The Public Sector, 1983 July 29

1000, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

AFL-CIO. o>.

CISSN 0164 9949)

SECTOR

Official Publication of The Civil Service Employees Association Local

Vol. 5, No. 21

Friday, July 29, 1983

UNDERSTAFFING IS
SHORTCHANGING THE|
TAXPAYING PUBLIC

BLAME GOV. CUOMO for the slow services to
motorists by the Department of Motor Vehicles
is the message from this DMV employee who
participated in an informational picket line last
week in downtown Albany.

Many state agencies and some local govern-
ments are so critically understaffed that the
quality of service being delivered to the taxpay-
ing public is at unacceptable levels and
deteriorating rapidly, the Civil Service
Employees Assn. is charging.

Union officials blame Goy. Mario Cuomo and
the State Legislature for the worsening situation,
saying it’s the direct result of unnecessary re-
cent employee layoffs coupled with the early
retirement incentive program. Together, union
officials claim, layoffs and early retirements
have virtually decimated the workforce at many
agencies and those local governments which
followed the state’s lead in reducing staff.

The problems are most acute at those loca-
tions which have direct contacts with the public,
the State Department of Motor Vehicles being a
prime example. But, says CSEA President
William L. McGowan, ‘‘The DMV situation is on-
ly the tip of the iceberg; similar problems exist
in other state agencies, some are just not as visi-
ble, and in local governments that have followed
the state’s lead in reducing staff while trying to
deliver the same number of services.”

As for DMV, McGowan calls the understaff-
ing problem “an impossible situation. Because
of a 22 percent reduction in staff,” he says,

“three workers are trying to do the jobs of four.””

Last week, McGowan took to the streets,
along with CSEA Executive Vice President
Joseph E. McDermott, CSEA Capital Region
President C. Allen Mead, and DMV Local Presi-
dent Dann Woods, to join a large group of irate
DMV employees who used their lunch hour to
conduct an informational picket line outside
DMV’s massive complex in downtown Albany.

The DMV employees said they wanted to
make public the fact that a seriously reduced
workforce is responsible for slower services, and
that the public should direct their complaints to
the governor and the State Legislature, and not
at the overworked employees.

Regional President Mead said that what is
now most apparent in DMV is_ occurring

(Continued on Page 5)

CSEA PRESIDENT WILLIAM L.
McGOWAN TALKS ABOUT THE
SERIOUS PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED
WITH UNDERSTAFFED STATE AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENT WORK LOCA-
TIONS IN HIS ‘‘PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE” ON PAGE 5 OF THIS
ISSUE.

BALLSTON SPA — CSEA has filed an im: pose of promoting ‘the SBA
proper practice charge against Saratoga Coun. employee support for
. ty Sheriff James Bowen, charging the sheriffin: representative, CSEA. S
et with and attempted to influence — challenge to CSEA represent
Sheriff Department employees in exe c eller ve si
their rights to support CSEA as the employees pis epharen) that St

collective bargaining agent. : be able to control the

. ! ‘Recording tothe improper practice charge representative and because
he oe filed by CSEA with the Public Employmen ‘he Supposed independent gi
Relations Board (PERB). Sheriff Bowen purpose initials: SBA stand tor Shed owe

F ; ¢ ly scheduled a departmental meeting during [!0?. CSEA Field Representativ
interferred in 5 the afternoon of July 6 and knowingly allowed geaalWc atic ase sone ble
representatives of the Sheriff's Benevolent [CSPect the Sheriff really has for any law wh

union matters Association (SBA) to utilize the meeting tocom.  1eS Net allow him to rule the‘roost.”"

municate with the department employees. PERB will schedule a hearing on this im-
CSEA says the incident was for the sole pur proper practice charge in the near future. p

Grievance leads
to payment of
increment due

MINEOLA — Lucille Hall, a food service
worker at the Nassau County Medical Center,
will be getting a $500 increment that was due
her on Jan. 1.

CSEA filed a grievance on Hall’s behalf
charging the county violated Section 11.2 of
the collective bargaining agreement which re-
quires that an employee have 90 days notice if
a decision is made not to award an increment.
But in this case only 64 days notice was given.

Moreover, the contract specifically defines
“days” to mean “‘working days.”’

In deciding the case, the arbitrator com-
mented, ‘The contract is clear on its face that
when the county is to provide notice of denial
of increment, it will provide 90 working days MANUEL BARREIRO, center, director of dent Pat Mascioli; Local 860 Political Action Com-
notice” and he therefore ordered Hall be resources for the Westchester County Department mittee Chairperson Eleanor McDonald; Barreiro; e
given an increment. of Social Services and a member of CSEA Local 860, Mt. Vernon Non-Teaching CSEA Unit President

The decision is another victory for the has been elected president of the Mt. Vernon Board Marie Lewis, and Bill Hughes, vice president of the
union’s legal assistance program and Nassau of Education. Barreiro recently attended his first Mt. Vernon Non-Teaching Unit. Barreiro won a
County Local 830. Local 830 meeting since being named Board presi- 5-year term on the Board of Education with the en-

dent, and is shown with, from left, Local 860 Presi- dorsement and support of CSEA in 1980.

CSEA REGION II SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS — Winners of $500 Regional Director Ron Mazzola, right. Winners are Belinda Katz, e
CSEA Scholarship Awards from Metropolitan Region I are flank- second from left; Darryl Wisher, center, and Kelly Carstensen.
DuBose-Baliste, left, and

\ ed by Regional President Frances

S

Angry, out-of-work, highway employees
demand jobs back with Rensselaer County

TROY—Fed up with the “bull” they have
een hearing front Rexisesleae County noliistane
as to why the county can’t use excess funds in
the budget to rehire them, some of the 49 county
nignway workers laid off several weeks ago used

a little bull to generate attention to their
titation.

Pedro, 5 baliy Ball ownen bya tea

“Rensselaer County politicians want to forget
about these men and their Carol
Larpenteur, unit president, said. “ county is
now reporting $1 million extra in sales tax in-
come, a 35 percent increase in OTB revenue and
a near $100,000 profit in a rent-a-cell program,
but none of this money can be used to rehire laid
off workers, they say. That’s bull.”

CSEA also used this media event to inform
the public that the County now wants to use
welfare recipients to do some of the jobs the laid
off workers used te do.

“The politicians are now looking for a way to
get some work done on the without
Masi ahcenh penile neplao arr

want to use 10 welfare

were wrong. They
workers to cut back brush, dig trenches, etc.
‘These are jobs our workers used to do. And if the
county tries to put welfare recipients into our

PED) baby bull owned by Dick Yerke, Said ao KGAA) Acpeet eters ca
aha ate yh tp np oe ete y-ray
of 49 highway department workers laid off several weeks ago in a political dispute. CSEA
Capital demonstration,

Region President C. Allen Mead, who joined in the protest

behind Pedro.
members’ jobs, we'll take them to court,”
-Larpenteur threatened.
While Pedro seemed to en; Sop he beet ce
the sun, his future is bleak. Yerke, who ‘a

stands

may lose his house and car if he doesn’t find
another job soon, reports that Pedro will soon be
heading for the freezer if he can’t find a job to put
food on his family’s table.

You may be eligible to convert
part of your life insurance coverage

Certain CSEA members insured under the Basic Group Life Insurance .-—~=-—--——-——-———

CSEA

Program are eligible to convert part of their coverage, without medical infor-
mation, to an individual form of insurance with the Travelers Insurance
Company.

This in-service conversion privilege allows any actively employed
member participating in the Group Life Program, who is age 50 or older, to
convert up to $5,000 of this term insurance to an individual form of coverage
other than term insurance. The amount of the group term insurance the
employee is insured for will be reduced by the amount converted.

Insurance Department
33 Elk Street
Albany, NY 12224

Please send me information concerning the conversion privilege for
the CSEA Basic Group Life Insurance Program.

Application must be made by Aug. 31, and the effective date of the con-
verted insurance will be Nov. 1. Premium payments for the converted in-
surance will be made directly to Travelers Insurance Company.

Additional information on the conversion privilege may be obtained by
returning the adjacent coupon.

First Middle initial Maiden
Home Address:
Street City State Zip
Place of Employment:
Social Security Number: anes
Sex: Date of Birth:

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Mohawk Valley

health plan
now available

ALBANY — A comprehensive new health care
benefit program is now available to CSEA
members who live or work in Schenectady and
Southern Saratoga counties.

The Mohawk Valley Physicians Health Plan is
a health maintenance organization. The plan not
only pays for health care when the employees
are ill, but also pays for services to keep them
well. Except for a $3 visit fee, such services as
periodic physicals, pediatric care, immuniza-
tions and gynecological visits are fully covered.
The program has no deductibles and no forms to
file.

A special enrollment period is available until
Aug. 12 for those members eligible to participate
in the plan. To give CSEA members an oppor-

tunity to evaluate the program coverage and ex-

amine the pros and cons of selecting this health

care alternative, special informational meetings
have been scheduled as follows:

e Aug. 3, 7:30 p.m., 108 Union Street,
Schenectady.

e@ Aug. 8, 11 a.m., 29th floor conference room of
the Empire State Plaza Tower Building,
Albany.

e Aug. 8, 1:30 p.m., 2nd floor conference room,
84 Holland Ave., Albany.

@ Aug. 9, 10:30 a.m., Chancellor’s Hall, NYS
Education Building, Albany.

