Vol.12 No. 6
June 2009
& 1a New York’s LEADING Union!
CSEA members protecting the public
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From left, Metropolitan Region Secretary Anita Booker, Bronx
Psychiatric Center Local President Abraham Benjamin, CSEA
statewide Secretary Denise Berkley, and Brooklyn DDSO Local
President Adriane Hudson attend a demonstration outside Gov.
David Paterson’s New York City offices. The rally was in
opposition to the governor’s plan to lay off 8,700 state workers.
(Story, Page 3)
Help make your workplace safer
Learn more about the new workplace violence
prevention rules and how you can make your public
workplace safer by using CSEA’s Workplace Violence
Prevention Tool Kit at:
http://www.csealocal1000.org/osh/
workplace_violence_prevention.php
From the Office of President Danny Donohue
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CSEA President Danny Donohue to
meet Capital Region members June 25
CSEA President Danny Donohue will visit the CSEA Capital
Region on Thursday, June 25 to meet with members.
The meetings will be held at the Capital District Region
office, 1 Lear Jet Lane, Suite 2, Latham.
Donohue will meet with union members from 1 to 7
p.m. Please call the Capital District Region office at (518) 785-4400 or 1-800-
874-7344 for an appointment and directions
Donohue will visit all six CSEA regions this year.
2 | THe Work FORCE
Workplace violence
prevention
ALBANY — After several years of fighting,
lobbying and activism, the public
worksite security regulation has been
approved, with the aim of making public
workplaces safer for workers.
The regulation does
not apply to private
sector employers or
school districts. All
other public employers
must comply with the
provisions of this rule.
Affected employers will
be afforded a short
amount of time to come
into compliance with the
requirements.
CSEA has fought for more than a
decade for such a provision to protect
public employees.
“This rule will have a profound impact
on the working lives of thousands of
public employees and it will save lives,”
said CSEA President Danny Donohue.
Donohue warned that the state
Department of Labor must be held
accountable to uphold the new
standards.
“This rule will have a
profound impact on the
working lives of
thousands of public
employees and it will
save lives.”
rules pass
“We see dangerous staffing levels
every day, supervisors circumventing
established procedures and other
policies outright ignored,” Donohue said.
“Just because an employer has a nice
looking program on
paper does not
necessarily mean it’s
being implemented.”
The law requires
public employers with
more than 20
employees to assess
potential workplace
violence risks and
take appropriate
measures to reduce those risks.
CSEA played a leading role in enacting
New York’s Public Employee Safety and
Health Act in 1980. The union intensified
its fight for safer work sites in 1992 after
a disgruntled client murdered four CSEA
members employed at the Schuyler
County Department of Social Services at
their workplace. CSEA’s leadership and
persistence led to New York’s historic
Worksite Security Act, which became law
in 2006.
Nassau Local demands changes
EAST MEADOW — Nassau County Local
members recently called on county
officials to either take back control of the
Nassau Health Care Corp. from its public
benefit corporation or create a special
taxing district to generate a reliable
revenue stream for that facility.
The public benefit corporation
includes Nassau University Medical
Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care
Facility and several other ancillary
medical clinics.
The hospital is the only public health
care facility in Nassau County and is a
safety net that provides comprehensive,
high quality health care to residents
regardless of ability to pay. “These
facilities are vital to the health and
wellness of the community and cannot
survive as currently funded,” said Nassau
Local President Jerry Laricchiuta.
A $34.2 million deficit has been
Since 1910
projected for the corporation in 2010, but
there is some question about the
accuracy of that figure and a degree of
skepticism on the possibility of closing
the hospital.
CSEA also believes the fiscal policies
and excessive salaries of corporation
administrators have made matters worse.
The 2009-2010 health care corp. budget
includes plans to restructure employee
health insurance, radically alter contract
provisions and cut at least 350 CSEA jobs.
The proposals have hampered efforts
to begin negotiations for a new contract
between CSEA and the health care corp.
“Perhaps some of these draconian
measures would not be necessary if the
administration had practiced the fiscal
discipline appropriate to these difficult
economic times,” said CSEA Long Island
Region President Nick LaMorte.
— Richard Impagliazzo
June 2009
CSEA fights Paterson’s risky ploy
SEA members across the
state are standing strong
against Gov. David Paterson’s
political ploy to lay off
thousands of state workers.
Across the state, CSEA
members have shown up and
let him know that his politics
are putting New Yorkers at risk.
“CSEA members need to
keep the pressure up,” said
CSEA President Danny
Donohue. “We deliver essential
services that New Yorkers
depend on every day and we
will not allow these services to
be compromised by politics.”
CSEA has been airing TV ads
statewide challenging the layoff
proposal and focusing on
services at risk.
You can keep up with the
latest news and join the fight
by emailing the governor and Above, CSEA members in the Metropolitan Region demonstrate outside Gov. David Paterson’s
state lawmakers from the CSEA Manhattan offices. Below left, Long Island Region President Nick LaMorte fires up the crowd at the
website: New York State Office Building in Hauppaugue as SUNY Stony Brook Local President Carlos Speight
www.csealocal1000.org looks on. Below right, Leonard Cheff of Niagara state Department of Transportation Local leads the
way for demonstrators in Buffalo. CSEA and PEF delivered the message to rush hour traffic that
Paterson’s state layoffs are not the answer.
June 2009 THe Work FORCE
THE WORK FORCE
ISSN 1522-1091
Official publication of
CSEA Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
143 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12210-2303
Danny Donohue, President
STEPHEN A. MADARASZ
Communications Director & Publisher
STANLEY HORNAK
Deputy Director of Communications
LOU HMIELESKI
Executive Editor
JANICE MARRA
Associate Editor
CATHLEEN FEBRAIO
Graphic Production Specialist
JANICE M. KUCSKAR
Graphic Production Specialist
BETH McINTYRE
Communications Assistant
The Work Force (USPS 0445-010) is
published monthly by The CSEA Publication Office:
143 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12210.
Periodical Mail Postage paid at Post Office,
Albany, New York 12288.
Postmaster: Send address changes to:
CSEA, Attn: Membership Department,
143 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12210.
CSEA on-line: The CSEA website
can be accessed at www.csealocal1000.org
Readers:
Send any comments, complaints, suggestions or ideas to:
Publisher, The Work Force, 143 Washington Avenue,
Albany, NY 12210-2303.
COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATES
RICHARD IMPAGLIAZZO Long Island Region —_—_(631) 462-0030
DAVID GALARZA Metropolitan Region (212) 406-2156
JESSICA LADLEE Southern Region (845) 831-1000
‘THERESE ASSALIAN Capital Region (618) 785-4400
MARK M. KOTZIN Central Region (315) 433-0050
LYNN MILLER Western Region (716) 691-6555
ED MOLITOR Headquarters (G18) 257-1272
JILL ASENCIO Headquarters (618) 257-1276
The Publications Committee
Brenda Chartrand
Mary D’Antonio
William Lebaron
Ronald Revers
Mary Alice Whiteman
fic Ay ; g ,
Fighting for what’s right
hese are anything but normal times. Keeping that in
mind, CSEA is taking nothing for granted as we fight to
maintain all that we’ve achieved over decades in terms of
contract rights and benefits and other negotiated and
legal protections. Jobs and services continue to be at risk
with New York state, and every day we seem to have
some new challenges in local government, school
districts and other public and private work sites.
