The Public Sector, 1994 June

Online content

State Government News Pages 6, 7, 12 The end of an era:

Start planning early for your A victory for court reporters CSEA President Joe
retirement: Page 6 across the state: Page 7 McDermott winding up
Health Benefits: Page 12 spectacular Caney so
General News Pages 8-11 Story and
Drug testing in the workplace: COLA Lobby Day coverage:
Page 10 Page 11 ee
ages
Members across the state bring daughters to work: Page 9 and 5. »|
Local Government News Pages 13-15
Stress takes its toll on workers: Officials wasted time and money: Decaxsed Ganon tides
rages Bree 19 remembered in
Work
School District News: Page 14 cea Day
ceremonies
across the
state.
Page 3 » a
“Maybe 90 percent of CSEA members them the best possible prescription drug
never have a problem that the union needs and medical coverage — things that too
to fix, but we still have a lot to offer them, often get taken for granted.”
whether it’s an education program or —Communications Associate |#y
safety and health protection or getting Daniel X. Campbell

CSEA wins
members jobs << Mortgage plan helps
they another member keep his
<{ deserve. >

house.

A Reference Guide To CSEA Member Services & Benefits

ae The Public Sector (USPS 0445-010) is published monthly by The Civil Service Employees 2S
Association. Publication Office: 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12210.
THE Second Class Postage paid at Post Office, Albany, New York 12288.
PUBLIC Postmaster: Send address changes to: Civil Service Employees Association,
Attn: Membership Department, 143 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 12210.
Official publication of eee
The Cyl Servis pmployees SHERYL C. JENKS Re; tna pica cen eleirciaa” Region VI
: rion. egion
Assoclatlon:ine, Legal 1000; AFSCME, 6 18) 273-2280 (7 16) 886-0391
LILLY GIOIA Region II STEPHEN MADARASZ Headquarters
143 Washington Avenue (212) 406-2156 (518) 434-0191
Albany, New York 12210 ANITA MANLEY Region III
Joseph E. McDermott, President (914) 831-1000 \ABOR COMMU Cy,
DAN CAMPBELL Region IV Fy 2
STANLEY HORNAK, Publisher (518) 785-4400 4
ROGER A. COLE, Editor MARK M. KOTZIN Region V =
KATHLEEN DALY, Associate Editor (S15) 433-0050 AREER =]
The Public Sector Committee
LONG ISLAND REGION Henry Jenny CAPITAL REGION Marguerite Stanley
METROPOLITAN REGION Jimmy Gripper Jr. (Chair) CENTRAL REGION Breve Damall

SOUTHERN REGION Tom Schmidt WESTERN REGION James V. Kurtz

2 June 1994 ¢g ’

Page Three

We Remember

Workers Memorial Day 1994

Bagpipes, solemn words, shared memories and
promises to fight for the living were heard throughout
the state in observance of “Workers Memorial Day” on
April 28.

In ceremonies at CSEA statewide headquarters in
Albany, CSEA statewide officers placed a bronze plaque
on an outside wall and planted an evergreen tree in
memory of members who have lost their lives on the job.

For CSEA members on Long Island, the ceremonies
began in Mineola with an event co-chaired by CSEA
Nassau Local 830 President Rita Wallace.

Wallace vowed to continue to fight for the living by
enforcing occupational safety and health laws.

“We need to enforce and expand on any and all laws
which protect our members’ lives and health,” she said.
Wallace then joined other dignitaries in lighting the
workers memorial “eternal flame,” which is mounted on

a monument dedicated by the county.

That night, CSEA joined other unions at the Workers

Memorial Day Ceremony hosted by the International

MEMORIES OF DECEASED CO-WORKERS seem to be etched in the
expressions of these three CSEA officials during a solemn moment in the
Workers Memorial Day ceremonies sponsored by the Rochester Labor
Council. From left are Lorie Oswald, vice president of CSEA Schuyler
County Local 849; Local 849 President Sue Brill; and Florence Tripi,
president of the CSEA Monroe County Unit. Tripi is also CSEA Western

Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) in Hauppauge.
The service included a single candle lit for each union
member who died in the past year.

“The best ceremony will be when no candles need to
be lit and we are there only to celebrate the fact that no one has
died,” CSEA Long Island Region President Nick LaMorte said.

In Rochester, CSEA activist Florence Tripi introduced the
Workers Memorial Day program sponsored by the Rochester
Labor Council.

“The meaning of union is that we are a family of labor,” Tripi
said. “When anyone is hurt or killed, we all feel that loss as if it
were a member of our own family.”

CSEA Schuyler County Local 849 President Sue Brill and Local
849 First Vice President Lorie Oswald also addressed the crowd.
Four of their co-workers were gunned down on the job in 1992.

In Westchester County, CSEA Southern Region President
Maryjane MacNair and other CSEA officials spoke at a ceremony
marking Workers Memorial Day. MacNair spoke of CSEA’s
concerns for the health and of its members and the general
public in and around public fé

|WESTCHESTER

WESTCHESTER COUNTY UNIT PRESIDENT Cheryl Melton, left, is
interviewed by a local cable TV reporter on Workers Memorial Day. Looking
on, center, is CSEA Southern Region President Maryjane MacNair. Melton
said safety is a primary concern for Westchester County employees who
work in the Department of Social Services, where CSEA says security is lax.

ON PAGE 1 - CSEA President Joe McDermott, CSEA Executive Vice
President Danny Donohue and CSEA Statewide Secretary Candy Saxon
plant a tree outside CSEA headquarters in Albany on Workers Memorial
Day.

Region first vice president and Monroe County representative on CSEA's
statewide Board of Directors.

LONG ISLAN.

. oe ca
CSEA NASSAU COUNTY LOCAL 830 President Rita
Wallace addresses the crowd attending the Workers
Memorial Day ceremony in Mineola. The eternal flame
workers memorial is visible behind the podium.

Health and safety publications
available from CSEA’s
Safety & Health Department

Every April 28, Workers Memorial Day, we pause to
remember workers who have died or been seriously
injured on the job. But at CSEA, the health and
safety of our members is an every day concern, Our
efforts to improve working conditions are continuous
and unending.

CSEA’s Occupational Safety & Health Department
offers a wide variety of health and safety publications
that are useful to union officers and members alike.
The booklets, pamphlets and publications are
informative and easy to understand.

For a full listing of these health and safety
publications, and order forms, consult the CSEA
Publications Order booklet available from your CSEA
region office.

g é June 1994

THE PUBLIC

The first thing I did on my
first day on the job in 1957 was
to join the union. Little did I
realize that day that I would be
signing myself into a new career
as a CSEA activist. And how
surprised I would have been if
someone had told me then that
37 years later I would be
retiring after serving two terms
as president of the largest —
and best — public employee
union in New York state.

So it’s time for me to say
goodbye.

It's also time to look back and
share with you my thoughts on
CSEA yesterday, today and
tomorrow.

The past three decades have
been a time of rapid change for
CSEA. We went from being a
social organization to becoming
a powerful labor union; from an
“independent association” into
the largest affiliate of the

American Federation of State,
County and Municipal
Employees (AFSCME); and from
an outsider into an influential
insider in the house of labor.

The change did not come
easily, and at times was
tempestuous, but we were able
to weather the storm. I can
proudly tell you that CSEA is
better prepared for the future
today than at any time ever in
our 84-year history.

This did not happen simply
because I was on the job but it
did occur because our statewide
board of directors and our
CSEA staff worked together and
committed themselves to
excellence.

It was in pursuit of excellence
that we expanded our political
influence during the past six
years beyond Albany and into
our counties, cities, towns,
villages and school districts.

GENERAL NEWS

A message from CSEA President Joe McDermott
The pursuit of excellence

And for the first time in more
than a decade we also won
access to the White House.

It was in pursuit of excellence
that we went to court and
stopped both the governor and
the state Legislature from
raiding our pension fund.

It was in pursuit of excellence
that we continued to fight for
safer and healthier workplaces
24 hours a day seven days a
week and not just when tragedy
struck.

It was in the pursuit of
excellence that we were able to
hold increases in the New York
State Health Plan to under 5
percent each year.

It was in pursuit of excellence
that we launched an innovative
media campaign aimed at
stopping the contracting out of
public services by asking the
public and our elected officials
to give privateers the hook.

It was in
pursuit of
excellence
that we
won
Agency
Shop for local government.

It was in the pursuit of
excellence that we joined with
other unions, human services
agencies and church groups to
establish the Fiscal Policy
Institute as a “think tank” to
combat the influence of selfish
business interests.

It was in pursuit of excellence
that we introduced our staff to
the concept of accountability
and “customer service.”

I now look forward to a
smooth transition to a new
administration while on July 1,
1994, I will again put my
signature on another
membership card: to join the
CSEA retiree division.

4 June 1994 ¢g for

GENERAL NEWS

Lt. Gov. Stan Lundine chats with Joe

—

End of an era |

CSEA President
Joe McDermott

winding up
spectacular
career

CSEA's 22nd president will finish off a
hugely successful labor union career
spanning 37 years when he retires as
president on June 30.

Joe McDermott joined CSEA the first day he
came to work as a grade 3 clerk for New York
State in 1957. Decades of union activity
culminated in his election as CSEA president
in 1988. He was re-elected in 1991 but did
not seek re-election this year and will leave
office when a new president takes the reins
on July 1.

Prior to winning the presidency, Joe
as CSEA executive vice president for six
years. He also served five terms as CSEA
Capital Region president and five years as
president of CSEA Department of
Transportation Local 687. He was also a
member of several CSEA negotiating teams
and numerous union committees.

