The Work Force, 2009 November

Local battles heat up

County
\) workers
fight
back

Mr of the Month

: lew (ers i,

Thousands of CSEA members take part in the ‘Hot Day in
February’ demonstration in 1991, marching toward the state
Capitol in Albany. CSEA was demonstrating against then-Gov.
Mario Cuomo’s lack of movement in state contract negotiations,
budget cuts and a payroll lag. The image is from a collection of
photos in CSEA’s official archives, which can be accessed via
the union’s website at: www.csealocal1000.org. CSEA will
celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2010. See Pages 10 and 11
for more information.

From the Office of President Danny Donohue

HEA (01S
LEAOING Unio

CSEA President Danny Donohue
to meet Long Island Region members
on Dec. 2

CSEA President Danny Donohue will visit the CSEA Long
Island Region office Dec. 2 to meet with members. ul
The meetings will be held at the Long Island Region
office, 3 Garet Place, Commack.
Donohue will meet with union members from 1 to 7 p.m. Please call
the Long Island Region office at (631) 462-0030 for an appointment and
directions.

2 | THe Work FORCE

CSEA urges
alternatives
to drastic cuts

ALBANY — CSEA is raising
concerns about Gov. David
Paterson's latest proposal to cut
$500 million from state operations
funding.

The union recognizes the
economic pressures facing New
Yorkers and the need for
responsible action at all levels of
government. CSEA remains
concerned about actions that erode
necessary services and increase
pressures on middle class people.

“CSEA-represented state
employees have repeatedly been
squeezed by multiple rounds of
cutbacks that are making it harder
to do the job. But most CSEA
members work for localities and
school districts across the state
and these latest proposed cuts will
create challenges in every
community in the state,” said CSEA
President Danny Donohue.

“CSEA urges local government
and school district officials to work
with their employees to find better
ways to get the job done and
achieve savings rather than
unilaterally impose drastic cuts to
positions and services that are
counterproductive,” Donohue said.

The union has offered a number
of ideas for savings to help ease
the budget pressures. Consider just
one: New York state alone could
save hundreds of millions of dollars
by implementing a Canadian mail
order prescription drug option for
state employees.

“Numerous municipalities across
the state have already implemented
this program and are already
saving millions of dollars. Many
other localities and
schools could also save from this
approach, too,” Donohue said.

CSEA, AFSCME strong in opposition
to taxing health care benefits

SEA and AFSCME are expressing
alarm at provisions of the U.S.
Senate version of health care reform

legislation. The so-called Baucus
bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Max
Baucus (D-Montana) is unacceptable
because it would tax health care
benefits.

“It’s not right to penalize people
for having good health care benefits
and then try to call it reform,” said
CSEA President Danny Donohue.
“There’s a lot wrong with the
Baucus bill but in simple terms,
CSEA and AFSCME will not accept
any plan that harms our members.”

AFSCME President Gerald

Since 1910

McEntee has also been very strong
in opposing taxes on health care
benefits, and his stance has been
widely reported in the media.
CSEA and AFSCME are strong
supporters of health care reform
having a public option to provide a
counterbalance and healthy
competition to the insurance
industry. The public option is
strongly supported in the House of
Representatives but is not yet
apparent in Senate legislation.

Stay up-to-date on the health care
reform debate at:
www.csealocal1000.org.

November 2009
CSEA stands

strong in

Onondaga County

SYRACUSE — As the Onondaga
County workers clad in black CSEA
shirts began arriving outside a
county budget hearing, the crowd
quickly overflowed the sidewalk.

Police were forced to shut down
the entire street as more than 1,000
angrily demonstrated, demanding a
better budget.

A sea of black

CSEA leaders praised the
solidarity in the fight against
Onondaga County Executive Joanie
Mahoney’s budget. “I have never
been more proud to be an Onondaga
County employee,” yelled CSEA
Onondaga County Local President
Phil Graham, his voice rough from
leading the workers in chanting.

“I know that with such a strong
showing, we are definitely going to
send a loud and strong message
tonight,” CSEA Central Region

An Onondaga County Local member
shows her feelings about a proposed
budget.

November 2009

President Colleen Wheaton shouted
to the crowd. Worker after worker
spoke at the budget hearing, which
lasted until about 1:30 a.m., joining
Wheaton and Graham in decrying a
proposed “work schedule reduction”
and layoffs in Mahoney’s budget.

Message received

CSEA eventually was successful in
stopping Mahoney’s most harmful
proposal, the threat to reduce the
work schedules of 2,149 full-time
county workers by five hours a week
by laying them off and rehiring them
as part-time workers.

It was a bittersweet victory, as the
majority of Republican county
legislators voted along party lines to
lay off more than 135 workers,
despite savings suggestions offered
by CSEA and having money in
county reserves to avoid any job
cuts. In turn, the union pulled
several planned endorsements,
stating that most of the Republican
majority and the administration had
“played politics with peoples’ lives.”

A test of wills

Mahoney took her first shot in
August, demanding union leaders
reopen their contracts, giving back
their negotiated raises for 2010 and
increasing health insurance
contributions and co-payments,
along with a proposed 51 layoffs.
Otherwise, she said she would
implement a 44-day furlough, which
later morphed into her “work
schedule reduction.”

The Onondaga County Local
leadership stood its ground, telling
the county administration CSEA
would not reopen its contract.
Instead, the union offered to
implement an alternative
prescription drug benefit, a program

already saving several other
counties an average of about $1
million a year. The county called off
talks, saying the savings weren't
enough. CSEA offered other money-
saving options, but those
suggestions were largely ignored.

Aggressive campaign

Working with CSEA staff, local
leaders waged an aggressive
campaign to keep members
informed and involved in the budget
fight, setting up a special web page
for updates, holding departmental
membership meetings, and sending
out frequent “info blasts.”

A week before the budget vote, a
radio ad featuring CSEA President
Danny Donohue criticized
Mahoney’s budget. Union members
and the public were urged to contact
their legislators to demand a better
budget.

Mahoney played the blame game,
publicly stating that if only CSEA
would reopen the contract, her more
harmful proposals wouldn’t have to
be implemented. She sent a letter to
union workers trying to turn them
against their CSEA leadership,
claiming CSEA’s leadership in Albany
were “holding hostage” the local
CSEA members.

Mahoney didn’t count on the
workers’ resolve. “No one was tying
their hands or holding them
hostage. They came out to support
their union and to send a clear

More than 1,000 CSEA Onondaga County Local members shut down the
street outside a county budget hearing, demanding a better budget.

message to the county that they
would not be bullied into
unnecessary givebacks,” Wheaton
said.

“If anything, she actually made
more people aware of what she was
all about and what her agenda really
was,” said Onondaga County Local
2nd Vice President Carmen Church,
an income maintenance worker in
the county Department of Social
Services. “What she did was instill
fear, but ultimately the members
realized that they did belong to one
of the strongest unions and that in
order to be heard, you have to stand
up and get involved.”

Changing minds

It was clear that involvement had
an impact. Several legislators
admitted they changed their minds
about the “work schedule reduction”
after the strong solidarity showing at
the demonstration.

CSEA has now demanded impact
negotiations over the layoffs, and
still hopes the county will work with
the union to reduce the amount of
people who will be affected.

“We don’t believe that anyone
needs to be laid off,” said Graham.
“We continue to hope we can get the
administration to find savings and
stop trying to punish the workers
for standing up to their demands for
givebacks.”

