA members in Clinton,
Essex, Jefferson, Franklin,
Lewis and St. Lawrence
counties has been second
to none. It must also be
recognized
that CSEA members from
state and local government
in every part of the state
have also contributed
heroic efforts to the
disaster response.
We are all grateful to the
national guard and the
army of utility employees
and scores of volunteers
who have been mobilized
to action, but their hard
work and dedication
should not overshadow the
continued effort of the
CSEA members and other
public employees. The
CSEA Work Force was the
first in and will be the last
out throughout the
disaster region
There are literally a
million stories about this
ice storm, many of them
still unfolding. Some small
representation of how
CSEA members have
responded are presented
on the pages of this
edition. I hope you will
take the time to read these
articles, look at these
pictures and recognize the
eyed
Viva}
Page 8 « February 1998 * The Public Sector
SOG ER
THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
‘The outstanding
contributions of
CSEA members
during this disaster
underlines the value
of a properly funded
public work force
that New Yorkers
can count on —- not
only in times of —
crisis — but each and 4 common sicur
THROUGHOUT THE NORTH
every day.’ COUNTRY — Here state DOT
Highway Maintenance Worker I
— CSEA President Danny Donohue Billy Adderly flags traffic near
Watertown in Jefferson
County.
The CSEA work force <
in action — see pages 10 - 12
Photo by Mark M. Kotzin
ee Reman 188 8 Re able Beaters: PROS
S0AceaM e'TuMleahs AKT $$
CSEA CITY OF WATERTOWN DPW UNIT members shore up and patch section
of Water Street that was damaged by ice and flooding.
Photo by Mark M. Kotzin
i CSEA members were in the thick of operations
n
ot only in the North Country but at such places
as the headquarters of the State Emergency
Management Office (SEMO) in Albany, where
response efforts were coordinated.
Representatives from every state agency worked
12-hour, shifts there for days on end,
______Photo by Jeanne L. Kelso
SUNY students were on break when the storm
hit but the campuses through the North Country
hummed with activity by CSEA members and
others. CSEA members helped staff
shelters at SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Canton that
housed thousands of evacuees and hundreds of
utility crew members. A mobile kitchen set up in
the SUNY Plattsburgh parking lot served
thousands of meals daily.
‘You name it, we're doing it. It’s like
being in a war and you're playing catch-
up. If it needs to be done, it's being
done. People are just running ragged"
— CSEA St. Lawrence NYS DOT Local 518
President Jim McHugh
CSEA PRESIDENT DANNY DONOHUE, left, toured storm
ravaged North Country to encourage efforts by members
with St. Lawrence County Administrator Donald Brining,
fourth from right, and CSEA Local 845 President Betty
Thomas, who is also CSEA Central Region 5 first vice
president, third from right. They ran into state Office of
Mental Health Commissioner James Stone, second from
right, and State Police Superintendent James McMahon,
right at the St. Lawrence County Office Building.
Photo by Stephen Madarasz
THE CSEA
Photo by Bill Podgurski
CSEA VILLAGE OF MASSENA DPW UNIT member
John Dufresne loads water filtering material to
keep public water supply safe during storm
emergency.
Photo by Anita Manley
Members in CSEA’s Western Region 6 joined others
across the state in helping the public deal with the
ravages of flooding, ice and snow in that area.
Cattaraugus DOT Local 526: According to Local
President Virginia Balling, members helped set up and
man barriers for flooded road closings on routes 417, 305
and exit 23 of the Southern Tier Expressway, providing
24-hour coverage, sanding where later freezing and icing
occurred.
Hamburg DOT Local 514: According to Local President
George Pierakos, has sent tree crews (five members) to
Watertown, with stake rack truck and chain saws to help
with the massive recovery from the ice storm in that area.
Genesee-Orleans DOT Local 513: Local President Pat
Sauer reported “lots of power outages due to icing and
downed power lines”; crews did a lot of cutting trees that
had fallen and blocked roads. Also helped Wyoming
County, which was harder hit by flooding, and sent crews
and equipment to Watertown area. Lots of overtime and
round-the-clock work.
Rochester DOT Local 506: Local Vice President Chuck
Parsons said eight members shipped out to help in the
Watertown crisis, and others helped locally with filling
sandbags, monitoring and clearing blocked roads.
Town of Clarence and Amherst units of Erie
Local 815: Members worked around the clock to control
flooding in North Clarence and Amherst: Members helped
with sandbagging and road clearing after several creeks
and streams overflowed. — Ron Wofford
een te
OLD ORANGEBURG RD.
Upstate residents were happy to welcome drivers Bill Melvin, Mike
Ballard, Chris Morrison, Jim Todaro and Jim Weed shown here with
the Cook-Chill truck. Other drivers who made trips north but not
pictured here were Abe Ploof and Matt Wright. Boiler Engineer
Anthony DiBlasio pitched in to help load trucks.
State facility feeds victims, rescuers
ORANGEBURG — When thousands of
upstate residents were frozen out of their
homes in January, it was the CSEA
members who work at the state’s Cook-
Chill facility in Rockland County who
helped to feed them and the workers who
came to rescue them.
The Cook-Chill facility, built in 1994 at
a cost of $22 million, has been the center
of controversy because of Gov. Pataki’s
ongoing proposal to sell it to private
operators. Local politicians and CSEA
members have pointed out that with a
24-hour, three-shift operation, the facility
would work up to its full potential. it
stands presently, the 40 workers there
produce approximately 15,000 pounds of
food for 24 Office of Mental Health
facilities.
The upstate ice emergency however,
changed tho tis . Cook-Chill
Director Josephine Fulbrook said Gov.
Pataki's office charged the facility with
feeding those upstate residents who have
been forced to live in shelters while they
are without electricity and heat and the
rescue workers who have come from all
Approximately 36,000 pounds of food
Greg Vigilante stacks
packages of beef sausage and
peppers onto dollies which
were then loaded onto trucks
for shipment to upstate New
York.
over to help with the emergency:
s shipped to the upstate shelte
Cook-Chill workers worked overtime to produce the meals under the
direction of Head Cook Merrily Alcorn.
Shipping the food upstate was another test of strength and
perseverance. Truck driver Bill Melvin said the upstate area is devastated.
In addition to dangerous icy road conditions, downed power lines and
telephone poles and fallen trees have made many roads impassable.
“It looked like the ice age up there,” said driver Jim Todaro,
“These employees are the real heroes of this operation,” said Fulbrook.
— Anita Manley
The Public Sector * February 1998 * Page 11
ORK FORCE
. BM a Ss eA eee Lee Sa le ie the ae eR ae ee LE
‘The devastation is incredible!’
— CSEA Gouverneur Correctional Local 196 President Barbara Bayne
The ice storm crippled a 7,000-square-mile area of northern
New York. At the request of Gov. Pataki, President Clinton
declared Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Jefferson, St. Lawrence
and Lewis counties federal disaster areas. About 500,000
people were without electricity for days, and in many cases,
weeks in bitter cold weather.
CSEA members who work at NYS
Correctional Facilities throughout the area
took on additional duties as the correctional
facilities converted available space to serve
as shelters, food preparation and
distribution centers and staging areas for
relief efforts.
Lo
ESSENTIAL SERVICES — CSEA members continued to provide essential services
to residents despite extreme weather conditions. Here Larry Monacelli, a
member of the CSEA Village of Massena DPW Unit, collects garbage to help
make life easier for storm victims.
me Help arrived from all over in response to the ice
storm emergency in the North Country.
CSEA Delaware County Highway Unit President
George Lawson and HEO Steve Danignan drove a
donated county truck with 12 donated generators — two
from the county, two from a local fire department and
eight from area farmers — to Watertown, an
11-hour round trip.
A crew of CSEA employees and several vehicles from
Albany County went into the storm-damaged area to
help, prepared to stay as long as needed. “They'd do the
same for us if the roles were reversed,” one worker
said.
Many CSEA members and staff served in New York
National Guard/Army Reserve units sent to the storm
damaged area. For instance, Lt. Frank Bogulski, a
lieutenant in an MP Company, was activated and
shipped to the Watertown area to help storm victims. In
civilian life, Bogulski is a CSEA labor relations specialist
working out of the union’s Western Region 6 office in
Buffalo.
ST. LAWRENCE Es
COUNTY CSEA
member Darlene
White, right,
talks about
disaster relief
efforts there
with CSEA
President Danny
Donohue during
his tour of the
storm ravaged
area.
Heroes were everywhere during the storm
crisis. Kurt Robbins, for instance, was
operating a radio and phones at the
Jefferson County State DOT Residency when
the storm began. He stayed on duty for 32
hours. Robbins, a highway maintenance
worker, is a CSEA shop steward at the DOT
Residency.
Photo by Bill Podgurski
yy CSEA Communications Associates Daniel X. Campbell, =
| Mark M. Kotzin, Anita Manley and Ron Wofford contributed to
oN this report. Me
Your help is desperately needed now
for victims of one of the worst natural disasters
ever in New York state.