Joe is the senior CSEA member on
AFSCME's International Executive Board, rf .g

vi}
Joe with President Bill Clinton

ved

president since 1980.
AL 3000 AFSCME

AFL-CIO

serving as an AFSCME International vice
\. * CSE
‘

)

Discussing strategy with AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee

¢g A June 1994

STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS

If you are within five years of
retirement, you've pro! ly spent hours
thinking about your retirement. The
allure of a more carefree life with less
structure and the option to do “what you
want when you want” is powerful.
Regrettably, many people do little more
than daydream when it comes to
preparing for retirement.

Fortunately, CSEA members who work
for state government have a valuable
resource for pre-retirement planning.
They can attend a DIRECTIONS or a
CHOICES pre-retirement education
program. The programs are conducted by
the state Office for the Aging with joint
labor-management funding. Since 1986,
thousands of CSEA members - often with
their spouses — have attended these
programs across the state.

DIRECTIONS is a two-day
comprehensive pre-retirement
planning seminar for those
who are three to five years
away from retirement. It
includes presentations on

Start

Planning and/or training office for more
early

Get pre-retirement assistance
from DIRECTIONS, CHOICES

Social Security, NYS pension, NYS
retirees health insurance, financial
planning and other areas that need to be
considered.

The CHOICES program is a one-day
retirement benefits information session
that focuses exclusively on three key
retirement benefit areas for those who
are within 18 months of retirement.

Ideally, a person would come to
DIRECTIONS when they are three to five
years away from retirement and come
back for CHOICES when they are within
18 months of retiring for an update.

Programs are scheduled through next
March. Registrations for the fall and
winter programs in Long Island, New
York City, Syracuse and Albany are still
open. There is no registration fee and
release time can be granted.

If you are interested in attending a
DIRECTIONS or CHOICES pre-
retirement program, contact
your agency's personnel

information.

Local 413 welcomes MHTAs to staff

WARD'S ISLAND — Manhattan
Psychiatric Center CSEA Local 413
President Mohamed Hussain welcomed a
new class of 25 Mental Hygiene Therapy
Aides (MHTA’s) to the hospital staff and to
union membership.

During a period of cutbacks, Hussain
praised an agreement between CSEA and
the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH)
that will maintain ward staffing levels,
rather than losing staff by attrition.
“These new MHTA's represent a
commitment to keep up levels of patient
care and safety on the wards,” Hussain
said.

According to Labor Relations Specialist

Bart Brier, the number of mental patients
at Manhattan Psychiatric Center has been
increasing. “By obtaining an agreement on
staffing levels for each ward, CSEA has
prevented the loss of up to 100 therapy
aides,” Brier said.

“At a time when the mental health
system is being downsized, CSEA Local
413 continues to be concerned that
enough staff will be on the wards,”
Hussain said. He expressed appreciation
to Bruce Feig, Deputy OMH
Commissioner for his work in finalizing
the staffing agreement.

— Lilly Gioia

Local 413 President Mohamed Hussain welcomes new class of therapy aides aboard at

Manhattan Psychiatric Center.

6 June 1994

Carraway says she hopes CPR training can be
expanded to more members. She is flanked
by OCA’s Russ Oechsle, left, and CPR trainer
Todd Hulbert.

Judiciary Local 334
hopes to expand
CPR training

BINGHAMTON — CSEA Judiciary
Local 334 and the administration of the 6th
Judicial District recently co-sponsored a joint
training and certification initiative in CPR for
Office of Court Administration (OCA)
employees in Broome and Tioga counties.

“I hope the landmark cooperative initiative
taken by labor and management in the 6th
District can be expanded to the other
districts in Local 334 to produce similar
beneficial educational programs for OCA
members,” Local 334 President Sharon
Carraway said.

“It was especially rewarding to see the
employee interest in the program and the
willingness of CSEA Local 334 to participate
in the program's success,” OCA Executive
Assistant Russ Oechsle said.

Local 334 First Vice President Maryann
Waffle and Mike Husar, chief clerk of
Supreme and County Courts, handled many
of the arrangements.

LEAP application _
deadline June 14

Applications for Fall 1994 LEAP courses
must be received in the CSEA/LEAP office
by June 14. Applications received after
June 14 will not be accepted.

The Labor Education Action Program
(LEAP) catalogs and application forms
were distributed in early May to state
agency personnel and training offices.

Applications should be sent to:

CSEA/Leap Office
1 Lear Jet Lane, Suite 3
Latham, NY 12110
Applications may also be faxed to
(518) 785-4854

The LEAP tuition voucher program is
available to CSEA-represented state
employees in the ASU, OSU, ISU and
DMNA bargaining units.
| Ifyou have questions about the LEAP

program, call the LEAPLINE at
1-800-253-4332.

STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS

CSEA fights electronic recording in courts

Court reporters across the
state have won a battle in the
war against electronic recording
in the courts.

Thanks to extensive lobbying
and a CSEA report supporting
court reporters, a proposed five-
year extension for experimental
electronic recording in some
courtrooms was limited to one
year. The experiments are
taking place in surrogate courts
and the court of claims.

CSEA Judicial Local 330
President Warren Simonoff said

many oppose electronic
recordings because they are
unreliable, inaccurate and
sometimes inaudible.

“The supreme court justice
association voted in favor of
court reporte!

At a joint Senate and
Asse! Oy, Tae on Committee

inc fading judge: the Legal Aid
Society, lawyers, labor leaders
and an audio expert
overwhelmingly supported court
reporters over electronic

DFY workers protest dangerous conditions

HIGHLAND — CSEA
protests over dangerous
working conditions at
the Highland Division
For Youth (DFY) facility
resulted ina
commitment from DFY
to address facility safety
and health problems
statewide.

Client assaults on
staff and understaffed

CSEA Member
Mariann

telephone; another was
beaten by 18 teenagers
at the facility, CSEA
Local 550 President
Richard Granger said.
Employees say they
are worried not only for
the safety of staff and
facility residents, but
also for that of
residents of the
surrounding area.

conditions have long Casucci was “This is a potentially

been a concern for CSEA seriously explosive situation that

members in DFY. But the puree bya must be resolved,”
chent,

situation came to a head
recently when two
members were attacked at
Highland.

One of the hospitalized
employees suffered a fractured
collarbone after being hit with a

CSEA Southern Region
President Maryjane
MacNair said. “We have
employees who fear for their
lives every time they go to
work.”
— Anita Manley

Dolby.

CSEA Sullivan Correctional Facility Local 180 President Isabel
Cohen, center, with co-workers Dick Delush, left, and Edwin

Training means an end to contracting out

WOODBOURNE —
Correctional facilities in the
Hudson Valley will no longer
need the services of expensive
outside contractors to repair
refrigeration components.

Thanks to CSEA, 30
correctional employees took a
refrigeration mechanics training
course held at Sullivan
Correctional Facility. The
apprenticeship program, paid
for with a grant administered

Education Action Program
(LEAP), provides state
operational employees with
instruction in skilled trades,

Employees appreciate the
opportunity.

“Every bit of knowledge
helps,” said Robert Martinez, a
general mechanic who works at
Camp Beacon. “We just got a
new refrigerator at the camp
and this course will help me
out.”

recording.

“If these services are
contracted out, the critical
chain of custody is broken and
the integrity of the record is at
risk,” said Simonoff, a court
reporter for 30 year

Court reporters als: have the
ability to do “real-tim:
translation for the hearing
impaired. That means the
hearing-impaired person can
read the transcript, exactly as
the words are said, at the same
time it is typed.

“Real-time translations and
an OCA directive that all new
court reporters become
computer-efficient by using
computer aided transcription
(CAT), have led to New York's
official court reporters spending
more than $14 million of their
own money on this
sophisticated equipment,” said
Simonoff, who has spent about
$15,000 on his equipment.

“We want to hone our skills

and be on the
cutting edge of
our profession
We take pride in
our work and
want to make
the process as
easy and
eredible for all
involved,” he
said.

When he
provided real-

CSEA Judicial * q
Local 330 time translation
President for a hearing-
Warren impaired
Simonoff witness, the

judge read his
thanks into the record.

Court reporting is not
exclusive to the courtroom,
Court reporters provided closed-
captioning during Desert Storm
on the news channel.

“Sony is baloney when it
comes to court reporting,”
Simonoff said.

— Sheryl C. Jenks

PR
°APER -PAPIER = PAPEL

POR LO

CSEA DOT LOCAL 507 MEMBERS Joe Monteferante and Terence
O'Connor with box of valuable artwork.

Local 507 members return vaulable art

HAWTHORNE — Two.
Department of Transportation
employees improved: diplomatic
relations with a Russian artist
who lost valuable art work on a
Westchester County highway.

Mihail Chemiakin and his
assistant, Sarah DeKay, were
driving on the Saw Mill Parkway
to an art gallery in Soho when
DeKay realized her trunk was
open. She stopped and closed it.
Later she realized about
$90,000 worth of the artist's
paintings had fallen out,
probably somewhere in
Westchester County.

Although DeKay called the
county police and the DOT barn
in the area to see if the
paintings had turned up, she
didn't leave a phone number.

members Joe Monteferante and
Terence O'Connor found the
package, they couldn't return it.
Finally, a newspaper article
about Chemiakin enabled them
to return the artwork.

They were lucky the paintings
were not destroyed, Highway
Maintenance Supervisor and
Local 507 member Mike
Raguseo said. The box had been
run over and just a few hours
after the workers found the
package, it rained for two days.

Chemiakin’s paintings are on
display in museums around the
world including the Musee d'Art
Moderne in Paris and the
Russian Museum in St.
Petersburg. Thanks to two
CSEA members, the entire
collection is intact.

When CSEA DOT Local 507 — Anita Manley

through the CSEA Labor

¢g A , June 1994

— Anita Manley

GENERAL NEWS

Pooh Bear is hard at work teaching safety
to the children in Middle Country schools.

CSEA Middle Country School District Unit
President Helena Stone, a bus driver in the
district for 15 years, thought of using
Winnie the Pooh to teach safety and
courtesy.