Information may also be obtained through per-
sonnel offices or by calling the Mohawk Valley

Physicians Health Plan directly at 370-4793.

THE

PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983 Page 3

Official publication of
The Civil Service Employees Associ:
Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO

33 Elk Street, Albany, New York 12224

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

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

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

MICHAEL P. MORAN — Publisher

ROGER A. COLE — Editor
TINA LINCER FIRST — Associate Editor

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

KINGS PARK — A day care center will be opened at Kings Park
Psychiatric Center under an agreement between CSEA and management,
Tony Bentivegna, president of Kings Park Psychiatric Center Local 411, has
announced,

Applications for the post of director are being sought, Bentivegna said, and
persons interested should apply to Tanya Ann Lowe, Administrative Unit vice
president and a member of the labor-management committee making plans
for the new service.

Bentivegna said the center would be available to working parents at an ex-

CSEA has extended the deadline to apply for four positions in its newly-
expanded Computer Department from Aug. 1 to Aug. 12.

In addition, minimum qualifications for two of the positions were
misstated in the July 15 edition of The Public Sector.

Candidates applying for the position of systems analyst should have an
associate’s degree in data processing/computer science and three years ex-
perience in systems design and programming using COBOL, FORTRAN or
PL/1 with at least one year of experience in systems analysis; or five years

CSEA Statf Openings

Education and training specialist sought

ALBANY — CSEA is now accepting resumes for the position of education
and training specialist.

Duties will include designing workshops and seminars and providing train-
ing for union members on such aspects of unionism as contract administration,
leadership and negotiations. Some traveling and weekend work will be
required.

Candidates should possess a bachelor’s degree in an education-related
field or have five years of appropriate experience in a labor environment. Ex-
perience in adult education and the use of educational aids and techniques
would be helpful. A driver’s license and car for business use are required.

Resumes should be sent by Aug. 15 to Personnel Director, 33 Elk St.,
Albany, N.Y. 12224.

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983

Page 4

Day care center slated for Kings Park PC

pected fee of $55 for a five-day week, and reduced rates for members in special
financial need.

Under the state labor contracts, the state agreed to provide a physical

location for a day care center established by a local labor-management com-
mittee. Operating costs are to be borne by tuition fees.
Applicants for the directorship should have a bachelor’s degree and two
years of early childhood teaching experience or closely related experience.
Lowe may be contacted by submitting a resume to her in care of the CSEA
Local 411 office at 75 E. Main St., Kings Park, N.Y. 11754.

Deadline extended for union computer positions

experience as above with at least three years of systems analysis work.
Minimum qualifications for the job of computer programmer/analyst
include an associate’s degree in data processing/computer science and two
years experience in programming using COBOL, FORTRAN or PL/2 with
at least six months experience in systems analysis work; or four years ex-
perience as above with at least six months of systems analysis work. .
Interested candidates should send resume specifying position desired
to Personnel Director, 33 Elk St., Albany, N.Y. 12224.

Treasurers training seminars scheduled

ALBANY — Statewide Treasurer Barbara Fauser has announced the
following additional dates for training sessions to certify or recertify
treasurers:

Region V, 9:30 a.m., Aug. 13, Hotel Syracuse (certification).

¢ Region I, 7 p.m., Aug. 23, Regional Office, Hauppauge, for towns,
villages and school districts (recertification).

Region I, 7 p.m., Aug. 24, Regional Office, Hauppauge, for units of Suf-
folk County Local 852 (recertification).

¢ Region I, 7 p.m., Aug. 25, Salsbury Inn, East Meadow, for units of
Nassau County Local 830 (recertification).

« Region VI, 10:15 a.m., Sept. 10, Buffalo Convention Center (certifica-
tion and recertification).

«Region II, 5:30 p.m., Sept.
(certification).

Region VI has also scheduled a training session for secretaries at 10:15
a.m. on Sept. 10, at the Buffalo Convention Center.

29, Downstate Medical Center

President’s
Message

Questionable commission beefed up while

Understaffing hits critical
stage in several agencies

ALBANY — The problems caused by staff
reductions in the Department of Motor Vehicies
have drawn a lot of attention in the media
because the public is feeling the pain.

Our members in DMV are trying to cope with
an impossible situation. Because of a 22 percent
reduction in staff, three workers are trying to do
the jobs of four.

This year the Governor and the Legislature

Passed huge increases in the fees for driver’s
| license and auto registration renewals. Although
| everyone is paying more for these services, they
| are getting much less.
q The DMV situation is only the tip of the
| iceberg; similar problems exist in other state
|| agencies, some are just not as visible, and in
local governments that have followed the state’s
lead in reducing staff, while trying to deliver the
same number of services.

When the snow starts flying and there are not
enough people to plow the roads, the situation
will be dangerous.

ft is odd that, while the Governor preaches the
gospel of ‘‘doing more with less’’ in the civil
service, he has taken the opposite approach with
a politically appointed commission.

The biggest feud between this Governor and
Republican Senate Majority Leader Warren
Anderson erupted when the Governor replaced

two members of the State Commission of
Investigation.

The political war centered on the fact that one
of the people the Governor removed from the
25-year old “‘ ary’’ commission is a friend
and political ally of Senator Anderson’s.

The Governor and Senator faced off in what
Assembly Speaker Stanley Fink called ‘‘an
apparently ridiculous impasse.”

The solution? Increase the four-member
commission by 50 percent. Create two new,
Politically-appointed, parttime $37,170-a-year
commissioners. So, the commission expands to
six members even though the Governor says he
wants to abolish it, and many critics say it’s
worthless. °

Is this “‘more with less’’? If there’s enough
money to create new parttime commissioners, at
a total cost of more than $100,000.00, isn’t there
enough money to fill vacancies in agencies that
deliver vital services.

We agree with the Governor’s criticism of
Reaganomics, but we have to say that ‘‘more with
less” is looking a lot like ‘“‘trickle down’’. It
seems that in the ‘‘family of New York”’ the ‘‘rich
uncles’’ eat high on the hog, while those who
need services, and those who deliver those
ices, are treated like ‘‘poor relations.’’

a ema erg RMS

(i

(Continued from Page 1)
elsewhere as well. ‘The taxpayers of this state
will soon be up in arms as they feel the double
edges of Mario’s economic sword — higher fees
and slower services.”

mer

Understatfing leads to reduced services

Long lines and long delays have become com- ©

monplace for motorists visiting DMV facilities
lately. One DMV employee in the informational
picket line also pointed out “‘it usually takes four
weeks to get license requests processed, now it
takes eight weeks.”

Last week The New York Times ran a large
story on the DMV situation in the greater New
York City area under the headline “Staff cuts
slow Motor Vehicle Dept. to crawl.”

“Because of a hiring freeze last year, follow-
ed by layoffs and the institution of an early
retirement plan, the department’s offices from
Albany to Staten Island have become scenes of
disorder and frustration,” the Times reporter
determined.

CSEQI

SERIE LAYOFES

Motor vehicles Salen SLOW? SERV ICE
istration expiration i CUTS
registr (04 83 saps REGION PRESIDENT C. Allen

tional l
united Press Interna due to expi
registrations du ug. 8, the,
ieee! Oe eiemed to midnight Uaessbeey Thurs-
mi te Department ‘of Motor Vehicles anni
state

di

Mead, left, and CSEA Statewide Executive Vice
President Joseph E. McDermott, right, joined
DMV employees protesting staff cuts and

ion has 10} resulting extra workloads.

jstration extensi

ay.
‘The DMV noted the Fs nce coverage

effect on motor vehicle insural
The DMV sai

\
accommodate the
of the month and bec

DMV EXTENDED the July 31 motor vehicle
registration deadline until August 8, purportedly
because of a calendar situation. But, says CSEA,
the most likely reason has to do with DMV hav-
ing a serious staff shortage that has resulted in
an inability to handle the work on time.

fh

arge aum!
-ause the mot

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983 Page 5

] TWO-YEAR PACT — Town of Harrison CSEA officers aad Supervisor John Passidomo sign their
{new two year contract. Seated are Passidomo and Unit President “Pug” Lanza. Standing, from left,
| are unit Vice President Grace Ann Aloisi, Board of Directors members Joe Stout and Joan Rosa, and

| unit Secretary Norma Ponce.
_ 3-year agreement for
_ Haldane schools. . .

COLD SPRING — Over three years'of their new con-
| tract, employees of the Haldane Central School District
in Putnam County will enjoy a 21.4 percent pay boost.

As of July 1, paychecks were increased 7 percent.

Two raises of 6.5 percent go into effect each of the follow-

ing two school years. Increments, where due, will be add-

ed to the raises. Longevity payments were increased $25

_ for employees with 15, 20 and 25 years of service, and

| $50 for those who have 30 years with the school district.

But drivers will be paid at time-and-a-half for the
|

first four hours of an activity trip and straight time after
that. On weekends, time-and-a-half will be paid for the
first six hours. Bus driving runs to New York City will
mean an added $10 for drivers.

Sick day accumulation has been increased five days
to 185. Upon an employee's death, his or her beneficiary
will be compensated for unused sick days at the rate of
$10 a day. Bereavement leave has also been extended.

Employees will be granted 20-minute coffee breaks
each day. Building closing and lock-up will be offered to
the night custodial staff on the basis of seniority. Should
no one volunteer, the least senior night staff member will
be assigned.