CSEA establishes Disaster Relief Fund
to aid storm victims in North Country
Please donate to the
‘CSEA Disaster Relief Fund’
Our goal is for a donation of at least one dollar
from each CSEA member. Please be generous.
Make checks payable to
“CSEA Disaster Relief Fund”
and mail immediately to:
CSEA, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210.
CSEA is also collecting non-perishable food items,
water and diapers. Contact your CSEA Region Office
for information about drop off points.
GENERAL NEWS
Page 12 « February, 1998,» The Public Sectar
— &WAW JARIAID
The Public iA efor
eo
Feb. 1998 + Vol. 3, No. 2
CSEA NASSAU COUNTY LOCAL 830 newsierrer
Unity Committee’s Second
Annual Irish Cultural
St. Patrick’s Day
Luncheon
Set for March 7
An afternoon of festive Irish music and
entertainment and a traditional Irish meal will
highlight the Unity Committee's Second Annual
Irish Cultural St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon, set this
year for Sat. March 7, from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at
the Coral House in Baldwin.
According to Unity Committee Chair Barbara
Jones, the event will once again feature a wide range
of Irish entertainment as well as a complete corned
beef and cabbage meal. A keynote speaker — not
confirmed as we went to press — will address the
luncheon gathering, In addition, many valuable
prizes will be raffled off.
Because seating is limited, tickets will be sold in
advance only on a first-come, first-served basis up to
the March 5 deadline, No tickets will be sold at the
door. The cost is $30 per person.
Tickets and additional information may be
obtained by calling Barbara Jones at 571-6680 or
Juanita McKinnies at 571-544¢
vailable to Union Member yi
Free Blood Pressure Screening
Every Week At Local 830 Office
Free blood pressure
Nassau
Local 830
Healthy
Heart
Program
screening is now available to
our union members at the
CSEA office in Mineola.
Blood pressure readings
will be taken each
Wednesday (except holidays)
from 12 noon to 4 p.m. as
part of the Local 830
“Healthy Heart Program.”
The location is 400 County Seat Drive, lower level
Appointments are nor necessary and screenings will be
done on a first come, first served basis.
For more information please call the CSEA office at
571-2919.
Jao BHT
Contract Negotiations
Moving Ahead Slowly
T have been endeavoring to keep
our membership informed on the
status of contract negotiations
through our radio show and
through the ongoing series of worksite meetings known as
the President's Forum. From time to time, I will also use this
column to report negotiations progress to you.
The process has been going much more slowly than I had
hoped it would. Progress has been gradual and incremental
... but it can be called progress. It would be improper of me
to disclose details of the issues that are sticking points in the
bargaining process and such disclosure could compromise
our bargaining position.
What I can say is that the contract proposals most
important to are still on the table and that I am
cautiously optimistic that most will survive the process
Included among them is a proposal to establish the county's
first municipally-supported day care facility for the children
of union members.
T urge all of you to attend the worksite meetings that I
have been setting up. It will give you an opportunity to ask
questions not only about the contract status but also about
other concerns relating to your employment with Nassau
County.
You should be aware that the current CSEA negotiations
committee is the largest and most representative of our
membership in the history of our union. Included on the
committee are the presidents of every unit within Local 830.
Once again, I want to assure you that we will continue to
bargain in the best interests of our members and that I will
try in every way possible to keep you abreast of the status.
When an agreement is reached, I will make every effort to
fully inform you of its provisions.
Yours in solidari
Tony GiustinofPresident
CSEA Nassau Local 830
Holiday Dinner-Dance Benefits Marines Program
Local 830 Members Donate Toys for Tots
Social Committee Chair Beth
Luttinger, seated in center, helps
display some of the hundreds of
toys that were donated by CSEA
members who attended the Nassau
County Local 830 holiday dinner-
dance in December, The toys went
to the U.S. Marines “Toy
Tots” program. Joining in the fun
are CSEA Long Island Region 1
President Nick LaMorte, Local 830
President Tony ino, social
committee member Ken Zwerling
and representatives from the
Marines. The holiday dinner.
dance, held at the Floral Terrace,
was the most successful ever with
more than 400 in attendance.
Wisse ONO ONT Geel YUN
Fate
EXPRESS
Nassau County Local 830!
EPLHEES
February 1998 » Vol. 3 No. 2
A Monthly Publication of CSEA Nassau County Local 830
ANTHONY P. GIUSTINO, President
‘Tony Panzarella, Editor
571-2919 Ext. 15
Ronald G, Gurrieri, Chair, Communications Committee
Sheryl C. Jenks, Communications Associate
CSEA Long Island Region Office, (516) 462-0030
NASSAU LOCAL 830
Executive Officers:
Jane D'Amico, Executive Vice President
Les Eason, Ist Vice President
Dan Murphy, 2nd Vice President
Noreen Lingham, 3rd Vice President
Robert Cauldwell, 4th Vice President
Ra 5th Vice President
Kathleen Vitan, Ti
Unit Presidents/Executive Board:
Jolin Aloisio Ill, Treasurer's Office
Michael Cathers, Probation Department
Robert Cauldwell, Social Services Department
Tim Corr, Recreation & Parks Department
k n Cosgrove, Administrative Unit
ames Davis, Assessment Department
Mary Delmare, School Crossing Guards
Eason, A, Holly Patterson Geriatric Center
isgrau, County Clerk
nelli, Sheriff's Department
neock, Nassau Community College
Nancy lanson, Office of Drug & Alcohol
‘Timothy Jaccard, Police Department AMTS
Barbara Jones, Department of General Services
Joan Kleila, Police Department Civitian
Bruce Kubart, Comptroller's Office
Richard Russ, Department of Consumer Ajfairs
Joseph Schickler, Health Depariment
Paul Simon, Fire & Rescue Services
Martin Stamile, Department of Public Works
George Walsh, Nassau County Medical Center
Joseph Whittaker, Fire Marshal's Office
We welcome reader suggestions: Please address your
comments to Tony Panzarella, Editor, Nassau
County EXPRESS at CSEA Nassau Co. Local 830,
400 County Seat Dr., Mineola, NY 11501-4137
Give Your Suggestions
to Education Committee
The €
2A Nassau County Local 830
Education Commitee is seeki
the suggestions of
members on what types of seminars it should
present in 1998.
Some suggestions for workshops already
received include: Computer Training; General
Equivalency Diploma; Grievances; Spanish as a
Second Language; Civil Service Examination
Preparation; Shop Stewardship and Understanding
the Labor Contract,
Do you agree with any of the above? Can you
think of any others that might be of interest? Your
suggestions will be most welcome. Members can
either fill out the Education Committee
questionnaire which has been distributed to all
departments or contact the committee co-chairs:
Jewel Weinstein, Local 830 6th vice president
(571-2919) or George Walsh, president, Nassau
County Medical Center Unit (572-6364).
ORC G
LEGAL UPDATE x
Interpreting General Municipal Law §207-c for Law
Enforcement Employees Injured in the Line of Duty
By: Louis D. Stober, Jr., Esq.
CSEA Regional Attorney
This month's article focuses on a recent decision
interpreting General Municipal Law §207-c which provides
for the payment of the regular salary of certain law
enforcement employees such as police officers, correction
officers, deputy sheriffs, probation officers, AMT’s, etc. when
injured in the line of duty.
In Balcerak v. County of Nassau, Justice Lockman has
reconfirmed a long standing principle that if an employee
covered by 207-c is granted Workers’ Compensation benefits
s/he is entitled to 207-c benefits as well, In Balcerak, the
Nassau County Sheriff refused to pay a correction officer who
was injured in an automobile accident 207-c benefits because
he felt the officer was not injured in the line of duty,
-c benefits because Workers’ Compensation had
ruled in his favor. We won our suit and the sheriff has been
ordered to pay Balcerak the full
amount of his salary retroactive to the
date of his injury.
This decision reconfirmed the
1989 decision, Crawford v. Sheriff's
Department, Putnam County, 152
A.D.2d 382, 548 N. id 73
den, 76 N.Y.2d 704, 559 N.Y
984, 559 N.E.2d 678 which held:
“General Municipal Law §20.
remedial statute enacted for the
benefit of law enforcement personnel injured in the line of
duty, and as such, is to be liberally construed in their favor ...
the only possible impediment ... would be a determination
that his injury was not incurred during, or did not result
from, the performance of his duties. However, the issue of
whether the petitioner's disability arose from the performance
of his work duties has already been resolved in his favor by
the Workers’ Compensation Board which, in rendering its
award, necessarily determined that he had suffered an injury
in the line of duty. Hence the record establishes that the
petitioner is entitled to payment of the full amount of his
salary or wages pursuant to General Municipal Law
The county has now been advised that it cannot deny
207-c benefits to employees if they have been granted
Workers’
-If you believe you are in a similar situation, contact your
Compensation ben
union representative.