Stone and co-worker Anne McNally take
turns donning the costume, made by the
sister of another bus driver, to become Pooh
Bear. “Bus Safety With Pooh Bear” includes
an animated film.

Pooh Bear teaches the children important
safety tips such as where to cross while the
bus waits and how to be a courteous
passenger.

Pooh Bear teaches bus safety, courtesy

through the eighth grade, and includes such
information as how to turn off the bus
engine, use the emergency brake, call for
help on the C.B. radio and assist each other
in a crisis.

The drivers say the children have more
respect for them and the difficult job they
do.

“We see fewer cases of vandalism,” Stone
said. “There is more cooperation, respect
and safety on the buses.”

Although Stone and McNally volunteered
for the safety program for many years, the
district recently recognized the program
officially and is compensating the women for
their time.

CSEA MEMBER Helena Stone dressed as
Winnie the Pooh to teach bus safety.

“It’s learning combined with fun,” Stone
said. “The children really like it, and they
learn a lot.”

Stone said Pooh Bear augments the
district's five-year-old safety program.

The safety curriculum follows the children.

Other CSEA members involved in the
district's safety program are: Mary Weidt, |
Peggy Venter, Barbara Rauch, Karen Beck
and Nancy O'Brien.

— Sheryl C. Jenks |

Metropolitan Region is top PEOPLE area seventh straight year

NEW YORK — For the seventh consecutive
year, CSEA Metropolitan Region members
have won the “PEOPLE Challenge Contest.”

CSEA Metropolitan Region President
George Boncoraglio accepted the award
trophy from Metropolitan Region PEOPLE

Chairperson Pat Metzger.
“We've had to face the toughest economic

downturn in decades,” Boncoraglio said. “But
the fact that the Metropolitan Region is the
smallest region numerically, but has the
biggest heart, says a lot about our members.

“Our region members understand that we
can't just fight here in New York state, but
issues like health care reform, striker
replacement legislation and the Violence
Against Women Act must be passed in
Washington. So they give and continue to give
to the PEOPLE campaign.”

Boncoraglio praised Metzger for
her tireless work signing up new
contributors to the PEOPLE effort.
A member of New York State Tax
and Finance Department Local

Carol Ann Ford named Yonkers SD
Civil Service Employee of Year

YONKERS — Carol Ann Ford has
been named the Civil Service
Employee of the Year by the Yonkers
School District and the Southern
Westchester

Soroptimist Club.

An 11-year
employee, Ford
started in the Yonkers
School District as a
special education
teacher aide and in
the junior high school
office. Later, she
became a senior
typist and for the last
seven years has
worked as a secretary
to the principal of
School 13.

Ford enjoys
working with
elementary school
students.

“Young kids are a
lot of fun,” she said.
“You're almost like a
mother. You listen
and they tell you all
their problems.”

The students feel

close to Ford also. CSEA MEMBER Carol Ann
She recalled an Ford, Civil Service Employee
of the Year

8 June 1994 ¢g ¥

incident when one youngster who had

been transferred to another school

kept coming into her office to hug her.
phe? like that make it all

worthwhile,” she
said.

There are more
than 700 children
in School 13 and
Ford said most are
from low income
families.

“They have a lot
of needs,” she said.
“Sometimes just a
hug and smile is all
they need

In addition to
commanding the
“nerve center” of
School 13, Ford
helps train clerical
staff and teacher
aides and promotes
the school's career
and civic magnet
program.

A resident of
Yonkers, Ford is
married and has
four children,

— Anita Manley

460, Metzger “believes in the power of i
political action. She donates countless hours

huge success in New York City,” Boncoraglio
said.

Jellybean Junction
day care center
opens at Buffalo PC

BUFFALO — A new day care center, Jellybean
Junction, has opened on the Buffalo Psychiatric Center
(BPC) campus for children of BPC ¢ employess and

others. z "

“We really love
it,” said Denise
Goldbach, whose
two-year-old
daughter,
Samantha,
attends.

Jellybean
Junction
provides care for
infants six weeks
to 18 months,
toddlers 18
months to three
years and pre-
school children
three to five years
old.

CSEA Local
403 President
Joseph Polito
serves on the
center's board of

directors.

Tuition is
based on a CSEA BUFFALO PSYCHIATRIC
sliding fee CENTER Local 403 member Denise
schedule. Goldbach and daughter, Samantha,
Interested

enjoy the new day care center.
parents should

call the director at 716-885-0465 for a more exact fee
assessment before filing an application.
— Ron Wofford

{

of her time to make the PEOPLE program a | '

—Lilly Gioia | |
A Special Supplement

CSEA gives you the services you deserve!

CSEA is on the front
lines every day fighting for
the members, making sure
they get the best
treatment possible on the
job — you can see that in
the way the union rallied

to save jobs in a school
district in the Capital
Region — and the best
benefits possible — see the
story on the leave donation
program that has helped a
critically ill member.

And don’t forget all the
union offers when you're
on your own time — like
the program that helped
one CSEA member re-
finance his home. You can
see a whole list of those

services and benefits on
the back cover of this
supplement. Check it out.
And remember, CSEA is
here providing the
services and benefits you
deserve!

Communicating is his specialty

There are some people who
believe a bullhorn is a dangerous
weapon in the hands of CSEA
Communications Associate Daniel
X. Campbell.

Few public officials who have
been on the receiving end of his
harangues during CSEA
informational picketing would
argue.

Whether he's leading a
demonstration, confronting public
officials or presenting the union's
point of view to the news media,
Campbell is passionate about
getting CSEA members a fair
shake.

“I have a job to do, and I
recognize that some people won't
like what I have to say and do,
but some people will,” he said.
“Practically every public official
I've encountered understands that
what's being vented on them is an
honest reflection of employees’
frustration at how they're being
mismanaged and mistreated.”

Through more than 20 years as
a CSEA communications
associate Campbell has effectively
kept the union in high profile.
Campbell is always working on
ideas to promote CSEA and get

union actions and issues into the
news,

He maintains regular contact
with a broad network of television, radio
and newspaper reporters and editors, a
network that helps him get information
out at a moment's notice.

His wide knowledge covers CSEA, local
politics and personalities in an area
stretching from the Canadian border to
the mid-Hudson Valley. That makes him
a resource that reporters and CSEA
officials know they can depend on, any
time of day or night, for insight or
comments about even the most local
matters.

One of Campbell's distinguishing
characteristics is his willingness to throw
himself right into the middle of a fight if it
will help get his job done.

CSEA Communications Associate Daniel X. Campbell

Campbell pulls no punches and makes
no apologies when there is a point to be
made. When one city mayor recently
continued efforts to privatize the city’s
water system despite a detailed CSEA
plan to improve service with public
employees, Campbell was prominently
quoted suggesting the city should
privatize the office of mayor to get a real
professional into the job.

Another recent example of Campbell's
“hands-on” activism was his leading role
in CSEA efforts to save the jobs of special
education teachers aides in the North
Colonie School District (see story inside).
Working closely with local activists and

other CSEA staff, Campbell kept
attention focused on the value of
the employees and the district's ill-
conceived plan to replace them with
higher paid college student interns.
He successfully helped get the point
across to the public which approved
a CSEA-sponsored referendum to
retain the union members.

“A situation like North Colonie is
very gratifying,” Campbell said. “It
was like a lot of other situations I've
seen where CSEA can help
members really come together to
fight for their rights and what they
believe in. The key to the success is
the commitment of the people
involved.”

He also pointed out that a
situation like North Colonie
demonstrates the value of CSEA
membership.

“This is a unit of 38 people that
needed legal assistance, help from
Communications, Organizing,
Political Action and of course the
Print Shop, and they needed the
ability to reach out to other
organizations in the community,” he
said. “There isn’t another union
anywhere, that I know of, that can
deliver so many different services.”

It’s for that reason that Campbell
gives high priority to organizing
CSEA Information Days.

“People need to see the wide range
of services CSEA provides for them,” he
said. “Maybe 90 percent of CSEA
members never have a problem that the
union needs to fix, but we still have a lot
to offer them, whether it’s an education
program or safety and health protection
or getting them the best possible
prescription drug and medical coverage
— things that too often get taken for
granted.

“No one should say ‘no one ever told
me about this benefit or that service,”
Campbell said. “We have a vast number
of advantages available to all our
members.”

—Stephen A. Madarasz

CSEA MEMBER SERVICES SUPPLEMENT

WHAT MEMBERSHIP DOES FOR YOU

Member wins elects

way they were bash|
the teachers,” shgys|
holding the |
She got the id& {
Mascioli, the late Cg

sident, who .H
members hq

boards with union
DeSimone decijged

to run for office, ft

help.

CSEA MEMBER SERVICES SUPPLEMENT

A with CSEA backing

of the board, the releases.”
ing the employees, Although she and her two running
ig. “The kids are left | mates were working on a deadline, “CSEA
| worked overnight to get the mailings and
o"run from Pat
BEA Southern Region

the fliers out,” DeSimone said.
With the union's support, she did more
kK: about other
id run for school
jacking.

than win an election. DeSimone and her
Hl iy Was time for her
e got CSEA's

Member says thanks
for leave donations

GOSHEN — Joseph T. Reynolds never
thought it would apply to him, but the
leave donation program has helped him
greatly since he learned he had cancer.

A member of 2A Mid-Hudson
Psychiatric Center Local 448, Reynolds
wrote a letter to The Public Sector to
thank all those Office of Mental Health
employees who donated leave time to
him. He quickly used up his own leave

BEACON — Barbara DeSimone said
she could no longer sit back, so she stood
up — and was elected to the Beacon
Board of Education.

She's familiar with activism. DeSimone
is president of CSEA Downstate
Correctional Facility Local 155 and has
been a union activist for years. So when
she thought something needed to be done
in the school district, running for office
was a natural.

“Taxes were going up and they kept
cutting programs and | couldn't take it

running mates unseated long-time
incumbents.