The district’s grievance procedure has also been

The committee was comprised of Unit President

tract approved by CSEA members and the Town Board.

The first 6 percent pay hike is retroactive to Jan. 1.
Two additional 6 percent raises go into effect in 1984 and
1985.

Sick days will be earned on the basis of 13 per year
and may be accumulated to 120 days. Town employees
with 20 years service will also be given five weeks vaca-
tion under a new clause in the agreement.

The town will continue the 25 year retirement plan
under the New York State Retirement System with the
death benefit option. A new section in this part of the con-
tract allows the conversion of sick leave for additional
retirement credit.

Field Representative Diane Campion praised “the
hard work of the negotiating team.” The committee in-
cluded Unit President Elton Babcock as well as Jane
Lewis, Chet Gardner and Joe Sheehan.

Page 6 ‘THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983

—Four new contracts in Southern Region

8.5% wage hike
in Harrison unit

HARRISON — Members of the Town of Har-
rison CSEA unit have lost their supervisor, and the
State of New York has gained a new commissioner
of Motor Vehicles. However, John Passidomo did e
not leave his Town Hall office until completing
negotiations with the unit for a new contract.
Passidomo was the town’s chief negotiator for 18
years before leaving for his Albany post.

The new agreement gives town employees an 8.5
pecent pay hike retroactive to Jan. 1. For 1984,
paychecks will go up 4 percent Jan. 1 and an addi-
tional 4 percent July 1. Among other benefits
negotiated was the continuation of medical in-
surance for the spouse and dependents of deceased e
members.

The unit is part of Westchester County Local 860.
Unit President “Pug” Lanza says, “one of the

most difficult tasks in negotiations this time was
the maintaining of rights and benefits which were
agreed upon in prior years. I’m happy to say there
were no give-backs.”

CONTRACT REVIEW — Field representative Joseph O’Connor, seated right, reviews the
contract for the Chappaqua Central School District in Westchester County with officers of
the unit. Looking on with him are, seated from left, Herbert Strobert and George Gustin,
members of the negotiating team, and Unit President Lou Scozzafava. Standing are Unit
Vice President John Carreno and negotiating team member Juan Martinez. Not pictured

are Joe DelDuco and Lou Buno.

Chappaqua School District ratifies pact

CHAPPAQUA — When employees in
this Westchester County school district got
their first paychecks of the new academic
year, there was a 7.5 percent pay increase
over the previous year, thanks to a new
contract ratified by CSEA members and
the Board of Education.

An additional 8 percent pay raise goes*
into effect next July 1. Head custodian dif-
ferentials will also be increased by 7.5 per-
cent and 8 percent under the two years of
the agreement. The same percentages are
being used for increases in night differen-
tials for 1983 and 1984.

The district will also contribute $305
toward the CSEA Employee Benefit Fund
for each employee. Starting July 1, 1984,
the district will also pay the cost of a $25,000
group life insurance policy. Employees will
only have to contribute 5 percent of the
premium for their health insurance
coverage.

Field Representative Joseph O’Connor
says the unit, part of Westchester Local
860, is pleased with the contract, and
thanks the work of the CSEA Negotiating
Committee for hammering out “a fair
agreement.”

ee  EEOOOOeeEEOOEeEeEeeEeeeeeeeeO

Failure to assign
overtime ruled a
contract violation

ALBANY — New York State will have to pay bcause it failed to assign
overtime to a motor vehicle operator at Craig Developmental Center.

James Hoffman will be compensated for a “lost overtime opportunity”
based on a grievance he filed when only one driver was assigned to transport
clients even though two buses were required. A recreation therapist was used
to drive the second bus.

The state argued before Arbitrator Thomas Rinaldo that since the recrea-
tion therapist was not paid overtime, he was not depriving Hoffman of
overtime.

CSEA cited Article 28 of the Operational Services Unit contract which pro-
vides that, “overtime shall be distributed equitably among qualified
employees who normally do such work.” Since the therapist was doing out-of-
title work, the union argued that Hoffman’s contractual rights were violated.

Rinaldo found merit in the union’s arguments, commenting: ‘The work, if
it was to be performed, had to be performed by a motor vehicle operator. Since
the work occurred outside the regularly scheduled hours of the motor vehicle
operators, it was available overtime to which grievant Hoffman was entitled.”
The state was, thus, directed to compensate the grievant for the “‘lost overtime

r
Ron Mazzolaf

region post

ALBANY — CSEA President
William L. McGowan has appointed
Ron Mazzola as the new Metropolitan
Region II director.

Mazzola was hired as a field
representative in 1970, and became a
collective bargaining specialist eight
years later. But his CSEA involve-
ment really started in 1966 when, as a
public employee, he helped organize
the City of Rye Unit of Westchester
County Local 860.

Rye later became the first city
there to implement a contract under
the state’s Taylor Law.

Mazzola has been acting
Metropolitan regional director since
February, and says he is eager to
“continue serving the needs of our

opportunity.”

The decision is another win for CSEA’s legal assistance program.

Ke taemberahtp in New York City.”

Work and Health

By Phillip L. Polaloff, MD
Director, Western Institute for
Occupational Environmental Sciences

The so-called ‘‘accident-prone worker” is a
scapegoat often trotted out to stall effective safe-
ty measures. But an accident — in many cases —
is not the result of clumsiness or momentary
lapse of attention. It could be the conclusion of a
long string of contributing factors.

Dr, Stephen Zoloth and David Michaels, MPH,
occupational health specialists at Montefiore
Hospital in the Bronx, pinpointed such factors in
a special safety issue of Occupational Health
Nurse magazine. They included heat, noise,
lighting, toxins, improper training, inex-
perience, fatigue, shift, variability of tasks per-
formed, speed of work, and the type of produc-
tion incentives used.

One study cited by the two specialists, for ex-
ample, showed that accidents increased 25 per-
cent with every 5 degrees Fahrenheit rise or fall
from an optimal temperature mediated by
humidity, airflow and acclimatization.

Instead of putting the blame on the victims,
perhaps we should look more closely at the ‘‘ac-
cident prone workplace.”

These places where accidents are waiting to
happen are not only in hot and heavy industries.
Let’s look at the health care industry itself. Sure-
ly, one might expect, that scrubbed-down,
starched-up environment should be free of risks

for employees. Unfortunately, that’s not the
case.

Dr. Jeanne Stellman, writing in the same
safety issue of Occupational Health Nurse, cited
excessive accident rates among nurses and kit-
chen workers. A recent survey of one medical
center, she says, found that nurses accounted for
60 percent of reported accidents, although they
represented only 33 percent of the workforce.
Kitchen workers, who comprised only 10 percent
of the workforce reported 19 percent of the
accidents.

Dr, Stellman, who was editor of the special
issue of the nurses’ journal, is executive director
of the Women’s Occupational Health Resource
Center (WOHRC), School of Public Health at
Columbia University in New York.

Among hazards she listed are needlestick
wounds which can allow infections to invade the
body, injuries from lifting, improper storage of
chemicals in laboratories and inadequate staff
training.

Hospitals also get a going over from Patricia
Cayo Sexton, author of “The New Nightingales:
Hospital Workers, Unions, and New Women’s
Issues,”’ published last year by Enquiry Press,
New York.

As one hospital aide told the author:

“Tn an eight-hour day, an aide lifts about 3,000
pounds, She gives maybe 20 baths in the morning
and lifts more than a man in an auto assembly
plant. That’s why her back goes.””

Union wins case
against Suffolk
over failure to
post job opening

HAUPPAUGE — John Bartunek will get an op-
portunity to apply for the job of neighborhood aide
because Suffolk County failed to post that the posi-
tion was vacant.

Arbitrator Irving Bergman issued that ruling
after Bartunek filed a grievance which charged the
county with violating the CSEA contract which re-
quires, “each department wihin the county shall
post new positions or vacancies concerning non-

‘Accident-prone’ label
may apply to workplace
as well as fo worker

Sexton is professor of sociology at New York
University and a trade unionist. Her research,
sponsored by the Coalition of Labor Union
Women, is based on interviews with national and
local union leaders, management, and women
workers in hospitals in California and
Pennsylvania.

Here’s another excerpt from her book on the
subject of on-the-job health and safety from a
hospital workers viewpoint:

“People get toxic reactions from the gas used
in sterilizers. Administrators like to talk about
all the protection gear they’ll give the workers,
but they never talk about changing the kind of
gas used so workers won’t need protection.”

Running like a dark thread through these
observations about job hazards in the health care
industry — traditionally top-heavy with women
workers — is stress. :

Job stress is not unique’ in this industry. It
plays a major role. in ;accidents and general
health everywhere. Working under stress for
short bursts may improve performance. But pro-
longed stress takes its toll in such complaints
headaches, insomnia, gastrointestinal disorders
and many more.

Burdened with these uncomfortable, poten-
tially harmful distractions, workers may have
more accidents. But they are not necessarily
“accident-prone.” The workplace and work
practice may be the real culprits.

competitive and labor class employees for a period
of no less than 10 working days.”’

The county had traditionally argued that it did
not have to post vacant entry level positions but, as
a result of the arbitration, has now conceded that
posting is required.

The concession is a major victory for Suffolk
County employees who belong to CSEA Local 852
and is, as well, another win for the union’s legal
assistance program.