...df an employee covered by
[General Municipal Law] §207-c is granted
Workers’ Compensation benefits s/he is entitled
to 207-c benefits as well,
African-American History Is A
Month-Long Celebration
Willie Houston, right, facility
supervisor at the African-
American History Museum in
Hempstead, alerted fellow CSEA
members to upcoming museum
programs on a recent edition of
“CSEA in Focus,” Local 830’s
weekly radio show, Nassau Local
830 President Tony Giustino, left,
hosts the show. Houston told of a
month-long series of programs in
February to celebrate African-
American History Month, Those
interested in obtaining the latest
details may call the museum at
572-0730. CSEA in Focus, which
explores topics of interest to
members, can be heard Thursdays
at 7 p.m, and Saturdays at 8:30
a.m. on WGBB, 1240 AM.
}GSEA NASSAU GOUNTY'LOGAL 830 UNION) ae,
Support For Union Veterans
es te et nk
0 EXPRESS 3 <
Veterans’ Issues are Concern
Of Proposed CSEA Committee
CSEA Nassau County Local 830 is in the process of putting together a
Veterans Committee. It is intended that the committee will address the needs
and concerns of our union veterans. At our organizational meeting, we realized
there are many issues regarding veterans of which we are not aware. Legislation
is being introduced, both on Federal and State levels, that will help veterans
regarding retirement, pensions, disability, etc. We, as veterans in our union,
should support our members who are currently in reserve units that may be
activated in support of operations in Bosnia and the Persian Gulf. We should
review legislation that effects their rights under current law. We also will
entertain any recommendations from any union members for future contracts
with the county. This committee's first priority is to identify the veterans who
work for the county, so we may keep the lines of communication open. We
ask that you complete the coupon on this page so we may take the first step.
“T have initiated this program because I am not convinced that the county
of Nassau, the state of New York nor the federal government are properly
addressing the needs of our veterans. Through the union structure, we can
identify and address those needs,” CSEA Nassau County 830 President Tony
Giustino said.
We have been informed that ALL veterans are encouraged to register for
VA Health Care Benefits whether or not they will be used. We do not know
what the future holds, so do not let this benefit slip away. Please call the
Nassau County Office Veterans Service Agency at 572-8452 for details. If you
have any questions regarding the rights or benefits of a veteran please call this
agency and they will answer all your questions. Deadline for registration is
October 1998.
We will update our veteran union members with information on a
continual basis.
Veterans Please Complete the Coupon
ATA A TT
Employee Assistance Program
Offers Counseling Services
The Nassau County Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
offers CSEA members counseling services for a wide range of
personal and family problems. EAP counselors are also
available to meet with department heads and supervisors to
discuss employee problems or referrals. These services are free
and confidential and provided to employees through the
Department of Drug and Alcohol Addiction.
Appointments are available at the CSEA Nassau County
Local 830 office at 400 County Seat Drive-in Mineola and at
the EAP main office at 256 Old Country Road, Hicksville.
CSEA members who wish to obtain additional information
or make a confidential appointment should call 571-7000.
CSEA Nassau County Local 830 President Tony Giustino, left, attends a meeting in
Mineola to organize a CSEA Veterans Committee. Assisting in forming the committee are,
from left, Robert E. Lee (NCMC), Debbie O’Connell (CSEA), Robert Conlin (Sheriff's
Dept.), Rick Rosier (General Services), Eugene Clark (Veterans Services) and Albert Pfeifer
(NCMC). Also in attendance, but not pictured here, was Social Services Unit President
Bob Cauldwell.
Please complete and forward to: Debbie O'Connell, CSEA, 400 County Seat
Drive, Mineola. Please attach a copy of your DD214 or separation papers. We
will keep this on file for your convenience.
Name
Address
Branch of Service:
Any suggestions/interests:
Health Insurance Questions?
Call This Number!
Questions regarding claims and other general information
regarding the new BPA Health Insurance program should be
directed to the company at
1-800-392-9622
This toll-free number has been assigned specifically for
Nassau County employees. Persons calling other numbers
may not receive immediate answers to their questions.
‘evernss >
Level of Care -
Fire/Police EMS Academy $eeks Highest
When the Nassau County Fire/Police EMS
Academy was established nearly 18 years ago, it
was considered a model of cooperation between
the county agencies involved ... the Nassau
County Police Department, the Fire Marshal’s
office and the Nassau County Medical Center.
Thanks in large part to that cooperation and to
the dedication and expertise of the CSEA
members who staff the facility, the institution
quickly went on to gain an outstanding
reputation,
After training hundreds of emergency se
workers from throughout Nassau County, the
Academy will soon break new ground with the
introduction of a brand new course for EMT
paramedics.
“We have provided every other kind of training
up to this point,” said Nassau County Fire &
Rescue Services Unit Ist Vice President Steven
vice
Lenkofsky, who is co-coordinator and co-director
of the new program along with Peter Timinelli of
the Nassau County Police Department. Lenkofsky,
an EMS instructor/coordinator assigned to the
Academy from the Fire Marshal's office, said the
course will fill an important need in Nassau
County.
“In 1996 we began a quest to start a paramedic
Below, Steven Lenkofsky and Peter Timinelli pose
proudly in front of the Fire/Police EMS Academy
banner.
NASSAU COUNTY
education program that would benefit residents by
ensuring the highest possible level of pre-hospital
care available,” Lenkofsky said.
“These kinds of courses are not offered often in
the private sector; and when they are offered, they
are usually prohibitively expensive,” Timinelli
said. He noted that the average cost has been in
the $5,000 range, not including books and
supplies. The 14-month course that will be
launched at the Academy at the end of March will
cost about $3,500 complete with books and
supplies.
“This is the first time in Nassau County that
such a course will be run by the government,”
Lenkofsky said. It is open, he said, to people who
u County residents.
Timinelli and Lenkofsky said that “an amazing
amount of work” went into making the course a
reality. “There were many obstacles and we
needed the cooperation of many individuals and
agencies,” Timinelli said.
Special praise went to the Fire Marshal's office,
the Police Department, the Nassau County
Medical Center (where the Academy is housed),
CSEA Nassau County Local 830 and its president
Tony Giustino, Nassau County Executive Tom
Gulotta and the Nassau Regional EMS Council.
Timinelli, left , and Lenkofsky demonstrate life-saving
procedures which are taught at the Academy.
There were many hours of organizational
meetings. And when it was all put together, it still
needed the approval of the New York State Health
Department’s Bureau of Emergency Medical
Services. With everything now in place, the
program is expected to start on March 30th.
The Fire/Police EMS Academy, located on the
fifth floor of the old Meadowbrook Hospital
Building, is a 16-hour a day operation responsible
for training Nassau County residents involved in
the delivery of pre-hospital emergency care. These
include members of the Police Department, Fire |
Services, Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Court
Officers, Corrections Officers, the Jail Medical
Unit, hospital personnel, Coast Guard, Bay
Constables and others.
At right, instructor Gerald Sikorski of the |
CSEA AMT Unit leads the class in |
session at the EMS Academy.
Lenkofsky and Paul Napoli, AMT supervisor and EMS administrator.
At left, the LV Room at
the Academy contains
supplies that are vital to
live.
keeping patients
Timinelli and Lenkofsky
demonstrate the IV
technique.
Below, posing in front of EMS mural at the Academy are, from left, Administrator Henry
Pieloch, Instructor Gerald Sikorski of the CSEA AMT Unie, Peter Timinelli, Steven
‘SEA LOcaL 830
B WOMENS’ COMMITTEE
CSEA Nassau County Local 830 Women’s Committee
CSEA Nassau County Local 830 Women’s Committee members take time out from meeting on a wide variety
of issues and programs to pose for a picture, One important issue discussed was the upcoming organizational
meeting on the formation of a Long Island chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW). See
related story on this page. All smiles for the camera are, seated from left, Mary Delmare, Sandee Horowitz,
Sheila Slezak, Noreen Lingham, Eileen Jones and Kathleen Vitan. Standing from left are Debbie O’Connell,
Jewel Weinstein, Cynthia Hancock, Sandy Gold, Bobbi Eisgrau, Marie Springer, Chairperson Jane D'Amico,
Peggy Bergold, Joan Fegan, Londa Foss and Nancy Ianson.
President’s Forum
Scheduled For NCMC in
February and March
CSEA Nassau County Local 830 President Tony Giustino will be visiting
the Nassau County Medical Center on eight dates in February and March to
meet with members of the NCMC staff as part of his series of President's
Forums.
Giustino has been holding the worksite meetings at a wide variety of
locations since he took office in order to establish a personal rapport with the
membership and to answer any union-related questions they may have. All
meetings will be held from 11 a.m. to 12 noon and again from 12 noon to 1
p-m. Lunch will be served.