— Mark M. Kotzin

THe Work FORCE

HE WORK FORC

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 SPECIALISTS

RICHARD IMPAGLIAZZO Long Island Region (631) 462-0030
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MARK M. KOTZIN Central Region (315) 433-0050
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The Publications Committee
Brenda Chartrand
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@-*

ARCCIOIOLE™

CSEA President Danny Donohue

Politicians beware: CSEA’s at its best in adversity

t’s really interesting that CSEA is now approaching its 1ooth
anniversary year, but many elected officials in New York state
don’t seem to understand much about our history. What’s
more, a lot of them don’t seem to grasp much at all about
CSEA even though we keep delivering the same message over
and over again in word and action.

We’re proud and we care about making New York a
better place to live and work. CSEA is No. 1 when it comes to
reasonable, responsible labor relations. We always have
some ideas about how to achieve savings and do the job
better. CSEA members usually know more about our
communities and the importance of the services we deliver
than anyone else.

That’s why we will not be made scapegoats. We will not be browbeaten and
we will not reopen contracts that have been fairly negotiated. CSEA will not apologize
for who we are and what we do.

The past year has been difficult, but based on what we’re already seeing across
New York, there are enormous challenges ahead in our centennial year. We’ve seen more
than enough cheap shots from politicians who should know better. We’ve seen
unprecedented management attempts to break contracts and undermine our union.

The good news is that we have stood up to this kind of thing before and we’re
doing it again. CSEA has been on the march in community after community in every part
of the state in recent months, standing strong against layoffs, cutbacks and other wrong-
headed policies. In the end, it’s a lot more productive to work with us than against us.

There are some lessons from our history that should give CS9EA members some
confidence and elected officials some pause: We are at our best in adversity and we’ve
seen many elected officials come and go over the decades.

CSEA intends to still be here - and stronger than ever — well into our second 100

Pi ass

years.

4 | THe Work Force

November 2009
HEALTH CARE
SERVICES

“New York state
needs a
comprehensive
approach

to infectious
disease control
as opposed to
a band-aid
approach every
time a crisis
arises.”

CSEA members express concern
about H1N1 mandate

NEW YORK — CSEA
members are speaking out to
state lawmakers about their
concerns about how the
state is handling the threat
of the HIN1, or “swine flu,”
virus.

CSEA member Brigitte
Higgins-Havlicek, a 17-year
registered home health care
nurse from Fulton County,
told lawmakers at a state
Assembly hearing in
Manhattan that the state’s
approach will exacerbate an
already strained health care
system if health care
workers who don’t get
vaccinated for religious or
ethical reasons are not
allowed to serve due to
these considerations.

Mandates not
recommended
New York is the only state
to mandate vaccination

against the virus, in stark
contrast to the
recommendations of experts
at the federal Department of
Health and Human Services
and the Centers for Disease
Control. CSEA believes
mandating that workers be
vaccinated is not only
controversial but also
counterproductive.

CSEA President Danny
Donohue has previously said
the HINI crisis offers New
York an opportunity to set a
national example for how to
respond to the outbreak of
serious disease. He said the
union would continue to
fight for comprehensive,
science-based solutions.

“New York state needs a
comprehensive approach to
infectious disease control as
opposed to a band-aid
approach every time a crisis
arises,” Donohue said.

Visit your Company Store at

http://cseastore.sm-pm.com
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he Occupational Safety and Health page

Alternative precautions

Higgins-Havlicek also said
the state has not even
considered traditional
alternative precautions to
prevent the spread of
contagious disease, which
the union believes would
achieve better results.

She cited testimony from
another CSEA-represented
nurse at a long-term care
facility in Orange County,
where an H1N1 outbreak was
controlled using such
measures. Under the state’s
emergency regulation, her
facility is exempt from the
mandatory vaccination
requirements.

“As health care providers,
we deal with life-threatening
contagious diseases on a
daily basis. These diseases
include: Tuberculosis, MRSA,
Hepatitis B and C, and HIV
among others,” she said.

CSEA member Brigitte
Higgins-Havlicek testifies at
a state Assembly hearing in
Manhattan about her
concerns about mandating
HINI1 vaccinations for
health care workers.

“For these diseases, we
routinely use a range of
universal precautions and in
doing so, have historically
prevented the spread of
infectious diseases and have
successfully kept ourselves,
our families, our patients,
and their families healthy.”

— Ed Molitor

Learn more about H1N1

| on CSEA’s website contains many

resources for you to learn more about
HIN1 and seasonal flu, whether you are a
health care worker concerned about
mandatory vaccinations or simply concerned
about keeping yourself — and your workplace

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November 2009 THe Work FORCE

State & Locat
GOVERNMENT

“You don’t
appreciate
what you have
until you see
what they
have.”

Ulster County
budget
proposal:

* 30 layoffs

* Closure of the
county’s Community
Corrections
Program.

Carpenter uses his skills for good

WEST HAVERSTRAW — For many
people, summer vacation means trips
to the beach, camping, or even just
barbecuing in the backyard.

For CSEA member Santos Guzman,
summer vacation involves hard work.

For the past three summers,
Guzman, a carpenter at Helen Hayes
Hospital, has taken the skills he’s
acquired over his almost 24 years with
the state and headed to Guatemala to
build facilities that aid underprivileged
children.

“I started doing this several years
ago after my brother-in-law approached
me about it,” said Guzman, who
previously volunteered locally at a
community food bank. “He extended an
invitation to go to Guatemala and I
didn’t think twice.”

Santos Guzman in an area of Helen
Hayes Hospital he is helping
renovate.

A logical fit

Using a week of vacation time,
Guzman flies to Guatemala, where he
jumps in to help with whatever
construction assistance is needed.
Hearts in Motion, the Indiana-based not-
for-profit group that sponsors the
building projects, has in recent years
constructed a nutrition center for
malnourished children, daycare centers
and medical facilities.

It’s a logical fit for Guzman, who as
the main carpenter at Helen Hayes, a
rehabilitation hospital, has performed a
many duties from small repairs to
bigger building additions.

“Not a lot of people would do this,
but Santos really cares about people,”
said Helen Hayes Hospital Local
President Bill Curtin, a longtime co-
worker of Guzman’s. “We knew that
about him long before he went to
Guatemala.”

Humbling reminder

Guzman said his visits to Guatemala
are humbling. Seeing the poverty in
Guatemala versus the relative
abundance in the United States,
Guzman said, means “you don’t
appreciate what you have until you see
what they have.”

His favorite memory comes from
helping one of the young children
Hearts in Motion’s efforts aid.

“This little kid would come around
every day to see what we were doing

Santos Guzman, a CSEA member
employed at Helen Hayes Hospital, at
work in Guatamala. (Photo provided)

on the construction site,” Guzman said.
“It turned out that he had a huge hernia
that required surgery. We were able to
get him the help he needed and Hearts
in Motion set up a surgery.”

Guzman doesn’t know what became
of the little boy after the surgery, but
there is something else he does know.
Next summer, if circumstances allow,
he’ll be headed back to Guatemala.

— Jessica Ladlee

Cuts proposed in Ulster County, city of Kingston

Kingston
budget
proposal:

© 19 CSEA unit
layoffs

KINGSTON — Workers in the
Ulster County and city of
Kingston units are fighting
proposed layoffs in their
respective bargaining units.

In Ulster County, where
county taxpayers are stuck
paying back a $6 million debt
next year because of massive
cost overruns at the new
county jail, County Executive
Mike Hein proposed cutting 30
jobs and closing the county’s
Community Corrections
Program.