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983

Page 7

Empire State College
Information Day

CSEA/P — Betty Kurtik, left, Clerical and Secretarial Employee Advancement
Program representative at the Empire State College CSEA Information Day,
fields a few questions from Empire State College Personnel Director Jan
Zimmer and CSEA Local President Judy Remington. The event, ranked as
“one of the best” by those involved, featured information tables on a variety of
topics of interest to the employees.

INSURANCE — Empire State College employees surround Allan Christian and
Tom Casey from Jardine Ter Bush & Powell at the day-long event.

June employee suggestions
save taxpayers $8,079

Eighteen state employees received awards for suggestions last
month representing $8,079 in net first-year savings to New York State
taxpayers.

Allison Smith, an engineering technician with the Department of
Transportation in Albany, received the largest award in June, a $300
award for developing a program which allows quick computation of
“Span Wire Analysis” required for all new traffic signal installations.

Vincent Napolitano, a head clerk at the Workers’ Compensation
Board in New York City, received a $100 award for proposing a private
messenger service.

John Lawlor, a bridge repair supervisor II with the Department of
Transportation in Poughkeepsie, received a $100 award for suggesting a
device which would grip bent guiderail posts and allow them to be
straightened with a winch or come-a-long.

James Scordo, a motor equipment mechanic with the Department of
Transportation in Watertown, received a $100 award for suggesting that a
radiator hose be attached to a framing cross member on Mack dump
trucks. The hose will serve to prevent chafing of the cross member and
prevent its failure.

Kathryn McMahon, a clerk with the Workers’ Compensation Board in
Albany, received a $100 award for suggesting the Certificate of Insurance
in Behalf of Employer form be revised to provide a space for changes of
name, address, etc.

Other awards approved during June include:

$70 — Vicki Carroll, clerk, Motor Vehicles, Albany.

$50 — Marc Tracey, social services trainee II, Social Services,
Albany; Richard Matters, engineering materials technician, Transporta-
tion, Albany; Ernst Stroebel, senior bacteriologist, Health, Albany.

$45 — June Brandoli, senior stenographer, Civil Service, Albany.

$25 — Daniel Stoffel, principal stationary engineer, Mental Health,
Kings Park; Bernice Lowenthal, director, Agency Human Resources
Management, Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, New York City; Ralph
Brooks, senior personnel examiner, Civil Service, Albany; Donald
Jerrett, highway equipment operator, Transportation, Mexico; Doris
Bauer, typist, Workers’ Compensation Board, Rego Park.

Funding to help correct
public building hazards

ALBANY — A school district, a village, a town and a county which
are all represented by CSEA have won the lion’s share of $20,065 in
special state funds to correct hazards in public buildings.

The awards, made by the Public Employee Occupational Safety and
Health Hazard Abatement Board, pay 75 percent of the expected cost of
corrective measures. They were based on inspections done under the
state Public Employee Safety and Health Act.

Here is a breakdown of the grants:

 Lewiston-Porter Central School District (Niagara County) received
$2,079 to correct fire hazards in the ceilings of certain rooms of the North
Elementary School.

« Village of Silver Creek (Chautauqua County) was granted $9,988 for
corrective action on four facilities. Improvements scheduled include
installing railings at the sewage treatment plant, along length of dam and
at dam and intake building on King Road, and along ramp from the
chlorination building.

e Town of Horicon (Warren County) was provided $1,284 to correct
conditions in and around the town garage.

¢ Chautauqua County Department of Social Services administrative
building in Jamestown was allocated $5,005 to improve access out of
building in case of fire or emergency.

FILING ENDS AUGUST 8, 1983 Public Service Publications Editor 22,132 25-962
seek Title Salary Exam.No. Transportation Planning Aide | 10,299 25-949
open competitive Education Publications Editor $17,694 25-972 Chief of Developmental Center
Education Publications Editor, Treatment Services 47,221 28-513
Assistant 28,772 25-974 — Environmental Specialist (Cultural
Education Publications Editor, Resources) 22,132 28-523
STATE JOB Senior 22,132 25-973 Medical Conduct Investigator,
Housing Consumer Principal 32,020 28-533
Representative 17,894 25-957 — Transportation Contracts Analyst 28,772 28-531
Museum Publications Assistant 22,132 25-975 Transportation Contracts Analyst,
CALEND R Public Information Specialist 17,694 25-230 Assistant 22,132 28-530
Public Information Specialist, Coastal Development Specialist |
Senior 22,132 25-231 (Planning) 17,694 80-071
Public Information Specialist, Coastal Development Specialist I!
Associate 28,772 25-232 (Planning) 22,132 80-072

Page 8

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983

Deadli

withdrawal
of Tier Ill
contributions

ALBANY — With new Tier III retirement legislation
taking effect Sept. 1, the New York State Employees’
Retirement System has indicated that no applications for
withdrawal of contributions can be accepted after Aug.
31 from Tier III members who are under age 62.

“This also means, for example, that any of our
members who have heen laid off, who were under Tier
III, and who are under 62 years of age, have only a few
weeks in which to apply to withdraw their accumulated 3
percent contributions to the retirement system,’’ CSEA

ne for

President William L. McGowan noted.

After Sept. 1, contributions already made by Tier III
members, as well as future contributions, will not be
refundable, even if service is terminated, until the
member reaches 62 years of age or dies.

“This is one change in the law that we vehemently
objected to and which we will challenge,” McGowan
stressed. “But in the meantime, we urge members who
are terminating their employment to note this important
deadline.”

To apply fora withdrawal, you must use Form RS 5014. It may be obtain-
ed from your personnel office or by contacting the NYS Employees Retire-
ment System, Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, Albany, N.Y. 12244. The

is Aug. 31

|

preesoommmmenaims

telephone number is (518) 474-7736.

won

1
a

Barge canal cutbacks

fo meeting

NYSDOT Barge Canal Local 502 President Frank Zamiello, standing at
table center, discusses the threat of barge canal employee cutbacks with
Village of Mion marina officials at a recent special meeting called by
Mayor David Wickersham. The group expressed concern for the future of
the canal and the effect a shortage of manpower and service would have
on the recreational and commercial use and income from the marina.
Shown at the table signing CSEA “Save The Canal” petitions, from left to
right are, Ken Dack, trustee; Mayor David Wickersham; Charles
Sullivan, marina master; Frank Zammiello; Dennis Wright, marina
commission; Mike Maloy, committee chairman and Mark Evans,
marina attendant,

Corocran denounces ACOl election actions

ALBANY — CSEA is “highly indignant” over the actions of the Albany
County Opportunities Incorporated (ACOI), which have caused the ballots in a
private sector representation election to be impounded.

“CSEA has not allowed local ACOI actions to interfere with the rights of
the private sector employees to join or refrain from joining a union,” John D.
Corcoran Jr., Capital Region director said.

“But now, on the very day of the election, ACOI has asked the National
Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to impound the votes of the election par-
ticipants. This action leaves these individuals and CSEA up in the air about
their representation status. That’s totally unfair.”’

ACOT has appealed the local NLRB determination of their status as being a
private sector organization under the jurisdiction of the NLRB to the federal
NLRB in a move to cloud the representation issue.

“Apparently, the executive director of ACOI has something to hide. Why
else would he at the last minute be seeking to have the workers suddenly placed
into another sector of the labor force?” Corcoran said,

A look at some bills passed
in last legislative session

ALBANY — Although the recent session of the state Legislature was a
“mixed bag” for public employees, some progress was made.

Here is a glimpse of bills passed by the Legislature that Gov. Mario Cuomo
has already signed:

¢ TIER III PENSION PLAN IMPROVEMENTS, especially elimination of
the Social Security ‘“‘offset.””

¢ WORKERS COMPENSATION PACKAGE INCREASE; unemployment
and disability benefits increased.

¢ VIETNAM ERA CONFLICT DATES; defines era as extending from Jan.
1, 1963 to May 7, 1975.

e¢ TEMPORARY PROMOTIONS PROTECTION; contractual bonuses re-
main intact.

McGowan: Bomb searches not
responsibility of public employees

ALABNY — “‘Bombs bursting in air” could very well be more than a line
from the national anthem for CSEA members who work in various political
subdivisions.

State CSEA President William L. McGowan has issued a warning that
public employees be on guard against disaster awareness plans which require
them to do bomb searches during bomb scares.

The union leader complained that “such a program endangers our
membership and cannot be tolerated.” Accordingly, McGowan has sent a let-
ter to CSEA local and unit presidents which declares: ‘‘Bomb searches must be
performed by trained experienced personnel, experts in the field.

“In the event that management, at any location, tries to direct its
employees to perform these duties, object to the procedure and contact your
field representative.”

McGowan’s concern was prompted by spreading reports of disaster
awareness plans which state that no employee should ever feel ‘“‘duty
obligated’ to inspect or even touch a suspected bomb, but'then go on to detail
specific search responsibilities for maintenance and janitorial workers.

Civil service exam series _
fo air in Westchester Co. Aug. 6

TARRYTOWN — Many CSEA members in Westchester County will be
able to tune in their TV sets this summer to view the four-part series on how
to improve their performance on Civil Service examinations.

The four-part series, produced by CSEA and the Governor’s Office of
Employee Relations, is being broadcast this summer by McLean Cable
Associates on cable Channel 26. Based in Tarrytown, McLean Cable serves
17,000 households in Westchester County.

The entire series will run from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 6.

“The booklets that accompany the series are available at all
Westchester libraries which have a Job Center, such as Ossining,” explain-
ed McLean’s program director, Emilie Spaulding. She added that they also
hope to air the programs on the Peekskill cable system in the near future.