Win a Prize!
i eal
Women’s Committee
To Form CLUW Chapter
The Local 830 Women’s Committee
plans to create the first Long Island
chapter of the Coalition of Labor
Union women (CLUW), a national
labor organization that promotes
women’s issues.
An organizational meeting will be
held on Thursday April 16 at 5:30
p.m. at the Local 830 office, 400
County Seat Drive, Mineola. Pre-
registration is required by calling
Debbie O’Connell at 571-2919, ext.
28. Refreshments will be served.
The NCMC schedule follows:
* Thurs. Feb 5 — 9th floor staff — DCB Bldg.
* Wed. Feb. 11 — 18th floor staff — DCB Bldg.
° Fri. Feb. 20 — Emergency Room staff — DCB Bldg.
* Fri. Feb. 27 — Radiology and Oncology — S Bldg.
¢ Thurs. March 5 — LPNs and PCAs —
Location to be determined.
¢ Thurs. March 12 — Dialysis Dept. — Bldg S 2nd floor.
¢ Thurs March 19 — Housekeeping — Auditorium
° Wed. March 25 — O.R. Department — DCB Bldg. 2nd floor.
For additional information, call 571-2919.
Give Us a Theme for Our 1998 “Spring Fling’? Dinner Dance
Remember last year’s “Spring Fling” — CSEA’s May dinner dance with a country/western
theme? It was successful and it was fun, but the social committee is looking for new themes
and wants your input.
And the field is wide open, according to Social Committee Chair Beth Luttinger. Would
you like a 50s theme (or 60s or 70s)? Maybe a sci-fi theme such as Star Wars or Star Trek
would appeal to you. Or how about a nautical theme ... or a Hawaiian Luau? Maybe you
liked the country/western theme so much that you want us to repeat it again, (We already
repeated it once.)
“If you have some good ideas, I hope you will share them with us,” Luttinger said. “We
want to make the event as much fun as possible. I would ask our members to please fill out
the form at right and return it it to me as soon as possible so that the planning can get
started,” she added,
All members who submit the winning theme will receive a prize.
'
’
’
1
‘
1
'
'
'
'
'
I Vote for the following theme for the 1998 CSEA spring fling:
(Please number in order of preference)
50s
= etatireke es
60s 70s Nautical Luau
Star Wars
Roaring 20s Disco
Horror Country/Western
Other suggestions:
Name
Work phone
Department
Home phone
Please return to Beth Luttinger, Social Committee Chair, CSEA Nassau
Local 830, 400 County Seat EDive, Mineola, NY 11501.
peepee 7”
STAR PROGRAM
ast Minute Crunch
When Assessment Dept. Unit President James Davis reported that his
office was overwhelmed with hundreds of last-minute applications for
the New York state STAR (School Tax Relief) Program, The Express
rushed to the scene to capture the event on film. The STAR Program
gives senior citizens a break on their school taxes and Dec. 31 was the
deadline for applying. these photos show CSEA members who
comprise the assessment staff hard at work right up to closing time on
New Year's Eve. In photo above, incoming Board of Assessors
Chairman Charles O'Shea (a winning CSEA-endorsed candidate)
lends a hand in assisting applicants. (The deadline was later extended
by the state to March 2.)
You Can Get Assistance 24 Hours a Day
Although regular office hours at CSEA Nassau Local 830 run from
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, President Tony Giustino has placed into
service a 24-hour member hotline. A CSEA representative will be
standing by to answer your questions or help with your problem during
non-office hours, including weekends.
Members wishing to access the service may call the page number —
560-4432 — wait for the beep, then enter their phone number. The
CSEA representative will call back as quickly as possible. The number
should be called only during non-office hours. The regular office
number of 571-2919 should be called weekdays during business hours.
Pre-Retirement Seminar
Set for Spring 1998
The New York State Comptroller's office is
offering a free pre-retirement seminar to assist
state and local employees who are considering
retirement in the near future.
The seminars are set for Tues. April 21 for
employees in Tiers 1 and 2 at SUNY Old Westbury;
and on Fri. May 1 at the same location for those in
Tiers 3 and 4.
For registration information call the Nassau
County Personnel Office at 571-4246.
8 EXPRESS ©
Brief Overview from Some Committees around the Region
Staying In Touch With Your Union
hope the new year has blessed you with good
health and a renewed interest in your union.
1 am happy to congratulate and welcome
your Nassau Local 830 President Tony
Giustino to the CSEA Statewide Board of
Directors. His nomination to the vacated seat was
overwhelming!
I thought that you might enjoy a brief overview of what
some of your Region 1 committees are working on.
Our Region Human Rights Committee sponsored the
third annual Festivals of Light Holiday Celebration in the
Region conference room. CSEA family members all helped
participate in honoring Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and
the Feast of the Three Kings.
Many members of the committee are from Local 830
and I am proud of their hard work and dedication.
The Women’s Committee sponsored a Floral Workshop
where Local 830 AMT Unit President Tim Jaccard
entertained us while he instructed us on the art of making
flower arrangements.
All the arrangements were raffled off and the proceeds
were given to a halfway house for alcohol abuse
rehabilitation. Thanks, Tim, you're an incredible human
being!
Our Social Committee put together a holiday party
attended by more than 300 members and their families.
The Long Island Region 1 Festival of Lights
That same committee planned a successful trip to
Atlantic City.
‘The Education and Training Committee has set up a
series of defensive driver training sessions. I am proud to say
these are being taught by CSEA DEC Unit President Clay
Colefield at a reduced rate to our members.
Our School District Committee is hard at work getting
ready for the third annual Career Day Workshop where
previously we had over 500 school district members attend.
This year should be better than ever!
The Safety and Health Committee attended the
NYCOSH Awards in Manhattan to see our esteemed
Statewide President Danny Donohue receive an award for
CSEA.
Our People Committee is working hard as ever recruiting
new members so we can stay competitive for the PEOPLE
cup award.
The PAC Committee continues to be a most active
committee by getting involved in gathering petitions in the
Town of Brookhaven to force a special election on the issue
of councilmatic voting districts. We are also being helped by
Suffolk Local 852, which has jurisdiction. The PAC has set
a calendar for the year and we expect to do a training in
mid-January.
With the Governor setting earlier than expected special
assembly elections, we have already interviewed candidates
>
in two districts and have endorsed Kathleen Murray for the
17th Assembly District seat and Maureen O'Connell for the
19th Assembly District seat.
All other committees are meeting and functioning. I am
very thankful for all the activists who make the committees
run so well,
I would like to close my column with the words of the
late, great Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. whose words are
fitting to all working class people:
“So I say to you, my friends, that even though we must
face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a
dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream
that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true
meaning of its creed — we hold these truths to be self
evident, that all men are created equal.”
Fraternally yours,
Na President
Long Island Region 1
“.. we hold these truths to be self-
evident, that all men are created equal.”
A True Example of Unity
COMMACK — Ie’ not often the sound of music, the
pounding of feet, the smell of ethnic foods, the glimmer of
candlelight, and the magic of words from stories and song
fill the C
All of that and more
‘A Long Island Region 1 office.
including an arrival by Santa
Claus — were part of the fun when the region conference
room was transformed into a paradise recently by the
Region 1 Human Rights Committee as they hosted the
third annual Festivals of Light holiday celebration
“CSEA takes great pride in presenting this event to
our membership. It is created by members and their families for members and their families to
enjoy,” said CSEA Long Island Region | President Nick LaMorte.
The festival celebrates Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and the Feast of The Three Kings.
Each holiday was brought to life through story, song or dance and each included the
sampling of ethnic foods and treats
Noreen Lingham and Tim Jaccard, both from Nassau County Local 830, helped the children
make their own snow-globes and decorate the tree with paper ornaments,
“This event is fun, spiritual and a true example of unity as the varied cultures and customs
were explored and enjoyed by young and old alike,” said Human Rights Committee Chair
Barbara Jones.
The rest of the committee includes: Joe Allen, Shirley Baker, Stanley Bergman, Bob Caldwell,
members and their
members and their
families to enjoy.
It is created by
families for
NYS AFL-CIO Conference
Committee of Police and Law Enforcement Officers
of the NYS AFL-CIO.
Albany, Long Island
Several Long Island CSEA representatives were on hand at the recent conference
ommittee of Police and Law Enforcement Officers i
s pictured here are, seated from left, CSEA Long Island
Region 1 President Nick LaMorte, Local 830 President Tony Giustino, Local 830
Executive Vice President Jane D'Amico and Nassau Fire Marshal's Unit President
Joe Whittak:
The conference explored such topics as legislation, sentencing, developing
Alfredo Carlo, Marjorie Carr, Bobbi Bisgrau, Jack Hurt, Jeffrey Rowe, Kathy Vian, Stephanie Standing at right is Jim Kelly of the Nassau Police AMT Unit.