We need fair and responsible action from our
elected officials and we need smart management that
values people and services. There are no simple
solutions but we can all do a lot better if we work
together.
But make no mistake — CSEA will not back down from a fight for what’s
right if that’s the way it has to be.
None of us want to see any taxpayer money wasted. But neither do we
want to see public safety compromised, mental health and developmental
disabilities services deteriorate, infrastructure maintenance ignored, and public
health measures left undone. There are real benefits from that kind of work being
done and real consequences if it’s neglected.
There are of course, some narrow-minded people out there who are only
interested in running down public services and the people who deliver them.
Malcontents will always be around, bad-mouthing and dividing. But they do not
represent the majority of New Yorkers. What I’ve been hearing from most people I
encounter in these troubled times is encouragement to “keep fighting for us.”
7
P.S. Rumors about all kinds of issues have been rampant in recent weeks. Don’t
believe everything you hear. Please log into www.cealocal1000.org to get the
latest, accurate information.
CSEA will do just that.
4 | THe Work FORCE
June 2009
Locat GOVERNMENT
&
Private. SECTOR
In addition to
replacing the
aging structure
and having the
bulk paid by the
state, Glendale
will then be able
to take advantage
of higher
Medicare and
Medicaid
reimbursement
rates.
CSEA fighting for quality
Schenectady County lawmakers
approve new nursing home
SCHENECTADY —
Schenectady County
legislators approved a plan
May 8 to build a new
county nursing home and
authorized the money to
finance it.
The legislature passed
back-to-back resolutions
authorizing the
construction of a new 200-
bed Glendale Home in
Scotia and then to issue
bonds for the $50 million
project.
The county will pick up
about 15 percent of the
total cost and bond the
project over 30 years. The
bulk of the money will
Capital Region President
Kathy Garrison, right,
addresses Schenectady
County legislators before a
vote authorizing the
bonding of a new county
nursing home, as CSEA
members and Glendale
home residents look on.
come from a state
Department of Health pool
to help pay for mandated
closures, mergers or bed
reductions at hospitals and
nursing homes around the
state, as ordered by the
Berger Commission in late
2006. Much of the cost of
the new home would be
reimbursed by the state.
In addition to replacing the
aging structure and having
the bulk paid by the state,
Glendale will then be able
to take advantage of higher
Medicare and Medicaid
reimbursement rates.
— Therese Assalian
Unit launches
care at Roswell Park
BUFFALO — CSEA is demanding the
restoration of support staff
positions at Roswell Park Cancer
Institute in Buffalo after the
hospital recently laid off nearly two
dozen lab technicians, assistant
power plant engineers, carpenters,
maintenance helpers and electrical
shop employees who are part of
the Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Local.
CSEA Health Research Local
members employed at Roswell Park
were not included in the cuts.
“Roswell Park is an important
community asset, however laying
off essential support staff
jeopardizes the very care the
institute provides,” said CSEA
Western Region President Flo Tripi.
“Without these workers, the facility
will not be properly maintained and
medical equipment will not be
properly cleaned and sanitized.
Quality care and research will be
negatively affected as a result.”
To fight the layoffs, members are
blanketing the parking lots with
signs in their windows and wearing
stickers demanding restoration of
the positions.
They have also launched a letter-
writing campaign in support of
their colleagues, and television
advertising is set to begin. The
commercials are critical of the
hospital paying many
administrators high salaries while
showing essential support staff the
door.
Management cited funding as the
reason for the cuts, yet the hospital
is set to receive millions in
stimulus funding.
— Lynn Miller
Genesee County
contract campaign
BATAVIA — CSEA Genesee
County Unit members are
launching an intensive contract
campaign following failed
mediation with management.
Workers have been without a
contract since the end of 2008,
when their last agreement
expired.
Unit members recently
defeated a tentative agreement
developed through mediation.
Workers rejected miniscule and
non-existent wage increases and
a second tier wage scale
proposed by the county.
County officials told workers
the wage increases in the
rejected pact were the county’s
best and last offer, but the day
after, the county settled a
contract with a non-CSEA
bargaining unit that contained
substantial raises and no
second tier.
CSEA has asked to return to
mediation with the county, but
the county is pressing for fact-
finding. The union would prefer
to resolve the issue
harmoniously, but the county’s
actions have made action by the
union eminent and necessary.
This is the second
consecutive round of
negotiations in which the unit
has gone to impasse. The last
contract went through fact-
finding before the two sides
worked out a deal. Last time,
health insurance contributions
were the major sticking point.
— Lynn Miller
June 2009
THe Work FORCE
ORGANIZING AND
ScHoor Districts
“The Board of
Education took
away our right as
taxpayers to have
a say in this
matter.”
Hard fight against
contracting out
in Port Jervis
PORT JERVIS — Despite a
valiant fight by members
of the Port Jervis School
District Unit, district
residents voted to
approve a 2009-10 school
budget that includes
contracting out district
transportation.
Members recently
rallied the community,
collecting more than 700
signatures on a petition
demanding a separate
referendum on
transportation, but
members of the Board of
Education ignored the
petition, opting instead
to lump the outsourcing
of the bus garage in with
Want to help save a life?
At you a Red
Cross Certified
instructor for First
the regular budget. The
move will affect about
100 CSEA members
working as bus drivers,
monitors and mechanics.
The district plans to have
busing fully outsourced
by 2010.
“By refusing to
consider a permissive
referendum on
transportation, the Board
of Education took away
our right as taxpayers to
have a say in this
matter,” said Unit
President Betty Lou
Kranz. “The CSEA
support staff in the Port
Jervis schools are the
workers who actually live
here in the community.
The school board
supported the wishes of
the administration by
Port Jervis School District’s CSEA members rally
against a contracting out proposal for the district's
transportation services.
going through with
contracting out. When
they start to experience
some of the problems
that come with
contracting out public
services, they are going
to come to regret their
decision.”
“By outsourcing
district transportation at
a time when Port Jervis
just recently lost a major
private sector employer,
the district is hurting the
community. A private
company motivated by
profit is never going to
offer the good jobs this
community needs,” said
Southern Region
President Billy Riccaldo
CSEA also represents
district clerical,
maintenance, food
service and custodial
staff in the Port Jervis
schools.
— Jessica Ladlee
Public sector organizing: opportunities
in CSEA’s traditional membership base
Aid/CPR/AED
training?
American
Would you be Red Cross
interested in
becoming one and
helping CSEA train
other members in these lifesaving skills?
Together, we can save a life
If so, CSEA would like to hear from you. Call
CSEA at 1-800-342-4146 ext. 1271 with your
contact information or e-mail it to:
Lifesavers@cseainc.org.
The Life you save
may be your own!
ith three out of four public-sector
workers in New York organized into
unions, our state boasts the highest
public sector union density of any state in
the nation. Yet, that still leaves thousands
of full- and part-time workers without the
protection and strength of a union.
Among our next projects to strengthen
our union is one that focuses on our
unfinished business in the public sector.
This work requires both significant
research and painstaking follow-up. For
this project, we will team organizers with
interested leaders and activists to identify
and organize non-union public sector
positions, unit by unit, local by local.
