The Work Force, 2013 February

Ork Force

Vol. 16 No. 2
013

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Photo of the Month

A Brookhaven bucket loader i is dwarfed by a hill of
debris from just part of the Sandy cleanup effort that
continues on Long Island. See pages 10-11.

Irene Carr Leadership
Award nominations sought

The deadline for CSEA’s Irene Carr Leadership Award
nominations is fast approaching! Do you know someone
who takes the lead, speaks out and makes a difference

on issues of concern to women and families? Nominate
that person for the award. Download the nomination

form at: http ealocal1000.org/images/carr_
nomination_form_! 201: 3.pdf.

All nominations must be received by Feb. 8, 2013.
The award will be presented at the CSEA Statewide
Wom Conference on April 5, 2013 at the Hilton Rye
Town in Rye Brook, N.Y.

May 15 is deadline for submitting proposed
resolutions, changes to CSEA’s
Constitution & Bylaws

CSEA Constitution & By-Laws for consideration by CSEA
delegates to the union’s 2013 Annual Delegates Meeting
must be submitted by May 15, 2013.

Proposed resolutions may be submitted only by a delegate
and must be submitted on the proper forms. Forms for
submitting resolutions are available from CSEA headquarters
and region offices.

Proposed resolutions and proposed amendments to the
Constitution and Bylaws must be submitted no later than May
15 to Statewide Secretary Denise Berkley, CSEA Headquarters,
143 Washington Ave., Albany, N.Y. 12210-2303.

The 2013 CSEA Annual Delegates Meeting will be held Oct.
21-25 in Lake Placid.

Pac resolutions and proposed amendments to the

OCFS initiative forces downstate
youth facilities to close

BRONX — William Ponder couldn't feel
closer to his Bronx home, as well as the
hearts and minds of the troubled young
men he’s worked closely with for the past
five years.

That is why he’s baffled by a new state
initiative that will soon shut his work site
down.

Under the “Close to Home” initiative,
fast-tracked through Albany last year,
about 250 city youths in upstate detention
facilities were transferred in December
from non-secure Office of Children and
Family Services (OCFS) facilities to
programs run by the city Administration
for Children’s Services. Youths in limited-
secure facilities are scheduled to be
transferred in early 2013.

“We are close to home. | don’t see the
point of closing it or changing it,” said
Ponder, a youth division aide (YDA) at
Bronx Residential Center, which OCFS
operates. “Most of us can relate to what
these kids are going through, but when
they make these changes it affects the kids
and the staff in these programs.”

Contracting out services

The initiative focuses on reducing the
placement of troubled youths in OCFS
facilities and moving them to mostly
privately run facilities in the very same
neighborhoods where they live. Many
argue that the initiative also offers the
Cuomo administration a way to privatize
state jobs while getting out of providing
juvenile justice services.

In early January, about 200 workers
at Brooklyn Residential Center, Bronx
Residential Center, Staten Island
Residential Center, Staten Island Group
Home, City Challenge and New York City
Evening Reporting Centers began receiving
the somber news that their sites would
close by the end of March.

At Bronx Residential Center, in the
converted gymnasium of a former church,
Ponder and his co-workers recently got
advice on how to reapply for other state
jobs, revise their resumes, and collect
unemployment and other benefits.

“lm upset about it, I’m going to miss
this location, the kids, my co-workers,”
said Anthony Hinton, a youth division aide
for the past six years. “It’s been a stressful

Youth Developmental Aides William
Ponder, Erika Watson, and Anthony
Hinton stand near the basketball court
where they spent many hours playing
and working with youths at state Office
of Children and Family Services Bronx
Residential facility.

rollercoaster for me. My whole life is being
dismantled.”

Hinton, also a Bronx resident, wasn’t
convinced that the community was the
best place for many of these youths. “The
community is often part of the problem,”
he said. “That’s where the gangs are.
Perhaps there is a dysfunctional family
situation and other negative factors in
their surroundings.”

Erika Watson, a youth division
aide for eight years, tied passage and
implementation of the initiative to politics
and not necessarily the well being of the
youths in these facilities. She also noted
that within the first week of the initiative,
of some 52 youths placed ‘close to home,’
29 were rearrested and 11 active warrants
were issued.

“It’s a shame that the Division of
Juvenile Justice and Opportunities for
Youth is no longer about helping kids,”
said Watson. “When the contract runs out
in the next few years then we'll see these
kids back in these facilities. That’s what
happened in 2006.”

“It makes me sad,” said Watson, who
has two children of her own and also
raised two foster children. “I want to help
these kids, because if we don’t make a
difference in their lives, who is going to?”

— David Galarza

2 | THe Work FORCE

February 2013
OCFS turns back
on worker injuries

Ihe evidence is mounting against
officials at the state Office of
Children and Family Services (OCFS)

that they just don’t care about the
safety of their workers or residents.
In fact, the agency seems content

similar viciousness ... blood spills
and tables are overturned ... staff
members and young residents lay
unconscious from the blows.”

The newspaper's editorial board
concluded that OCFS Commissioner

to rack up tens
of thousands of
dollars in fines
to the state
Department of
Labor rather
than improve
security.

Gladys Carrion
“needs to

find a way to
guarantee the
security of
both the staff
responsible for
providing that

“yr any other agency where we
point out a workplace violence
problem, officials are more than
eager to fix it to protect their
employees. This is yet another
disturbing example of OCFS’ utter

The Albany Times-Union and the Associated Press have reported in
articles and editorials that state figures show violence is on the rise at
juvenile justice facilities run by the state Office of Children and Family
Services.

Recent
articles and
editorials in
the Albany
Times Union
and Associated
Press report state figures show
violence is on the rise at juvenile
justice facilities run by the agency,
putting staff and residents at risk.
One article reports that the number
of assaults on staff increased more
than 500 percent between 2007
and 2012 from 52 to 280. Another
article describes footage taken
from surveillance video at two state
facilities as follows:

“Teenage detainees gang up on
a much larger staff member and
pound him to the ground ... youthful
prisoners attack each other with

disregard for their workers.??
— CSEA President
Danny Donohue

sanctuary and
for juvenile
offenders
themselves.
Her office’s
explanation for
the increasing violent atmosphere
in these facilities, which it doesn’t
dispute, isn’t reassuring.”

Also not very reassuring is the
way the agency has handled two
PESH (Public Employee Safety
and Health) complaints CSEA
filed with the state Department of
Labor charging that provisions of
New York’s Workplace Violence
Prevention regulations are being
ignored at the Goshen Secure Center
in Orange County and at the Taberg
Residential Center in Oneida County.