The television series focuses on test-taking attitudes, what to expect
during an oral examination, and preparing for the math portion of Civil Ser-
vice exams.

Videotapes of the series are also available for showings through CSEA
regional offices throughout the state.

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983 “Page 9

pial . : ments for the
re, hoping for improve laws,”

RON ENGL looks 0 ie Tif ey don’t change a couPle olay,

handicappea-

he says.

CSEA LOCAL 602 MEMBERS
donated this used wheelchair van to
the Engls, making it easier for Ron to
transport his wife, Donna.

Page 10 ‘THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983

for Medicaid benefits. As a result, Engl chose ¢&

‘What kind pf society ...

By Ron Wofford
CSEA Communications Associate

BUFFALO — Ron Engl is a man of uncommon
courage and optimism.

Engl Is a victim of cerebral palsy who must also
struggle to provide adequate medical care for his
wife, Donna, also a cerebral palsy victim who also
suffers with crippling arthritis. The arthritis has left
Mrs. Engl totally and permanently disabled and i
need of 24-hour nursing care. In addition, Eng! musi
also provide for their healthy 15-year-old son, Bill.

‘  Engl’s lifelong battle with cerebral palsy took an
unusual twist last fall, forcing him to chose between
two undesirable options. Ironically, his problems

Faced with the choice of possib
fair to even have to make such
she would be better off without
1 didn’t think about it long. | lov

escalated when a CSEA-negotiated state pay raise
pushed his annual salary, as a mail clerk for 26
years at the State University of New York at Buffalo,
to $12,794. That amount was above new federal-aid
eligibility guidelines, forcing Engl to confront his
undesirable options.

His two options? ‘‘One was to get a divorce,
thereby making his wife eligible for continued
medicaid, or resign his job and apply for disabllitys
retirement,” said Barb Christy, president of CSEA
Local 602, of which Engl was a member.

“Ron showed his character and courage by
choosing the latter option,’’said Kathy Berchou, a
vice president of Local 602. ‘‘He resigned not know-
ing if his disability claim would be approved. After
all, he had held a job for 26 years.’’

“I LOVE HER TOO MUCH” Ron Engl says of his
wife of 17 years, Donna, to have seriously con-
sidered divorcing her so she would become eligible

Engl’s disability retirement was finally approved,
put not before he was forced to accept Erie County
elfare subsistence for several months. ‘‘That was
bomething that | really didn’t want to do,” said Engl,
“but | had no choice.”’

And even though Engl is now receiving Social
Becurity and disability retirement income, the
Hifference between $1,056 monthly coming in and
96 _aOING out for Medicaid, rent, utilities and food
eaves him ‘‘walking an economic tightrope,’’
iccording to CSEA Region VI President Robert L.
attimer, who has written to President Reagan and
Rovernor Cuomo in Engl’s behalf.

“The slightest unplanned expense that pops up

c f

‘ 7 ye
it f cid think

k, for amo

t maybe
ch. But

ill obviously throw his budget planning right out
e window,”’ Lattimer continued.
As an example, he pointed out two
‘overpayments’ the federal government claimed
ad been made to Donna during her husband’s
mployment. The $400 and $200 claims had to be
epaid, despite appeals and ‘‘their impoverished
Fondition,’’ said Lattimer.
ig! said he would like to work a part-time job to

uppiement his income, but ‘“‘If | increase my
income, they will only increase the $375 | now have
lo pay monthly to Medicaid. They make it damn
profitable for a guy.”’
“They took somebody who was effective and
Productive and made him non-productive,’’
President Lattimer wrote in letters to President
Reagan and Governor Cuomo.
“What kind of society and government allows
lhis to happen?”’ Lattimer asked. ‘‘Do we really care

we merely pay lip service?’’

espite his problems, Engl maintains an
Dptimistic outlook because of his many friends
hnd co-workers. They’re like family, always have

ptire from state service before he wanted to and
pply for disability retirement in an effort to make
ids C igeg

wa:

Hows this to happen?’ |

hought I would work until | was at least 55, or die with my boots
ome way that I could work part-time at my old job for two or th

week. But taking care of Donna Is my full-time job now,” Engl says. I

A recent uplift for the Engls’ was the donation by
Local 602 members of a used wheelchair van that
will allow Engl to transport Donna with less of a
struggle than in his compact auto.

And while Engl is very appreciative, he doesn’t
expect to be making too many pleasure cruises with
the van, citing the expense of gas and maintenance
costs.

Region President Lattimer said he plans to
continue trying to cut through the red tape and
regulations to see if some accommodations can be
made for the Engls’ situation.

Meanwhile, Engl, a pioneer of the employee
assistance program at SUNY Buffalo, said he wants

“Any changes are probably a long way
down the road. But maybe (publiciz-
ing) our story will blaze the trail for
b er understanding In the future.”

People to know “‘that they shouldn’t give up when
problems arise. They should hang in there. i
“That’s why EAP has big meaning for me.
Because | know the problems that people can
have.”’ And Engl, who expressed gratitude to State
Senator Dennis Gorski for help through a long battle

“It’s too late for me, but there are
more handicapped people coming
along, and God help us If they don’t
change a couple of laws.”

for Medicaid assistance, feels that a union like §
CSEA is ‘‘so necessary, because there’s only so
much one person can do.’’

But he is hopeful something will be done soon
for Improving the lot of the handicapped. ‘“‘It’s too
late for me,’’ said Engl, ‘‘but there are more
handicapped people coming along, and God help us
if they don’t change a couple of laws.”” q

BUFFALO — The predicament of the Ron Engl
family points out a need for a national catastrophic
health insurance plan, according to Robert L.
Lattimer, Region VI president.

Lattimer, who spent an enormous amount of
time and energy seeking aid for the Engls’, said,
“There are many others who are falling through the
cracks of the so-called safety net.’’

“The Engl case,” Lattimer says, ‘‘shows the
defects in the system, and a catastrophic health
insurance plan would be genuinely helpful in cover-
ing such situations.”’

Lattimer calls for national catastrophic insurance plan; i
laudes efforts of Erie County Social Services personnel :

nab R ain a
HELPING OUT — Firm support for Ron Engl, seated left, has come from CSEA. Here Ron is surrounded

by CSEA Region VI President Robert L. Lattimer, left, Local 602 President Barbara Christy, standing
right, and Local 602 First Vice President Kathy Berchou, seated right.

Lattimer said in the many meetings he held with| |
federal state and county officials, ‘it was] /
continually pointed out to me that the structure is so
rigid, that no one has the discretionary authority to
make allowances in cases such as that of Ron
Engl.”” *

The region president lauded the ‘‘extremely| |)
cooperative attitude” of the Erie County Social}
Services Department.

“But they are hamstrung,”’ Lattimer noted, ‘‘by
the system and the enormous bureauacracy.’”’

ry

3 —~. ~

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983

Page 11

aw Leadlas ease

Safety
specialists,
health
officials
discuss

AIDS

ADDRESSING AIDS — Discussing aids are,
from left, Thomas Gibbs, assistant director of
the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations;
Robert Guild, CSEA collective bargaining

Comulidens sets

ALBANY — A report by the Center for
Disease Control in Atlanta of four cases of AIDS
among health care personnel should not be
| misinterpreted, says state Health Commissioner
| David Axelrod.

The cases span a two-year period and were all
previously reported. Moreover, none of the four
persons in the course of their work ever cared for
or had known contact with the blood or body
fluids of AIDS victims.

“There is no evidence to date of secondary
transmission of AIDS to a health care worker or

AIDS cases among health care workers

UNION CONCERNED — CSEA safety
specialists met with officials from the state
Health Department in Albany recently to talk
about AIDS, the puzzling disease which has

ALBANY — One of CSEA’s safety specialists
recently got a call from a state worker who wanted
to know if it was safe to take a piece of paper sup-
posedly touched by someone with AIDS. The
specialist replied, ‘Yes, it is. safe,” and went on to
explain that the risk of AIDS at the workplace is vir-
tually nil.

specialist; Paul Moore, of the state AIDS In-
stitute; William Leavey, deputy director of
public health; and Dr. Herbert Dickerman of the
AIDS Institute.

record straight on

any other individual through casual contact,”
says the health commissioner, who also reports
that no cases have been reported among physi-
cians, nurses or other health care personnel not
associated with known risk groups.

A recent edition of The Public Sector in-
dicated that AIDS has not been found among
health care personnel, but in light of the report it
can still be said that there is no documented
evidence of any direct or indirect link between
the four reported victims and their health care
occupations.

Page 12

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983 , .

spread fear among the general public. From left
are safety representatives Angelo DeVito, John
Bieger, Jim May and Linda Siccardi.

In fact, all current medical information in-
dicates that there is no evidence AIDS is spread by
any of the following:

sneezing, coughing or spitting;

ehandshakes or other nonsexual physical
contact;

¢ toilet seats, bathtubs or showers;

utensils, dishes or linens used by an affected
person;

« food prepared or served by an affected person;

earticles handled or worn by an affected
person;

being around an affected person, even on a dai-
ly basis over a long period of time.

AIDS — Acquired Immune Deficiency Syn-
drome — is a recently identified disorder in which
the body’s natural immune system is damaged,
reducing the ability to fight off infections and
diseases. The July 15, 1983 edition of The Public
Sector featured a four-page section about the
disease.