CSEA members staff the
program, which is an
alternative to prison for
nonviolent offenders.
Community Corrections offers
residential and day programs
for offenders, allowing for
substance abuse and criminal
rehabilitation. The program
saves on incarceration costs.

Workers are already
lobbying members of the
Ulster County Legislature to
restore the job cuts in the
budget and keep the program
running.

Kingston cuts

In the city of Kingston, also
the Ulster County seat, word
of 19 CSEA layoffs came mid-
month.

While claiming the city has
no choice in the layoffs,
Kingston Mayor James Sottile
still transferred CSEA
Kingston Unit President Bart
Robins into a job that will
require costly retraining,
despite the fact that the city
already has experienced
workers able to perform those
tasks.

Sottile has had a
particularly acrimonious
relationship with Robins and
CSEA.

“Our municipalities need to
focus on creative cost savings
and revenue generating
solutions, rather than always
going after the workers first,”
said CSEA Southern Region
President Billy Riccaldo. “The
truth is, the Ulster County and
Kingston work forces are
already lean.”

— Jessica Ladlee

6 | Te Work Force

November 2009
Locat GOVERNMENT

“We just want to
be able to feed
our families,
heat our homes
and lead a
decent life.”

Newburgh
city budget

proposa

* 32 layoffs, with
most expected in

the CSEA

bargaining unit.

* 82.5 percent
property tax
increase for
homeowners.

Sullivan Sheriff’s Office Unit
members step up contract fight

MONTICELLO — It’s a

vicious cycle, says Sullivan
County Sheriff's Office Unit
President Timothy Search.

Just as soon as a crop of
new correction officers
graduates from training
and gains a bit of
experience at the Sullivan
County Jail, the nearby
federal and state
correctional facilities come
calling.

“The turnover rate is so
high,” said Search, who has
worked at the jail for the
last 17 years. “It’s tough to
keep quality people for a
little bit of money.”

Workers at the Sullivan
County Jail are paid
dramatically less than their
counterparts in
neighboring counties, a
fact the unit leadership is
emphasizing as they press

Sullivan County Sheriff's Office Unit Vice President Joe

Manning, at left, addresses members of the Sullivan County

Legislature...

for a new contract.

Negotiations have been
at a standstill almost since
they began, due largely to
stall tactics on the county’s
end, so CSEA activists at
the jail are taking the next
step.

Seeing the importance of
political action, members
are lobbying Sullivan
County legislators by
sending letters and e-mails
and attending legislature
meetings as a group.

“On average, we've lost

11 COs per year over the
last 20 years,” said Search.
“The only way to stop that
is to increase the salary.”

Correction officers at the
Sullivan County Jail make
approximately $14,000 less
per year on average than
their counterparts in Ulster
County. In making their
case to members of the
Sullivan County
Legislature, unit leaders
are asking for parity to
make Sullivan competitive
with the surrounding
counties.

“We just want to be able
to feed our families, heat
our homes, and lead a
decent life,” said Joe
Manning, unit vice
president. “Nothing
extravagant.”

— Jessica Ladlee

Newburgh budget woes lead to proposed cuts

NEWBURGH — A true sign
of the City of Newburgh’s
grim financial situation,
city council members
recently voted to authorize
borrowing to cover payroll
costs for the rest of 2009.

Now, Acting City
Manager Richard Herbek
has released a proposed
2010 budget that includes
32 layoffs and a whopping
82.5 percent property tax
increase for homeowners.
The bulk of layoffs are
expected to be in the CSEA
bargaining unit.

“We cannot just sit back
while our local government

jobs are under attack,” said
Southern Region President
Billy Riccaldo. “Cutting
jobs and services is not
going to help Newburgh.
The last thing this city
needs is more people out
of work.”

CSEA members
employed by the city
perform essential work
that Newburgh residents
depend on, including
taking emergency calls and
staffing civilian jobs in the
police department,
answering calls in City Hall,
picking up garbage,
maintaining streets,

treating the city water
supply and running city
recreational facilities.

Newburgh is one of the
state’s poorer cities and
strongly needs these
services.

The economy isn’t the
only culprit when it comes
to the city’s financial
situation. In the local
media, Herbek cited a
decade of improper
budgeting by former city
administrators for the
current woes.

“CSEA members in the
City of Newburgh have
been going about their

business doing their jobs,
assuming that the people
in charge of the city were
doing the right thing
budget-wise,” said
Riccaldo. “Now city
officials are looking for
givebacks and want to
balance the budget on the
workers’ backs. Our
members are the ones who
have been doing the right
thing. They shouldn’t be
paying the price.”

— Jessica Ladlee

November 2009

THe Work FORCE 7 |

‘Blitz’ takes on medical center

EAST MEADOW — More than 100
CSEA officers and activists from
locals across the Long Island
Region have been helping their
union brothers and sisters at
Nassau University Medical Center
fight contract violations and union-
busting tactics.

Called the “Blitz,” the outpouring
of support is aimed at bolstering a
months-long campaign by Nassau
County Local members working at
the hospital.

“The strength of CSEA solidarity
is on full display today,” said
Nassau County Local President
Jerry Laricchiuta said to members
before the Blitz. “Your support in
this effort will certainly make a

Locat
GOVERNMENT

“The strength of
CSEA solidarity is
on full display
today. Your
support in this
effort will certainly
make a difference

in how difference in how management
t perceives our resolve to secure a
managemen fair contract.”

perceives our
resolve to secure a
fair contract.”

Responding to irresponsibility

Union members having been
distributing informational
literature all over the medical
center, detailing the irresponsible
actions of management and urging
union members to attend a

Nassau County Local 2nd Vice President Lynne Kramer speaks to
members at the nursing station.

medical center, where the union’s
12-foot inflatable rat stands as a
symbol of management’s
inflexibility.

pending meeting of the Nassau
County legislature to make their
thoughts and concerns public.
The Blitz came shortly after a
recent demonstration at the

Increasing danger

Honored for leadership

SEA Executive Vice President Mary

Sullivan is presented with the Capital
District Women’s Employment & Resource
Center’s Harriet Rifkin Leadership Award by
the center’s Board Chairman Glenn
Clermont. Sullivan was honored for her
longtime efforts to advance working women.
Sullivan also serves as the officer liaison to
CSEA’s statewide Women’s Committee. The
private, not-for-profit group helps women
find success in the workplace by building
their economic and personal independence.
CSEA Senior Associate Counsel Leslie Perrin
serves on the group’s board of directors.

CSEA contends that many of the
policies and procedures mandated
by administrators at the hospital
will inevitably endanger the safety
of patients and employees there.
The facility is understaffed in
critical areas such as the nursing,
intensive care and psychiatric
units.

The hospital is also violating its
collective bargaining agreement
with CSEA by forcing nurses to
work with less than the required 12
hours between shifts. The current
contract expires at the end of 2009
and so far, CSEA negotiators say
they have had little response to
their demands from management.

— Rich Impagliazzo

November 2009

8 | Te Work Force
CHILD CARE
PROVIDERS

“This is an
historic point for
CSEA. Now with
this agreement we
are showing how
labor unions not
only represent
workers in
traditional
labor/management
relationships but
build real union
strength for
independent child
care providers.”