At Goshen, CSEA discovered

+ 33 percent of residents currently at limited secure facilities

and 20 percent at non-secure facilities operated by OCFS had
committed violent felony offenses, including aggravated assault
and dangerous weapons possession, according to figures CSEA
received in response to a Freedom of Information request.

+ OCFS faces a high recidivism rate: Of 2,000 youths released

from OCFS facilities in 2008, half were rearrested within a year,
and nearly 70 percent were rearrested within two years.

+ CSEA has long argued the need for change in OCFS facilities,
but the agency has repeatedly failed to provide adequate staff,
training and resources and has ignored deteriorating conditions
that have put staff and residents at risk.

that 70 to 80 percent of disciplinary
cases against residents charged with
serious violations, including attacks
on staff, were being dropped, not
because they were unwarranted, but
due to procedural errors on the part
of facility officials.

The union charged that the
facility’s failure to properly enforce
its disciplinary procedure increased
the likelihood of workplace violence
because so many residents were
getting away with violent behavior.

Violations

PESH issued a violation in
December 2011, finding that Goshen
violated the law by failing to assess
its policies, work practices and
procedures that impact the risk of
workplace violence.

CSEA members working at the
facility and union safety and health
staff worked for months with
facility representatives to develop a
tracking system designed to improve
implementation of the disciplinary
procedure. However, facility
management has not maintained
the system, which has resulted in
additional errors and dropped cases.

At Taberg, CSEA discovered that
30 to 40 percent of the direct care
staff there were out on Workers’
Compensation because they had
been assaulted by residents of the
facility. The union charged that
this was evidence of an obvious

workplace violence problem.

DOL agreed and cited the facility
for failing to assess policies and
procedures as well as failing to
examine previous incidents of work
place violence. As with Goshen,
Taberg officials continue to ignore
DOL’s citation.

As a result of the ongoing
violation, DOL is fining the agency
hundreds of dollars for each day it
fails to protect its workers.

Inspections set

Confronted with OCFS’s foot-
dragging at Goshen and Taberg, and
sensing there may be a systemic
problem throughout the agency,
top-level DOL officials have asked
PESH to visit all 19 juvenile justice
facilities across the state and issue
a site-by-site report assessing each
facility’s compliance with the law.

The results of that report may
then be used to develop an agency
wide workplace violence prevention
plan and OCFS may be ordered to
comply with that plan.

“In any other agency where we
point out a workplace violence
problem, officials are more than
eager to fix it to protect their
employees,” said CSEA President
Danny Donohue. “This is yet another
disturbing example of OCFS’ utter
disregard for their workers.”

— Ed Molitor

February 2013

THe Work FORCE
WORK

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 GAVIN
Associate Editor
CATHLEEN FEBRAIO
Graphic Production Specialist
JANICE M. KUCSKAR
Graphic Production Specialist
BETH McINTYRE
Communications Assistant

& Work Force

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, and additional mailing offices.

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

RICH IMPAGLIAZZO Long Island Region (631) 462-0030
DAVID GALARZA Metropolitan Region —_ (212) 406-2156
JESSICA LADLEE, Southern Region (845) 831-1000
THERESE ASSALIAN Capital Region (618) 785-4400
MARK M. KOTZIN Central Region (315) 433-0050
LYNN MILLER Western Region (716) 691-6555
ED MOLITOR Headquarters (618) 257-1272
JILL ASENCIO Headquarters (618) 257-1276
The Publications Committee
Jerry Larrichiuta
Janice Mason
Robert Pazik
Theresa Reagan
Ed Russo
Debi Sherk
3908 CML cgy
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iF 1220M 7
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aw Thy

CSEA President Danny Donohue

CSEA is focused and committed
to doing better for vulnerable seniors

I recent months, CSEA has been focused on protecting

vulnerable seniors and maintaining a commitment to public
health facilities. We’re proud of our efforts and we will continue
to fight the good fight. Activists and community partners have
worked hard in county after county to make it clear that public
health care is something we should value as a community.

The evidence is clear that decisions to contract
out public health services will erode the quality of care,
undermine the dedicated work force, and reduce access to
care for those who most need it. CSEA will keep delivering
this message.

Officials in a number of counties are pursuing questionable schemes to
create Local Development Corporations (LDCs) to facilitate the privatization of
nursing facilities. This approach may not even be legal but at best, there are many
unanswered questions about what it will mean for county taxpayers. It could mean
there would be no accountability for operations but the public would still be on the
hook for debt.

This is not right and we will not accept it. We will make our case in court if
necessary but we will also keep pressing the point in the court of public opinion.

Everyone should also understand that the issue of counties abandoning
their commitment to public health care facilities is directly connected to the state’s
misguided property tax cap that does more to tie hands than to provide relief. Faced
with inadequate state aid and an artificial cap, we’re seeing politicians opt for a
political quick fix that will only make a bad situation worse down the road. We must
call them into account.

Anyone who tries to say it’s a complicated issue should know better. It’s really
very simple when it’s about doing what’s right: We can do better for vulnerable

seniors.

4 | THe Work FORCE

February 2013

Keuafier

@2013

CSEA favors increasing New York’s minimum wage

uring his recent State of the

State address, Gov. Andrew
Cuomo proposed raising the
state’s minimum wage from the
current $7.25 an hour to $8.75 an
hour. This is good news for New
York’s working people.

The governor may be
attempting to gain Republican
votes with his proposal. CSEA
prefers a minimum wage law
proposed last year by Assembly
Speaker Sheldon Silver.

Silver’s plan would tie New
York’s minimum wage to an
index that would automatically
raise the minimum wage as
needed, based on the cost-of-
living expenses, beginning with a
hike to $8.50 an hour.

Silver’s proposal would
eliminate “begging” by
advocates for workers, who
at present need to lobby the

February 2013

governor and legislature for

an increase when the state’s
minimum wage falls behind the
cost of living.

CSEA members earn wages
above the minimum wage due
to the contracts they negotiate
with their employers. Most
union members also earn
salary step increases built into
their job titles. The union also
negotiates those step increases.

This isn’t the case for most
non-union workers across the
state. They are beholden to their
employers for any increase in
wages they may receive, beyond
the minimum wage.

That is why raising the
minimum wage is so important.
It helps all workers, not just the
workers receiving a boost in the
minimum wage. More money in
a worker’s pocket means more

money spent in local economies.