Last fall, we submitted Freedom of
Information requests to local
governments across the state on titles
and union status. Over half of the
municipalities have responded.
We are compiling the information
received, and pursuing the rest. School
districts and non-union state authorities
are next on the list.
We will be working with CSEA local,
unit and region leaders to organize
unorganized workers, where necessary,
and accrete or add positions into existing
contracts, where possible. In the
upcoming weeks and months, we may be
calling on you to help us organize the
worker one desk over.
If you have any leads at your work site
or are interested in assisting with this
project, please contact the Organizing
Department at (800) 342-4146, ext. 1401.
6 | Te Work Force
June 2009
Locat. GOVERNMENT
ISSUES
“It’s always been
our position that
regardless of how
these people
(were) classified
by Hempstead,
that they were, for
all intents and
purposes, full-
timers entitled to
full contractual
benefits.”
CSEA secures full benefits
for Hempstead part-time workers
HEMPSTEAD —
Hempstead Local
officers have been
working hard to resolve
the problem of
employees working full-
time hours without
receiving the salary and
benefits guaranteed to
full-time employees by
their contract.
“It’s always been our
position that regardless
of how these people
(were) classified by
Hempstead, that they
were, for all intents and
purposes, full-timers
entitled to full
You promised to
contractual benefits,”
said Hempstead Local
President Charlie
Sellitto. “And, after eight
years of protracted
litigation, this issue has
been resolved through a
settlement with the
town.”
The agreement
provides for a transfer
of employees from
seasonal or part-time
status to full-time
standing with full
benefits.
The two parties
agreed to a three-year
“look-back period,”
allowing those who
worked more than 1,600
non-overtime hours in
2006, 2007 or 2008 to be
placed in a hiring pool.
Once in the pool, the
employee is guaranteed
to get a full-time
position if they remain
employed with the
town. A fair hiring list
will be established
based on documented
evidence and employees
will be offered a full-
time job based on their
mai LOCAL 1000
Local ne
Emel!
e REGION 1
ISLAND, N.Y,
Hempstead Local President Charlie Sellitto
addresses members at a recent event.
position on that list.
Sellitto acknowledged
the contributions of
recently deceased
former Hempstead Local
President Bill Flanagan,
who was instrumental in
securing this agreement.
“Bill took this issue
seriously from day one
and was committed to
getting the matter
resolved, knowing that
From our history ...
it would take a
considerable amount of
time and effort,” said
Sellitto. “He led our
team as we spent
countless hours
attaining the full-time
positions many of our
members rightfully
deserve.”
— Richard
Impagliazzo
walk her down the aisle.
In 1946, the Association of State Civil Service Employees
changed its name to the Civil Service Employees Association,
Inc. and changed the constitution to open membership to all
public employees throughout New York.
Westchester County employees joined first and it was just the
start of an extraordinary growth that continues to this day.
Keep reading The Work Force for much more of CSEA’s
history as we approach our 100th anniversary!
Plan to be there for her.
If you're not planning to quit smoking, what are you planning? ~www.cancer.org
THE Work FORCE
June 2009
CSEA remembers fallen workers
SEA members is
across the
state marked
Workers Memorial
Day April 28 with
ceremonies and
other observances
OCCUPATIONAL. SAFETY
& HEALTH
to honor workers
who have died or
been severely
injured on the job.
L Yee =
Above, Southern Region President Billy Riccaldo joins state
Department of Transportation Regional Director Joan
Dupont in a memorial garden outside the DOT Region 8
offers opening remarks during headquarters in Poughkeepsie. DOT workers maintain the
a Workers Memorial ceremony garden, which is dedicated to co-workers who died on the
April 28 at the Pittsford shop. job.
Behind him is a poster created
Steven Myers, vice president of
CSEA Department of
Transportation Region 4 Local,
Fig
FEE
Below, Department of
Transportation workers
gather for a Workers
Memorial Day ceremony at
the Pittsford shop near
Rochester.
in memory of Kevin Forsyth,
46, a DOT worker from Niagara
County who died last year after
being struck by a vehicle in a
work zone.
Right, CSEA
Western Region
President Flo Tripi
and Western New
York DDSO Local
President Dawn
Smith reflect at a
memorial
monument for
deceased member
Steven Guzzo near
the local office
during the local’s
May 12 ceremony.
“What is a
better
statistic is
that our folks
are not being
injured.”
BATAVIA — A pilot program
at the Batavia Veterans
Home is demonstrating
how successful patient
lifting devices can be in
nursing homes.
When CSEA's statewide
Occupational Safety and
Health Committee recently
visited the facility, there
were no employees out on
Zero lift, zero injuries
workers’ compensation.
This is rare in the health
care industry due to the
tough physical demands
placed on health care
workers when moving
patients who are unable to
move on their own. The
veterans home also has no
mandatory overtime.
The entire nursing home
is a better statistic is that
our folks are not being
injured,” said Western
Region President Flo Tripi,
noting that Batavia
Veterans Home activist Paul
Blujus deserves much of
the credit for convincing
the facility to buy the
equipment.
is outfitted with mechanical
lifting devices that protect
workers and patients from
the strains of lifting and
moving. The devices’ cost
is offset by the enormous
savings in workers’
compensation insurance
claims.
“The low injury rate is an
amazing statistic, but what
8 | Te Work Force
June 2009
CHILD CARE AND LABOR
ISSUES
Andrea Adrian, a family
child care provider in
Schenectady County and
member of VOICE/CSEA,
teaches the children in her
care during their morning
art program, in this 2008
file photo.
Any volunteer
member
organizers
interested in
helping on the
VOICE/CCPT
campaign are
encouraged to
contact the CSEA
Organizing
Department at
(800) 342-4146,
ext. 1401.
June 2009
Early Learning and Care
Campaign: VOICE and CCPT
ALBANY — In April, the
CSEA Board of Directors
adopted the Early
Learning and Care
program’s plan to
integrate CSEA’s nearly
25,000 newly organized
family child care providers
into the union.
Among other actions,
the board chartered Local
100 A for about 7,500
licensed and registered
family providers (VOICE —
the VOICE of Organized
Independent Childcare
Educators) and Local 100
B for 17,000 license-
exempt providers (CCPT
Child Care Providers
Together).
The home-based child
care providers organized
to join CSEA in 2007 and
2008 and are working to
negotiate a first contract
with the state Office of
Children and Family
Services.
While progress has
been made on non-
economic issues, CSEA is
still trying to reach a
settlement on economic
improvements.
In this 2008 file photo, VOICE/CSEA member Damaris Samolinski guides a young girl
down the slide at her group family child care in Suffolk County.
Upon completion of a
tentative first contract,
VOICE/CCPT leaders and
activists, and CSEA
organizers will be running
a membership and
contract ratification
campaign all across the
state.
We will need a massive
effort to get these two
groups off to the best start
possible. Any volunteer
member organizers
interested in helping on
this campaign are
encouraged to contact the
CSEA Organizing
Department at (800) 342-
4146, ext. 1401.
— Jill Asencio
CSEA slams
KINGSTON - CSEA is
pursuing legal action
against city Mayor James
Sottile after he interfered
with union activities and
targeted a CSEA activist for
layoff in response to that
activity.