OICE/CSEA, Local

100A brings
together 7,500-
registered family and
licensed group family
child care providers
across New York state
and nearly 17,000
legally exempt child
care providers as
CCPT-NY, Local 100B
(outside New York
City). CSEA negotiated
jointly with the New
York City-based United
Federation of Teachers
(UFT) and the state
Office of Children and
Family Services (OCFS)
for the contract that
will cover nearly
54,000 providers
across the state.

Child care
activists meet
for summit

ALBANY — Leaders from
CSEA’s VOICE and CCPT-NY
child care groups met in
Albany recently to advance
CSEA’s advocacy role with
childhood educators.

The VOICE and CCPT-NY
Leadership Summit brought
together leaders from both
child care campaigns, as
well as state
leaders and
CSEA’s
statewide
officers.

The
meeting
coincided
with the
formal
signing of an four-year
memorandum of agreement
between CSEA and New York
state after 18 months of
negotiations.

“This is an historic point
for CSEA.
Now with
this
agreement
we are
showing
how labor
unions not
only
represent
workers in traditional
labor/management
relationships but build real
union strength for
independent child care
providers,” CSEA President
Danny Donohue said.

Among those addressing
the summit were William
Gettman Jr., executive
deputy commissioner of the
state Office of Children and

Donohue

John

Family Services (OCFS), and
state Assembly member
Susan John.

"OCFS understands and
appreciates the critical role
child providers play in the

protection
Gi) and
development
of our most
valuable

difference
every day!"

"In partnership with CSEA-
VOICE, we remain
committed to make
substantial improvements in
the quality and
professionalism of child care
across the state,” Gettman
said.

Also
speaking to
the group
was Ken
Allen,
executive
director of
AFSCME
Oregon
Council 75, which was the
first AFSCME affiliate to
achieve a collective
bargaining agreement like
those in VOICE and CCPT.
The Oregon group is now in
its second contract.

Before the summit, CSEA
had announced that the
child care groups and the
state Office of Children and
Family Services had reached
agreement on a four-year
contract for the providers. It
requires reimbursements to

Gettman

Allen

VOICE and CCPT-NY activists listen to speakers at a
recent Albany summit for the two groups, which now
have a tentative agreement with the state.

for professional
development and program
improvement grants, among
many other items that
providers need to maintain
quality of care.

stay at the 75th percentile of
the market rate survey —
the highest standard in the
nation. It also provides
access to affordable health
insurance benefits, support

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November 2009

THe Work FORCE
init \bax lace

Exciting, historical times
await CSEA in 2010

hese are exciting times to be a part
of CSEA. In 2010 CSEA will mark

100 years as a labor
organization.

A benchmark event like a
centennial anniversary
provides an opportunity to
look back and appreciate all
that has gone before us that

brings us to this point. But even
more importantly, it is an opportunity
for all of us to build on our success and
look forward to the meeting the challenges

ahead.

For the past 10 years, CSEA has been
working to collect, catalogue and preserve
the union’s history. Several years ago we
designated the Grenander Special Collection
at the University at Albany as our official
archives. We have worked with graduate
students from the Center for Public History at
the university to review and organize our
materials and make them easily accessible.

Fae FO 699 1910)
\ An me oe

i

SS

Today a significant part of the CSEA
materials are available on the web
ms, with more of the material being
added regularly. You can access

it through the home page of the
CSEA website.

A Century of Service CSEA has also conducted

nearly 100 video interviews

4) can access it via the home page of the

about CSEA’s history with a
wide range of individuals, from
activists and union leaders to public
officials. This work has helped shape a
book about CSEA that is already in
production and will eventually find its way
into a video documentary that will put CSEA
into perspective in a way that we have never
done before.

A new series of ads highlighting CSEA’s
Century of Service will begin airing on
television stations statewide shortly. A
number of public works are also being
planned across the state to recognize the
importance of the CSEA Centennial in 2010.

Traveling displays making their way around the state

A traveling display presenting CSEA’s Century of Service is now making
public appearances in all six of our regions. The displays are on an 18-
month odyssey that we expect will take them to every corner of the state
to tell CSEA’s story in highly visible public locations. The displays have
already been seen by tens of thousands of people and the centennial
year is just beginning! Visit your region page on the CSEA website to
see when the display will be in a location near you.

State Employee archives
The latest addition to the CSEA archives is
the full collection of the association’s earliest
publication. The State Employee magazine
(later renamed Merif) was published from
1931 to 1951. You can now view full
editions of the magazine, which provides a
fascinating window into the early days of
the association. The collection, which is
housed in the New York State Library in
Albany, was recently loaned to the
University at Albany for scanning and
inclusion in the online CSEA archives. You

We
| ae

VOICE

CSEA website.

Since 1910

THe Work FORCE

NovemBer 2009 November 2009
REMINDER TO PRIVATE SECTOR
LOCAL PRESIDENTS:
ELECTION NOTICE

The term of office for current Private Sector Local officers will
expire on J une 30, 2010. Elections for office must be
conducted and completed before the new term begins on J uly
1, 2010.

A letter was sent by the Statewide Election Committee (SEC)
on September 21, 2009 to each Private Sector Local President
requiring each Local Executive Board to select an election
committee and chairperson prior to October 15, 2009.

If you have not selected an election committee, please do so
immediately. Please refer to the SEC’s September 21st letter
for procedural requirements.

If you did not receive a copy of the September 21st letter, or
have questions pertaining to it, please contact the SEC
at 800-342-4146, ext. 1447.

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.

CSEA Constitution, Bylaws
and Resolutions, as approved

BUFFALO — CSEA delegates to
the union’s 99th Annual Delegates
Meeting approved the following
as a first reading of amendments
to the Constitution which will not
go into effect unless approved in
a second reading at the 2010
Annual Delegates Meeting:

99th «Annual Delegates Meeting

¢ Article II, Purpose and Local 1000 AFSCME » AFL-CIO Buitalo
Policy, to include gender identity
or expression to accurately reflect the diversity of our membership; and

¢ Article IV, Organization of the Association, to provide that the
Private Sector should have representation on the Board of Directors
based on the size of its membership and that the Private Sector board
seats should be representative of the entire division by assuring that
board representatives comes from different employers;

Delegates approved the following changes to the By-Laws, which go into
effect immediately:

¢ Article III, Statewide Elections, to delete obsolete language and
reflect the current terms of office for the 10 Association officers;

¢ Article IV, Finance, to establish dues structure for the two new
statewide child care locals, Local 100A and Local 100B;

¢ Article V, Judicial Board, to delete inconsistent language as it
relates to existing practice that Appeals Committee determinations are
final and do not require Board action;

¢ Article V, Judicial Board, to clarify the mandatory nature of the
leave of absence required for any member of the Judicial Board who
becomes a party to a matter before the Judicial Board;

¢ Article V, Judicial Board, to conform language to reflect the use of
a formal complaint form;

¢ Article V, Judicial Board, to conform with the practice of using
only the last four digits of the member’s Social Security number to
identify a member as eligible to file a Judicial Board complaint;

¢ Article V, Judicial Board, to clarify that a hearing officer is to be
appointed within 30 days of receipt of an answer to Judicial Board
charges; and

Article V, Judicial Board, to clarify that Appeals Committee
determinations are final and binding.

Delegates approved the following resolutions:

¢ The Employee Free Choice Act;

© Modern Comprehensive Cost of Living Adjustment;
© Dignity for All Students, as amended;

¢ Marriage Equality, as amended; and

© Member Participation in Organizing.