DeSimone’s goals?
“To make education for the children a
top priority at a cost affordable to

any more,” she said.

“I was delighted w
from the union,” hq

ith the support I got

taxpayers; to make the board more

hid. “They made

accessible by improving the community

while undergoing cancer treatment.

“When you get into it, you get bitten by __ posters, signs, tq

“During my last hospital admission I
Piltures, did up

losing it 10 year

could pay off his
bills.

“IT used up my
last $1,300 to try

four or five places
and between the
application fees,
appraisals and
everything, I used
up my money but
still had no one
who would
refinance for me,”
Ayra said.

A member of
CSEA State
Employees Local
016, he turned to

“I spoke to my
CSEA Unit
president, Anne
Kugler, and she
suggested the
union home

to refinance. I tried

his union for help.

aid he

‘You think
you only read
about this
type of
success story
but it really
happened for
me because
of my union’

Mortgage plan helps
member keep his home

WEST BABYLON — When Anibal
Ayra purchased his home in 1981 he
never dreamed he would be in fear of
later.

Ayra, an agency services
representative for the Department of
Labor Community Service:
got into debt with his credit cards
and was desperate to refinance so he

mortgage plan, so I called right
Ayra said,

Within a short time, the
mortgage company approved Ayra’s
refinancing through the AFSC
Advantage Union Members Mortgage
and Real Estate Program.

“This union program really saved
me,” Ayra said. “You think you only

read about this
type of success
story but it really
happened for me
because of my
union.”

The refinancing

has lowered
Ayra’s monthly
payment from
$1,200 to $750,
iving him the

3 one of
the amazing
benefits you get
by being part of
tA/AFSCME,”
said. “I

highly recommend

this program to
other CSEA
members.”

— Sheryl C. Jenks

the bug. It was time to get involved.
When I went to the board meetings, I
didn’t like the way they treated people. I

letters of endorseme

postage. The on

copied fliers for

LATHAM — “WE WON,
the teacher aides won, I
can't believe it, WE WON!”

That was the scream and
ery of joy that
filled the North
Colonie School
Board meeting
room at 9:47
p-m. May 4. A
bevy of teacher
aides and their
supporters
dashed down
the long school corridors
screaming the news of
victory to waiting friends
and roaring the news into
phone receiv

A short, intense 44-day
battle pitted a David of 38
recently unionized Special
Education Teacher Aides
and Computer Room Aides
Unit members against the
the Goliath of an
established school
administration and an
influential board of
education.

The battle ended with the
aides pulling 2,107 tax
payer votes for a
referendum to continue the
employment of 29 aides
facing layoff; only 1,865
votes were cast against the
referendum. If the
referendum had been voted
down, the laid off aides
would have been replaced
with more expensive but
less experienced student
interns from Russell Sage
College.

“I'm delighted, I can’t

Union saves jobs!
for new members

‘We couldn’t
have done it
without CSEA
support’

“WE WON!”

believe that we did it, that

the voters listened to us and
supported us,” a tired but
elated Linda Mancuso told
the press.
“Now we
have to |
thank
everybody
involved, tell
the aides |
that their |
jobs are safe
and thank
CSEA for the support. We
did it, but we couldn't have

done it without CSEA
support.”
After waging an intense |

battle, the energetic union
leader was already
anticipating the work that
will have to be done to make
the victory permanent.
While the board was
happy that its budget had
passed, as well as another
proposal to increase the
ization of the
rooms, it viewed the
aides’ unexpected win as an
opportunity for additional
enrichment where the aides
could work together with
those interns who will be §
needed based on the
evaluations of the Individual
Education Plans for the 420 |

special education students.

CSEA pointed out that it 7]
does not object to the use of |
interns where needed, but
not as union busters to
break a new bargaining
unit

— Daniel X. Campbell

WHAT MEMBERSHIP DOES FOR YOU

it and paid for the
action Committee
i faxed press

and board relationship and to make the
Beacon School District a good quality
school district.”

— Anita Manley CSEA member Barbara DeSimone

ICSEA wins members the jobs they deserve

ee MeMillon got a
omotion, Dawn Stock went
from part time to full time, and
ey're both happy they have
Ki working for them.
McMillon of CSEA Wayne
‘ounty Local 859 was denied a
omotion to cook from food
vice helper until he turned
to his union for help, and Stock
CSEA Steuben County Local
E was passed over for a full-
ime county job even though
she had seniority over the
hosen worker, until CSEA
nt to bat for her.
McMillon’s application had
en denied three times for
foci because of the most
chaic of reasons — his wife
also was a food service helper
the county home and
firmary,

Wheels lunches.

“For a long time, I was never
in the union, but when
mandatory agency shop came
along, I joined,” he said.
“Needless to say, I now see the
great value of unionism, and I
am considering becoming a
steward.”

Stock was working as a part-
time aide at the county
infirmary when she filled out
an application for a full-time
laborer’s position with county
Department of Public Works.
She later learned that a fellow
part-time employee at the
infirmary who had less
seniority than she did had
received the appointment.

“The union was with me all
the way,” Stock said. “It

seemed very clear that I had
the seniority, but the county
said I had not filled out the
application correctly.”

CSEA proved the county was
not correct in their assessment
and an arbitrator agreed,
ordering that Stock be
appointed to the position with
back pay. She was most
recently working at the
county's landfill
for the DPW.

“It’s great to
know you have
a strong union
working for you
when you really
need it,” Stock
said.

— Ron Wofford

and he might
required
orperise
r if he was
acook, which
prohibited

der county
laws or

[aa ons.

assistance,
won it at
> third step
of the

gents

now I cook
pakfast

ad lunch

daily for 179

Tgsidents
if: at the
me and

about 170

\ul

j@ inmates
é 80 to 90

Meals on

CSEA member Dawn Stock has a full-time job in Steuben County,
thanks to CSEA's efforts.

was informed of my eligibility for this
program and that leave donations had
already been made to help me prolong
my full-time pay status,” Reynolds said.
“Iam so grateful and fortunate to be a
recipient of the donated accruals. It is a
wonderful program.”

CSEA negotiated the “wonderful
program” with the state to allow
employees to donate unused vacation
leave to co-workers who have used up
their leave due to critical illness. Both

the donators and the recipients must
meet certain requirements, but the
bottom line is, the people who need it
have the opportunity to receive the gift of
time from their co-workers.

CSEA has also negotiated sick leave
banks in many local government units.

CSEA member Chuck McMillon was promoted to cook
after CSEA took up his cause.

CSEA MEMBER SERVICES SUPPLEMENT

How Can CSEA Help Me?

Reference Guide To CSEA Member Services & Benefits

Get In Touch With
Headquarters — Toll-Free —
'-800-342-4146,

Press O plus the extension number you want

at any time.

With a rotary phone, an operator will come

on the line at the end of the recording to

help you reach your party.

With a touch-tone phone, you must press 1

for these options:

If you don’t know the extension number,

press 1 for Field Operations, which
include Occupational Safety & Health,
State Contract Administration, Local Govt.
& School District Affairs, Research, EAP
and the Retiree Division. :

press 2 for Legal Matters, such as
seni pear la

*press 3 for Communications including
The Public Sector, Executive Offices or
Political Action;

*press 4 for answers about dues, member-
ship & agency shop, group insurance (not
health) and to talk to the Finance Dept.;

press 5 to hear a recording of Current
Issues Update.

CSE

Statewide Headquarters
143 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12210

Your Toll-Free Connection
To The Employee Benefit
Fund — 1-800-323-2732.

In the 518 area, call 782-1500. For answers regard-
ing the Dental Care, Vision Care, Prescription Drug
and Package 7 Benefits for state employees and
participating local government employees. TDD for
hearing impaired only: 1-800-532-3833. Mailing
address: CSEA Employee Benefit Fund, One Lear Jet
Lane, Suite One, Albany, NY 12110-2395.

Grievances & Discipline
Report any grievance immediately to your local
grievance representative or shop steward. If they are
unavailable, tell your CSEA Unit or Local President,
or your Labor Relations Specialist at your
region office. Don’t delay if you believe you have a
problem — grievances must be filed on a timely basis.

Insurance

CSEA offers several insurance programs at low
group rates and provides the convenience of
automatic payroll deduction

For details on Basic Group Life, Supplemental
Life, Income Protection Program, Hospital
Indemnity Plan and Family Protection Plan, call toll
free: 1-800-697-CSEA.

For details on Auto Insurance and Homeowners/
Renters insurance, call toll free: 1-800-366-7315

Health Insurance

For answers to your specific questions about:

Blue Cross Claims: 1-800-342-9815 or (518) 465-0009
Metropolitan Claims 1-800-942-4640
Participating Providers .... 1-800-942-4640
Hospital admission approval/ surgical review:

Empire Plan Health Call .....:.sese-e1-800-992-1213
Metal Health & Substance

Abuse Hotline... 1-800- 446-3995

Education & Training

CSEA provides workshops and training programs
for union activists. For more information, call toll-
free 1-800-342-4146. On a touch tone phone, press
O, then extension 294. On a rotary phone, ask the
operator for extension 294.

Union-oriented videotapes are available from
your CSEA region office

Civil Service Exam Help

The Labor Education Action Program (LEAP) can
help you prepare for civil service exams with low-
cost study booklets.

Call toll free: 1-800-253-4332

Safety Concerns

Report serious accidents, unsafe and unhealthy
working conditions to the CSEA Labor Relations
Specialists at your region office.

For occupational safety and health information,
call CSEA Headquarters at 1-800-342-4146. Ona
touch tone phone, press O, then extension 465, On a
rotary phone, ask the operator for extension 465.

Retirement

For general information about retirement and
retiree membership, call 1-800-342-4146. Ona
touch tone phone, press O and extension 363. On a
rotary phone, wait for the operator and ask for
extension 363.