An improper practice
charge alleging union
interference was already in
the works after Sottile
made several inquiries to
CSEA about the union’s
internal practices. That
charge has now been
amended to reflect Sottile’s
layoff of C9EA member
Jeanne Edwards, a unit
shop steward and chair of
the unit election
committee. Edwards was
Kingston mayor for anti-union activity
informed via a letter that
her code enforcement job
has been eliminated.
“As the sole code
enforcement officer
employed by the City of
Kingston, Jeanne Edwards
brings in significant
revenue,” said Southern
Region President Billy
Riccaldo. “In light of recent
interactions CSEA has had
with Mayor Sottile, there is
no other explanation for
this layoff other than
retaliation for Edwards’
union activity.”
In the improper practice
charge, CSEA is looking for
Edwards to be reinstated.
— Jessica Ladlee
THe Work FORCE
‘aio pred Ghee Fighting the
Health workers testing for flu bugs
BUFFALO — The Erie County Health
Department is working hard to avert the swine
flu in Western New York by
testing about a half-dozen
samples daily from across the
17-county region.
The lab can easily test 50
samples daily. About 2,000
samples have been tested
since swine flu was first
detected.
In addition to testing, CSEA
members in the Health Department are
conducting daily briefings with school districts
throughout the county. They are looking at
absentee rates and the number of students
being sent home from school daily. They are
looking for “blips” that may indicate a problem,
said Tracy Fricano Chalmers, the regional
coordinator for public health emergency
preparedness.
“The virus is in the community and we know
that,” she said. “We are testing for surveillance
purposes so we have a better understanding of
Are the state, CSEA
members have been
responding to the swine
flu outbreak in various
ways. Here are some of
their stories.
Worker protection is an
employer responsibility
eThe union’s role is to make sure the
employer takes action to protect workers
against pandemic flu and other health
emergencies.
eLocals and units need to review the
employer’s safety and health programs
to see whether they have a strong plan
to deal with health emergencies.
¢Union officers and activists need to
make sure that issues involving health
emergencies are covered by the
employer’s safety and health program
and the collective bargaining agreement.
110] Tue Work FORCE
how the disease is acting.” The surveillance
will help the department fine-tune pandemic
influenza emergency
preparedness plans already in
place in the community and in
the schools.
Closures are a last resort
because they affect the
school, parents’ workplaces,
daycare centers and the
community, Fricano Chalmers
said.
So far, school closures in Western New York
have not been recommended.
— Lynn Miller
Right, Tracy Fricano Chalmers, regional
coordinator for public health emergency
preparedness, tests samples for swine flu at
the Erie County Health Department. Samples
come to the testing center from a 17-county
region.
66 [work in waste-stream management. Stocking
supplies in the lab and making sure lab
materials are decontaminated and sanitized. For
a few weeks there the lab was very busy. We do
an annual pandemic preparedness drill. Going
through the drill helped tremendously when this
Ait.99
—Steven Watkins, lab worker,
Wadsworth Lab, Griffin lab location
Informing, educating and coordinating prevention
BALLSTON SPA — When news of the swine flu
outbreak hit, phones were ringing off the hook
at county public health offices across the state.
Calls in Saratoga County were fielded by CSEA
member Gayle
| Zimmerman.
4 “On typical days, I
might get five or six
calls of this type,” said
Zimmerman, a
registered nurse and
communicable disease
coordinator at the
Saratoga County Public
Health Department. “At
the height of things, I
was getting anywhere
from 30 to 60 calls a day.”
Callers included anxious residents, doctors’
offices, school personnel, business owners and
Zimmerman
the media. “There was a sense of panic,” she
said. “I spent a lot of time trying to calm people
down.”
Zimmerman said the department worked
closely with doctors’ offices inquiring about
symptoms and testing. “We were blast-faxing
doctors’ offices with updates and discussing
particular cases to determine if testing was
warranted,” she said. “There was a lot of back
and forth between us, the state and the doctors’
offices.”
She also gave practical advice on disease
prevention methods, such as washing hands
frequently and coughing into one’s sleeves.
“We try to help people put things into
perspective,” she said. “Really common sense
things — the advice never changes.”
— Therese Assalian
Since 1910
June 2009
CSE
June 2009
flu with more than chicken soup
Keeping kids safe from the flu in schools
DEER PARK — Custodians
and maintenance workers
were critical to helping the
Deer Park School District
provide a safe environment
for teachers and students
after threat of the swine flu
led to the district closing all
six schools.
The decision came after
four students at JFK
Intermediate School were
affected by the flu. Every
floor, bathroom, window, desk
and bus was cleaned and
disinfected.
Getting the job done
“Our guys jumped right in
and did what was necessary
when the health of
community residents was at
risk,” said Deer Park School
District Unit President Joe
Owens.
CSEA members at Deer
Park High School, Robert
Frost Middle School, JFK
Intermediate School and
three other elementary
aie
i=!
i On SN
From left, Andrew Vitucci, Joe Abate, John Andria, Larry
Tronolone, Ricky Mongelli, Joe Leon, Dennis Melaniff and
Mike Sheehan, Jr. at Robert Frost Middle School. The union
members and those at other schools in the Deer Park School
District helped get the school ready after it was closed due to
swine flu.
schools worked diligently
during the week the schools
were closed to make sure
more than 4,400 students
could get back to their
studies as soon as possible
without worrying about
contracting the flu.
— Rich Impagliazzo
N ew York residents calling
a state Department of
Health hotline to ask
questions about swine flu
received their answers via a
private contractor in Canada.
The state Department of
Health paid $46,000 to a
company called Telelink, in
St. John’s Newfoundland, to
act as a call center for swine
flu inquiries. The calls were
answered by the private
Qh Canada, am | sick with swine flu?
contractor’s incident of where
employees, state officials
rather than chose to spend
by state money ona
Department contractor rather
of Health than use the state
workers. work force to do
Telelink the job.
calls were Media reports
also taken in
Hauppauge, on Long Island,
and in Ohio and Ontario. The
situation is one more
also indicate the
contractor responses to
inquiries were mediocre, at
best.
Tue Work FORCE
2009 CSEA ELECTIONS Info
Public Sector Local, Unit
elections scheduled for 2009
Elections will be conducted for all public sector
local officers, delegates and unit officers
he term of office for all current public sector local officers, delegates and
unit officers expires June 30, 2009. Public sector officers and delegates
will be elected to four-year terms. Balloting for local officers, delegates and
unit officers will be conducted between May 15 and June 15, 2009.
Each local and unit executive board must select its own election
committee and committee chairperson, or election meeting chair if
applicable. 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.
Attention: Public Sector Local, Unit Presidents
Did you send the Election Committee Data Form
to CSEA Headquarters?
n early January, registered election committee chairs and election
meeting chairs began receiving their election package to help them carry
out their election duties.
You must submit your election committee data form before an election
packet will be mailed to your election committee chairperson or election
meeting chair.
CSEA Headquarters cannot send material and information to any
appointed election committee or meeting chair without first receiving the
completed election committee data form from the local or unit president.
Inquiries concerning election materials may be directed to the CSEA
Central Files Department at 1-800-342-4146, ext. 1261.