Williams and Grace Wynn
“A special thank you to the entire committee who worked to make this evening a success, We equipment standards and working toward common goals.
are getting better every year!” said Jones,
ft ager der «roloee allay ett ——-_—_——
BEET \
SECT y
Become part of the action with the PEOPLE team
PEOPLE (Public Employees Organized to
Promote Legislative Equality) is CSEA’s federal
political action program. The people committee is
responsible for raising money to promote the
interests of the membership in the federal elective
and legislative process. Election law does not
allow us to use CSEA dues money for this
purpose.
The national PEOPLE Program doesn’t just
hand out money to politicians. Federal Election
Law strictly limits the dollar amount that can be
contributed to any candidate. The funds are spent
as follows:
TO ENDORSE congressional candidates who
support public employees issues, based on
recommendations from the CSEA membership.
TO COMMUNICATE with the candidates our
position on issues that affect you.
TO LOBBY congress to secure necessary
funding to protect your job in the federal budget
process and to protect your rights in the
workplace.
TO ALERT you to legislative initiatives that
could affect you and encourage you to call or
write the appropriate elected official.
art of the action
{ Address
*& & %& VOLUNTARY PEOPLE
Apt. # / Floor
TO MONITOR proposed legislation to ensure
that your voice on matters affecting you is heard.
What PEOPLE has done for You...
* Fought for increases in the minimum wage
legislation.
* Passed the Kennedy-Kassebaum health care bill
which prevents the denial of health insurance to
persons with pre-existing conditions.
* Passed the Family and Medical Leave Act which
allows up to twelve weeks of unpaid leave for the
birth or adoption of a child or the serious illness
of a parent, spouse or child.
* Fought to prevent cuts in funding to Medicare
and Medicaid. These cuts would hurt our senior
citizens, children and the disabled.
* Successful in passing legislation that would
increase funding for educational programs.
What PEOPLE is doing for you now...
* Opposes the Comp Time Bill that could take
away the automatic right to overtime pay and
eliminate the 40-hour work week.
* Opposes the Team Act Bill which would take
away our right to have a union. It would allow
MEMECRSIIE AUTHORIZATION & & YES!
Name
¢ DIRECT CONTRIBUTION APPLICATION ¢
employers to set up company committees.
* Opposes the abolishment of the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration, which could
diminish your safety on the job.
* Educating the public on the benefits of having
public employees do the job while opposing the
contracting out of your jobs.
The PEOPLE agenda is to work toward fair and
progressive legislation for all Americans. With the
PEOPLE program, you can have a say on
legislation that will have an impact on federal,
state and local governments budgets.
All of us lead such busy lives that we don’t
have time to be involved in the actions that are
taken in Washington. Because Congress acts on
issues that affect our daily lives it is important to
have a say. Once you join PEOPLE you will
receive information keeping you informed and
asking for your help in protecting and securing
legislation for all working Americans.
Take a moment, fill out the
application below, join with
the more than 13,000 CSEA
members and become a part
of the PEOPLE Team.
part of the actio
Fit
Address
Midale
Apt. # / Floor
State ZIP
ZIP
{City
1 Social Security No.
{ Work Phone (
{Job Title
___ Home Phone (
City State
Social Security No,
Work Phone( —) Home Phone (
Job Title
{Region Loe Agency #
Payroll Item #
Region Local_____ Department
Name of Employer
ce Commitee for the
contribution voluntary and tit
of employment, an
| contributions
{ any organ
4 any time by gh
po king political
10 required as a condition of
¢ of reprisal, and that I may revoke this authorization at
amount of: £135.00 [150.00 1175.00
DVISA MASTERCARD Expiration Date
ambership in ACCOUNT NUMBER
Enclosed is my personal check, money order or credit card contribution in the
SIGNATURE
SIGNATURE DATE
X-Small /S /M/ L/XL XXL
Clark is recruiter of the year;
4) $50.00 or mare W contibaen, cree jock
Earn double points
during February
Long Island Region wins PEOPLE Cup
CSEA PEOPLE (Public Employees Organized to Promote
Legislative Equality) honored its member activists for their
recruiting efforts over the past year during the Annual
Delegates Meeting. CSEA/AFSCME PEOPLE is the
lobbying and political action program at the federal level.
Long Island Region 1 received the PEOPLE Cup trophy,
awarded to the region recruiting the most new members
during the past year. Long Island Region 1 PEOPLE
activists recruited 699 new members to the program
during that time frame.
Harriet Clark was named CSEA PEOPLE recruiter of the
year for personally signing up 194 new members. Clark is
a member of CSEA Taconic Developmental Center Local
426.
CSEA activists enlisted 2,676 new members statewide
to the program | suring the past year.
WAM UNS ASO
CSEA members can earn double points
for every member they recruit to join
PEOPLE during February.
CSEA members earn points for each
member they sign up for PEOPLE, and
those points can be redeemed for gifts in
the PEOPLE Recruiter Gift Catalog. Points
will be doubled for all recruiters who submit
completed PEOPLE applications to CSEA's
PEOPLE Department during February.
Sandy Davis, of CSEA Office of General
Services Local 660, recruited 12 new
members for PEOPLE to earn recruiter of
the month honors for November.
Laura Gallagher, of CSEA SUNY at Old
Westbury Local 618, recruited 13 new
members to earn the title for December,
PEOPLE recruiter of the year, Harriet
Clark, center, is flanked by Southern
Region 3 President Carmine DiBattista
and CSEA President Danny Donohue.
GENERAL NEWS
The Publié Sector « February 1998 » Pagé'f3
Employees
learn how to
get out of
very tight spots
NAPANOCH — You are a maintenance worker in a
correctional facility. A pipe has broken and you have been
assigned to repair it. But the pipe is located in a tunnel in the
basement and the space is so small that you have to crawl to
get into it. Is there enough oxygen in the tunnel to sustain you
while you repair the pipe? Can you count on someone to rescue
you if you have a problem?
You are six feet tall and you weigh 210 pounds. You have to
get into a 24-inch pipe to repair a tank. Is it safe? Will you
know how to get out of the pipe if you have to get out fast? é
You and your co-worker have to repair a boiler and you both
have to fit into a three-by-five-foot space to do the work. Your
co-worker suddenly collapses. How do you rescue him and keep
yourself safe?
You have to climb into a manhole in order to make a repair. Escaping
sewer gases could make you ill or even kill you. Would you recognize the
danger? Could you get out?
Workers all over New York state face these challenges every day and there
is always a concern for safety. But until recently, training has been non-
existent or less than adequate.
Now, thanks to funding by the state Department of Corrections and the
New York State Labor-Management Committee, workers in CSEA Southern
Region 3 will be prepared for any circumstance that could threaten their
safety in a confined space. Eventually, the training will be available
throughout the state, as well as to outside fire and rescue agencies who are
routinely called in when a rescue situation occurs.
Eastern Correctional Facility CSEA Local 159 President Jeff Howarth said
that for years employees worked in confined spaces without proper training.
“We've been very lucky for years,” Howarth said. “The confined space
training program is not just a (Department of) Corrections problem, but the
entire state of New York.”
A confined space can be a manhole, boiler, tank or tunnel; any place
where there is limited space, a limited entrance or exit with a lack of oxygen
or a possibility of toxic gases, according to Training Lt. Charles Mutz. Mutz
coordinated the intense 7-day program held at Eastern Correctional Facility
for 24 correctional employees from the Catskill Regional Hub.
| as
Confined Space Training class of '97 ‘graduates’ pose atop a simulated confined
space at the training facilities at Eastern Correctional Facility.
Greg Greer, a vocational supervisor at Woodbourne Correctional Facility
in Sullivan County, taught the class. Greer is also a fireman, a certified fire
instructor and confined space trainer.
Mutz said he was grateful for the cooperation of Eastern Correctional
Facility Superintendent Dave Miller and the local companies that donated
supplies, as well as prison staff who volunteered their time to build the
structures used in the training.
“Permit required confined space entry is one of the most dangerous job
tasks our members face,” CSEA Occupational Safety and Health
Representative Wendy Hord said. “The high quality of this training program
is demonstrated by the comments of the participants. For them to agree
unanimously that it was the best training they had ever had is a great
compliment to Greg Greer, Jeff Howarth and Lt. Mutz. I hope that DOCS will
make confined space training a priority for those who haven't been trained.”
Mutz said his goal is to establish an emergency response team in the hub
to be prepared for rescues under any circumstances, and he plans to add an
eighth day onto the training to include a full day of Emergency Medical
Services training.
Anyone interested in obtaining more information about confined space
training may contact Catskill Regional Training Lt. Mutz at
914-647-7400, Ext. 5760, or their CSEA Local president or their agency
Human Resources Department. — Anita Manley
Your union dues, among the lowest in the country, support CSEA efforts
to obtain better wages, better benefits, retirement benefits and equitable
terms and conditions of employment for the 265,000 active and retired
members of CSEA that are far superior to non-unionized workers.
CSEA negotiates the best contract provisions and protections possible
because effective management of union dues make it possible for the union
to employ an experienced, qualified professional staff and utilize the finest
resources available.