Talk to a CSEA-provided retirement counselor if
you are retiring soon. It’s important that you select
the proper option from the Employees’ Retirement
system, so you can plan the lifestyle that you want to
enjoy. Call toll free, 1-800-366-5273.

AFSCME Advantage
Mastercard

Features one of the lowest interest rate: percent
above the prime lending rate. No annual fee. For an
application form, call your CSEA region office.

If you apply and there is no response within four
weeks, call the issuing bank, the Bank of New York,
toll free: 1-800-942-1977.

AFSCME Advantage
Legal Services

You can obtain high quality, affordable legal
services for many personal legal matters through the
AFSCME Advantage Union Privilege Legal Services
Program. For details and a list of participating
lawyers in your area, call your CSEA region office

AFSCME
Magic Kingdom Club

Another benefit from the AFSCME Advantage
program — discounts to both Disney World in Florida
and DisneyLand in California. Membership
verification requirements: your Social Security
number and your local number (AFSCME Local 1000).

Contact the AFSCME Research Dept., 1625 L St
NW, Washington, DC 20036. Phone: (202) 429-1215.

AFSCME Advantage
Mortgage Program

Makes buying a home or refinancing your
mortgage easier and more affordable, Sayings for
buyers and sellers. Special help for first-time
buyers. 1-800-848-6466

AFSCME Advantage Career
& Academic Planning

Tuition savings planning. Financial aid
projections. Counseling and seminars for career
decisions. $10 annual fee. 1-800-733-GRAD.

The Buyer's Edge

It’s your buy-by-phone service designed to save
you money on major purchases. The Buyer’s Edge
negotiates extra discounts and lowest price guaran-
tees individual buyers don’t get. The appropriate
information and toll-free numbers are in your
Buyer’s Edge brochure, and they're published
regularly in The Public Sector. To receive a
brochure contact your CSEA region office listed
below. For other information call 1-800-342-4146.
On a touch-tone phone press O and 297 or ask the
operator for extension 297.

Clip and save this page for future reference.

REGION
OFFICES
(516) 273-2280 & 273-2285,

METROPOLITAN REGION I OFFICE
40 Fulton Street, 22nd Floor, New York, NY

10038-1850, (212) 406-2156.

LONG ISLAND REGION I OFFICE
Hauppauge Atrium Building, 300 Vanderbilt
Motor Pkwy., Hauppauge, NY 11788.

SOUTHERN REGION II OFFICE
735 State Route 52, Beacon, NY 12508.
(914) 831-1000,

CAPITAL REGION IV OFFICE
One Lear Jet Lane, Suite Two, Albany, NY
12110-2394, (518) 785-4400,

CENTRAL REGION V OFFICE
6395 Kirkville Road, East Syracuse, NY 13057,
(315) 433-0050,

WESTERN REGION VI OFFICE
482 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14202,
(716) 886-0391,

GENERAL NEWS

Westchester County
sponsored a special
program for daughters of
employees who came to
work on Take Your
§ Daughter to Work Day on
April 28. In photo at left,
county employee Joan
Clarke, who works as an
office assistant in the
Probation Department,
brought her daughter
a Renee Campbell to work
with her,

wegen)

arey took
their
children

és

LOYEES OF THE STATE LOTTERY office in Schenectady gave their children a

jon in civics and unionism when they participated in Take Our Children To Work
Day recently. State Lottery CSEA Local 661 officials explained union activities and

Higcussed CSEA's concerns for the future. Health care reform was explained also and

children wrote letters to their congressional representatives urging support of

heMith care reform. Above, Local 661 President Ruth Madigan assists some of children

n the letter writing campaign.

CSEA grieves loss of
long-time union activists
Joan Tobin, Betty Gordon

CSEA members are grieving the loss of two
long-time union activists.

Joan Tobin, first vice president of CSEA’s
Capital Region, president of state Department of
Transportation CSEA Local 687 and a member of
CSEA’s statewide Board of Directors, died April
23. She was a CSEA activist for three decades
and served on several union negotiating teams
and was deeply involved in day care and employee
assistance programs for DOT employees.

Betty Gordon, recording secretary and a past
president of Ulster County CSEA Local 856, also
died April 23. A senior account clerk at the Ulster
County Infirmary, she was also a CSEA delegate
and former member of the union’s Board of
Directors.

DOT Local 507 members
mourning death of
co-worker, 2 children

POUGHKEEPSIE — Members of DOT Local 507
are mourning the loss of co-worker Timothy Short
and two of his children in a tragic automobile
accident which occurred near Short's home in
Ulster County.

Short’s wife Candy and a daughter, Heather,
survived the accident. A third daughter, Suzette,
was not in the accident.

Local police say the Shorts were driving on Route
28 when their car was hit head-on by a driver who
drifted into their lane.

Short had worked for the state DOT for a year.

Donations for the family can be sent to Barbara
Ritshie, Real Estate Group, NYSDOT, 4 Burnett
Blvd., Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 or Jack Shaw, c/o
Maintenance Group, NYSDOT, same address as
above. Checks should be made payable to the
Short Family.

Bain of niece’s disappearance a constant companion for member

home, the rescue center has moved from
town fire hall to a smaller trailer, but for
‘SEA member James Searles and his family,

pain of not knowing where his niece Heidi

is will never go away until she is found.
reported in the last issue of The Public

‘or, 18-year-old Allen, Searles’ sister's
da@ishier, was last seen on Easter Sunday at
th@convenience store in New Haven, Oswego
(County, where she worked as a cashier. The
St@ge was found abandoned that morning,

Allen's coat and personal items left
pehind. Nothing in the store was disturbed
¢nd no money was taken. All that was
m@ping was Heidi.

barles, a CSEA Oswego County Local 838
member for nearly 27 years, is a heavy
bQgjpment operator for the Oswego County

i@@iway Department's Division of Solid
Immediately after learning of his
ke
ide the contacts, got the fire barn set

disappearance, he started looking for
nfl the doors open and got started,” he

fe HAVEN — The search teams have all
th

operations center at the town fire

]
a
Di

His first action was to help organize
ha

What followed was a massive awareness

After the first four intensive days of the

campaign and search effort to try and locate
the missing girl. To date, Searles says the
Oswego County Sheriffs Department hasn't
informed the family of any promising leads,
and is treating Heidi's disappearance as a
definite abduction.

Searles and his sister Susan, Heidi's
mother, said that the search brought out an
overwhelmingly strong response from the
local community. In all, more than 2,000
volunteer searchers assisted various police
agencies and the National Guard ina
thorough ground search within a 40-mile
radius of where Heidi disappeared. Many
others helped in copying, printing and
distributing fliers with Heidi’s picture and
details of her disappearance.

“We got the coverage, now we hope to get
this resolved,” Searles said. “We're just
looking for a clue, and trying to keep the
coverage out and hope that somebody else
doesn't have to go through this.”

Searles said that he was close to Heidi, who
is only a year younger than one of his own
daughters.

“She's a perfect girl, beautiful, and there
wasn’t a mean bone in her body.”

search, Searles said he was exhausted and
felt defeated. Yet he continued, with the
community support and his family's support
keeping the search effort alive.

“I agree with something my sister said. If it
was up to money, food and prayers, she
would have been home the next day,” he said.

Searles said that he hopes that CSEA will
become more involved in missing child
issues, and thinks the union should establish
a statewide information network made up of
CSEA highway departments and road crews
who could assist in looking for missing
children. CSEA has already distributed
posters with Heidi's photo to union activists
all over the state.

The family has posted a $20,000 reward
and is still accepting contributions to keep
the search center operating. Any CSEA
members wishing to contribute should send
donations to:

The Heidi Allen Center

P.O. Box 280

New Haven, NY 13121

Checks should be made payable to the
Heidi Allen Fund.

— Mark M. Kotzin

June 1994

GENERAL NEWS

Members write nearly 40,000 letters

CSEA puts stamp
on national health
care reform efforts

CSEA members are putting
their stamp on national health
care legislation but there is
much more to do.

CSEA members have already
generated nearly 40,000
handwritten letters to U.S.
Senators Daniel Patrick
Moynihan and Alfonse D'Amato
along with the rest of New
York’s Congressional delegation.

CSEA position is clear: health
care reform must provide:

QO Universal coverage;

QO Equitable treatment for the
private and public sectors;

Q Fair financing for New York
state;

Q No taxing of negotiated tax
benefits;

Q Employee Protection
language; and

Q Comprehensive benefits.

CSEA members have a very

CSEA members with a
Commercial Driver’s License
(CDL) could soon face
mandatory, random drug and
alcohol testing as part of new
federal regulations. The changes
are part of the effort to tighten
oversight on workers in safety
sensitive positions.

Many CSEA members, from
school bus drivers to heavy
equipment operators to barge
canal workers, will be affected
by the changes.

CSEA is hard at work sorting
through the complex and often
overlapping new federal
guidelines to thoroughly
understand what is required.
From the first, the union has
been reviewing the material to
make sure it is consistent with
the law and the rights of
individuals.

In general, the regulations

high stake in the outcome of
health care reform. Congress is
considering several different
health care reform proposals,
including some that will finance
reform by unfairly taxing
benefits.

There are also concerns that
some of the measures will
subsidize the private sector at
the expense of public sector
workers.

Additionally, without
meaningful reforms to curb the
growth of health care costs,
union members will have to pay
more and more for their
coverage, and the issue will
continue to be a monumental
problem at the bargaining table.

Keep writing those letters. If
you haven't done so already,
contact your CSEA local
president or delegate.

require drug and alcohol testing
in a variety of situations:

QO pre-employment;

Q post accident;

O reasonable suspicion based
on a supervisor’s observation;
Orandom testing; and

QO return to duty or follow

up after an individual who
has violated the prohibitions
returns to duty in a safety
sensitive job.

ale

CSEA TAKES CONCERNS TO THE TOP — First Lady Hillary
Rodham Clinton recently met with CSEA Metropolitan Region
Executive Vice President Barbara Moore and CSEA Federal Issues
Coordinator Sean Egan during a visit to New York to brief key
labor activists about the status of national health care reform
efforts. CSEA's grassroots letter writing campaign emphasizing
the union's priorities for reform has generated nearly 40,000
letters to Congress to date. You can still do your part — contact
your local president or CSEA delegate today.