Locals and Units with 150 or Fewer Members
Holding an Election at a Special Membership Meeting
Locals and units with 150 members or less may choose to appoint
an Election Meeting Chair (instead of an election committee) and
conduct an election at a meeting.
Holding your election at a Special Membership Meeting simplifies the
election process in that, where there are races (more than one
candidate for an office), the Election Meeting Chair calls a Membership
Meeting for the purpose of electing officers.
Application for Office
Special election rules are available to CSEA locals and units of 150
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 150 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.
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 that have been created
according to the local constitution and by-laws. In locals that 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 that have been created
according to the unit constitution and by-laws. In units that 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 Eligibility and 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
and return the form to their election committee.
More detailed information about election slates will be available from local and unit
election committees.
Break in membership affects eligibility for union office,
voting privileges
A break in union membership status can have long-term future implications. Your membership
status affects your eligibility with respect to:
* seeking or holding union office;
* signing nominating petitions for potential candidates;
* voting in union elections, and;
* voting on collective bargaining contracts.
Only members “in good standing” can participate in these activities. To be in “good standing,”
your dues cannot be delinquent.
If you go on unpaid leave or for any other reason have a break in your employment status, your
dues will not continue to be paid through payroll deductions. You must make arrangements to pay
your dues directly to CSEA to continue your membership status. If you are either laid off or placed
‘on leave without pay status due to becoming disabled by accident, illness, maternity or paternity,
you may be eligible for dues-free membership status for a period not to exceed one year. If you are
called up for active military duty you may also apply for dues-free status.
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. This does not apply to members who are on leave due
to being called up for military duty. Members on active military duty, upon return, are considered
to have had continuous membership status for all CSEA election purposes.
Please notify the CSEA Membership 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.
1 2 fee Work FORCE
June 2009
“After learning
about the tuition
benefit available
through the [NYS
& CSEAI
Partnership, |
realized I'd be
crazy not to take
FAMILY, FRIENDS &
NEIGHBORS NEW PALTZ — In her May 17
valedictory speech at SUNY New
Paltz, CSEA member Joy
Simmerman urged her fellow
graduates to take advantage of
life’s unexpected opportunities.
Simmerman, an administrative
aide working for the SUNY New
Paltz Office of the Provost, was
speaking from experience. She
entered the work force straight out
of high school; college wasn’t in
the cards.
After working in the private
sector, Simmerman eventually
advantage. ” wound up at New Paltz in her
cise In the Neighborhood
U.S. Census workers are
visiting your area to
identify the addresses of
all housing units for the
2010 Census.
Safe. Easy. Important.
US. Census Bureau
Boston Regional Census Center
os NM
This Notice Expires 6/30/09
June 2009
current position, where she
handles budgetary matters and
faculty research funding.
That’s when she began to
reconsider college.
A new opportunity
“It wasn’t until I came to SUNY
New Paltz that I saw the
opportunities available to college
graduates,” said Simmerman.
“After learning about the tuition
benefit available through the [NYS
& CSEA] Partnership, I realized I'd
be crazy not to take advantage.”
After completing some courses
at a local community college,
Simmerman transferred into the
undergraduate accounting program
at New Paltz. Balancing a busy full-
time job with the rigors of college
wasn't easy, she said, but the hard
work paid off.
Hard work yields rewards
Simmerman’s 4.0 grade point
average earned her the title of co-
valedictorian and the honor of
speaking to her fellow graduates.
“In my speech, I said that even
in times of uncertainty, like we’re
experiencing now, don't be afraid
to try different things,” said
Simmerman. “For me, uncertainty
made me move outside my comfort
zone. This isn’t where I expected
I'd be.”
Simmerman, who said her New
Paltz co-workers were “wonderfully
supportive” of her academic
pursuits, said her accounting
Partnership leads to opportunity
RAL
Joy Simmerman, here on the job as
an administrative aide at SUNY New
Paltz, recently graduated from
college because of tuition assistance
benefits available through the
Partnership.
degree will not only help in her
current job, but may also open the
door to career advancement.
Earning the degree qualified
Simmerman to take the state
Professional Careers Test.
Noting that the lack of financial
resources keeps many people from
attending college, Simmerman said
the tuition assistance offered
through the Partnership is a great
benefit for CSEA members.
“It was absolutely essential in
my ability to go to college,” she
said.
— Jessica Ladlee
To learn more about benefits available
through the NYS & CSEA Partnership, visit
the Partnership’s website at
www.nyscseapartnership.org.
THE Work FORCE
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SEs
New York’s LEADING Union
<<.
1910 - 2009
99 years
(
1954 Payroll deduction boosts access to health insurance
55 years ago...
In the years before CSEA and other
public employee unions in New York won
the legal right to collectively bargain, one of
the most attractive benefits for association
members was access to high-quality health
insurance plans and other benefits at
competitive rates.
In addition to the association’s own
voluntary, supplemental insurance program,
state employees had gained access to
hospital insurance in the 1930s.
CSEA President John F. Powers, who
served from 1953 to 1959, helped significantly improve members’ access
to health insurance during his tenure.
In 1954, Powers helped secure payroll deduction on Blue Cross/Blue
Shield health insurance premiums for 50,000 state employees, making it
easier and more convenient for members to access health insurance. The
Powers
association had fought for approval of the deduction for years.
This opened the door to further improvements in members’ access to
health insurance. In 1956, CSEA members’ access to quality health
insurance improved more when Powers won a state health insurance plan
for all state workers. The plan was extended to local government workers
two years later.
Also in 1954 ...
* The U.S. Senate votes to condemn Sen. Joseph
McCarthy for “conduct that tends to bring the
Senates into dishonor and disrepute.”
* The U.S. Supreme Court bans racial segregation = Sr}
in public schools through its Brown v. Board of = i
Education ruling. Beattie
The first Sports
* President Dwight Eisenhower warns against U.S. Hlustrated issue
intervention in Vietnam.
* Memphis, Tenn. radio station WHBQ becomes the first station to play an
Elvis Presley record.
* The first issue of Sports Illustrated is published.
* The New York Giants (now San Francisco Giants)
defeat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series,
which is broadcast in color for the first time.
* On the Waterfront is released.
On The Waterfront
On ihe Waterfront
movie poster
* The first children receive Dr. Jonas Salk’s polio
vaccine.
June 2009
LABOR LINK
“I am extremely
optimistic and
confident that
our union will
be in good
hands.”
Farmworkers fight for their
rights at a recent rally at
the state Capitol.
To learn more and help
get legislation for
farmworkers passed,
visit www.
justiceforfarmworkers.
org.
June 2009
ALBANY — CSEA has been a
leading force in the labor
movement for nearly a
century, and our history is
rich with achievement
unmatched by any other
union.
As we begin our next 100
years, the union is recruiting
and developing the next
generation of leaders to
carry our momentum
forward and guarantee our
future success.
CSEA recently graduated
its third LEAD (Leadership
Education and
Development) class. The
LEAD program is designed
to help equip CSEA
members and activists who
have the desire and
determination, with the
tools they need to become
effective leaders.
The 31 new graduates
join 64 other activists who
have completed the
intensive, yearlong program,
ceremony.
gaining the knowledge and
skills necessary to prepare
for the future challenges our
union will face. The hands-
on program begins with a
history of the labor
movement. Participants also
take classes in public
speaking, conflict
management, honoring
diversity, legal and
governance issues,
economics and strategic
campaigns.