That benefits everybody.

Food and gasoline prices,
medical expenses and housing
costs all consume what a
minimum-wage worker earns.
Helping workers not just get
by, but perhaps save money
and enjoy a better quality of life
benefits us all.

A 2012 report by the Fiscal
Policy Institute, which is
supported by CSEA, noted that
880,000 workers in New York
would benefit from a minimum
wage hike. A majority of those
workers live in and around New
York City, but the report stated
that many workers in upstate
counties would be helped, too,
especially in Broome, Oneida
and Erie counties.

Opponents of raising New
York’s minimum wage say doing

so would increase payroll taxes
on minimum wage workers,
negating the wage hike, and
would push some families

over the earning threshold

that allows them to qualify for
New York’s Family Health Plus
program, which provides health
care for low-income families.

Fiscal Policy Institute and
National Employment Law
Project show that, on an after-
tax basis, all minimum wage
workers would be considerably
better off following a minimum
wage increase. And, Family
Health Plus eligibility is not
affected for the overwhelming
majority of low-wage New
Yorkers.

The bottom line on those who
oppose a minimum wage hike is
that they oppose rewarding hard
work with decent pay.

THe Work FORCE
CSEA challenging
county on layoffs,
targeting of officer

WHITE PLAINS — CSEA is
challenging Westchester
County on several legal fronts
following the county’s layoff

of 73 workers and the targeting
of the CSEA Westchester
County Unit president.

Protecting our rights

In early January, CSEA filed
a lawsuit in state Supreme
Court in Westchester County
challenging the legality of the
2013 county budget due to
violations of the state Open
Meetings Law. Attorneys
for the union also filed an
improper practice charge with
the state Public Employment
Relations Board charging that
the county violated the state
Taylor Law by specifically
targeting Unit President Karen
Pecora for layoff.

“CSEA has an obligation
to see that members’ rights
are protected and laws are
followed in the best interest
of the entire community,”
said CSEA Southern Region
President Billy Riccaldo.

“We believe the budget vote
that took place was done in
violation of the law, which
means 73 people were forced
out of their jobs illegally.
What’s also disturbing is that
the bargaining unit president
was Clearly singled out to be
on that layoff list, which is an
unusual if not unprecedented
action, not to mention a
violation of state law ensuring
fair labor-management
relations.”

No public minutes were
taken of the portion of the
Board of Legislators meeting
during which nine remaining
legislators voted on the budget,
which CSEA attorneys charge
violates the Open Meetings
Law.

Unit president targeted
The CSEA contract includes

a provision providing the
unit president release time
from her job to represent
and conduct the business of
the 3,200-member bargaining
unit. In a shockingly candid

“The county’s blatant singling out of
[Pecora] has a chilling effect on the union

and sends a very threatening message to
county workers that they could be next if
they speak out for their rights.”

——

ie STCHESTER COUNTY UNrp, 8209

CSE/AFSCME

Westchester County Unit President Karen Pecora, second from
right, speaks at a December 2011 news conference in White
Plains as CSEA officers and activists listen in support, including
Westchester County Local President John Staino, third from
right, and Southern Region President Billy Riccaldo, far right.

statement provided to

the media in December,
county officials stated that
Pecora’s job title in the Parks
Department was eliminated
after it was decided her
position was no longer
needed and tied the decision
to eliminate the position to
CSEA’s stance in contract
negotiatons.

In early January, Pecora
applied for a vacancy in the
county Board of Elections
office and accepted a lower-
grade position there to
allow her to continue as unit
president.

“The county’s blatant
singling out of [Pecora] has
a chilling effect on the union
and sends a very threatening
message to county workers
that they could be next if
they speak out for their

rights,” Riccaldo said. “CSEA
representatives reminded the
county’s representatives of
the legal implications of anti-
union animus, but they chose
to proceed with targeting
[Pecora] in spite of the clearly
written provision in the Taylor
Law warning against this very
circumstance.”

Contract talks have
progressed to mediation. As
this edition went to press,
union officials remained
hopeful that an agreement
could be reached that would
bring back all laid-off workers.

— Jessica Ladlee

6 | THe Work FORCE

February 2013
Poughkeepsie members
fight for city services

POUGHKEEPSIE
— When CSEA
members in

the City of
Poughkeepsie got
wind of a plan to
outsource city
sanitation and
cut additional
jobs and
services, they wasted no time in
mobilizing.

Dooris

Grassroots efforts

A week before Mayor John
Tkazyik made his official
budget announcement, CSEA-
represented sanitation workers
and co-workers were knocking
on doors, collecting petition
signatures, researching
outsourcing alternatives and
lobbying Common Council
members.

The resulting public outcry led
the Common Council to nix the
outsourcing plan and retain all 18
jobs slated for elimination.

“Iam so proud of our members
who got out there door-to-

door like they did,” said City of
Poughkeepsie Unit President Joy
Apolaya. “The residents were
incensed once they found out
what was going on.”

Valuable public services

Knocking on over 1,000 doors,
members were able to explain
the proposal’s impact on quality
of life, said Unit Vice President
Bruce Dooris, the campaign’s
chief organizer.

“We explained that not only do
our members handle sanitation,
they do snow plowing, pick up
brush and leaves, pick up dead
animals, clean gutter lines,
sweep the streets, and keep
the downtown business district
clean,” said Dooris. “There was
already tremendous opposition
to outsourcing because the
residents know our crews do a
fantastic job, but hearing about
what else the workers here do
was a good reminder of the value
of our city services. The mayor’s
office and the council members
were flooded with calls.”

CSEA City of Poughkeepsie Unit members Paul DuBois, standing,
and Chip DuBois, driving, were part of a group of members

that knocked on more than 1,000 doors in the city as part of a
campaign to stop sanitation outsourcing.

Dooris said support from key
council members, including
Gwen Johnson and Nina Boyd,
was critical in keeping services
and jobs intact. The proposed
budget also called for cutting two
mechanics and a police aide and
juvenile specialist from the police
department.

With attacks on public services
becoming more frequent, Dooris
said traditional tactics such as
door-to-door visits and leafleting

remain essential components in
reminding residents of the value
of public services.

“Clean streets are what a city
needs,” Dooris said. “People
didn’t want to lose the sanitation
service and they also didn’t want
18 people losing their jobs. They
said, ‘enough is enough’ and the
council heard them.”