Your dues also support CSEA's legislative and political action program,
making it possible for CSEA to promote and support legislation that is in
your best interest while working to reject legislation that would be harmful
to you.
Your union dues also support CSEA efforts on issues that help you
throughout your working career and assist you when you retire, such as
pension supplementation, permanent cost-of-living adjustments, health
insurance for retirees and preservation of the retirement system.
Your union dues work for you in many ways. Of every dues dollar paid,
97 cents goes toward negotiating and enforcing union contracts, improving
and protecting terms and conditions of employment and working on a wide
range of issues and projects that directly affect members. Three cents is
Your union dwes work for you
used for promoting political or ideological programs and projects important
to CSEA members and labor in general.
CSEA members who do object to the appropriation of a portion of their
dues for political or ideological purposes unrelated to collective bargaining
can obtain a rebate.
To request a refund from CSEA, individual refund requests must be
submitted in writing by certified or registered mail addressed to:
CSEA Treasurer, Civil Service Employees Association
P.O. Box 2611, Albany, NY 12220-0611
CSEA refund requests will only be accepted during the month of March
1998. Requests must be postmarked during the month of March, no earlier
than March 1, 1998.and no later than March 31, 1998.
Individual requests only must be submitted; lists of members are not
acceptable. Requests from more than one person may not be sent
together in the same envelope; each request must be sent individually.
Requests must be renewed in writing every year the member wishes a
rebate,
Each request for reimbursement must be typed or legibly printed and
must include the individual's name, home address, Social Security number
and CSEA local number. The request must be signed by the member.
~ GENERAL NEWS>
Page 14+ February 1998 * The Public Sector
Six children of CSEA members
win McDonough scholarships
Six children of CSEA members, one from
each of CSEA’s six regions, have been named
winners of CSEA Thomas H. McDonough
Continuing Studies Scholarships.
The winners were announced jointly by
CSEA President Danny Donohue and Diane
Lucchesi, chairperson of CSEA's Special
Memorial Scholarship Committee.
The awards are for $500 each and are
intended to assist the students in pursuing
their college studies by augmenting the CSEA
Irving Flaumenbaum scholarships which
each of the recipients had previously won as
graduating high school seniors.
The continuing studies scholarships are
named in memory of the late Thomas H.
McDonough, a longtime union activist who
served as acting president and executive vice
president of CSEA.
Winners of the 1997 CSEA Thomas H.
McDonough Continuing Studies Scholarships
are:
Long Island Region 1
Lisa Sabino of N. Massapequa is a student
at SUNY Geneseo. Her mother, Joyce Sabino,
is a teacher aide at Nassau BOCES and a
member of Nassau County Educational
Employees Local 865.
Metropolitan Region 2
Nakia C. Watson of Troy is a student at
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Her mother,
Cheryl Neptune. ior stenographer at
Manhattan Psychiatric Center and a member
of Manhattan Psychiatric Center Local 413.
Southern Region 3
Michele Bayer of Yonkers is a student at
New York University. Her mother, Dolores
Bayer, is a school aide in the Yonkers Public
Schools and a member of Westchester County
Local 860.
Capital Region 4
Thomas M. Dillon, Jr. of Gansevoort is a
student at the University of Michigan. His
mother, Joanne Dillon, is a typist in the
Saratoga Springs Central School District and
a member of Saratoga County Educational
Employees Local 864.
Central Region 5
Amy Marie Trask of W. Oneonta is a
student at Keuka College. Her father, Duane
Trask, is a bus driver in the Laurens Central
School District and a member of Otsego
County Local 839.
Western Region 6
Rebecca Boyer of W. Seneca is a student
at Nazareth College. Her mother, Rosemary
Boyer, is a library aide in the W. Seneca
Central School District and a member of Erie
County Educational Employees Local 868.
The McDonough scholarship recipients
were selected on the basis of merit and need
from a pool of previous winners of the
Flaumenbaum scholarships by members of
CSEA’s Memorial Scholarship Committee. In
addition to committee chairperson Lucchesi,
the committee includes Kathy Martinez-
Walsh, Lamont Dutch Wade, Lorraine
Johnson, Helen Fischedick, Sandra Delia,
Bruce Norton and Jeanette Newman.
Data processing jobs to remain
in Albany under new plan;
Preseription plan helps >
seniors save on drug costs
The Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC)
Program is a New York State sponsored prescription plan
that helps senior citizens with low to moderate incomes
save on their prescription drug costs.
EPIC currently helps about 100,000 seniors save more
than half the cost of their prescription medications. For
many enrollees, using EPIC can mean the difference
between affording expensive medications and going
without them.
EPIC covers almost all prescription medicines, both
brand name and generic. EPIC also covers the cost of
insulin and insulin syringes. EPIC does not cover over the
counter medicines such as aspirin or vitamins. Almost all
pharmacies in New York State participate in EPIC.
Seniors can join EPIC if they are age 65 or older, live in
New York State and meet certain income limits. For single
or widowed seniors, the annual income can be up to
$18,000. For married seniors, the combined annual
income for both spouses can be up to $23,700,
EPIC offers seniors two different plans: the Fee Plan
and the Deductible Plan.
With the Fee Plan, seniors pay an annual fee, which is
based on their income, and then receive a discount on
their prescriptions at the pharmacy. The annual fees
range from $24 - $414 and can be paid quarterly.
The Deductible Plan has no fee to join. Instead, seniors
pay full price for their prescriptions until they meet their
deductible, which is also based on income. Once the
deductible has been met, the seniors then receive the
discount on their medicines for the rest of their
enrollment year. The deductible amounts range from
$468 - $638.
For more information or an application, call EPIC toll
free at 1-800-332-3742.
details still to be worked out
ALBANY — After fighting off an ill-conceived proposal to move
more than 2,000 data processing jobs to vacant IBM facilit;
CSEA is working with state officials to hammer out the details of a
new plan to consolidate the state's data processing operations.
Over a three-year period beginning this month, the state Office
of General Services will merge data centers from 20 state agencies
into two downtown Albany locations. The plan is less disruptive
than the earlier proposal since most of the affected jobs are
already in the Albany area. However, some New York City workers
at the State Insurance Fund and the Office of Temporary Disability
Assistance will be asked to relocate.
It is expected that nearly 200 positions will be eliminated once
the consolidation is completed, but state officials have assured
CSEA that there will be no layoffs. Instead, workers in tai ed
positions will be offere or be retrained for other state
jobs. Retirement incentives may be offered as well.
Similar arrangements will be offered to New York City employees
who do not wish to relocate to Albany.
The plan is the result of a $1.4 million consolidation study.
CSEA members affected by the change will receive further
information as it becomes available.
GENERALVENS 5
fa
EAP RECOGNITION LUNCHEON — Activists in the state’s Employee
Assistance Program (EAP) were honored at a luncheon recently at Downstate
Correctional Facility in Beacon. From left, CSEA members who were honored
included Mid Hudson Psychiatric Center Local 448 President Anthony “Skip”
Ferrara, Helen Hayes Hospital Local 302 Second Vice President Janice
Heminover, Letchworth DDSO Local 412 member Robert Dandrea, Local 412
President Sara Bogart, DOT Local 507 First Vice President Barbara Ritshie,
Middletown Psychiatric Center Local 415 President Diane Hewitt, who is also
Southern Region 3 first vice president; Taconic DDSO Local 426 Second Vice
President Dorothy Killmer, and Goshen Secure Center Local 554 President
George Henry. At right is CSEA EAP Coordinator John Phillips, who called
the EAP the most successful labor-management program in the state. Other
CSEA activists honored were Downstate Correctional Facility Local 155
President Barbara DeSimone and Middletown Psychiatric Center Local 415
member Anthony Vikos.
TRG SPUR RRP CK Fea uaYY, 1998 P8921 4
New Lebanon
school workers
lauded for efforts
during emergency
WEST LEBANON — CSEA and school district officials are commending
staff at New Lebanon School District in Columbia County for their
professionalism in evacuating students and staff from a school building
contaminated by sulfuric acid fumes.
The 350 students, support staff and professional staff of the Walter B.
Howard Elementary School were forced out of the building. The successful
evacuation effort, conducted by the members of the CSEA New Lebanon
School District Unit, was complicated by the theft of the district's mobile
communications system the night before.
Staff arriving early on Dec. 9 noticed a foul smell and throat aid eye
irritation caused by an industrial strength declogging product that reacted
with something already in the drain system of the elementary school. Staff
reported it to the district superintendent. However, by that time, students
were already arriving.
Eighteen elementary school students and two faculty members were taken
to Berkshire Medical Center and Hillcrest Hospital and treated for minor
health problems. One student was kept overnight for observation.
“When the word went out to evacuate the elementary school, the bus
drivers, transportation department employees and the support staff at the
elementary school and high school worked the evacuation very
professionally,” CSEA Unit President Ed Davis said.