“We are proud to now
have nearly 100 graduates of
the LEAD program since it
began in 2004,” said CSEA
President Danny Donohue,
“They have each put a lot of
hard work and long hours
into the program and
demonstrated a real
commitment to building a
stronger, more powerful
CSEA.
E SESS aA al ta ”
Graduates of CSEA’s third LEAD class pose for a class photo at their recent graduation
“Seeing the energy and
enthusiasm of these new
leaders I am extremely
optimistic and confident
that our union will be in
good hands,” said CSEA
Executive Vice President
Mary Sullivan, who was
instrumental in the
program’s development and
success.
— Ed Molitor
Help New York’s farmworkers
win justice
ALBANY — CSEA joined the
Justice for Farmworkers
campaign recently, taking
part in a rally to support
farm workers in their fight
for the same rights enjoyed
on the job by non-
agricultural workers.
The state Capitol rally
was led by the Rural and
Migrant Ministry.
New York’s farmworkers
continue to suffer from
denial of basic worker
rights such as a weekly day
of rest, overtime pay,
disability insurance, equal
employment insurance
coverage and protection
when bargaining
collectively.
CSEA is urging
lawmakers to pass
legislation before the state
Senate and Assembly to
change this worker
inequality in New York.
The Farmworkers Fair
Labor Practices Act
(A.1867/S.2247) has been
introduced in the Assembly
by Assemblywoman Cathy
Nolan. State Sens. George
Onorato and Neil Breslin
are co-prime sponsors of
the bill in the Senate.
To learn more and help
get the legislation passed,
Kerry Kennedy, human rights lawyer and activist, and
daughter of former U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, speaks
at the Justice for Farmworkers rally in Albany.
visit the Justice for
Farmworkers website at
www.justiceforfarmworkers.
org.
THe Work FORCE
Tae Siratesic CSEA Strate
Benefit =
Trust has the
ability to offer
an alternative
prescription
drug program
which can provide savings opportunities
through discount pricing on brand
name maintenance medications. This
can save both the employer and
employee money. The program provides
ZERO COPAY for employees in addition
to reducing overall health care costs for
employers.
sencfit Trust
wt labor management solution
Requirements for Implementation
¢ The current prescription drug benefit
must be self insured.
¢ The employer group must have at
least 200 employees.
Program Highlights
e Employees will have zero copays.
¢ Brand Name maintenance
medications only.
¢ Customized plan website.
¢ All patients are personally contacted
to ensure timely refills.
* Customized enrollment forms and
materials for distribution.
¢ Drug utilization reviews done with
every order.
* Uniform safety standards &
accredited dispensing procedures.
¢ Rx’s are dispensed from government-
licensed international pharmacies.
Successful Plans
Several CSEA units have successfully
implemented an alternative prescription
drug program into their health insurance
package. A listing of current CSEA units
with an alternative prescription drug
program can be requested from the
Strategic Benefit Trust.
Contact your local president to ask
about negotiating the Strategic Benefit
Trust into your next contract.
Alternative Prescription Drug Plan
For Local Government & Private Sector Units
What’s In
r “he CSEA Employee Benefit Fund
receives many calls regarding
requests for referrals for
dentists and complaints
about services provided by
a dentist. The following
information may help you in
making the important
decision of choosing a
dentist and receiving the
quality dental care you deserve.
For liability purposes, the Benefit
Fund cannot refer members to a
specific dentist, either participating
or non-participating. The
participating provider listing
contains the names of licensed
dentists who have agreed to accept
the EBF dental plan allowances as
payment in full for covered services.
The best way to find a dentist is to
ask a co-worker, neighbor, friend or
relative about their dental
experiences and if they would
recommend their dentist to you.
License is important
A dentist must be licensed by the
state Board of Regents to provide
services in New York state. Many
times members ask if there is a
difference between DMD or DDS
degrees. DMD stands for doctor of
dental medicine and DDS stands for
doctor of dental surgery. They are
equivalent as far as training is
concerned. Both are doctoral degrees
and the degree received is dependent
on the dental school attended. New
York licensed dentists have
completed a four-year program in
dentistry following a minimum of two
years of college. New York dentists
must pass a state approved
examination and are required to take
continuing education courses
regularly.
Dental hygienists must also be
SER
AFSCME Local 1000, AFL-CIO
EMPLOYEE
BENEFIT FUND
For You?
The Deal with Dentists
licensed by New York state to
provide services. RDH stands for
registered dental hygienist, which
means that individual has
earned an associate’s or
bachelor’s degree from an
accredited dental hygiene
program, and has taken the
required continuing
education courses.
Dental professionals must
reregister every three years to
practice in New York state. All
dentists, dental hygienist and
certified dental assistants must
display a current state registration
certificate in the dental facility where
he or she is employed.
Dentists who are considered
specialists have additional education
in the field that they practice. Some
specialists you may encounter are:
Endodontists: who perform
procedures such as root canals.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons:
diagnose and treat injuries and
defects of the head, neck, face and
jaws and perform difficult
examinations.
Orthodontists: treat problems
relating to misaligned teeth.
Pediatric dentists: specialize in
treating children and adolescents.
Periodontists: diagnose and treat
diseases of the gums and bones
surrounding the teeth.
Prosthodontists: replace missing
teeth with fixed or removable
substitutes such as dentures, bridges
and crowns. Because of the
additional schooling and training
required to become a specialist, the
Employee Benefit Fund allows certain
specialists to charge over and above
fee allowances. These doctors are
noted in our directory with a double
asterisks after their names.
Ever Better Future
16 fae Work Force
June 2009
Summary of April 2009 CSEA
Board of Directors meeting
Editor's Note: The
Work Force
publishes a summary
of actions taken by
CSEA’s Board of
Directors. The
summary is prepared
by CSEA Statewide
Secretary Denise
Berkley for union
members.
Berkley ALBANY — CSEA’s
statewide board of
directors met April 16. In official
business, the board:
*Adopted a structure to integrate
childcare providers into the union by
establishing Local 100 A / Voice of
Organized Independent Childcare
Educators (VOICE) for registered
licensed providers and Local 100 B /
Child Care Providers Together (CCPT)
for license exempt providers;
*Amended the Private Sector
Constitution (Article IV, Section 2(a) and
2b; Article VI, Section 1(a) and 1b; Article
VIL, Section 5(a) and 5b; Article VIII,
Section 4(a) and 4b; Article IX, Section
6(a) and 6b; Article XIII, Section 1(c);
Article XIV, Section 2(a) and 2b) to
accommodate these structural changes;
*Established a staffing structure that
includes a variety of positions (Director
of Early Learning and Care Programs,
M/C Grade 8; Early Learning and Care
Representative, FSA Grade 15/18/20;
Early Learning and Care Support
Specialist, UUE-NY Grade 15/16) to
represent, negotiate and bargain for
childcare providers;
*Renamed the transitional local as
Local 100 Z;
*Approved contracts on behalf of
Local 414 for upcoming events on Sept.