— Jessica Ladlee

Update on recent CSEA organizing activities

ere’s a brief roundup of
H=: recent organizing
activities.

In the Village of Port
Jefferson on Long Island, 37
constables/appearance ticket
officers recently received a
hassle-free approval from the
village to organize.

After achieving a majority,
and PERB acceptance, the
constables were given what is
called “voluntary recognition,” of
their union. They join an existing

CSEA Village of Port Jefferson
unit.

Also on Long Island, 52
Valley Stream Central High
School custodians, former
members of United Service
Workers Union (USWU) — a
United Public Service Employees
Union (UPSEU) fellow affiliate
of The International Union of
Journeymen and Allied Trades
(IUJAT), have decertified from
USWU and made the decision to
join CSEA instead.

In the Southern Region, 33
Westchester County supervisors
who are responsible for
overseeing some of the newly
organized “H.O.U.R Westchester”
members (hourly and seasonal
Westchester County workers
who joined CSEA last year) have
also decided to join CSEA and
create a separate unit.

In the Capital Region, 15
workers at the Clifton Park
Water Authority achieved
a majority and also recently

became members of CSEA
through voluntary recognition.
Job titles include heavy
equipment operator, water
technician, service technician,
inspector, assistant plant
operator, meter reader,
administrative assistant, water
treatment plant operator, field
technician, billing clerk and
operations foreman.

— Jill Asencio

February 2013

THe Work FORCE 7 |
County leaders ram
nursing home sale
past public process

BALLSTON SPA — Saratoga
County officials held the first and
only public hearing on the sale

of the county-run nursing home,
Maplewood Manor, nearly two
months after a vote to form a local
development corporation (LDC) to
sell the facility.

The timing of the hearing is
characteristic of the manner in
which county officials have handled
the process of dispensing with this
valuable public asset. CSEA has
been critical of the LDC process
as well as the stunning lack of
transparency and public input that
has dominated
the fast-track

process.
State

Comptroller

Thomas DiNapoli

has also been
critical of LDCs.
Though New York
counties are increasingly turning
to LDCs as a method to dispense
with their public nursing homes,
many feel that using a LDC to sell

a county asset is a perversion of
LDC legislation, the purpose and
intent of which is to spur economic
development.

CSEA has been fighting similar
nursing home battles with counties
across the state.

A by-product of the LDC scheme
as it relates to nursing home sales
is that counties, guided through the
process by high-priced law firms
like Harris Beach, can make an end-
run around laws governing the sale
of public entities. Saratoga County
and other counties are essentially
creating a shadow layer of
government free from transparency,
accounting and audit controls. Two
bills seeking to tighten controls over
LDCs were introduced this year in

“We keep warning you
over and over yet
you keep moving forward. A

private company will look to
cut corners at every turn.99

the state Senate. CSEA supports
both bills.

In September 2012, the Saratoga
County Board of Supervisors
moved quickly on the heels of a
consultant’s report that stated
the need for nursing home beds in
the county is growing and offered
options to stem financial losses at
the 238-bed facility.

In October, the board’s
Republican caucus met to shore up
support for the LDC scheme and
within one month, a Harris Beach
attorney was given the floor during
a board meeting for an overly
optimistic Power
Point presentation
laying out the plan.

By mid-
November, the LDC
was created and
at a mid-January
2013 meeting
of the Saratoga
County Board of Supervisors voted
to transfer the property. Due to
inherent flexibility in LDC language,
the board only needed a simple
majority rather than a two-thirds
majority normally required to sell a
public asset.

Despite CSEA’s best efforts, public
protests and a few supervisors
concerned with unscrupulous
accounting, the board, at the close
of 2012, incorporated the scheme
into the 2013 county budget. The
county will engage in a leaseback
arrangement with the operations of
the home under the control of the
LDC while borrowing against the
home’s equity until a private buyer
is identified. $6 million in income
has been budgeted in 2013 from the
scheme. The county estimates a sale
to a private buyer to be complete by
December 2014.

CSEA Statewide Treasurer Joe

CSEA Capital Region President Kathy Garrison leads a demonstration
against the sale of Saratoga County’s Maplewood Manor nursing home

before a public hearing.

McMullen addressed the board

at the January public hearing and
shared examples of the failure

of privatization across the state
such as in Delaware County,

where after the private company
operating there was hit with scores
of citations, “they simply walked
away,” leaving a void in local care.
McMullen described to board
members the efforts of the families
who were forced to scramble to
locate their loved ones far away in

CSEA Statewide Treasurer Joe

McMullen tells Saratoga County
officials of the crises communities
have faced across the state after
privatizing their nursing homes.

neighboring counties and even in
Pennsylvania.

CSEA Capital Region President
Kathy Garrison also warned the
supervisors of the failures of the
private takeover of public care
facilities. “We keep warning you
over and over yet you keep moving
forward,” she said. “A private
company will look to cut corners at
every turn.”

Garrison also cited examples
from Fulton County, where the now
privately run facility has turned
a once-trusted sanctuary into a
place ruled by the bottom line.
Staffing levels have been severely
reduced and cuts, such as to the
food budget, have meant “the
food is so bad that employees
are embarrassed to serve it!” said
Garrison.

The future of Maplewood Manor
remains unclear. County residents
are talking about a petition drive
seeking a public referendum on the
proposal. Many residents say they
would be more than happy to pay
a little more to not abandon our
elderly. A possible legal challenge
by CSEA could force a closer
examination of the LDC approach
to nursing home sales in New York
state.

— Therese Assalian

February 2013

8 | Tue Work Force
SUNY Downstate

services more critically
needed than ever

ALBANY — After Superstorm Sandy
shut down several New York City
hospitals, SUNY Downstate Medical
Center and its workers continued
to provide around the clock critical
care to thousands of patients.

Workers and the community are
now fighting to keep Downstate
open.

Hundreds of workers, community
advocates and faith leaders from
Brooklyn and across the state rallied
at the Legislative Office Building
in Albany to protect the hospital
and maintain the essential health
services it delivers.

Workers also met with state
legislators to ask for their support
to keep Downstate, and SUNY Health
Science Centers on Long Island and
in Syracuse, public.

“If Hurricane Sandy taught us
anything, it taught us that we must
maintain and improve our health
care infrastructure of which SUNY
Downstate plays a vital role,”
said CSEA Metropolitan Region
President Lester Crockett. “Second,
it also illustrated that we are all

SUNY Downstate Local activist Mary Harmon and local President Althea

members of a community that is
interdependent on one another

for our very success and survival.
SUNY workers live in the community
and serve their neighbors in the
community. They shop, worship,
and educate their children in this
vibrant and diverse Central Brooklyn
community. It’s a functional but
fragile ecosystem that should not be
destroyed by petty politics or poor
planning.”