12 THe Work FORCE

November 2009

FAMILY, FRIENDS &
NEIGHBORS

“Each of these
workers is part of
the base of this
campus. Without
them, Buffalo
State College
would not be
nearly as great.”

‘Arch D’Boot’ honors Buffalo State
College workers

BUFFALO — CSEA Western
Region President Flo Tripi
joined several CSEA Buffalo
State College Local members
at a recent dedication
ceremony for “Arch D’Boot,”
a towering sculpture built
from workers’ boots.

“This is the first time in

my time as a region
president that | have seen
something like this,” said
Western Region President Flo
Tripi. “Each of these workers
is part of the base of this

campus. Without them,
Buffalo State College would
not be nearly as great. Their
boots imbedded in this
sculpture is a wonderful
tribute — a wonderful
recognition — of the
importance of what they do
every day to help this
college run.”

Casts of actual work boots
form the lower potion of the
arch. The boots represent
the work of members of the
Campus Services
Department and other
classified titles: their work
holds up and supports the
rest of the campus. For two
years, when maintenance
workers purchased new
work boots, they donated
their old boots to the cause.
It is these worn, well-worked
boots that form the base.

Speakers at the event
included the interim college
president, the director of

Left, Western Region
President Flo Tripi
examines the boots that
support the arch.

CSEA Buffalo State College Local President Jerry Richmond
addresses the crowd while standing in front of the

scuplture.

college services and CSEA
Buffalo State College Local
President Jerry Richmond.
In addition to thanking
campus service workers for
their dedication, speakers
encouraged those in
attendance to take time to
get to know these
employees. They are much
more than maintenance

workers; they are poets,
musicians, chefs, artists,
athletes and community
volunteers.

“These are people who
have done many other things
with their lives,” Tripi said.

— Lynn Miller

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Two
CSEA-represented Saratoga
Springs Department of
Public Works employees are
being credited with saving
the life of a stabbing victim.

Mark Roberts and Mark
Milks heard screams near
the department’s garage and
soon found and ran to the
aid of a seriously injured
woman.

Roberts called 911 while
Milks helped the woman,

who was on the ground
outside of her house.
Roberts and Milks continued
to help the woman while
waiting for emergency help
to arrive. They later spoke
to Saratoga Springs police,
who are investigating the
incident.

The woman's son,
Nicholas A. Ture, 20, was
later charged with assault
and criminal possession of a
weapon and remains in jail.

Saratoga public works employees
honored for saving woman’s life

The Work Force is
withholding specific details
of the incident as the
criminal investigation is
ongoing.

Unit President Gary
Benincasa recently
presented Roberts and Milks
with certificates of
recognition on behalf of unit
members.

— Therese Assalian

Saratoga Springs Department of Public Works Unit
President Gary Benincasa, right, presents Mark Roberts,
left, and Mark Milks, center, with certificates of
recognition by the CSEA unit.

THE Work FoRCE

November 2009
~N

New York’s LEADING Union
<<

1910 - 2009
99 years

WHY BOTHER
ABOUT WINTER?
WE'RE DOING O.K.

RIGHT NOW.

he Ant and the Grasshopper J

‘IT |S BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY” - Aesop =

VACCINE
SHORTAGE,

THE STATE

70 years ago...
y 9 EMPLOYEE

Arguments about state and local government
finances specifically taxes, is a topic that doesn’t
seem to change much over the years.

Consider the following two paragraphs from the
November 1939 edition of The State Employee
magazine, then the official publication of the
Association of State Civil Service Employees, as
CSEA was then known.

“The Association is an organization of taxpayers. i. pas
Each of its members, like every other taxpayer in the
state of New York, is anxious to see to it that there is
no waste or extravagance in state government.”

“It is desirable that Association members take an
active community interest in taxation and that they
make it a point to speak informatively at local gatherings in order that everyone

The cover of the
November 1939 issue
of The State
Employee.

may be honestly informed. Last year, there was a great deal of misinformation
presented to the public, the reaction to which was a legislative cutting of state
expenditures."

Today, CSEA members across the state, particularly those in local
government, are fighting to get local elected officials to understand a very
similar point: there are costsaving measures beyond layoffs, contract-busting
furloughs and tax increases that municipalities can enact to save money.

CSEA has also presented the governor with employee-friendly alternatives
for saving money as he considers another $500 million in operational cuts.
Now, just as in 1939, it’s important for CSEA members to get their point across.

Vv)
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1 4 ii Work FORCE

1939] Association members take active role in public finances

Also in 1939...

* World War Il begins after Germany invades Poland, leading Great Britain
and France to declare war on Germany.

* New York World’s Fair opens.

* U.S. Department of Agriculture starts the first food stamp program in
Rochester.

* Gone with the Wind premieres, grossing $192 million, making it one of the
most profitable films of all time.

‘Themost magnificent pitnre ever!

"GONE WITH THE WIND”

* The Wizard of Oz is released, later one of the
most celebrated fantasy films of all time.

+ Robert Kane introduces Batman.

* Albert Einstein writes a letter to President
Franklin D. Roosevelt regarding the possibility of
using uranium to initiate a nuclear chain reaction,
the fundamental process behind the atomic bomb.

ARK GABLE
VIMEN LEIGH
LESLIEHONARD OLIV

* The New York Yankees defeat the Cincinnati
Reds in the World Series in a 4-0 sweep. Earlier
that year, Yankees great Lou Gehrig played his
last game

The movie poster for
Gone with the Wind.

November 2009

LABOR LINK

CSEA is a
longtime
supporter of the
Justice for
Farmworkers
campaign, led by
the Rural and
Migrant Ministry,
committed to
overcoming
prejudices and

poverty.

Partnership extends office

hours to better serve members

Fighting for farmworkers’ rights

ALBANY — CSEA
Executive Vice President
Mary E. Sullivan, who also
serves as president of the
AFL-CIO’s Capital District
Area Labor Federation,
recently took part ina
demonstration in front of
New York state Farm
Bureau Headquarters
recently, calling on state
senators to pass
legislation granting equal
rights for farmworkers.

CSEA is a longtime
supporter of the Justice
for Farmworkers
campaign, led by the
Rural and Migrant
Ministry, committed to
overcoming prejudices
and poverty.

n an effort to better serve CSEA

members, the NYS & CSEA Partnershi
for Education and Training has extended
its office hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Reach the Partnership by phone at:

The Farm Bureau, *

which lobbies on behalf of
large agri-business
concerns, has led the
opposition to
farmworkers gaining basic
rights.

The Farmworkers Fair
Labor Practices Act
(FFLPA, S.2247/A.1867)
would remove the legal
exclusions that deny
farmworkers basic rights
such as the right to
overtime pay, to a day of
rest per week, and to form
a union.

It was passed by the
Assembly for the fifth
time in June. The
legislation has been
stalled in the state Senate.

CSEA Executive Vice President Mary Sullivan marches
in a demonstration in front of New York state Farm
Bureau Headquarters to urge state senators to pass
legislation granting equal workers’ rights to
farmworkers.

State, local government and private sector CSEA members:

Skills for Success courses offered

518-486-7814

for areas outside the Capital Region, call:

800-253-4332.