Commercial drivers face new drug/alcohol test rules

The random testing
requirement is the most
significant and controversial
change for CSEA members.

As the federal guidelines now
read, employers must randomly

test at least 25 percent of their
safety sensitive employees for

improper alcohol use every year.
They must also randomly test at

least 50 percent of their safety
sensitive employees for illegal
drug use each year.

CSEA has long maintained

The random testing requirement
marks the most significant and
controversial change for CSEA

members

Ballots for the election of
CSEA's four statewide
officers were in the mail as
this issue of The Public Sector
went to press.

Elections for the offices of
President, Executive Vice
President, Secretary and
Treasurer will conclude June

Ballots in the mail for election

6, the day ballots are due.

Ballots will be counted
June 6 and results
announced as soon as the
count is complete.

A full account of the
election results will appear in
the July edition of The Public
Sector.

10 June 1994 : ¢g ,

that random drug testing is an
unnecessary intrusion into an
individual's privacy.

“There are very specific
procedures for the testing that
must be followed,” said CSEA
attorney Marilyn Dymond. “But
there is also room for
negotiating important employee
protections.”

For example, the regulations
leave the issue of discipline and
employee assistance services
open to negotiation.

The new regulations take
effect Jan. 1, 1995, for
employers with more than 50
employees in safety sensitive
positions. Employers with fewer
than 50 employees in safety
sensitive positions have until
January 1, 1996, to comply.

In the months ahead, The
Public Sector will focus more
attention on this issue.

AFSCME delegates meet this month L

More than 200 CSEA
members will attend the
AFSCME convention in San
Diego at the end of this month.

The CSEA delegates to the
convention will meet with

delegates from across the
country to attend educaticnal
sessions and make policy
decisions for the 1.2 million-
member international union.
Because of publication
deadlines, The Public Sector
will have to delay full coverage
of the AFSCME convention
until the August edition.

GENERAL NEWS

" CSEA retirees take on the Legislature over COLA

q ‘This campaign is for all of us; we'll all be retirees one day’

| ALBANY — More than 200 CSEA retirees a law that would give a permanent cost-of-
took the state Capitol by storm to lobby for living adjustment (COLA) to the members of
the New York State and Local Help
| Government Public Employee New York's

Retirement System and the Police and Retired Public
Fire Fighters Retirement System. Employees

CSEA Executive Vice President Danny
Donohue urged the retiree lobbyists to
“get mad” when they spoke to state
lawmakers.

“Let them know if we don’t get a
permanent COLA, we'll let them know in
November. We'll get out and vote, and
that’s when they'll really get our
message. Let them know we are serious
about this,” Donohue said.

“All your work is important. I know it
means a lot to you, personally, but it
means a lot to every public employee in.
New York state,” he said. “This
campaign is for all of us; we'll all be
retirees one day. We'll all count on our
pensions the way you do today.”

CSEA wants COLA put into law so
that annually, retirees in the two
pension systems will get an increase
based on the cost-of-living increase.
While the formulas are complex and
based on a variety of circumstances,
they would ensure that public employee

retirees’ incomes
would increase

6 enough to give

Our them a fighting
fe eta i
proposal is chance against

inflation.

. In the past, the
CSEA Executive Vice President Danny fair and Leistat ure has
Donohue encourages more than 200 CSEA PaO,
Telice tmemberd ae thes mead Gut to lobby reasonable’ suppicmentation
their New York state legislators for a payments to older
permanent COLA bill. retirees, but
those
increases
have been
limited and
the law
allowing
them must
be renewed.

Every ay, lic CSEA Retiree Executive Board member
years. Public Shirley Matluck argues for a permanent

employees COLA with two of Gov. Cuomo’s top
who retired advisers.

after 1983
have gotten
no increases at all.

The average CSEA retiree now makes about $6,500 a
year, or $125 a week. That's less than a retiree would make
working full time for minimum wage.

To help make their points, the CSEA retirees delivered to
each lawmaker a can of COLA —with a specially-designed
label asking the legislators to “Help New York's retired
public employees.”

“Public employees keep this state running; our retirees
have done more than their share for New York state,”
Donohue said. “They shouldn't have to struggle between
. ee itn 2 Site paying for food and paying for medicine. They need COLA
FIGHTING FOR COLA — The effort isn't only taking place in Albany on —_—‘0W: all public employees need COLA. gee
particular days. CSEA retirees across the state are writing letters to “Our proposal is fair and reasonable,” he said. “We're
convince state lawmakers to enact a permanent COLA, as these three trying to make sure our lawmak understand that, and
Syracuse Retiree Local 913 members are. Assisting them is CSEA understand how urgent this issue is.”

Director of Retiree Programs Tony Campione, right.

g P June 1994 11

STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS

Emergency Room coverage can be complex

There may come a time when
you or a family member requires
the services of an emergency
room. When you are covered by
health insurance, you may think
you don't have to worry about
out-of-pocket expenses should
such an event occur since
“emergency care” is covered;
however, enrollees should be
aware that over the past several
years, receiving treatment from
hospitals has evolved into a
complex situation with many
entities and billing procedures
involved.

If you are covered by a Health
Maintenance Organization
(HMO), you should review your
member contract or speak with a
representative of the HMO to
obtain the procedures that are
required to be followed should an
emergency occur (i.e., prior
approval of Primary Care
Physician).

Empire Plan enrollees and
their covered dependents have
access to any hospital's
emergency room or urgent care
center, However, enrollees need
to be aware of important factors
that can affect the out-of-pocket
expenses that an enrollee may
incur.

Plan covers many

; (OM THE Be ls
emergency visits al hospitals in
for true New York
emergencies OT State contract
which are defined COMMITTEE out to

as “the sudden, ON independent
unexpected onset medical

of a medical HEALTH providers or
condition where BENEF I | Ss groups
immediate care is including
necessary to prevent what could emergency medicine,
reasonably be expected to result _ radiologists, lab technicians,

in either placing your life in
jeopardy or cause serious
impairment to your bodily
functions.” Emergency room
facility and other hospital-related
charges will be paid, minus the
$15 hospital outpatient co-
payment by Empire Blue Cross &
Blue Shield in the case of a true
emergency “when care is given
within 24 hours of the first
appearance of the symptoms of
an illness or injury.” Ifa
condition does not meet this
criteria or is not covered by Blue
Cross, it should be forwarded to
Metropolitan Life for review.
Over the past several years,
hospitals have evolved into
complex treatment centers and
urgent care centers have become
available in most communities.

anesthesiologists, physical
therapists and other specialty
services.

As noted above, Blue Cross
covers hospital expenses;
however, it only covers those
expenses incurred for the facility
charges and services performed
by hospital salaried staff. This
means that if a patient is seen by
an independent emergency
medicine group who is not a
salaried employee of the hospital,
the patient may be billed for the
services he/she received from the
provider (not a Blue Cross
liability). If the independent
provider or specialty group
participates with MetLife as an
Empire Plan Participating
Provider, the patient will only be
subject to any applicable co-

payment(s). If the group does not
participate, the claim will be
reviewed under Metropolitan's
Basic Medical Program, subject
to deductible and/or
coinsurance.

Enrolle: hould determine,
before the need arises, what
possible out-of-pocket expenses
they may incur by utilizing their
respective facility in the event of
an emergency. This information
may be obtained by calling your
area hospital(s) or urgent care
centers. If services are provided
by independent provider groups
out of the hospital, you should
request information on the
billing arrangements of the
provider. If the provider does not
have an all-inclusive payment
arrangement with the hospital,
the provider's participation
status in The Empire Plan
should also be requested.

This issue is very important to
CSEA and the Joint Committee
on Health Benefits. We are
currently meeting with New York
State regarding possible
solutions to this problem facing
CSEA enrollees. Any updates on
this issue will be printed in
future editions of The Public
Sector.

Court employees’ Employee Benefit Fund benefits improve

The CSEA Employee Benefit
Fund added benefit enhancements
for Unified Court System members
on June 1,1994.

You will receive a new
Summary Plan Description with
more information on the
enhancements.

Dental benefit

¢ The overall Schedule of
Allowances will increase 20%

Increase the reline (denture)
every two years to $150

¢ Increase General Anesthesia
allowance to $73

* Increase Crowns — Porcelain
allowance to $340, other material
allowance to $325

Gingivectomy or Gingivoplasty

per sextant $140

per tooth $27
Gingival Curettage, soft tissue

per quadrant $75

per sextant $50

* per tooth $8
Osseous Surgery (with flap &
closure)

per quadrant $350

* per sextant $230

° per tooth $43
Pedicle Soft Tissue Graft $200
Free Soft Tissue Graft (including
donor site) $150
Vestibuloplasty $234
Occlusal Adjustment

1 2 June 1994 : g

* limited $35

* complete $140
Periodontal Scaling & Root
Planing, full mouth $65

Vision benefit

¢ Progressive Addition Lenses will
be added

* High Index Lenses will be added

Maternity benefit

Prescription drug co-pay benefit
¢ $100 per family annual
reimbursement for prescription
drug co-pay expenses

Health insurance co-pay benefit
© $125 per family annual
reimbursement for health
insurance co-payments for
doctor's office visits.

For more information, call the
Fund toll free at 1-800-EBF-CSEA.

Questions and Answers

Dental benefit

Q. I had a crown replaced before
June 1. Am eligible for the
increased reimbursement?

A. No, Services performed before
June 1 will be paid at the old
scheduled amount.

Q. Will I still be able to use the
Dental Reimbursement Voucher

that was provided in the April 1,
1993, Summary Plan Description?
A. No. The dental
reimbursement voucher will no
longer be available after June 1.