An economic hit

Reports of a restructuring
at Downstate that would result
in thousands of job losses are
troubling. Already, hundreds of staff
have been told their jobs are slated
to be cut.

More than 8,000 people are
employed at SUNY Downstate, which
is one of the largest employers
in Brooklyn. Service cuts and job
losses will not only affect workers,
but the surrounding community.
The hospital generates more than $2
billion in Brooklyn’s economy each

year.

4 ~

Green rally to keep SUNY Downstate open during a rally at Albany’s

Legislative Office Building.

[- ea EESEOEEU
CSEA Metropolitan Region President Lester Crockett addresses the crowd

|Community
|Faith and Labor

__ UNITED.

at a rally to save SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

A safety net

One key point repeatedly raised
during the rally is SUNY Downstate’s
role as a full-service safety net.
While the hospital has long served
those who are unable to access
other quality health care services, or
lack insurance or an ability to pay,
it also served as a safety net during
Superstorm Sandy.

As the storm swept through the
region, several other hospitals and
nursing homes in Brooklyn were
forced to close.

SUNY Downstate remained
open and received many of these
facilities’ critical patients. These
services would disappear if
proposals to downsize, privatize,

it A
SUNY Downstate Local members

lobby state legislators in their
Albany offices.

and/or convert the hospital to an
outpatient facility move forward.
Even before Superstorm Sandy,
other area hospitals were unable
to accommodate the level of health
care services that the community
needs and SUNY Downstate
provides.

“We have an obligation to take
care of the uninsured, underinsured,
and those who lack the ability to
pay for their care. That is why we
have public health care,” New York
State AFL-CIO President Mario
Cilento said. “What’s happening
at Downstate is just the latest
example of the troubling movement
away from public hospitals and
nursing homes. We cannot in good
conscience turn our back on (those)
who rely on Downstate each year
and the dedicated professionals that
provide their care.”

Downstate provides care to nearly
400,000 patients each year, many
of them requiring the specialized
inpatient and outpatient treatment
only offered at the medical center.
As a public, ‘safety net’ hospital,
cutting vital health care services at
Downstate would reduce the quality
and accessibility of health care for
hundreds of thousands of patients,
many of whom are underinsured or
uninsured, and many more who are
aged or very sick.

— David Galarza

February 2013

THe Work FORCE 9 |
Work continues to clear Sandy’s massive mess

Lo Island Region members working for
county, town, city and village highway,
sanitation and parks departments, along with
the state Department of Transportation, were
ready to deal with whatever came their way
before and after Superstorm Sandy battered the
north and south shores, bringing devastation
not seen in more than 50 years.

Those same workers now are moving ahead
with many months of cleanup to restore
roadways, beaches, storm
drains and public areas.

In the initial stages, tree
limbs and road signs littered
state roads such as Sunrise
Highway and the Southern
State Parkway, requiring
crews to move quickly to
clear lanes for emergency
vehicles and personnel
aiding the thousands of
people in harm’s way.

Highway, sanitation and parks department
workers with county, town, city and village road
crews helped clean up as soon as floodwaters
began to recede from hard hit communities on
the Atlantic and Long Island Sound shores.

Long Beach effort

City of Long Beach Unit members built huge
sand barriers along the ocean and bay beaches
in the days leading up to the storm to minimize
the storm’s surge.

Nonetheless, the massive surge breached the
barricade, flooding streets to the point where
the ocean merged with the bay and damaging

G” Andrew Cuomo spent at
significant portion of his State
of the State speech addressing the
devastation caused by Hurricane
Sandy and recognized the efforts of
CSEA members in the response.

many homes as well as the city’s sewage
treatment plant.

Despite months of cleanup already, the city’s
beach crew is still working to restore Long
Beach’s iconic boardwalk, which was battered
by the storm.

Conditions in north shore communities such
as Glen Cove and Bayville were not much better.
CSEA members working there were also out
in force prior to the storm, piling sand bags in
storm-vulnerable spots
along the Long Island
Sound. After the storm
passed, they were out in
force to help clear debris
from downed electrical
lines and clear roads.

Many hands for much
work

It was all hands on deck
in the Towns of Hempstead, North Hempstead,
Oyster Bay, Brookhaven, Riverhead, Southold,
Southampton and East Hampton, where highway
and parks department personnel worked in
tandem with union counterparts in nearby
villages to clear and cut up trees and branches
from roads, and haul truckloads of debris to
staging areas.

Sanitation crews then transported the tons
of debris to the Brookhaven town landfill and
similar staging areas in other locations.

Clearing the lines
Highway and street lighting crews in the Town
of Hempstead are still working long shifts to

66 sincere thank you to CSEA members from every part of New
York who helped respond to Hurricane Sandy. Many CSEA
members from Long Island, New York City and the lower Hudson
Valley were directly involved in the front line activites during the
storm and in its immediate aftermath. Thousands more left their
homes and traveled hundreds of miles to help as part of organized
\ response teams or volunteer efforts. Still others are unsung heroes
continuing to help pick up lives every day in ways that don’t get
a lot of attention. CSEA is proud of all of you and we are grateful
for your dedication and compassion. We must all continue to work
together to rebuild a better New York.??

— CSEA President Danny Donohue

Heavy Equipment Operator Gary Gallo moves debris at the Brookhaven landfill. Behind
him is a hill of debris from just part of the Sandy cleanup effort that continues on Long
Island.

Solidarity comes through in Cleanup

LONG BEACH — Long Island Region members
from highway, sanitation and public works
crews in the Town of Hempstead, Town of
North Hempstead, Village of Hempstead
Village and City of Glen Cove recently lent a
helping hand to their union counterparts in
the City of Long Beach with their hurricane
recovery efforts on separate occasions in the
weeks after Hurricane Sandy devastated that
south-shore, barrier island community.

Their solidarity helped cleanup efforts and
to remind us that when the going gets tough,
the tough come together.

“IT was very impressed with the warm
welcome we received from residents while
moving through the city,” said Unit President
Marty Cook. “Their demeanor was upbeat and
resolute, considering the magnitude of the
disaster. Practically everyone we saw made it
a point to thank us for the help.”