And, in the union’s continuing commitment to
keep its members fully informed, Collective
Bargaining Specialist Bob Guild and staff safety
specialists Jim May, Mitchell Brathwaite, Linda
Siceardi, Angela DeVito and John Bieger met in
Albany last week with state Health Department
officials. :

Tom Gibbs, assistant director of the Governor’s
Office of Employee Relations, chaired the session,
which he described as an opportunity to “‘share in-
formation and take a look at our reaction system.”

Guild noted that CSEA is encouraging its
members to report concerns about work locations
to their CSEA local president, shop steward or field
representative.

These concerns then will be relayed to CSEA
Headquarters and taken directly to the Health
Department where Gibbs pledged there will be
“full cooperation.” In fact, during the meeting,
when a safety specialist inquired about a Depart-
ment of Health memorandum outlining procedures
in providing care to AIDS patients, or performing
laboratory tests or studies of clinical specimens,
copies of the memorandum were immediately ob-
tained and distributed.

Sexually active male homosexuals and users of
intravenous drugs run the greatest risks for AIDS.
Approximately 75 percent of those who have
developed it are homosexual or bisexual men; 15-20
percent are admitted users of intravenous drugs.
Some cases also have been found among Haitian
immigrants and hemophiliacs.

Based on this data, according to the State Health
Department, the risk of AIDS can be reduced by
avoiding illicit drug use, especially IV drugs, and
by limiting the number of homosexual partners and
avoiding sex’ with persons whose past history and
health status are unknown.

Legislature approves extra
* funding for 10 school districts

ALBANY — Approximately 3,000 CSEA members
who work in small city school districts can breathe a lit-
tle easier. The state Legislature has approved extra
funds, known as Hurd Aid, to help them close budget
gaps because state law limits the amount they can tax
residents.

Here is a breakdown of the aid that school districts
Git CSEA bargaining units will receive in 1983 as com-
pared to assistance granted in 1982:

1983 1982
Mt. Vernon $6,900,000 $5,900,000
Newburgh 5,000,000 4,300,000
Niagara Falls 4,300,000 2,235,000.
Peekskill 3,800,000 3,150,000
Pougkeepsie 3,800,000 3,500,000
Kingston 2,600,000 3,000,000
Schenectady 2,400,000 2,000,000
@ackawanna 2,100,000 2,100,000
Middletown 2,100,000 1,500,000
Troy 2,000,000 1,500,000
Glen Cove 1,800,000 1,100,000

Fulton 1,000,000 1,200,000
Auburn 750,000 1,325,000
Hudson 700,000 500,000
Corning 400,000 400,000
Port Jervis 400,000 400,000
White Plains 350,000 1,200,000
Binghamton 300,000 300,000
Plattsburgh 300,000 300,000
Oneonta 250,000 250,000
Glens Falls 150,000 150,000
Mechanicville 150,000 150,000
N. Tonawanda 150,000 156,000
Rome 150,000 150,000
Rensselaer 100,000 100,000

Statistics reveal that Hurd Aid went up in 10 cities,
down in four and stayed at the same level in 11 cities.
Meanwhile, Larry Scanlon, CSEA’s coordinator of School
District Affairs, commented that while the assistance is
“welcome news because many people were hanging in
the balance, he believes “‘the real solution is an overall
reform of the way we finance all public education.”

Syracuse school units

elect new officers

SYRACUSE — Two CSEA
units representing more than 500
Syracuse City School District
clerical, transportation and
custodial employees have announc-
ed results of recent elections for
new officers.

Elected to serve three-year
terms from Unit 9 Clerical were:
Nicholas DiBello, president; Robie
Maser, vice president; Lind Mc-
Clellan, recording secretary;
Marilyn Korzelius, corresponding
secretary; and John Vercillo,
treasurer.

New officers for transportation
and custodial employees in Unit 6
include David Kennedy, incumbent
president; Glen Steele, vice presi-
dent, David Drane, second vice
president; Jerry Smith, secretary;
and Norm Purvis, treasurer.

Both school units are part of
the 24-unit structure of CSEA Local
834 Onondaga County.

MARGARET “‘PEG'’ KRESS, Senior Stenographer

“Tn terms of improv-
ing our salary and
benefits, I think the
union has done a
tremendous job.

“As a state employee
with 20 years of seniori-
ty, I’m particularly
pleased with the in-
creased benefits CSEA
has negotiated in the
last four years. In the
face of rising costs of
living, the employee
benefit prescription
plans have been really
helpful.

“It’s also reassuring
to know that my CSEA
local president is only a
few steps away should I
need a question
answered or a
grievance settled. The
union is always
reachable.”

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983 _

Page 13

Conference explores Quality
of Work Life programs

CSEA officers and staff joined their State of New York counterparts at a re-
cent workshop in Albany focusing on labor and management cooperation pro-
grams throughout New York. Sponsored by the labor/management Committee on
the Work Environment and Productivity (CWEP), the conference looked closely
at the experience of two New York State agencies with Quality of Worklife (QWL)

programs, also often referred to as Employee Involvement programs.

By Melinda Carr
Assistant Director of Communications

ALBANY — Everyone who addressed the recent Quality of Worklife
Workshop held here recently had a different definition to offer:

¢ “QWL means joint labor/management identification of problems and
solutions.”

¢ “QWL is a process through which labor and management can find
answers to problems that can’t be resolved with contract language.

‘It’s clear that we
need a systematic
change in the way
we work ... We
have to learn how
to make the
workplace a better
place to be eight
hours a day.’

— Thomas Hartnett

e “QWL means labor and management meeting on common ground to
make the work place a better, more congenial and more productive place to
work.”

“QWL says to the workers, ‘You get a chance to do something, to talk Ma
be heard, to participate, to contribute.’ ”

Although there was no agreement on a single definition of Quality of
Worklife, also known as Employee Involvement programs, there was
unanimous agreement from representatives of both labor and management
that the approach has much to offer New York State and its employees.

Conference participants, representing CSEA and the State of New York,
heard analyses of several Employee Involvement pilot projects carried out
under the auspices of the Committee on Work Environment and Productivity
(CWEP), as well as a program being instituted by the National Association of
Letter Carriers and the U.S. Postal Service. )

“The jury is still out on QWL programs, but it’s clear that we need a
systemic change in the way we work, in how we do things, how we make deci-
sions, and how workers can participate in making those decisions,” GOER
Director Thomas Hartnett said in his opening remarks. ‘‘We have to learn how
to make the workplace a better place to be eight hours a day.”’

In his overview, CWEP Chairman Harry Weiner said that while great
claims are made for QWL — management claims better productivity and
workers claim they’ll be happier — there are also great dangers in Employee
Involvement.

“It?s very threatening to management, especially traditional manage-
ment, because it implies that managers don’t know everything, ’’ Weiner sl.
“And it’s also a very real threat to labor, because labor has to take a share of
the responsibility for the success of the agency and its achievement of goals.
QWL means radically changed roles for both.”

Weiner also noted that although nationwide, especially in the private sec-
tor, some QWL programs have been anti-union ploys, this is not the case in the
CWEP-sponsored pilot programs. “Here we're talking about joint efforts in
organizations which operate in an organized labor environment,” he stressed.

CSEA President William L. McGowan told the conference, “‘QWL is a rare
opportunity for us to get together and work not only for the benefit of
employees, but also for the taxpayers.

“Management doesn’t have to give up their rights, and the union won
McGowan insisted. “But there is a time and place where we can get together.
We can make it a better, more congenial place to work as well as a more pro-
ductive place to work.”’

Reflecting on the recent personnel cutbacks, the union president emphasiz-
ed that labor and management are “‘in this thing together.”

“We just came through some hard times, and we don’t know what’s going
to happen next time around, Each year, they’re going to balance the budget on
our hides, both labor and management. We know a lot of agencies where
management isn’t any happier with the layoffs and the staff shortages now

THOMAS HARTNETT

than we are. There’s still work to be done. We have to work together.”

Why do QWL in New York State?

Answers to that question came from Brian
McDonald of MOR Associates, a consultant firm
that has been working with CWEP and other
groups to develop QWL or Employee Involve-
ment programs.

Some of the reasons for initiating QWL pro-
grams are based on a common sense approach to
running an organization, according to
McDonald. Some of the underlying assumptions
QWL rests on are:

¢ Satisfied, enthusiastic workers can con-
tribute a great deal to an organization’s success.

¢ Problems should be resolved at the level
closest to where the problem occurs.

«People appreciate being listened to and

treated in a manner which suggests their ideas
have merit.

“Why do it? You can’t afford not to. No
organization can afford to underutilize its human
resources. QWL can lead to a more cooperative
labor/management relationship. It can provide
the structure through which workers can have
input and influence and contribute their ideas to
the organization. And it can improve the quality
of decisions and result in cost savings and higher
quality of service. Finally, it’s just plain good
polities; there’s something in it for everyone.”

To illustrate the last point, he listed the many
potential results of QWL or Employee Involve-
ment programs:

Benefits of Employee Involvement

¢ For the individual: increased job satisfac-
tion and an improved worklife.

¢ For the union: reduced grievances, better
service to members and improved relations with
management.

¢ For the state: reduced absenteeism, fewer
mistakes, better relations with the union and in-
creased organizational effectiveness.

¢For the public: improved service and
reasonable costs.