Reach the Partnership by e-mail at:
learning@nyscseapartnership.org

For more information about the many Partnership programs and
services available to CSEA members, please visit the website at
www.nyscseaparinership.org

his fall employees or agencies. All courses are

Te held during the day at conveniently located
spring, training sites. November's scheduled

CSEA courses are listed on page 19.

members Employees on diteclly apply for hese

employed by | cone: lr sth-epraned employer courses. However, supervisory approval

New York and signature are necessary to attend

state, local pepe. * Feapere without charge to leave credits.

government . Applications should be sent to the

agencies and Partnership as soon as possible and not

the private ti CSE later than three weeks prior to the start of a

sector have class.

opportunities For more information on Skills for

to take Skills for Success training courses
offered by the NYS & CSEA Partnership for
Education and Training (Partnership).

Course participation by local
government and private sector employees
is sponsored by the CSEA WORK Institute.

Skills for Success courses are designed
to help employees prepare for the
challenges and demands of current and
future jobs.

More than 200 courses are scheduled
statewide through June 16, 2010. The
training is available at no cost to

Success courses, visit the Partnership's
website at www.nyscseapartnership.org for
a web catalog with course descriptions,
schedules, course locations and a
downloadable application.

You can also call the Partnership at 518-
486-7814 or, for areas outside the Capital
Region, call 800-253-4332, or e-mail at
learning@nyscseaparinership.org.

November 2009

THe Work FORCE

he Oct. 5, 2009, deadline
| for New York State and
Participating Employer
enrollees to submit dependent
verification has
passed, but the state
has granted an

extension.
Dependent

documentation MUST
be received by
Budco no later than
Nov. 25, 2009, to
ensure continuation
of coverage of your
dependents. If
documentation is not
received, your
dependents will be
terminated
retroactively to Feb.
1, 2009.

Budco is in the

its review of

Dependent
eligibility
verification
documentation
eligibility verification MUST be received
by Budco no later
than Nov. 25,
2009, to ensure
continua
coverage of your
dependents. If
documentation is
not received, your
dependents will
be terminated
retroactively to

process of completing Feb. 1, 2009.

documents received prior to the
original Oct. 5, 2009, deadline. If

you have not yet received a
confirmation letter from Budco
and documentation was
received by Oct. 5, 2009, you
will receive a letter
from Budco
between Oct. 23,
and Oct. 29, 2009,
confirming the
eligibility of your
dependent(s) or
requesting
additional
documentation.
Budco will
continue to review
documents received
after the original
Oct. 5, 2009,
deadline until Nov.
25, 2009.
Documentation
received by Budco
after Oct. 5, 2009,
will be reviewed by
Budco starting Oct.
27, 2009, and a separate letter
will be sent by Budco after the

in of

Dependent Eligibility Verification Extension:
Empire Plan and NYSHIP HMO enrollees with family coverage

Health

Benefits 24

documentation has been
reviewed.

If you have submitted
documentation, you should wait
until you receive a letter from
Budco. When you receive your
letter, if eligibility is not
confirmed, follow the
instructions for submitting any
necessary additional
documentation during the
appeals period, which will run
from Oct.27, 2009, through Nov.
25, 2009.

REMINDER: If you have
eligible dependents on your
health insurance file and you
have not sent in information

verifying your dependent’s
status, you must return the
Dependent Eligibility
Confirmation Form or the
Dependent Eligibility Status
Confirmation Form along with
the required proofs of
eligibility to Budco as soon as
possible. Information MUST
be received by Budco no
later than Nov. 25, 2009.

If the required documentation
is not received by Nov. 25, 2009,
the Department of Civil Service
is scheduled to cancel the
coverage of your dependent(s)
around Dec. 24, 2009,
retroactive to Feb. 1, 2009.

If you have questions about the Dependent Eligibility
Verification Period contact Budco at 1-888-358-2198 or visit

http://www.cs.state.ny.us/nyshipeligibilityproject/index.cfm
for more information.

he following information is applicable
Te eligible New York state Executive

Branch and Unified Court System
employees:

Flex Spending Account
Open enrollment: Sept. 21 - Nov. 16,
2009

The “Health Care Spending Account”
allows you to set aside up to $4,000 in
pretax salary to pay for health-related
expenses not reimbursed by your health
insurance.

The “Dependent Care Advantage
Account” allows you to set aside up to
$5,000 in pre-tax salary for eligible child
care, elder care or disabled dependent
care expenses.

If you are currently enrolled, you must

re-enroll to continue your
participation in 2010. For
more information, visit
www.flexspend.state.ny.us
or call 1-800-358-7202

Dependent Eligibility Verification Period
The Oct. 5, 2009, deadline is extended to
Nov. 25, 2009.

Dependent eligibility verification
documentation MUST be provided to
Budco.

For more information, contact Budco at
1-888-358-2198.

Productivity Enhancement Program (PEP)*
Oct. 26 - Nov. 27, 2009

Exchange vacation credits and/or
personal leave in return for a credit to be

Health
Benefits

Health insurance: Important dates to remember

applied toward the
employee share of your
NYSHIP premium.

if you are currently
enrolled in PEP, you must re-enroll to
continue your benefits in 2010. *Ask your
agency's health benefits administrator
(typically in your personnel office) if you
are eligible for this program.

Pre-Tax Contribution Program (PTCP]
Noy. 1 - Nov. 30, 2009

Your share of health insurance premium
is deducted from wages before taxes are
withheld, which may lower your taxes. You
were automatically enrolled in PTCP when
you became eligible for health insurance,
unless you declined. Your paycheck shows
whether or not you are enrolled in PTCP.

*Contact your agency's health benefits
administrator (typically in your personnel
office) if you want to change your pre-tax
status.

NYSHIP Option Transfer Period
Dates to be determined

New York state Executive Branch and
Unified Court System employees who are
eligible for benefits will have the ability to
change their health insurance plan for the
2010 plan year. Option transfer period
will begin once the 2010 health insurance
premiums are approved (please watch The
Work Force and your mail for additional
rate information).

atic Work Force

November 2009

CSEA Employee Benefit Fund is online for you

ave you ever hada
question about your
benefits and you

didn’t have the time to call,
or have you ever needed a
copy of your listing of panel
providers, then and there?
Did your child leave for school this
fall and now you need a student

eligibility requirements

are met. The employee

then must fill out and
COVER send in an enrollment
BENEFIT FUND

Press 5 and you'll be transferred to
the Marketing Department or e-mail
your marketing representative and
they'll be able to assist you.

¢ “Where can I find their e-mail
address?” Our website at
www.cseaebf.com contains a
“contact” function located on the
upper right side of your web browser

The next time you're surfing the
Internet, stop by and check out
what’s new! To view the
downloadable forms located on
www.cseaebf.com, you will need the
latest version of Adobe Reader which
is a free program. The link is
provided on the EBF website.

form to activate the
benefits. After the
administrator makes the
addition to our file, we send out an
enrollment form to the address that

proof form?

At the CSEA Employee Benefit
Fund, we’ve designed our website to
meet the demands of your fast-paced
lifestyle!

Visit www.cseaebf.com and you
can e-mail one of our highly trained
and specialized customer service
staff to answer your questions
directly, download a copy of your
summary plan description, search
panel providers in your area,
download enrollment forms and
much more.

With all of our benefits, a
workplace health benefits
administrator (HBA) is responsible
for adding an employee on to our
records after your employer’s

the employee has given to the
administrator. So, if you've moved,
make sure to update your address by
calling (800) 323-2732 and our
member services department will be
able to assist you.

e “T already filled out an
enrollment form. Why do I need to
do it again?” Has your family grown?
If you need to add dependents to
your plan the enrollment form is the
way to go. Keep in mind that your
policy has to have the family
coverage option that enables you to
add dependents.