— Rich Impagliazzo

A police escort was provided to the City of
Glen Cove Unit members as their convoy
heads south to Long Beach to help with
Sandy cleanup efforts. Workers packed one
truck with parts to repair their vehicles on
the fly if necessary and not waste any time.

clear fallen trees and branches from the streets
and clean up after the flood at the Department
of Public Works office and yard in Merrick,
where swells from nearby Meadowbrook Creek
overflowed public works buildings, knocking
out electrical power and causing much property
damage.

Highway and sanitation crews also
transported tons of debris to the Roosevelt
highway yard and other staging spots around
town. Efforts such as this took place all along
the south shore from the Queens border to
eastern Nassau County.

“A situation like this demonstrates the
tremendous value of public workers and
underscores the positive effect they have in
their respective communities,” said Long Island lent
Region President Nick LaMorte. 4

“I’m very proud of CSEA members working
tirelessly all over Long Island and commend
them for their outstanding response to
Hurricane Sandy.”

Woodworker John Parmiter replaces the trim
on an office door at the town of Hempstead
Department of Public Works building after it
was flooded during Sandy.

FEBRUARY 2013 @GIER?

— Rich Impagliazzo

FEBRUARY 2013

A dinghy represents the variety of debris Sanitary District No. 2 workers in Nassau County
dealt with in Sandy cleanup. Coincidentally, CSEA members recently helped defeat a proposed
dissolution of the district, saving 68 jobs and assuring uninterrupted delivery of public services

during nature’s worst.

10 | Tue Work Force

THe Work FORCE 11 |
Animal control officer

hailed for stopping

burglary

CLARENCE — An alert CSEA
member is credited with recently
stopping a burglary and subduing
a suspect.

On his way home from work
one Friday, Jerry Schuler, animal
control officer for the Town of
Clarence, noticed a suspicious car
at the home of a family friend and
he decided to investigate.

“When I walked up to the
house, I could see the door was
open,” Schuler said. “As soon as |
opened the door, I could see the
intruder.”

Schuler asked the man for his

name. He recognized the name
and he knew the suspect had been
considered “a problem.”

“He gave me a real lame excuse
as to why he was in the house,”
Schuler said. “I told him ‘I think
we have a problem’ and he gave
up.”

Schuler waited with the suspect
until state troopers arrived on the
scene.

Schuler and troopers said the
suspect, a man in his 30s, may
have cooperated rather than fight
or flee because Schuler may have
appeared to be a police officer.

home. (Photo by John Normile)

His animal control officer uniform
resembles a police officer uniform
and he had his handgun in its
holster.

Troopers remind residents
that Schuler looked like a police

Clarence Animal Control Officer Jerry Schuler, seen here with one of his
canine charges in 2012, is credited with stopping a burglary at a Clarence

RY

Ai)
ay

officer at the time of the incident.
Residents are reminded not to
approach a suspect, but to call
911 and to try to get a license
plate number.

— Lynn Miller

DEPEW — When members of the
Depew and Lancaster highway
departments were young children,
many of them spent their
afternoons at the Depew Boys &
Girls Club.

Last month, fire destroyed the
club, and CSEA members came
together to help.

“In times of crisis and tragedy,
CSEA members always answer the
call when there is a need,” said
CSEA Western Region President
Flo Tripi. “This is just one more
example of the dedication
CSEA members have to their
communities, to their neighbors
and to the people they serve.”

Members of the CSEA Depew
White and Blue Collar Units, as
well as the Lancaster Blue Collar
Unit (all in the Erie County Local)
donated nearly $700 to the club. A
CSEA member who belongs to the
Depew Rod & Gun Club brought an
additional $200, raising the total
contribution to nearly $900.

“The guys | work with grew up
here at the club,” said Depew Blue
Collar President Lew Heltman.

CSEA members donate to rebuild beloved childhood club

Lancaster Blue Collar Unit President Mike Rath, left, Depew Boys &

Girls Club Director Jeff Kupka, Depew Blue Collar Unit President Lew
Heltman, Depew White Collar Unit President Sharon Quinn, Boys & Girls

Club Executive Director Dave Hoch and Depew Blue Collar Unit member
Robert Miechowicz discuss the damaged game room at the Depew Boys
& Girls Club. The building, which was built in the 1920s and occupied by
the Boys & Girls Club since 1936, suffered significant fire damage early

in January.

“Now we have a new generation
here. This fire hit close to home in
a lot of ways.”

The fire started in a wall when
the building was not open and not
occupied, said Boys & Girls Club

Director Dave Hoch. It spread
through a vent into the second
floor game area. It also caused
major damage to the first floor
gym. The gym floor had just been
refinished the day before the fire.

In addition to a donation from
the Depew White Collar Unit, CSEA
civilian employees in the Depew
Police Department donates the
proceeds of their weekly “Dress
Down Friday” to the cause, said
White Collar Unit President Sharon
Quinn. Civilian police department
employees have the option of
paying $1 to wear jeans to work on
Friday, and at the end of each year,
the money is donated to a worthy
cause.

Depew and Lancaster volunteer
firefighters, several of whom are
CSEA members, are planning a boot
drive to raise more money for the
club, said Lancaster Blue Collar
President Mike Rath.

The Boys & Girls Club is
reviewing its options and taking
steps to continue its mission, said
Depew Boys & Girls Club Director
Jeff Kupka. Programs have been
temporarily moved to a nearby
building that was once a school.
Updates and ways to help can be
found at www.depewlancasterbgc.
org.

— Lynn Miller

12 it Work Force

February 2013

Protect yourself and your family today

Disability Insurance is protection against the unexpected

k more than 70 years, CSEA’s special group insurance
programs, offered through Pearl Carroll, have provided
CSEA members with peace of mind for meeting life’s
challenges. Disability Insurance is just one example.

If you get sick or injured, Disability Insurance helps pay for
the costs of daily living — your housing, car payments groceries

or anything else that you need.

All active CSEA members under age 65 are eligible to apply. Don’t delay. You
must have the Disability Insurance in place before you get hurt or sick if you want

to receive any benefit.

“lam very pleased that | purchased this extra
insurance. | had major surgery and was off work 10
weeks. tt helped me keep my bills on track so all | had
to worry about was my recovery. The process was easy
awd the representatives were great. For the Little bit of
money it cost it was well worth it when | needed it. |

strongly recommend this insurance.”

Laura Thomson
CSEA member
St. Lawrence Psychiatric Center

Learn more by contacting Pearl Carroll & Associates at 1-877-847-2732

or view their website at www.pearlcarroll.com/csea.