Vision benefit

Q. What are High Index Lenses?

A. They are made of glass or
plastic material which results in a
lens that is 20 percent thinner.

Q. IfI currently have a voucher,
will I be able to get the new vision
enhancements now?

A. No. the enhancements
became effective June 1 and a
voucher reflecting these changes
has to be used.

Maternity benefit

Q. Will my wife be able to use
this benefit even though she is not
a CSEA member?

A. Yes. As your dependent, she
will be entitled to this benefit.

Q. Il am pregnant and just
became eligible for Fund benefits;
Am | entitled to receive the $200
Maternity Benefit?

A. You must have been eligible
for Fund benefits at least nine
months prior to the birth of your
child. The baby’s date of birth
must be June | or later and you
must be eligible for benefits on the
birth date.

Prescription drug co-pay benefit
Q. Will I be reimbursed for co-

pays for drugs purchased in May
of this year?

A. No. This benefit became
effective June 1. You won't be
reimbursed for drug co-payments
made prior to this date.

Q. Can I get reimbursed if I
don’t have receipts for my co-pay
expenses?

A. No, You must attach all
prescription drug receipts to the
claim. You will not be reimbursed
for any co-pay that isn’t
accompanied by a receipt.

Q. If my Mandatory Generic
Drug Plan requires me to pay the
difference between brand/generic
medications, will I be reimbursed
for this difference?

A. No. The EBF will refund the
co-pay amount only.

Health insurance co-pay benefit

Q. Will I be reimbursed for my
co-pay for a doctor visit in April?

A. No. This benefit becomes
effective June 1, You will not be
reimbursed for any co-payments
for doctor visits before this date.

Q. Do I mail in my claim form
after every visit to the doctor?

A. No, Only one claim per year
will be processed. To get the
maximum benefit, wait until your
co-pay expenses reach $125 before
filing your claim. If you do not
accumulate $125 before the end of
the year, submit your claim for the
amount you paid. Claims for less
than $125 cannot be accepted

)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWS

Stress kills - ask family of Nassau County worker

HICKSVILLE — Last August,
CSEA member Bart Piccininni
finished his week's work and
then dropped dead.

His family is convinced that
his death was caused by job-
related stress, and so is his
CSEA unit president.

“I think Bart died fro:
combination of stresses,”
Nassau Local 830 Parks Unit
President Tim Corr who saw
his 1,100 worker unit shrink to
300 after layoffs in 1992.

Corr saw the stresses not
only on those who lost their
jobs, but also on those left
behind, like Piccininni, forced.
to tackle doubled workloads.

Sylvia Piccininni, Bart's wife,
saw him change as a result of
the layoffs.

“He was so dedicated and
took his job very much to
heart,” she said. "He got very
frustrated after the layoffs.”

Piccininni spent 20 years
working at Nassau Beach Park,
Corr said.

“He loved that place,” Corr
said, but he was transferred to
cover two other parks without
enough help.

Piccininni, a polio survivor,
also believed his civil rights
under the Americans with
Disabilities Act were being
violated by new assignments.

Co-workers sadly recalled
seeing Piccininni break down in
tears over job problems.

“It’s a real shame,” said CSEA
Local 830 member Linda
Alberti. She remembers
Piccininni as a staunchly loyal
county employee who was
devastated by the layoffs.

“It broke his heart,” she said.

Tim Corr warned
management several times
about damaged employee
morale and stressful working

Sylvia and Chris Piccininni, widow and

son of late CSEA member Bart
Piccininni, in the photograph.

conditions. He had to fight
management to get help from
the County Employees
Assistance Program. Finally he
got four Stress Workshops.

Bart Piccininni attended the
last stress program and broke
down in tears. He died just
three weeks later.

“Who says working in a park
has no stress when you have
one third of the people left to do
all the work 1,100
people used to
do?” Corr asked.

Of 300 full-time
parks employees
left, six have
suffered heart
attacks, three of
them fatal. CSEA
member Jeff

Mediator named in

nassau County talks

MINEOLA — Nassau County contract negotiations
are at an impasse, and Martin Schienman has been
appointed to mediate the dispute impasse, CSEA
Nassau County Local 830 President Rita Wallace

said.
More than 12,000 Nz
been without a contrac!

stalemate.

sau CSEA members have
nce December 1992.
“Issues involving salary, subcontracting, layoff
protections and worker safety, among others, have
remained unresolved,” Wallace said.
The Local 830 negotiating team remains hopeful
about reaching an agreement despite the present

Iunichi was severely
injured after being
thrown from a grass
cutter he was ordered
to operate without
proper training. He
never returned to work.

“You could see these
things happening,” Corr
said, “and it’s a shame
because I think the
department is turning a
blind eye to all these
stress problems
connected to the
layoffs.”

While the current
Nassau County budget
provides huge
expenditures for parks
improvements like
miniature golf courses,
there is no money to
replace lost staff.
Instead the county is
using hundreds of
“volunteers,” CSEA
Local 830
Administrative
Assistant Tony Giustino
said.

Calling the “Adopt A Park”
program a short-term solution
to a long-term problem, he said
it's only a matter of time before
a volunteer or a park visitor is
seriously injured and the
county has a $20 million
lawsuit on its hands. A premier
system of 70 parks, recreational
areas and museums can only
continue to deteriorate if repairs

and maintenance are left to
volunteers who lack the
knowledge and skill to preserve
park infrastructure, he said.

Meanwhile, Sylvia Piccininni
is a widow with only her
precious memories and stacks
of condolence cards. Nassau
Beach cabana holders wrote
her, “We knew Bart and loved
and respected him all these
years.” The Lawrence Public
Schools P.T.A. wrote, “It was an
honor to know Bart. He always
had a smile and a good word for
swim team coaches and
swimmers. He made life at the
pool and park very pleasant.”

“I used to tell Bart that
Nassau Beach Park was his first
love because he would check on
it even on his days off,” Sylvia
Piccininni said. “But after the
layoffs, it was just too much
work and not enough help.”

Bart Piccininni’s son, Chris,
summed up his memories of his
father: “The thing is he cared.”

Tim Corr keeps in touch with
the Piccininni family, inviting
them to CSEA gatherings where
everyone respected how hard
Bart Piccininni worked for
CSEA. And Corr continues to
worry about the health of
stressed out parks workers.

“The most recent coronary
was in March 1994,” he said,
“and guys can’t help but wonder
who's the next father we will
lose.”

— Lilly Gioia

LONG AWAITED SIGNING — It took an entire year and the election of a new
county executive, but the Rockland County Unit finally has a signed contract.
Those present included County Attorney Jack Schloss, County Executive C.
Scott Vanderhoef, Unit Vice President Beverly Feuer, Unit President Caroline
Osinga, Labor Relations Specialist Annette Raetz and Collective Bargaining

Specialist Larry Sparber. The County Unit Political Action Committee
campaigned for Vanderhoef. The new contract will expire on Dec. 31, 1995.

g , June 1994 13

LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWS

Privateer forced out of Nyack schools

NYACK — The Nyack School
District has ended a three-year
contract with the Marriott Corp.
after less than a year.

CSEA fought the failed
contract in which Marriott took
over custodial duties and
maintenance of the school
grounds last fall.

According to a former
custodial supervisor, Marriott
never delivered on its promises.

“They sure didn’t do their
homework,” he said.

Although Marriott promised

Schoo

| District Affair

to screen applicants directly,
the former district employee
said, the privateer hired an
employment agency. That
agency recommended two
applicants who were suspended
from other school districts; one
applicant was a sex offender,
and the other
was a known
drug dealer who
was recognized
by some of the
students.
Cleaning

CSEA wins four days of pay for
Three Village School District Unit

THREE VILLAGE — “CSEA
was right there for us. They
won us respect,” said CSEA
Three Village School District
Monitors Unit President Ruth
Pollack.

CSEA won four days of pay
for 60 unit members. The
district had failed to pay the
employees for an extra day last
year to make up for a snow day
and for three snow days this
year. The district agreed to
settle before a hearing with the
Public Employment Relations
Board, CSEA Labor Relations

Specialist Jim Henck said.

“Jim (Henck) was so patient
and helpful to us and Pam
(CSEA Attorney Pam Bruce,
who handled the case) was
extremely professional and
impressive,” Pollack said. “The
unit members are really
thrilled.”

“I really have to commend
Ruth Pollack,” Henck said. “It
was her determination and
persistence coupled with
CSEA’s expertise that resulted
in this win.”

— Sheryl Jenks

CSEA represents new school unit

LAURENS — If the 500
students at the Laurens Central
School notice anything different
about the non-instructional
workers they see each day, it’s
probably the smiles of new
CSEA members.

The union now represents the
35 non-instructional workers at
the school. The unit workers,
members of CSEA Otsego
County Local 839, hold clerical,
food service, teacher aide,
custodial/janitorial and bus
driver titles.

Unit President Rose Nelson
said her co-workers needed

CSEA.

“We just felt that it was time,
with the economy and the
shape it’s in, that we needed
representation,” she said. “It
was just a natural move for us
to go with CSEA.”

Since affiliating, unit leaders
have met with CSEA Collective
Bargaining Specialist Gerald
Phelan to begin the negotiating
process. Nelson is hopeful for
the future with CSEA.

“I feel the union is going to
make things easier for us,”
Nelson said.

— Mark M. Kotzin

Merrick Unit members want a new contract

MERRICK — More than 100
CSEA members picketed a
school board meeting and
budget vote because the CSEA
Merrick School District
Custodial Unit has not had a
contract for almost a year.

The 22-member unit was
joined by supporters from other
CSEA units.

The custodians are being

asked to pay for a higher share
of their health insurance than
teachers.

“How can people in the lower
salary levels afford to pay more
than those making more
money?” Unit President Joe
Grillo asked.