“One of the great tragedies of America is the
wasted talent within our organizations,” he con-
cluded. ‘‘Workers have ingenuity, but they have
to use it to make the system work in spite of
itself, rather than being able to use it to improve
the system.

~ THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday,

y 29, 1983

At Suffolk Developmental Center, a CWEP-
sponsored QWL program is just getting under
way. Although it’s still too early in the project to
see concrete results, both labor and manage-
ment were full of enthusiasm for the concept and
the opportunity it afforded them.

According to OMRDD Manager Shelly
@ Kramer, “One question was which OMRDD
facility to select for this program, since
labor/management relations at facilities range
from excellent to adversarial. We ended up
selecting a facility with an adversarial relation-
ship, but where we thought there was good pro-
spect for improvement.

“At the time this program was proposed, I
was going to Suffolk almost weekly because of
labor-related problems,” he explained. “We

were surprised how receptive both sides were,
@ but both were also concerned about loss of their
traditional roles. But they were willing to try,
and they both saw the need.”

Added Region I President Danny Donohue:
“Often it’s hard for the union to agree with OMR-

‘QWL is a rare op-
portunity for us to
get together and

work not only for
the benefit of
employees, but also
for the taxpayers.’ |
CSEA President |

William L. McGowan

wasn’t easy,

want it to work.”
= vin, who was

cir, Soit was abit

loyees
the employ’ 15 to 20

Gels over
fice had a peareen

the-job training. swine (stat ea wee oe re
seca yee and it was ia erat when we

dof just eine employees weren't any

DD management on anything, but we do agree
on QWL. We actually found that the most
resistence to the program was from middle
management at the facility and from local union
leaders. There was enthusiasm at the top levels,
and the rank-and-file members were most
“enthusiastic.”

Donohue added that labor and management
share more concerns than one might think. “‘As
CSEA representatives and as individual public
eo none of us want employees who
don’t show up, employees who don’t work,
because after all, the rest of us just have to carry
their load. Plus the fact that we’re concerned
about the patients, and we’re taxpayers. too.”

Joe LaValle, president of the CSEA local at
Suffolk DC, stated: “We were skeptical about
QWL, but we discovered that we had many
mutual concerns and goals. We also found that
we can still be adversarial in the grievance pro-
cess, while working well together in the QWL

“Employees are demanding more participa-
tion, more influence over their daily working
lives. We have a long way to go, and we don’t ex-
pect everything to happen overnight.”

The Suffolk DC program is a comprehensive
one, including representatives of management
as well as all the unions representing employees
at the facility. Initial months of the program
have been spent by the committees developing
skills, learning the Employee Involvement pro-
cess, learning to work together, and setting
goals. Committee members expect to see results
of their initial projects by the fall.

One union representative commented: “In
arbitration, you win about half the time; it’s a
win/lose situation. But with QWL, it’s a win/win
situation.”

The management representative on the com-
mittee summed up progress so far by saying,
“We've had a lot of problems at the facility. We
can’t say we have ‘love’ yet, but we do have a lot
more ‘like.’ ”

si: —
i few pilot ati |
program is still in its early gage eit 98.
@ me hope to have tee, ok which Coe aha have also
‘iers : steering offs as @
he Nato Assocation of Lettions problems that cow) Gy, to find Thelr entited 60 problems that WY groups Mere will be m0 lay
number of eat Yast year they, DEBAT fr the union’s Presiare reached & jvernent Process:
hada language, So 5 ie? from. soe president of real Employee involv! unique
sassy rac a 1 Sine to Frank Conners, view result of tne ae ork,” ors stated. “We have ny oir
answers. on Lash accor » hye told con to make e this W' oo workplace, and we’r'
} and the postmas away of life, ich we're going 10 MAE ay of life in
e Sere thinking of Employes Im volvement ‘making oe arbitra at SOP] sal cee NT
we’ 2 “Tp to no’ rin an to pi
pants. “UP uld be happie!
ference parti happy- Both sides wor
e .d neither 5! side ap
onnadversarial.”

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday. July 29, 1983

Page 15

HERKIMER COUNTY — CSEA Ex-
ecutive Vice President Joseph E.
McDermott, standing left, and Region
V President James Moore, right,
were on hand to install the officers in
Herkimer County Local 822. Standing
with them is Mary E. Sullivan, lecal

and board representative.
Seated are Judy Hyde, left, secretar
and Sandra Walby, vice president.
Patricia Labrozzi, treasurer, is not
pictured.

JUDICIAL LOCAL 334 — Region V e
President James Moore, left, prepares
to administer the oath of office to of-
ficers of Local 334 at a recent ceremony.
Installed were, left to right, Sharon
Caraway, president, unit 4; Nancy
Roark, local president; Kathleen
Enyedy, treasurer; Kenneth Bailey’
first vice president; Sheila Lowe,
secretary; Mary Anthony, second vice
president; and Pat Roberts, president,
unit 5.

TAX AND FINANCE LOCAL 690 —
Region IV President C. Allen Mead,
right, swears in Local 690 officers.
Taking oath are, from left, Secretary
Helen Butrym, Treasurer Tom
O'Donnell, Third Vice President Bill
Burdick, Second Vice President Mary
Jaro, First Vice President Lee
Johnson, President Carmen Bagnoli
and CSEA Board of Directors
member John Gully.

Page 16 THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983

PATHOGUE MEDFORD LIBRARY —
Charles Novo, right, Suffolk Local 852 presi-
dent, swears in new officers of the Patchogue
Meford Library unit. Pictured are Phyllis
Gearity, shop steward; Anna Scanlon, OSHA
representative; Dorothy Civitella, secretary;
Vicki Brady, treasurer; Marie Mallon, vice
president; and June Cerveny, president.

z a al x” ' he oe ‘
e BUFFALO LOCAL 003 — Region VI President Robert L. Lattimer,
standing center, installed Local 003 officers recently. Standing, left to

right, are Dorothy Winborn, corresponding secretary; Pat Chance
MeNally, recording secretary; Lattimer; Juanita Brown, delegate;

STATEN ISLAND DC —
Metropolitan Region II President
Frances DuBose-Batiste, standing
right, swears in the new officers of
Local 429 at the CSEA Manhattan
regional office. The officers, who
represent some 1,700 mental
hygiene employees at the Staten
Island Developmental Center, will
serve three-year terms. Seated left
to right are Les Sanders, opera-
tional unit representative; Rose
Platt, third vice president; Sadie
Miles, institutional unit represen-
tative; and Diane Young, cor-
responding secretary. Standing,
left to right, are Jay Armstrong,
fourth vice president; Frank Bell,
second vice president; Walter
Taylor, first vice president; and
Tyrone Daniels, president.

THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983

“Page 17
SOLIDARITY CENTER:

Info
friends of Labor

mation of interest to union members and all

“Look for the union label!” It’s a

slogan the general public has come
to associate with superior goods
and products. Conversely, organiz-
ed labor has traditionally urged the
public to avoid purchasing non-
union products OR products of com-
panies and corporations that have
demonstrated an anti-union at-
titude. Below are two exai

les.
One, “DO BUY,’ zien

made footwear manufactured in
America. Clip and save this listing
for future reference the next time
you buy footwear. The second,
Rracea Laas Is Kong hires listing

national ycotts, cially sanc-
tioned by the AFL-CIO Executive
Council. Until further notice, you
should avoid buying these boycot-
ted products.

is a listing of union-

ION-MADE FO! oe mae
jean stores (
U the footwear on sale 18 AMEEAT. ccvear industry ant
Forty percent oF Ee ion employers im te ogkers are members
america. Here's 2 Ist of es they produce. Stes Te ited Food & Come
the brand names of IDE SHOE Scie Workers and the ide imports. If $0.
the Amalgamated ¢ ‘otf, Some brands listed feed ioetek before you DY
rokers. caution: S ds Ta poe. Che
— oro ergin must be imprint -d on uae
the cou
1 soe co
shoe center)  eeties Sarat
0s Guard Bel ‘Domphies pCO Red Gore
J’ cera Safety Shoe e ier Bron. Sboe Mit ig
men’s Shows On Guar creat Saar CO Ker Bros sustin Boot
co sin Bone
rary Soe ah pete re
L's port Sher CO Surcet Cars ovenile Shoe COP
sono s year
scicrile mene oe 5 iy) ame {ioitinens
srance rah Stet Doron Fiihet Les ay Bones
Fe ha mom — a oie
shoe Cm Len ees Sows, Ie sale pay oe cm
nile
Legs Ker Eee oy Ste Con EER ae ee tes u
Redwin Loc Fox Shoe C2 Mie eee Feet” Derby State ©
Lies Seu Canadian Bike Troter rage
ates om pies Soe Mite C™ viyraa Shoe Co- Royal canadian
meee ie Myma ‘Stride Rite Com
= a = os penal
Soe ce aeereeett rece re
Sores shoes “Can pn
ce om Ae
cee en epee ae
: Wenner rast ey Deer
Te ce een ao ee Tene,
es weeo “chece Leniers ‘hee, In. yen Dee
‘The Flo gabe see ® | Ciywdalt mau Wee
resman Sno Co Sone Boh Debonait gee
gf soe Sine Bah Sent na tr So coer Mat
re inet SA is eee <
pooner Were ce amt Ac i isn a at Se ©
ease ce wats fore sent Se CO Ce Mal
Lasaay ee areas een Pet Deine Bo Enetow Shoes, I
ternational Shoe Co- Women’s ‘Trios Poher ‘Eneslow
iy Cu paeS Vite ser cot eees er 1 Shoe
Greaies os Viity ees ns er
i ‘Alen pangs ma
tyes “ a ee oa
NCAA erie Shoe C senda xe ey Kane
Seidasoomae nie on a se
prove se = Des a
Lewy Air SHEP Koltin Enterprises Migliore
Man Robe hee nA ace, ee
Vaawoe thes me see 2
Leet ° Bombay Wrccasin ML See Corr
Jung Sboe €% Natwralizt abana Sbo* pomeeen Me mas
iene Sie bog ee eamee
son Bot CO sri pene shes Pras ie ores i Me
Toon oot ae dom 8 a ees
- Ht Beow es 8
Laconia Saar © z Debs, Ine. co TSR.
cor cutoria din Bot ye
por iforma Debs Justin Boot £0, Dey Servet
evra oe CH hema Te eh ope
Comet contooe seve Shoe i,
Ler ian Gon heleee en ‘poner Brow wen Nott
oe erades Pate me fone eons
“Seow Pres apa cakes Carol
cece Sa C= cat any Bowe ————
an Ve core

products

>

in the market
for footwear?
Look for the
union label
in these fine
union-made

DO NOT

BUT...