There ave representatives available in every part of the state to help you with questions and information.

McDonough scholarships awarded

Flaumenbaum scholarship applications to be available soon

H. McDonough Memorial Scholarships

to a child of a union member in each
region. The scholarship winners and their
parents are listed below. CSEA wishes the
winners good luck in their future endeavors.
The 2012 McDonough scholarship recipients
are:

C SEA recently awarded $1,000 Thomas

Long Island Region:

Lauren McKnight, whose mother, Toni
McKnight, is an information tech aide II at
the Farmingdale School District; and whose
father, Robert McKnight, is a sanitation
worker at the Town of Oyster Bay. Lauren
McKnight attends SUNY Geneseo.

Metropolitan Region:
Robert Wranovics, whose mother, Joanne

February 2013

Wranovics, is a DMV representative at the
state Department of Motor Vehicles. Robert
Wranovics attends the State University of
New York at Stony Brook.

Southern Region:

Joseph Barbalaco, whose mother, Nancy
Barbalaco, is a teacher aide at the Harrison
School District. Joseph Barbalaco attends
Fairfield University.

Capital Region:

Madeline Reynolds, whose mother, Melissa
Reynolds, is an administrative assistant at
the Schuylerville Central Schools. Madeline
Reynolds attends Elon University.

Central Region:
Pratik Patel, whose father, Rajesh Patel, is a

bus driver at the Salmon River Central School
District. Pratik Patel attends Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute.

Western Region:

Emily Flagler, whose mother, Karen Flagler,
is a clerical worker at the Newfane Central
School District. Emily Flagler attends Yale
University.

THe Work Force 13 |
2013 CSEA ELECTIONS
INFORMATION
Public Sector Local and Unit

Elections
Private Sector Local Elections

Elections will be conducted for all Public Sector

Local and Unit Officers and All Private Sector Local

Officers

he term of office for all current Public Sector Local and Unit

officers and all current Private Sector Local officers expires June
30, 2013. Public Sector officers and delegates will be elected to four-
year terms. Private Sector officers and delegates will be elected to
three-year terms.

Balloting for Public and Private Sector officers will be conducted
between May 15 and June 15, 2013.

Each Local and Unit executive board must select its own election
committee and Election Committee Chairperson, or Election Meeting
Chair, if applicable (see box below). The Local and/or Unit Election
Committee is primarily responsible for conducting the election.

Slating petitioning and slate voting will be an option for candidates
for Local and Unit office (see Page 15).

Members may run as individual candidates if they wish to.

Note: When circulating and signing individual and slate
petition forms, members must write in their own CSEA ID
numbers.

ATTENTION: Public Sector Local and
Unit Presidents, Private Sector Local
Presidents

Did you send your Election Committee Data Form
to CSEA Headquarters?

n early January, registered Election Committee Chairs and

Election Meeting Chairs began receiving their election packages
from CSEA to assist them in performing their election duties.
This material is necessary for the Chairs to have to run a proper
election.

Election packages will only be mailed to those Chairs where
their Local or Unit President has sent in the required Election
Committee Data Form (ECDF). CSEA Headquarters cannot
send material and information to any Chairperson, without first
receiving the completed ECDF from the Local or Unit president.

Inquiries regarding election committees may be directed to the
CSEA Statewide Election Committee at 1-800-342-4146, ext. 1447.

Local 1000 AFSCME, AFL-CIO
Locals and Units with 150 or

Fewer Members
Holding an Election at a Special
Membership Meeting

Locals and Units with 150 members or less may choose to appoint
an Election Meeting Chairperson (instead of an election committee)
and conduct an election at a meeting.

Holding your election at a Special Membership meeting simplifies
the election process in that, where there are races (more than one
candidate for an office), the Election Meeting Chairperson calls a
Membership meeting for the purpose of electing officers.

Application for Office

Special election rules are available to Locals and Units of 150 or
fewer members. In these smaller Locals and Units, completion of the
Application for Election to Office replaces the requirement to obtain
signatures on a nominating petition.

In Locals or Units with 150 or fewer members, any member who
submits the application and meets election requirements under the
appropriate Local or Unit Constitution will be placed on the ballot.

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;
igning nominating petitions for potential candidates;
/oting 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 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.

THe Work Force

February 2013

2013 CSEA ELECTIONS
INFORMATION

Public Sector Local and Unit
Elections
Private Sector Local Elections

Important Information about
Slate Petitioning and Slate
Voting

Local Elections

In Local elections, a slate must contain a candidate running for the
offices of President, one or more Vice Presidents, as set forth in the
Local’s by-laws, Secretary and Treasurer.

The slate may also include candidates for other offices that have
been created according to the Local Constitution and by-laws. In Locals
that have created the combined position of Secretary-Treasurer in their
by-laws, the slate must include a candidate for that office.

Unit Elections

In Unit elections, a slate must contain a candidate running for the
offices of President, one or more Vice Presidents, as set forth in the
Unit’s by-laws, Secretary and Treasurer.

The slate may also include candidates for other offices that have
been created according to the Unit Constitution and by-laws. In Units
that have created the combined position of Secretary-Treasurer in their
by-laws, the slate must include a candidate for that office.

Candidates should know the following:

e Amember cannot be a candidate for officer and for delegate on
the same slate. An officer candidate must circulate a separate
nominating petition in order to appear on the ballot also as a
candidate for delegate. The member will appear on the ballot as a
candidate for office as part of the slate and as an individual for the
position of delegate.

¢ When circulating and signing petition forms, members must write in
their own CSEA ID numbers.

¢ Candidates who run as a slate must complete a Slate Eligibility and
Consent Form and a Slate Petition Request Form. By petitioning
as a slate, candidates who appear as part of a slate need to submit
only one set of the required number of signatures to qualify as
a candidate. Individual petitions are not necessary for slate
candidates.

¢ Candidates who withdraw from a slate must complete a Slate
Withdrawal Form and return the form to their election committee.

* More detailed information about election slates will be available
from Local and Unit election committees.

February 2013

MEMBERS ONLY INFORMATION

LOCAL 1000 CSEs® AFSCME, AFL-CIO

Legal Services
Program

Workers’ Personal | Personal | Taking Care| Veterans
corre Security Legal | Injury |ofBusiness/| Disability
Disability Matters | Matters | Elder Law | Benefits

inom MIROVWw
only
pow scorey WO ggg

provides attorney

representation
for Workers’ =
Compensation, rR hh | |
Sodial Security i | |
Disability, Personal

|

Injury, Veterans
Disability Benefits 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.