First they led 350 children out of the elementary school building to the
bus garage area right behind the building.
Ambulances, EMT and volunteer fire department personnel arrived
quickly and examined children on board available buses. Those with
problems were quickly transported to nearby hospitals. The remaining
students were then bused to the high school facility about five miles away.
There the high school support staff and elementary support staff provided
supervision while the district called parents to inform them that the children
NICE GOING IN NEW LEBANON — Citing the teamwork needed for a
successful evacuation of the Walter B. Howard Elementary School on
Dec. 9, 1997, CSEA Capital Region 4 President Carmen Bagnoli, right,
presents CSEA New Lebanon School Unit President Ed Davis, far left
with three meritorious service awards, one for each school district
worksite: elementary, transportation and Junior/Senior high school.
The plaques are being held by Maureen Dolan, teacher's aide, Keith
Stupplebeen, head bus driver, and Roberta Buff, teacher's aide.
would be bused back home as soon as possible if an adult would be
available to receive them. If no parent could be reached the child would stay
at the high school under school supervision. The buses transported students
home, where drivers made sure that each child was released to the care of
an adult at their home drop off point.
“While the mobile communication system would have made things go a
little smoother, every CSEA member involved in this emergency effort acted
WERE YOU THERE
when a massive winter storm caused devastating ice and flooding
damage to much of upstate New York in January?
DID YOU TAKE VIDEOTAPE OR STILL PHOTOGRAPHS
OF THE DAMAGE, and in particular, DID YOU TAKE VIDEOTAPE OR STILL
PHOTOGRAPHS OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEES AND THEIR EQUIPMENT
INVOLVED IN THE AFTERMATH CLEANUP?
If so, please contact the CSEA Communications Department at
1-800-342-4146 Ext. 1271 or (518) 257-1271.
CSEA hopes to compile a documentary record of the herculean efforts of
public employees in responding to this weather disaster.
Santa star of DOT safety ad
Safety is an important issue to the dedicated employees who plow
roadways throughout the state during inclement weather. And to help
assure the safety of employees and motorists, the state Department of
Transportation has produced a television commercial promoting safe
driving around snowplows.
The ad takes place in a diner on a blustery evening, with a customer
giving his waitress important tips such as don't drive too close and never
try to pass a snowplow. And that customer ought to know what he’s
talking about, because at the end of the commercial we find out he's
Santa Claus.
in a very professional and selfless manner,” Davis said. “The children’s
safety and staffs safety were our chief concerns.”
The odor closed the elementary school for the day and the hazmat team
removed the entire sink and drain for analysis and eventual disposal.
Subsequent reviews of the situation have called its cause an accident.
CSEA has provided the district with information on the Healthy Schools
Network, which advocates cleaning and maintaining school buildings
without the use of such caustic chemicals as were released on that morning.
CSEA Capital Region 4 President Carmen Bagnoli recently presented each
school district work location with a plaque praising their teamwork in the
emergency evacuation. “Their actions far surpass the CSEA motto ‘We
Serve,” Bagnoli said. “They deserve recognition for their remarkable
teamwork on that day.”
— Daniel X. Campbell
With the recent floods in January
many are seeing firsthand the
damage a flood can cause. However,
many homeowners insurance plans
do not cover damage that results
from floods.
CSEA members can purchase
complete flood insurance through
the National Flood Insurance
Program (NFIP) as part of the CSEA-
sponsored Personal Insurance
Program, administered by Jardine
Group Services Corporation. This
special plan features solid coverage
to help protect your property and
assets from the destruction of flood
waters.
Aside from complete insurance
coverage, NFIP says the best way
you can prepare for a flood is by
listening to all storm warnings and
\_ following evacuation procedures.
( CSEA-sponsored flood insurance available )
through Jardine Group Services Corp.
For example, boarding up windows,
storing outside items in the house,
shutting off utilities, preparing an
emergency kit with such items as
food and water, blankets, flashlight,
portable can opener, first-aid
supplies and battery operated radio.
It is also recommended you keep
a list of possessions and their value
in a safe deposit box. Then if your
property is damaged, you will have
a quick way to find out the value of
what was destroyed.
For more information about the
CSEA-sponsored flood insurance
call the Jardines Personal
Insurance Program Hotline at
1-800-833-4657. A CSEA customer
service representative will advise
you so you don't leave yourself open
to financial loss due to flood oy)
Page 16 ° February. 1998 » The Rublic Sector
damage.
GENERAL NEWS
ae
1998
The nominating petition period for
candidates seeking election to CSEA’s
Board of Directors concludes Feb. 23. The
deadline for nominating petitions to be
received at CSEA headquarters is 5 p.m.
Feb. 23 (see election schedule at right).
All elected seats on CSEA's Statewide
Board of Directors will be up for election in
1998. CSEA delegates previously approved
a two-year term for Board seat elections in
1998, synchronizing the Board elections
with the union’s statewide officers election
cycle beginning in the year 2000. Three-
year terms will resume with the Board of
Directors election in the year 2000.
Who is eligible?
Any CSEA member who meets the
constitutional eligibility requirements and
obtains the required number of signatures
and Social Security numbers of members
eligible to vote in the election will have his
or her name placed on the ballot.
A candidate must be at least 18 years of
Statewide Board
of Directors
Petitions deadline is Feb. 23
age, must be a member in good standing
of the department, county or educational
local he or she seeks to represent since
June 1997; must not be serving a
disciplinary penalty imposed by CSEA’s
Judicial Board and must not have been a
member of a competing labor association
or union since June 1997. To be a
“member in good standing” for election
purposes, your dues have to have been
fully paid for the period since June 1,
1997. Gratuitous membership status does
not constitute “good standing” for election
purposes.
Slate nominating and election
Members seeking to become Board
representatives for state departments and
counties which, by virtue of their large
membership size, are assigned more than
one seat on the statewide Board may
choose to petition and run as a slate or as
individuals.
1998 CSEA Election Schedule.
Statewide Board of Directors
Jan. 20
Start of Petitioning Period:
Nominating petitions available
from CSEA headquarters and
CSEA region offices
Feb. 23 Deadline for nominating
petitions to be received at
CSEA Headquarters (5 p.m.)
March 11
March 17
April 20
April 27
Deadline to decline nomination
Drawing for ballot positions
Ballots mailed
Replacement ballots available
May 15
Deadline for receipt of
ballots (8 a.m.). Ballots counted
Election results will be announced after the ballot
count. Candidates will be notified by mail of the
results. Election results will be published in the
June 1998 edition of The Public Sector.
SAIL AWAY WITH CSEA on Royal Caribbean's Nordic Empress
Expl he Southern Caribbi i ly, friend: id fellow CSE.
Si aan SSW NOEL Beacon Sir cee HIS Rice November ) to November 13, 1998
Monday to Friday (Nov. 11 is Veterans Day)
to St. Thomas, St. Maarten and St. Croix.
CRUISE PACKAGE INCLUDES: RATES (per, person) DOUBLE OCCUPANCY ETN arat cr aie e mitre a eee ala eee ee ee er ey
* Round trip airfare to San Juan Outside (Category H) Inside (Category L) A fa 7
4 Round trip transfer, airport to pier H Reservation form: CSEA Cruise Nordic Empress November 9, 1998 DK 2244 \
+ Your choice of outside or inside cabins $899.00 $849.00
+ All meals and entertainment on board
%* Port charges and departure tax
Full Legal Names
of each person in the cabin:
Address
City State Zip
DEPOSIT AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
Please complete the reservation form at right and enclose a deposit of $100.00 per
person no later than April 30, 1998. For those who desire the insurance option below, an
additional deposit of $49.00 per person must be paid at the time of reservation. Payments
are accepted by check only, and are made payable to Plaza Travel Center. Your balance
is due in full by August 3, 1998.
| require air from the following city Inside cabin Outside cabin
Insurance: Yes {_]No[__](please check one)
Deposit ($100.00 per person) $
1
| hi inati i hip; pl inquire for details.
Travel to these destinations requires proof of citizenship; please inquire I Insurance (optional at $49.00 +
CANCELLATIONS:
Please refer to the RCCL brochure for
RCCL's policy policy. Plaza Travel has a
cancellation fee of $50.00 per person
separate from RCCL’s policy and is not
protected by the RCCL insurance at right.
OPTIONAL INSURANCE:
Insurance is available at the rate of
$49.00 per person which covers trip
cancellation, medical protection, baggage
protection and emergency assistance.
Total = payable to “Plaza Travel Center”
PLAZA TRAVEL CENTER PO Box 849 Latham, NY 12110
518 785-3338 or 800 666-3404 — Ask for Lisa
OGENERAE NEWS:
NOTIC
OF NOMINATION AND ELECTION
1998 AF SUME Convention “Delegates
Meetings will be held in all CSEA regions on
Saturday Feb. 21 to nominate candidates for the
position of delegate to the 1998 AFSCME
Convention scheduled for Aug. 24 through 28,
1998, at Honolulu, Hawaii. The date, time and
location of region nominating meetings is printed
below.