11 and Dee. 12;
*Approved office space leases for
various locals including Local 010 (10
Court St., 234 floor, Suite 2300,
Brooklyn), Local 807 (Chautauqua
Municipal Building, 2 Academy St., Room
121, Suite B, Mayville) and Local 812 (3
Courthouse Park, Cortland);
*Retained Pricewaterhouse Cooper to
audit the 2009 fiscal year;
*Created in-house position of Member
Relations Associate, UUE-NY Grade
10/11/12;
*Increased the 2009 Member Benefits
Department budget to cover cost of
printing the Member Benefits Guide and
decreased the 2009 Organizing
Department budget by an equal amount
to offset the expenditure;
*Approved renovations to the second
floor of CSEA Headquarters;
*Designated the Sheraton New York
Hotel in Manhattan as the site of the
2011 Annual Delegates Meeting, Oct. 2 to
7;
*Appointed Al Luppo, Manny Mangual
and Andre Sigmone to the Long Island
Region Political Action Committee;
*Designated Nilda Hilerio to the
Metropolitan Region Political Action
Committee;
*Appointed Jane Meunier-Gorman to
the Southern Region Political Action
Committee;
*Designated Joseph Cosentino to the
Central Region Political Action
Committee; and
*Placed into administratorship
Olympic Regional Development
Authority Local 059, Taconi
Correctional Local 176,
Exceptional Children, Local 766,
Salamanca Police Department, Unit 6204-
00/Local 805, Schenectady County Local
847, Schenectady County Highway
Department, Unit 8500-00/Local 847,
Schenectady County Nurses, Unit 8500-
01/Local 847, Schenectady County DSS,
Unit 8500-02/Local 847, Schenectady
County Office Building, Unit 8500-
03/Local 847, Glendale Home, Unit 8500-
04/Local 847, Schenectady Public
Library, Unit 8500-05/Local 847,
Schenectady County SJTA, Unit 8500-
06/Local 847, Schenectady County
Community College, Unit 8508-00/Local
847, Schenectady City SD Custodial, Unit
8509-00/Local 847, Town of Brookhaven
Safety Officers, Unit 8752-04/Local 852,
Bronxville Public Library, Unit 8216-
00/Local 860, Port Washington UFSD
Security Aides, Unit 7567-01/Local 865,
Hicksville UFSD, Unit 7587-00/Local 865,
Massapequa Free SD Custodial, Unit
7589-01/Local 865, Valley Stream UFSD
#13, Unit 7607-00/Local 865, Valley
Stream UFSD #30, Unit 7608-00/Local 865,
William Floyd Security Guards, Unit 8766-
04/Local 870, Village of East Hills, Unit
7647-00/Local 882 and Village of Old
Westbury, Unit 7642-00/Local 882.
Questions concerning the summary should
be directed to Statewide Secretary Denise
Berkley, CSEA Headquarters, 143
Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12210 (800)
342-4146 or (518) 257-1253.
Health
Benefits 2a
Important Information About
Your Family NYSHIP Health
Insurance Coverage
Dependent Eligibility Verification Project Special
Amnesty Period; April 14 - June 12, 2009
For Empire Plan and NYSHIP HMO Enrollees
with Family Coverage
Your only chance to remove
ineligible dependents without penalty
BUDCO Health Service Solutions, the Dependent Eligibility
Verification Project administrator sent enrollees an
information packet in early April describing the Special
Amnesty Period. If you currently have a dependent covered
under your policy that does not meet the NYSHIP eligibility
criteria, make sure that you request to remove the ineligible
dependent during the Amnesty Period. Requests MUST be
received by June 12, 2009.
For more information about the verification project, go to:
www.cs.state.ny.us/nyshipeligibilityproject/index.cfm Or
contact BUDCO toll free at: 1-888-358-2196.
*Does not apply to dependent survivors
The following information is intended for CSEA represented Executive Branch
enrollees — enrollees employed by the State of New York covered by one of
the following CSEA collective bargaining agreements; Administrative Services
Unit, Institutional Services Unit, Operational Services Unit or the Division of
Military and Naval Affairs.
Health Insurance Changes
Effective July 1, 2009
The CSEA Health Benefits Department would like to remind New
York State Empire Plan enrollees that the following change will take
effect July 1, 2009.
Participating provider copayment for office visits, outpatient
surgery, diagnostic/laboratory services, and radiology services will
increase from $12 to $15 per service.
June 2009
THe Work FORCE
Brind’s achievements stand 70 years later
Editor’s Note: CSEA will celebrate its 100th
anniversary in 2010. Throughout this year The
Work Force is devoting Leading Edge to a look
back at some of the key individuals who have
helped shape our extraordinary history. This
month we feature a profile of Charles Brind,
president from 1935-41, who played a major
role in some of the most far-reaching
accomplishments in the association’s history.
The 1930s were a time of extraordinary growth
and accomplishment for the Association of State Civil
Service Employees, as CSEA was known at that time.
Among the era’s dedicated and resourceful
association leaders was Charles A. Brind, who was
instrumental in some of the association's most
significant and lasting accomplishments.
Brind, an Albany native, was a 1918 graduate of
Union College who went on to Albany Law School.
He joined the New York State Education Department
in 1922 and by 1933, was the director of the
department's law division. Brind was known as “The
Cherub” for his innocent looks, soothing voice and
warm personality. But there was no mistaking his
determination.
Negotiation by legislation
Under Brind’s presidency, the association achieved
a landmark accomplishment with the passage of the
Feld-Hamilton Act in 1937, which for the first time
established a permanent and consistent state
employees’ salary schedule. For an association
focused on promoting merit and fitness in public
service, the significance cannot be overstated of
enacting minimum salaries by grade, clear career
advancement, and consistent relationships between
job titles and salary grades.
It was also an early example of the association
affecting the terms and conditions of members’ work
life by legislation at a time when public employees
did not have the right to collective bargaining for
contracts.
It was also during Brind’s tenure that the
association ended the 72-hour workweek for
institutional employees and ensured that they were
brought into the civil service system, advanced the
association's pioneering group insurance program as
a member benefit, expanded access to hospital
insurance coverage and presided over enormous
continuing growth in membership.
Brind also played a leading role in the
association's drive to secure a state constitutional
amendment prohibiting the state from diminishing
retirement system benefits.
More than just reform
Before the events of Dec. 7, 1941, at Pearl Harbor
would force the United States into World War II,
Brind and the association were deeply involved in
one of the most significant struggles to date - a
struggle that would end in success but not yield
lasting results until after the war.
Brind, who had retired from the association
presidency, and the association's legal counsel, John
DeGraff, were appointed by Gov. Herbert Lehman to
the Fite Commission, which produced
recommendations for comprehensive civil service
reforms across New York. It was 1942 by the time the
key recommendations were enacted and put into
effect by the legislature and the governor.
The civil service overhaul standardized civil service
protections, procedures and oversight for state and
local government workers on a statewide basis. The
changes ensured a greater application of the concept
of merit and fitness in the hiring of public employees
across the state than had ever been applied before,
meaning that taxpayers could expect some measure
of qualification in hiring rather than pure patronage
Charles Brind ushered the Association
of State Civil Service Employees
through si icant change as president
from 1935 to 1941.
spoils, which were often the norm.
For the association, it meant a more consistent,
meritbased civil service system in every part of the
state that opened the door to also representing local
government employees. By 1946, that opportunity
became a reality as the association changed its name
to the Civil Service Employees Association and
began a whole new chapter in its history.