¢ “I only have a single-only policy
and I want family coverage!” Please
call (800) 323-2732, listen for the
automated system to pick up and

window when you are on our site.

nce again, it’s
On time of Health
year to start
thinking about your
health insurance
options.

The NYSHIP Option Transfer
period will be held after the 2010
health insurance premiums are
approved. During the option transfer
period, CSEA-represented state
enrollees will have the ability to
change their health insurance plan
for the 2010 plan year. Members will
be able to choose from the Empire
Plan or one of the NYSHIP-approved
health maintenance organizations
(HMOs) in their area.

In the past, enrollees may have
received from the Department of
Civil Service a copy of “Choosing
Your Health Plan.” If you found that

Health insurance choices for 2010

information helpful
you may want to

. request a copy of the
Benefits =a 2010 Choices guide

from your health
benefits administrator. Members
should review each of the options
carefully to determine which health
insurance plan will best meet their
needs and the needs of their family.

Please watch for additional

information in The Work Force as the
option transfer period draws nearer.
The Joint Committee on Health
Benefits will publish more
information on health insurance
premiums for the 2010 plan year in
an effort to assist you in making the
most informed choices for you and
your families’ health care needs in
2010.

MEMBERS ONLY INFORMATION

LOCAL 1000 CSEss AFSCME, AFL-CIO

Legal Services
Program

This members only
benefit program
provides attorney
representation for
Workers’
Compensation,
Social Security
Disability, Personal
Injury and Personal Legal matters including
Taking Care of Business for members and their
dependents. Quality legal representation at little
or no out-of-pocket cost for injury/illness related
matters; quality legal representation at
pre-negotiated/discounted fees for other personal
matters.

Finding a CSEA Legal Services Program attorney is as simple as
calling the CSEA toll-free number: 1-800-342-4146 and following
the prompts for the Legal Services Program. Listen to the

directions for accessing the Injury-Related Plans, or the Non-
Injury Related Plans,which includes the Taking Care of Business
Plan. Information is also available on the CSEA website at
www.csealocal1000.org.

CSE

LOCAL 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO

1-800-342-4146

November 2009

THe Work FORCE
Marty Langer: quietly effective in diverse roles for 40 years

Editor’s Note: CSEA will celebrate its 100"
anniversary in 2010. Throughout this year,
The Work Force is devoting the 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 Marty Langer, who
served CSEA well in both highly visible and
quiet, behind-the-scenes roles for 40 years.

t would be hard to find many individuals who
served CSEA longer and in more diverse ways
than Marty Langer.

Langer, who began his career as an attendant
at Rockland State Hospital, as Rockland
Psychiatric Center was known in 1960, capped
his CSEA career as executive assistant to President
Danny Donohue in 1996.

Langer, who served as a local president and
board member early in his CSEA career, was
instrumental in helping to elect William L.
McGowan as CSEA president in 1977. He
chaired and helped establish CSEA’s statewide
Political Action Committee in the late 1970s and
later chaired the CSEA-New York State Labor
Management Committees.

But Langer is best known in CSEA for his
decades of involvement on mental health and
developmental disabilities issues, where his
expertise is unparalleled. For more than a
generation, Langer helped hone CSEA’s position
on contract and public policy issues involving

these areas. He played a leading role in
coordinating CSEA’s support of
deinstitutionalization in the developmental
disabilities area and overseeing the move into
community-based residences.

He also helped CSEA stand strong for more
humane care in the mental health field, a position
that has finally begun to yield some progress in
recent years.

In a 2006 interview for the CSEA 100 History
Project, which collects the oral history of the union,
Langer detailed how he initially got involved in the
early 1960s: “I guess my introduction to CSEA
came because the state set up some Catch-22
scenarios about what it took for me to ...
advance.”

“Il called up this organization that | knew
nothing about other than the fact that
it existed, and | spoke to somebody in the
Research Department who said, ‘you
know, you're right.’ In the course of a fairly short
time, CSEA helped me. Hardly a gigantic matter in
those days, but it was to me. And it made me
realize that | was a little guy and that the state of
New York was a big operation and that, on my
own, | couldn't do really very much to deal with it.
It was at that moment that it was sort of an
epiphany, | guess. And my own wake-up call was
that | said, ‘well, maybe | need to get involved a
little bit. Maybe it’s time for me to just take a look
around and see what this union is all about.’”

“Well, probably the most positive thing is that |

Marty Langer served in a wide range
of positions in nearly 40 years of
involvement in CSEA. He was
especially influential in the mental
health and developmental disabilities
area; helping to shape CSEA’s drive
for better, more humane care.

watched the CSEA organization go from being
kind of a social club to being a major force in
New York state,” Langer said.

18 fie Work Force

November 2009
Boncoraglio Honored by New York CBTU

Award.

Boncoraglio

SEA Metropolitan Region President George

Boncoraglio was honored by the New York

Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade
Unionists (CBTU) with its Distinguished Service

The award was presented during the CBTU
James “Jim” Bell Scholarship Dinner Dance at the
historic Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem.

great.”

movement.

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

Bright is PEOPLE Recruiter of the Month

Karen Bright of the Madison County Local in the
Central Region is the PEOPLE Recruiter of the Month for
September. She recruited 27 new PEOPLE MVP members.

"I believe in the PEOPLE program and kudos to the
Central New York DDSO Local for supporting the PEOPLE
program as we were able to recruit 27 new MVP members
(from that local),” she said. “During these tough times,
PEOPLE needs all the support it can get, and for our
members to recognize this and be willing to contribute is

Bright

FORMING A

UNION — Private

sector food service

workers employed

by SUNY Canton’s College
Association recently voted to form
a union with CSEA. The union will
soon begin the process to initiate
contract talks on behalf of the 41
workers ... AMHERST WORKERS
FIGHT LAYOFFS — Close to 200
Amherst town employees
represented by CSEA and two
other unions, as well as their
supporters, recently demonstrated
against layoffs included in the
town's 2010 budget. The Town
Board voted to restore some
positions ... REACHING OUT —
Port Washington School District
Custodial, Transportation and
Maintenance Unit members,
Nassau Educational Local
members and Long Island Region

leaders recently

hed in th
TODAY “Pride in Port”

parade for the fifth
consecutive year. Port Washington
School Unit members were also
recognized for their work in
numerous local charity events to
raise money for the Children’s
Health Fund mobile medical clinic.
The mobile clinic has now been
purchased and is being used to
give health care to the nation’s
most medically underserved
children ... YARD SALE — The
Southern Region Women’s
Committee recently held a
successful yard sale outside the
region office in Beacon to benefit
the Southern Region Emergency
Disaster Fund, which aids CSEA
members in need, as well as local
women’s and family shelters.