The region nominating meetings in February
kick off the AFSCME delegate election process,
Delegate nominating meetings to be held Feb. 21
of election, printed below,at right,
approved by CSEA’s Board of Directors.
CSEA delegates will be elected by
region. CSEA members in each CSEA
region will elect delegates from their
region. The number of delegates to
which each region is entitled is based on
region membership strength, in
accordance with the AFSCME and CSEA
1998 CSEA Elections
Schedule
AFSCME Convention delegates
which continues in accordance with the schedule _ constitutions.
Who is eligible?
Any member in
fy) good standing as
of Feb. 1, 1998,
will be entitled to
be nominated as
a delegate to the
AFSCME
Convention. Any
member in good
standing as of
Feb. 21, 1998,
will be eligible to
nominate
delegates. Any
qualified CSEA *
member will be
eligible to
nominate as many
candidates for delegates
as he or she desires, not
to exceed the total
number of delegates to be
elected from that region.
Nominees do not have to
be at the nominating
meeting.
Nominations may be
Feb. 21
March 11
April 20
April 27
May 15
Nominating meetings (all regions)
Deadline to decline nomination
CSEA REGION NOMINATING MEETINGS
AFSCME Convention Delegates Election
SATURDAY, FEB. 21, 1998
ALL MEETINGS WILL START AT 11
LONG ISLAND REGION 1
Region Office, 3 Garet Place, Commack
METROPOLITAN REGION 2
Region Office, 40 Fulton Street, 21st Floor Conference, New York City
SOUTHERN REGION 3
Region Office, 735 State Route 52, Beacon
CAPITAL REGION 4
The Desmond, 660 Albany Shaker Road, Albany
CENTRAL REGION 5
Region Office, 6596 Kirkville Road, East Syracuse
WESTERN REGION 6
Holiday Inn, 8250 Park Road, Batavia
Ballots mailed
Replacement ballots available
Deadline for receipt of
ballots (8 a.m.). Ballots counted.
Election results will be announced
after the ballot count.
Candidates will be notified by mail of the results.
Election results will be published in the June
1998 edition of The Public Sector.
made by slates of two or more individuals who
will appear on the ballot as running together
under a particular designation. Candidates
nominated as slates will appear on the ballot in
the order they are nominated. The ballot will also
allow slate candidates to be elected individually,
separate from the slate.
Expenses for transportation, room and board
at the AFSCME Convention will be paid by CSEA.
1997 Empire Plan claims
must be filed by March 31
All 1997 Empire Plan Basic Medical claims must be submitted by
MAY 15 IS DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING PROPOSED
RESOLUTIONS, CHANGES TO CSEA’S CONSTITUTION & BY-LAWS
Proposed resolutions and proposed amendments to the
March 31, 1998, to:
United Healthcare Service Corp.
Administrator for Metlife (formerly MetraHealth)
P. O. Box 1600
Kingston, N.Y, 12402-1600
‘al claim forms may be obtained from your agency’s
or from United Healthcare. Make sure you complete the
r information and, if applicable, dependent student
information. Don't forget to sign the claim form.
Ple be certain to have your doctor or other provider fill in all the
information asked for on the claim form, If the claim form is not filled
out by the provider, original bills must include all medical/diagnostic
information asked for on the claim form. Missing information will delay
the processing of your claim.
If you have any questions concerning your claim, you may contact
United Healthcare directly at 4 (800) 942-4640.
Basic med:
CSEA Constitution & By-Laws for consideration by CSEA
delegates to the union's 1998 Annual Delegates Meeting
must be submitted by May 15, 1998.
Proposed resolutions may be submitted only by a
delegate and must be submitted on the proper forms.
Forms for submitting resolutions are available from CSEA
headquarters and region offices.
Proposed resolutions and proposed amendments to the
Constitution & By-Laws must be submitted no later than
May 15 to Statewide Secretary Barbara Reeves, CSEA
Headquarters, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210-
2303.
The 1998 CSEA Annual Delegates Meeting will be held
Oct, 5 - 9 in Rochester.
Pagel | PGbruary 1998 “THE PUBKe Seelor ==
== GENERAL NEWS
1998 CSEA ELECTIONS Inro
Local, unit elections scheduled for 1998
Elections will be
conducted for all
local officers,
for delegates, and
for all unit officers
The term of office for all current
local officers, delegates and unit
officers expires June 30, 1998.
Officers and delegates will be elected
or re-elected to three-year terms
during local and unit elections to be
conducted between May 15 and
June 15, 1998.
Each local and unit executive
board must select its own Election
Committee and committee
chairperson. The Local and/or Unit
Election Committee is primarily
responsible for conducting the
election.
Slate petitioning and slate voting
will be an option for candidates for
local and unit office (see adjacent
information).
Members may run as individual
candidates if they wish.
The union's election rules
require a minimum of 10
signatures on nominating petitions
for office in all locals and units.
However, this requirement causes
problems for potential candidates
for office in locals and units with
10 or fewer members.
Special election rules apply for
CSEA locals and units of 10 or
fewer members.
The statewide Board of Directors
approved an Application for
Election to Office for locals and
Nominating procedure
for small CSEA locals and units;
special election rules apply
units with 10 or fewer members. In
these smaller locals and units,
completion of the Application for
Election to Office replaces the
requirement to obtain signatures
on a nominating petition.
In locals or units with 10 or
fewer members, any member who
submits the application and meets
election requirements under the
appropriate Local or Unit
Constitution will be placed on the
ballot.
a
Important Information
about slate petitioning
and slate voting
Local Elections
In local elections, a slate must contain a candidate running for the
offices of president, one or more vice presidents as set forth in the Local's
By-Laws, secretary and treasurer.
The slate may also include candidates for other offices which have been
created according to the Local Constitution and By-Laws. In locals which
have created the combined position of secretary-treasurer in their By-
Laws, the slate must include a candidate for that office.
Unit Elections
In unit elections, a slate must contain a candidate running for the
offices of president, one or more vice presidents as set forth in the Unit's
By-Laws, secretary and treasurer.
The slate may also include candidates for other offices which have been
created according to the Unit Constitution and By-Laws. In units which
have created the combined position of secretary-treasurer in their By-
Laws, the slate must include a candidate for that office.
Candidates should know the following:
> A member cannot be a candidate for officer and for delegate on the
same slate. An officer candidate must circulate a separate nominating
petition in order to appear on the ballot also as a candidate for delegate.
The member will appear on the ballot as a candidate for office as part of
the slate and as an individual for the position of delegate.
> Candidates who run as a slate must complete a Slate Consent Form
and a Slate Petition Request Form. By petitioning as a slate, candidates
who appear as part of a slate need to submit only one set of the required
number of signatures to qualify as a candidate. Individual petitions are not
necessary for slate candidates.
> Candidates who withdraw from a slate must complete a Slate
Withdrawal Form.
More detailed information about election slates will be available from
local and unit election committees.
_/ Always protect your membership status
Xx
A break in union membership status can
have long-term future implications. Your
membership status affects your eligibility with
respect to;
© seeking or holding union office;
© signing nominating petitions for potential
candidates;
© voting in union elections, and; S
© voting on collective bargaining contracts.
Only members “in good standing” can
participate in these activities. To be in “good
a
Break in membership affects eligibility for union office, voting privileges
standing,” your dues cannot be delinquent.
If you go on unpaid leave or for any other
reason have a break in your employment
status, your dues will not continue to be paid
through payroll deductions. You must make
arrangements to pay your dues directly to
CSEA to continue your membership status. If
you are either laid off or placed on leave
without pay status due to becoming disabled
by accident, illness, maternity or paternity,
you may be eligible for dues-free membership
status for a period not to exceed one year.
Note, however, you must continue to pay
dues to run for office. Dues-free or gratuitous
membership allows members to continue their
insurance coverage while out of work. It does
not protect your right to run for or hold office.
You must notify the CSEA Membership
Records Department at 1-800-342-4146, Ext.
1327, of any change in your status and what
arrangements you are making to continue
your membership in CSEA,
-
GENERAL NEWS
The, Public, Sector. * February 1998.+'Page:19
THE Y OF NY
Local 1000 © AFSCME © AFL-CIO,
Danny Donohue, President
do the job right, under the worst of conditions.
Official publication of
The Civil Service Employees Association, Inc.
Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
143 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12210-2303
FEBRUARY 1998
INSIDE THIS EDITION
vx NO LAYOFFS IN PATAKI'S PROPOSED BUDGET - Page 3
vx STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS - Pages 4 and 5
ve LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWS - Pages 6 and 7
vx THE CSEA WORK FORCE TACKLES STORM OF THE CENTURY - Pages 9, 10, 11 and 12
vx CSEA ELECTION INFORMATION - Pages 17, 18 and 19