After leaving the association leadership in the early
1940s, Brind continued to be a significant figure in
New York government, serving as counsel to the state
Board of Regents for the next two decades.
18 fie Work Force
June 2009
Adamo is PEOPLE Recruiter of the Month
NEW PALTZ —
Anthony Adamo, Ist
vice president of the
SUNY New Paltz
Local, is the PEOPLE
Recruiter of the
Month for April. He
recruited 12 new 4
PEOPLE members. | Adamo
Adamo believes that PEOPLE
membership is now more
important than ever. “We need to
get behind PEOPLE and support it
110 percent,” he said.
Adamo is one of several people
in his family who currently work at
SUNY New Paltz or have worked
there in the past. “That $3.85 out of
your paycheck could save your job
in 15 years, or your kid’s,” he said.
Given the recent political and
economic climate, Adamo finds it
easier to recruit new members.
“Right now, it’s very easy when you
have a union-busting governor like
we do,” he said.
“Recruitment has to be done
locally, one-on-one,” Adamo said.
“If it comes on a local level, I’ve
found my members are much more
likely to get involved.”
CSEA’s PEOPLE program
protects and improves our jobs,
benefits and pensions in
Washington, Albany and in your
community. Your support and
participation in PEOPLE
strengthens CSEA’s clout in the
workplace, in the legislature, in
your community and in the labor
movement.
— Jessica Ladlee
une CSEA calendar of events
Long Island Region:
+ June 9: Conducting Successful Meetings
Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 -
9 p.m, Town of Hempstead Local Office, Merrick
* June 9-10: Contract Negotiating Team Training
Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 -
9 p.m., Best Western - East End, Riverhead
+ June 10: An Overview of the Family and
Medical Leave Act, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m.,
Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., Town of Hempstead Local
Office, Merrick
+ June 16: Conducting Successful Meetings
Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 -
9 p.m., Nassau County Local Office, Mineola
* June 17: Conducting Successful Meetings
Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 -
9 p.m,, Hampton Bays Middle School, Hampton
Bays
+ June 17: Working People's History Workshop,
Sign.in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., Long
Island Region Office, Commack
* June 23: An Overview of the Family and
Medical Leave Act, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m.,
Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., Long Island State Veterans
Home, Stony Brook
+ June 24: Conducting Successful Meetings
Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 -
9 p.m., Suffolk County Educational Employees
Local Office, Medford
Metropolitan Region:
+ June 9 & 11: Defensive Driving, 4:30 - 7:30
p.m., Building 1, 2nd floor conference room,
Brooklyn Developmental Center, Brooklyn
* June 16: Working People's History Workshop,
Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m.,
Kingsboro Psychiatric Center, Brooklyn
Southern Region:
* June 2: Conducting Successful Meetings
Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 -
9 pim., Orange County Local Office, Middletown
* June 3: An Overview of the Family and
Medical Leave Act, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m.,
Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., Orange County Local
Office, Middletown
* June 9-10: Local Government/Private Sector
Grievance Representation Workshop, Sign-in:
5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., Sullivan
County BOCES Administration Building, Liberty
Capital Region:
* June 2: An Overview of the Family and
Medical Leave Act, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m.,
Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., Holiday Inn, Saratoga
Springs
+ June 3: Conducting Successful Meetings
Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 -
9 p.m, The Townhouse (formerly The Rainbow
Room), Johnstown
* June 6: Defensive Driving, 9 a.m.- 3 p.m.,
Capital Region office, Latham. Call (800) 942-
6874 to register.
+ June 16: Working People's History Workshop,
Signin: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., The
Queensbury Hotel, Glens Falls
* June 16 & 18: Defensive Driving, 5:30 - 8:30
p.m,, Capital Region office, Latham. Call (800)
942-6874 to register.
+ June 17: Working People's History Workshop,
Signin: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6-9 p.m.,
Schenectady Veterans Hall, Schenectady
* June 20: Defensive Driving, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.,
Capital Region office, Latham. Call (800) 942-
6874 to register.
ELDRED SCHOOL
PACT — The Eldred
School District Unit
in Sullivan County
recently unanimously ratified a new
four-year contract. The deal
includes wage increases in each
year of the contract, creation of a
new longevity system, increased
uniform allowance, an additional
holiday and an increase in vacation
days and no increase in health
insurance contributions ... NASSAU
BRIDGES CONTRACT — CSEA
members in the Nassau County
Bridge Authority
TODAY Unit ratified a new
four-year contract.
The agreement
provides for annual salary
percentage increases and improved
longevity payments ... NEW
CONTRACT — CSEA members at St.
Mary's School for the Deaf in
Buffalo recently overwhelmingly
ratified a four-year contract. The
agreement includes a signing
bonus, adds three holidays and
converts 10-month clerical
employees into 12-month staff.
ZR
eS £ sree
Walking to ‘Beat the Clock’
1000
Metropolitan Region members joined other AFSCME activists and members of the
Coalition of Labor Union Women at the 3rd annual Walk to Beat the Clock in
Washington, D.C. The walk helps to raise money and awareness about cervical
cancer. It was started by Tamika Felder, an AFSCME member and cervical cancer
survivor (holding the CSEA banner on the left) who formed Tamika and Friends, a
movement to end cervical cancer. For more information, visit
tamikaandfriends.org.
* June 23-24: Contract Negotiating Team
Training, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 - 9
p.m., Schenectady Veterans Hall, Schenectady
Central Region:
+ June 6: State Government Discipline and
Interrogation Workshop, Sign-in: 8:30 - 9 a.m.,
Workshop: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Ramada Ithaca
Executive Conference Center, Ithaca
* June 16: Conducting Successful Meetings
Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 -
9 p.m., Best Western, Canton
* June 17: Working People's History Workshop,
Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., Best
Western, Canton
Western Region:
* June 2: Conducting Successful Meetings
Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 -
9 p.m,, Wayne County Local Office, Lyons
* June 3: Working People's History Workshop,
Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m.,
Wayne Counly Local Office, lyons
+ June 23: An Overview of the Family and
Medical Leave Act, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m.,
Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., Holiday Inn, Painted Post
* June 23-24: Steward Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 -
6 p.m., Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., CSEA Western
Region Office, Amherst
+ June 24: Conducting Successful Meetings
Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 -
9 p.m., Holiday Inn, Painted Post
+ June 25: Labor-Management Commiltee
Training Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m.,
Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., Holiday Inn, Painted Post
For more information on the listed events or
to participate, contact your region office
(phone numbers are listed on Page 4) or visit
your region page at CSEA’s website at
www.csealocall 000.org. Please note that
additional events may be scheduled in your
region, so check your region calendar page
on the website.
June 2009
Tue Work Force {ff
GET MORE SATISFACTION
FROM YOUR COFFEE
THIS SUMMER.
BUY 100% FAIR TRADE
Union members — you can help change the world. Order delicious Fair Trade coffee from
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right to your door. Equal Exchange sells mouth-watering organic chocolate, pecans, almonds
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How you help.
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The Labor-Religion Coalition
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‘| Since 1910
Rs
ae Pa
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now. Enter “CSEA” as your New York’s LEADING Union
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to great flavor, while you help Danny Donohue, President
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