November CSEA calendar of events

Long Island Region:
Nov. 2-3: Skills for Success: Math Skills Builder: Level
1, Belmont Lake State Park.*

Nov. 9: Skills for Success: Masonry Basics, Jones
Beach State Park.*

Noy. 10: Skills for Success: Plumbing Basics,
Department of Transportation. *

Nov. 17: Skills for Success: Control of Hazardous
Energy (Lockout/Tagout], Pilgrim Psychiatric Center.
Nov. 17: Skills for Success: Hazard Communication &
The NYS “RightTo-Know” Law, Pilgrim Psychiatric
Center. *

Nov. 17-18: Local Government/Private Sector
Grievance Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m.
Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., Nassau County Local Office,
Mineola

Noy. 18: Skills for Success: Air Conditioning and
Refrigeration Basics, SUNY Stony Brook. *

Nov. 10: Skills for Success: Fall Prevention and
Protection, Pilgrim Psychiatric Center. *

Nov. 24: Skills for Success: The Organized Secretary,
Belmont Lake State Park
Nov. 30 - Dec. 1: State Government Grievance
Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m. Workshop: 6 - 9
p.m. Hempstead Local Office, Merrick

Metropolitan Region:

Nov. 2: Skills for Success: Carpentry Basics, Roberto
Clemente State Park. *

Nov. 2, 9 16 & 23: Skills for Success: Introduction to

Spanish: Level 1, CSEA Metropolitan Region Office. *

Noy. 3: Skills for Suecess: Electricity Basics, Metro
New York DDSO. *
Nov. 4: Skills for Success: The Organized Secretary,

November 2009

CSEA Metropolitan Region Office. *

Nov. 4-5: State Government Grievance Workshop,
Signin: 5:30 - 6 p.m. Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., CSEA
Metropolitan Region Office, Manhattan

Nov. 16-17: Skills for Success: Electricity Advanced,
Metropolitan Transportation Council. *

Southern Region:

Nov. 5: Local Government/Private Sector Grievance
Workshop, Sign-in: 9 - 9:30 a.m., Workshop: 9:30
a.m. - 4 p.m., Westchester County Local Office, White
Plains. PLEASE NOTE: Appropriate leave must be used
to attend this workshop, if applicable.

Nov. 10: Skills for Success: Managing Finances,
Fishkill Correctional Facility. *

Nov. 10,17, 24 and Dec. 1: Skills for Success:
Workplace Writing, Rockland Psychiatric Center. *
Nov. 12: Skills for Success: The Organized Secretary,
Fishkill Correctional Facility. *

Nov. 14: Local Government Discipline: Representing
Members in Interrogations Workshop, Sign In: 8:30 -
9 a.m., Workshop: 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Orange County
local Office, Middletown

Nov. 14: State Government Discipline & Interrogation:
Representing Members Under Article 33 Workshop,
Sign In: 8:30 - 9 a.m., Workshop: 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.,
Southern Region Office, Beacon

Nov. 17-18: Skills for Success: Math Skills Builder:
Level 1, Ulster County Local Office. *

Capital Region:

Nov. 9-10: State Government Discipline and
Interrogation Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m.,
Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., Shenendehowa High School

West, Clifton Park
Nov. 9-10: Local Government/Private Sector
Grievance Workshop, Signin: 5:30 - 6 p.m.,
Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., CSEA Headquarters, Albany
Nov. 10: Skills for Success: Control of Hazardous
Energy (Lockout/Tagoul), SUNY Albany *

Nov. 10: Skills for Success: Hazard Communication &
The NYS “RightToKnow” Law, SUNY Albany *

Nov. 10, 17, 24 & Dec. 1: Skills for Success:
Workplace Writing, Department of Correctional
Services Training Academy *

Nov. 12: Skills for Success: Fall Prevention and
Protection, SUNY Albany *

Nov. 16: Skills for Success: Masonry Basics, Office of
General Services *

Nov. 17: Skills for Success: Conflict Resolution Skills:
How to Be Your Own Mediator, Office of General
Services. *

Nov. 24: Skills for Success: Change: How to Make it
Work for You, Department of Labor. *

Central Region:

Noy. 4-5: Local Government/Private Sector Grievance
Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 - 9
p.m., Holiday Inn Syracuse - Liverpool, 441 Electronics
Parkway, Liverpool

Nov. 4-5: State Government Grievance Representation
Workshop, Signin: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 - 9
p.m., CSEA Binghamton Satellite Office, Binghamton
Nov. 9-10: State Government Discipline and
Interrogation: Representing Members Under Article 33.
Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 - 9
p.m., CSEA Central Region Office, East Syracuse

Nov. 12 & 19: Contract Negotiation Strategies:
Maximizing Our Leverage Workshop, Sign-in: 5:30 -6
p.m., Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., CSEA Central Region
Office, East Syracuse

Nov. 13, 20; Dec. 4 & 11: Skills for Success:
Introduction to Spanish: Level 1, SUNY Oswego. *
Nov. 17-18: State Government Discipline &
Interrogation: Representing Members Under Article 33.
Workshop, Sign In: 5:30 - 6 p.m., Workshop: 6 - 9

p.m,, Holiday Inn, Oneonta
Noy. 17-18: Local Government/Private Sector
Grievance Workshop, Sign In: 5:30 - 6 p.m..,
Workshop: 6- 9 p.m., Gallagher's Restaurant, Malone
Nov. 18: Skills for Success: College Credit: Alternative
Approaches and Ways to Save Money, Hutchings
Psychiatric Center. *

Nov. 18: Skills for Success: The Organized Secretary,
Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center. *

Nov. 18: Skills for Success: Using the Tuition Benefits
Program, Hutchings Psychiatric Center. *

Western Region:

Noy. 4-5: Local Government Discipline: Representing
Members in Interrogations Workshop, Sign In: 5:30 -
6 p.m., Workshop: 6-9 p.m., Holiday Inn, Painted
Post

Noy. 5: Skills for Success: Organizing your Writing,
Camp Allegany. *

Noy. 5: Skills for Success: Writing for Clarity, Camp
Allegany. *

Noy. 7: Steward Workshop, Sign-in: 8:30-9 a.m..,
Workshop: 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., Transit Middle School
Cafeteria, E. Amherst

Noy. 17-18: Local Government Discipline:
Representing Members in Interrogations Workshop,
Sign In: 5:30 - 6 p.m.., Workshop: 6 - 9 p.m., Holiday
Inn, Lockport

* Learn more about Skills for Success courses by
visiting the NYS & CSEA Partnership for Education and
Training website at www.nyscseapartnership.org or by
calling 1-800-253-4332.

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.csealocal! 000.org. Please

note that additional events may be scheduled in your
region, so check your region calendar page on the
website.

THe Work Force 19}
GET MORE S

|
EQUAL

EXCHANGE

Almuy reap

www.deansbeans.com and
www.equalexchange.com
now. Enter “CSEA” as your
promotion code. Help yourself
to great flavor, while you help
others live better.

ATISFACTION FROM YOUR COFFEE.

BUY 100% FAIR TRADE.

How you help.

Enjoy top quality products, while supporting 100% Fair Trade
retailers and the Labor-Religion Coalition Fair Trade Project —
helping farmers at home and around the world to receive a fair
price for their produce, and combating child labor, forced labor
and slave labor.

Shop for everyone on your holiday gift list.
You can also shop with a conscience this holiday season.
Visit http://www.sweatfree.org/shopping

for a complete list of sweat-free, labor-friendly products,
from men’s and women's clothing to sporting goods.

Do you know beans about Fair Trade?

Important facts to remember:

+ Farmers and workers who grow coffee beans are slipping into dire
poverty while U.S. coffee giants grow rich off their labor.

+ The average American drinks 400 cups of coffee every year.
Fill every cup with Fair Trade coffee and make a real difference.

+ In one year, Fair Trade benefits a million workers and
farmers in 58 developing countries.

+ Shop Fair Trade and you support livable wages, community
development, health care and education.

The Labor-Religion Coalition

Fair Trade Project is supported by

Fair Trade
Products
Make Great
Holiday Gifts

— EE
New York's LEADING Union

Danny Donohue, President
www.csealocal 1000.org,