BUY

merchandise

National Boycotts Officially Sanctioned by the AFL-CIO Executive Council
BROWN & SHARPE

‘Measuring, cutting and machine tools and pumps
International Association of Machinists & Aerospace

Workers

BRUCE CHURCH

Teaberg Lettuc

Red Coach, Friendly, Green Valley Farms, Lucky
United Farm Workers of America

COORS BREWERY

Beer:
‘Coors, Coors Light, Herman Joseph's 1868
Ale:

George Kilt

EQUITABLE LIFE

ASSURANCE SOCIETY

8 Irish Red
AFL-CIO Brewery Workers Local 365

yy,

N’T BUY

MAGIC CHEF

‘Gas and electric kitchen ranges
Molders & Allied Workers Union

PROCTER & GAMBLE

Powder Detergents:
Tide, Cheer, Oxydol, Bold
Liquid Detergents:
Wory, Joy, Dawn
Bar Soaps:
Zest, Camay, Ivory
United Steetworkers of Ameri

R. J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO.
Cigarettes:

‘Camels, Winston, Salem, Doral, Vantage, More,
Now, Real

from firms
on this
AFL-CIO
boycott list

Life insurance, group insurance, major medical dis-

ability income policies, pension plans and pension
fund investments

Service Employees international Union
INDIANA DESK

‘Medium and high priced desks. Also se!
tions, Le, states, municipalities, Boa
tion, ete.

United Furniture Workers of America
1OWA BEEF PROCESSORS
Meat and meat products

United Food and Commercial Workers International
Union

KOSMOS CEMENT

Kosmos Pariland Cement, High Early Cement, and

Air Entraining Cement and Kosmortar Masonry
Cement

United Cement, Lime, Gypsum & Allied Workers

Union Label and Service Trades Department, AFL-CiO

United Food & Commer

Smoking Tobacco:
Prince Albert

Little Cigars:
‘Winchester

Bakery, Confectionery & Tobacco Workers

SEATTLE FIRST NATIONAL BANK
Withdraw Funds

United Food and Commercial Workers International
Union

STERLING RADIATOR

Baseboard heaters for the home
United Auto Workers

TYSON FOODS

Chicken products sold as Chick’N Quick, Chick'N
Cheddar, Swiss’N Bacon, chicken bologna, chicken
weiners & chicken corndogs.

Cornish game hens sold under Tyson Rock, Green-
wich Rock & Patty Jean Rock labels

Workers

eo

“THE PUBLIC SECTOR, Friday, July 29, 1983

JAMES LINDSAY

ALBANY — CSEA’s Statewide Board of Directors
elected committee members during the Board’s
organizational meeting in Albany. July 21. Many of the
committees are mandated by the union’s Constitution
and By-Laws.

Thomas Jefferson was elected chairman of the State
Executive Committee, and Sue Crawford will serve as
vice chairwoman. Mary Sullivan was re-elected chair-
woman of the County Executive Committee, along with
vice-chairman Dom Spacone. Along with the 10 statewide
officers, these four members of the Board will serve on
the Directors’ Committee, or Mini-Board.

Also representing the State Division on the Direc-
tors’ Committee will be Eva Katz, Pat Crandall and
Jeanne Lyons. Representing the County Division on the
committee will be Cathy Green, Bill Zippiere, Pat
Mascioli and Bob Allen.

Other committee election results are as follows:

PERSONNEL COMMITTEE: Chairman Ellis
Adams, Vice Chairwoman Joan Tobin, Barbara Stack,
Elaine Mootry, John Francisco, Sue Bucrzinski, Tom
Elhage, Dolores Herrig, Jerry Donahue and Jim
Lindsay.

BUDGET COMMITTEE: Chairman John Gully,
Vice Chairman Richard Grieco, Fran Wilusz, Jean
Frazier, Carol Riggall and Walter Durkin.

CHARTER COMMITTEE: Chairwoman JoAnn
Lowe, Vice Chairman Vic Marr, Harold Ryan, Bill
McMahon, Brenda Nichols, Cindy Egan, Marjorie
Cogeshall, Kathy Saddlemire, richard Reno and
Flo Tripi.

COMMITTEE TO STUDY GROUP LIFE IN-
SURANCE: Chairwoman Betty Collins, Vice Chair-
woman June Robak, Lisa Bursor, Jack Cassidy, Kathy
Berchou, Irene Kobbe, Doug Persons, Mabel
Wannamaker, Frank Bosco and Andrew Lucyszyn.

PUBLIC SECTOR COMMITTEE: Chairwoman
Cathy Green, Vice Chairman Joseph McDermott, Jimmy
Gripper, Pat Mascioli, Cindy Egan, Tom Elhage and
Brian Madden.

Elected to serve on the Appeals Board, which con-
siders appeals of determinations of the union’s Judicial
Board, were: Pat Hahn, Region I; Joel Schwartz, Region
Il; Bill Harris, Region III; Dolores Farrell, Region IV;
Joan Brower, Region V; and Penny Bush, Region VI.

Elected to serve as Political Action Fund trustees
were: John McAlonan, Pat Mascioli, Joan Tobin and
Mike Curtin.

The Board elected Executive Vice President Joseph
McDermott, Region V President Jim Moore, and
Statewide Secretary Irene Carr to serve as trustees of
the Employee Benefit Fund.

CSEA EXECU-
TIVE VICE
PRESIDENT
Joseph
MeDermott talks
with Mary
Sullivan, left,
and Frances
DuBose-Batiste at
the recent Board
of Directors or-
ganizational meet-

JIMMY GRIPPER

CSEA PRESIDENT William L. McGowan presents plaque
to Ruth Lovegrove, a board member who retired recent) es

a iI SIR AS SEE TE REPRE YS RON

DOLORES FARRELL

BRIAN J. MADDEN
RSA MTL TOTES OE AO MRE NABI 2G SS

Local and Region Safety Committee.

METAL COVER in the foreground was hurled against Richard Conrad, killing him, and
landed more than 25 fect from the brush chipper in the background.

FATAL ACCIDENT SCENE, below, is inspected by Town of West Seneca Local 815 blue
Collar Unit President Jim Kittner, left, and Stephen Carvana, a member of the CSEA

Union cites lack
of safety program
as contributing
to fatal mishap

“4t’s clear that the safety of its employees
Is not a priority for the Town of West
Seneca. This lax attitude, tragically, is
typical of most pub!c employ In spite
of the Public Employee C&A Law which

was passed three years agu.”
—CSEA Western Region President
Robert L. Lattimer

BUFFALO — The on-the-job death of Town of West
Seneca Highway Department employee Richard Conrad
last month has triggered demands by CSEA for a safety
training program for town employees.

Speaking at a news conference, CSEA Region VI
President Robert L. Lattimer called Conrad’s death the
direct result of no safety or equipment operational instruc-
tion from the highway department.

Conrad, 26, was fatally injured June 28 when struck
by the blade cover of a brush-chipping machine, during at-
tempts to unclog the machine.

“‘CSEA is demanding that a safety program, including
operating instructions for all equipment that employees
use, be implemented immediately, ” Lattimer declared,

adding that Region VI OSHA Specialist John Bieger is s

available for assistance, if necessary.

Jim Kittner, president of the town’s blue-collar unit of
Local 815, produced correspondence that showed at-
tempts by the unit to establish a safety committee and
safety measures had not been responded to by the town.
Some of the documents dated back to January, 1981.

“It’s clear,’’ stated Lattimer, ‘‘that the safety of its
employees is not a priority for the Town of West Seneca.
This lax attitude, tragically, is typical of most public
employers, in spite of the Public Employee OSHA Law
which was passed three years ago.’’

The Region President said public employees receive
more injuries on the job than private sector employees,
noting deaths of three CSEA members in recent weeks.

“The unfortunate death of Richard Conrad occurred
because no safety training program existed, and this
union will not stand idly by as the potential for more death
and injury exists,”’ Lattimer said.

“There is no need to wait for detailed OSHA or acci-
dent reports. The need for a safety training program cries
out and we demand,”’ Lattimer concluded, ‘‘that the Town
of West Seneca meet its responsibility now.’’

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