The unit is part of CSEA
Nassau Educational Local 865.

— Sheryl C. Jenks

‘They sure didn’t
do their
homework’

schedules were not coordinated
with building schedules; for
instance, the privateer's
employees mopped busy
stairwells during school hours.
Marriott also promised to
bring in “professionals” to do
custodial work at night. It did
not. The former
employee said the
night crew didn't
have proper
supervision and
before long the
schools were

cluttered with garbage.

In only seven months,
Marriott had three supervisors.

Interestingly, Marriott asked
to be released from its contract
just before the district fired the
privateer. Marriott claimed it
would have been too expensive
to meet the district's needs.
After all, the district had only
agreed to pay the privateer a
mere $900,000 a year.

— Anita Manley

Doris Philipps with co-workers Kurzweil, Friedlander and
Salvia at a recent gathering in Philipps’ home.

Member gets help from friends after
two broken wrists leave her helpless

BEDFORD — Breaking both
wrists was bad enough: Doris
Philipps, a member of CSEA
Westchester County Local 860,
couldn't feed herself, take a pill,
hold a book or wash her face.

After a fall on an icy walkway,

Philipps was basically helpless.
Then insurance refused to
pay for anyone to help with her

most basic needs.

But thanks to her co-workers
in the Bedford School District,
she got the help she needed.

“Both of Doris’ arms are in
casts past her elbows,” CSEA
Unit President Jane Salvia,
said. “She can’t reach her
mouth to feed herself.”

Salvia, Teachers Association
President Ken Kurzweil,
Administrators and Supervisors
Association President Claire

Friedlander and Superintendent
Bruce Dennis raised money to
pay for a housekeeper-home
health aide for Philipps.

Health insurance traditionally
does not cover the kind of
custodial care that Philipps
needed.

While she is immensely
grateful to her co-workers, she
is angry at a system that sent
her home helpless.

“The aides feed me and take
care of normal household
routines,” she said, “I don’t
want to think of what this
would have been like without
them. I have so much time to
think how fortunate I am to
work in a district with such
caring fellow employees.”

— Anita Manley |

f 14 June 1994 gZ , i
i

LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWS

Vindicated and reinstated

CSEA wins back job for White Plains Unit president fired in political retribution

WHITE PLAINS — The White
Plains City Council has
reinstated former CSEA Unit
President Joe Roche who was
fired for political reasons nearly
four years ago.

Throughout his ordeal CSEA
fought for Roche, providing
thousands of hours of legal
service, succeeding in a
landmark Public Employment
Relations Board hearing,
winning a federal lawsuit,
pressing the case in the news
media and even helping to pass
a state law to prevent similar
situations in the future.

“I'm happy it’s over and I'm
ready to move on with my civil
service career and life,” Roche

said. “CSEA was with me from
start to finish.

Roche's difficulties date back
to 1990 when the CSEA White
Plains Unit was locked in bitter
contract negotiations with the
administration of former Mayor
Alfred DelVecchio. Roche, then
unit president, circulated fliers
supporting a City Council
candidate who was an opponent
of the mayor.

A belligerent mayor then
confronted Roche at the next
negotiating session and
provoked a shoving match. The
mayor then fired Roche over the
incident.

CSEA took to the streets with
public demonstrations and took

all the legal steps necessary.

It was an involved struggle for
justice that finally succeeded.

PERB found that DelVecchio
purposely provoked Roche and
disrupted the bargaining
session out of anger over
Roche's political opposition. But
PERB could not reinstate Roche
because the Taylor Law has no
jurisdiction over politically
motivated retaliation.

That led CSEA to help pass
the Lawful Activities Law which
prohibits employers from
discriminating against their
employees because of their
political activities.

The PERB ruling also formed
the basis of CSEA’s argument in

the federal civil suit that the
union filed for Roche. In 1991,
the federal jury decided that
Roche's rights were denied by
the mayor and awarded Roche
$25,000.

But it was also the clarity of
the PERB decision and its
description of the former
mayor's heavy-handed
retribution that ultimately led
the new city administration to
wisely settle the issue and
reinstate Roche.

“I kept my confidence
knowing I had union protection
to the end,” Roche said, “even if
we had to fight it all the way to
the U.S. Supreme Court.”

_CSEA files two charges after NCCC supervisor strikes member

UNIONDALE — CSEA fired off
two improper practice charges
(IP) after a supervisor at Nassau
County Community College
(NCCC) hit a subordinate.

The supervisor is known as a
bully while the member involved
is a nice guy, CSEA Labor
Relations Specialist Stan Frere
said.

A witness said the supervisor
pulled up in his car, got out and
started yelling at the employee,
who stood quietly; then the
supervisor hit him in the chest.

CSEA Long Island Region
President Nick LaMorte was

outraged at college officials
attempts to minimize the
incident by saying the
supervisor “pushed or poked”
the subordinate.

“I.don’t care what they call it.
A slap, punch, poke or prod.
They are all totally
unacceptable,”
LaMorte said.
“Shame on the
college for
attempting to justify
this type of
behavior.”

CSEA Nassau
County Community

‘Shame on the
college for
attempting to
justify this type
of behavior’

College Unit President Alona
Irby said there have been a
number of complaints about the
supervisor “bullying, harassing
and verbally abusing”
subordinates, and employees
are “extremely fearful” of the
man,

The college has
not brought any
charges against the
supervisor.

CSEA filed the
charges because the
college unfairly held
a meeting with the
CSEA member who

Officials wasted

NEWBURGH - Despite their
of poverty, Newburgh city
officials spent money needlessly
to contract out a construction
project that could have been
done by city employees.

CSEA obtained figures that
show city officials spent more
than $4,500 to repair a broken
water main in January when
city employees, members of
Orange County Local 836, could
have done the job for less than
$2,000.

J.M. Excavating took three
days to do the job and charged
the city for the use of equipment
similar to what the city owns
and could have used to do the
job itself. A
comparison of
labor costs also

was hit, the supervisor who hit
him and other college officials,
but there was no union
representation, Frere said.
Officials asked the member not
to bring charges over the
incident.

CSEA Nassau Local 830
President Rita Wallace said the
supervisor's behavior was
unacceptable.

“If it were the subordinate
who hit the supervisor, you had
better believe the subordinate
would have been brought up on
charges immediately,” she said.

— Sheryl C. Jenks

time and money

garage with raw sewage on the
floor and the city cries poverty,”
Labor Relations Specialist Carl
Rasmussen said. “We haven't
been able to negotiate a contract
because the city cries poverty.
Now we find out that the city
can spend $4,500 on a water
main break when city workers
could have done it for $2,730
less.”

City employees could have
rented any equipment they did
not have for much less than the
contractor charged, Rasmussen
said.

“I think it’s time that the
taxpayers of Newburgh demand
a full accounting of these

expenditures,” he
said.

Unit protests layoffs

Wallkill Town employees demonstrated to protest the town
supervisor suddenly laying off eight co-workers. Shown here
are Unit President Jay McClintock; George Rogers, with 24
years of service, one of the men who was laid off; Cliff
Mathieson and Rich Gesner. They attended a town board
meeting at which CSEA representatives told the supervisor
that the manner in which he laid off the workers was
“morally reprehensible.” CSEA is looking into the legal
ramifications of the issue.

demonstrates that
city employees
would have cost
much less than
what the privateer
charged.

“We have
employees who are
working in a

te City.
workers
could have
done (the
job) for
$2,730 less.’

When asked by a
newspaper reporter
to respond to
CSEA's charges,
the city manager
accused the union
of retaliating
because of stalled
negotiations.

— Anita Manley

June 1994 1 5

265,

000

Members Can't Be
Wronged.

For the second year in a row, CSEA has led in the fight against the contracting out of public services

— "privatization"

— with a powerful campaign of radio, television, newspaper & magazine ads and

literature. This year, we've shown the added value you bring to your jobs — and we've pointed out many of
the abuses that "privateers" in New York State are guilty of.

The outcome? We've helped save jobs for our members. We've made an impact on decision-makers on
all levels of government. And already this year, our special anti-privatization hotline has received over a
thousand calls from citizens and government officials throughout the state. Here's a recap of some of the

stories we've covered this year.

PRIVATEERS BREAK LAWS.

Every month, the Federal Government publishes a list of
thousands of contractors who are excluded from doing
business with the government because of fraud,
embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, contract violations
and more. Many of those abuses are taking place right
here in New York State.

PRIVATEERS ENDANGER CHILDREN.

Privatized school busing's record isn't something you'd
want a child to see. It includes increased accident rates,
fatalities, higher costs and lower productivity. One safety
study shows that after privatization, school bus accident
rates went up 262% in three years!

PRIVATEERS DISPE WRONG PRESCRIPTIONS

One New York county contracted out their hospital's
pharmacy, and little more than a year later, a select panel
of county legislators urged termination of the contract,
because of a huge increase in "serious dispensing errors."
Under the privateer, annualized errors increased 1200%!

KEEP PUBLIC SERVICES PUBLIC

ERS OVERCHARGE FOR WATER.

In another part of New York State, water service is split
between municipal utilities and a private company. After
years of complaints about overcharging and poor
service, the privateer agreed to pay an $11.7 million
penalty. The State Consumer Protection Board
recommendation: "Public water for everyone."

PRIVATEERS ENDANGER CHILDREN. :

In another city, the problem was odors from the sewer
system. Public employees had the answers, but
politicians ignored them and turned to a privateer. Three
years later, the odors are still there, and costs are
increasing fourfold. So why is the city's mayor trying to
turn over the water department to that same privateer?

BE A PART OF THE CAMPAIGN.

If privatization threatens you, get involved. Be ready to
challenge the opposition with the tough questions and
facts about privatization. Your CSEA staff has the
materials and the support you need to join the fight
against contracting out.

EERS THE HOOK!

CSEs

CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION
Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
Joe McDermott, President

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