The Injury Related Program is administered by the firm of FINE, OLIN
& ANDERMAN, LLP through its statewide network of offices. Personal

Legal Services are provided by a closed network of specially selected
attorneys dedicated to quality service for CSEA members.

Since 1910

CSEs

New York's LEADING Union

1-800-342-4146

Call uring normal business hours, 8 am. ~ 5pm, Mon.-Fri. and folow the menu instructions forthe Legal Services Program

CSEA Headquarters, 143 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12210
Web site: www.csealocal1000.org (throligh the CSEA members-only portal)

Danny Donohue, President

THe Work FORCE
Empire Plan 2012 claims
deadline is April 30

mpire Plan enrollees

have until April 30, 2013
(120 days after the end of
the calendar year) to submit
medical expenses that were
incurred during the 2012 plan
year to:

Health

Heaths

United HealthCare Service Corp.

P.O. Box 1600

Kingston, N.Y. 12402-1600

For the Empire Plan Basic Medical Program, the Home Care
Advocacy Program (HCAP) and for non-network physical
therapy or chiropractic services.

Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield

NYS Service Center (Code YLS)

P.O. Box 1407 - Church Street Station

New York, N.Y. 10008-1407

For Empire Plan and non-network inpatient or outpatient
hospital services.

OptumHealth Behavioral Solutions

P.O. Box 5190
Kingston, N.Y. 12402-5190
For non-network mental health and substance abuse services.

Medco Health Solutions
P.O. Box 14711

Lexington, K.Y. 40512

For prescriptions filled at non-participating pharmacies or
at participating pharmacies without using your New York
Government Employee Benefit Card.

Enrollees can call the Empire Plan at 1-877-7NYSHIP
(1-877-769-7447) with questions or to obtain claim forms. As
a reminder, when using the Empire Plan’s toll-free telephone
number, please pay extra attention to the choices offered by the
automated system.

Network providers/pharmacies will submit claims directly to
the appropriate insurance carrier on your behalf when provided
with all necessary information. If you have a non-network claim
submission, make sure you complete the requested subscriber
information on the claim form, include the original billing or
receipt (if requested), and don’t forget to sign the claim form.

Empire Plan benefit changes:

What’s new in 2013?

Editor’s Note: The following
information is intended for
CSEA represented Executive
Branch enrollees - enrollees
employed by the State of New
York covered by one of the
following CSEA collective
bargaining agreements;
Administrative Services Unit,
Institutional Services Unit,
Operational Services Unit or
the Division of Military and
Naval Affairs.

mpire Plan enrollees will
notice changes in some
benefits effective Jan. 1, 2013.

These changes are the
result of negotiated benefits
and legislative changes
(U.S. Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act and state
legislation).

Please watch your mail for
The Empire Plan Report which
describes the changes in
further detail.

New to You Benefit Plan
Design: In accordance
with the Executive Branch
collective bargaining
agreement, an Empire Plan
enrollee or dependent who
receives a prescription for
a maintenance medication,
which is new to the individual,
will be subject to the “New
to You” benefit plan design
effective Jan. 1, 2013.

Under the New to You
benefit plan design, an
enrollee is required to obtain
two 30-day supplies of a new
maintenance medication prior
to obtaining a 90-day supply.

Contraceptive Coverage
Mandate: Effective Jan.

1, 2013, the U.S. Patient
Protection and Affordable
Care Act requires that the
Empire Plan provide first-
dollar coverage for certain
women’s preventive care
services, including certain
contraceptive medication and
devices.

“First-dollar coverage”
means that there will be no
co-payment or cost-sharing
requirements. Contact the
Empire Plan’s Prescription
Drug Program at 1-877-769-
7447 for specifics on the
program.

Breast Pump Coverage
Mandate: In accordance with
the U.S. Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act, effective
Jan. 1, 2013, the cost of renting
or purchasing breastfeeding
equipment received from a
participating provider will be
a covered medical expense
under the Empire Plan.

Contact the Empire Plan’s
medical carrier at 1-877-
769-7447 for additional
information.

Autism Coverage Mandate:
Effective Jan. 1, 2013, New
York state law requires health
insurance plans to provide
coverage for Autism Spectrum
Disorder.

Additional information
regarding coverage for Autism
Spectrum Disorder can be
obtained by contacting The
Empire Plan’s medical carrier
at 1-877-769-7447.

16 ie Work Force

February 2013

Have EBF questions? We have answers!

he CSEA Qu,

Employee ~=
Benefit Fund {™
(EBF) has AFSCME Local 1000, AFL-CIO

provided qulity EMPLOYEE
service to.our BENET FUND

members for
more than three decades. In recent years,
the EBF has made many improvements

to its website that allow our members to
access the EBF in many different ways.

If you are enrolled in any of our benefits
and have any questions, there are several
avenues for assistance available to you.
The Customer Service Unit at the CSEA
Employee Benefit Fund is open from 7:30
a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday
and members can also use our Live Chat
feature at www.cseaebf.com.

The Customer Service Unit can answer
inquiries about the status of a dental
claim, review the Explanation of Benefits
(EOB) for dental work already performed,
and also let you know the status of
approvals for dental work recommended
to be done. Please call toll free 1-800-323-
2732 and follow the prompts.

If you have any questions on your
enrollment or eligibility for a particular
benefit or for vision care assistance,
our Member Services/Eligibility Unit
is the department to contact. To reach
someone with questions or concerns,
please call toll free at 1-800-323-2732 and
follow the prompts.

The EBF Marketing Department is also
available to assist you. The Marketing
Department consists of a state benefits
specialist, who covers New York state and
Unified Court System employees, and five
senior benefit specialists who cover local
government units across the state.

The benefits specialists are available to
attend membership meetings, information
days, health fairs and other events. They
are also available to come to your facility
and provide benefit presentations for
members who are not sure how to fully

use their EBF benefits. The senior benefits
specialists also help negotiating teams in
getting EBF benefits negotiated into your
collective bargaining agreement.

To reach the Marketing Department,
please call our toll free number and
follow the prompts for your regional
representative.

Local government senior
benefits specialists

Long Island Region
Linda Sclafani

(631) 462-5224
Isclafani@cseaebf.org

Southern Region
Carisa Guild
1-800-323-2732, ext. 813
chguild@cseaebf.org

Capital Region

Erin Bazinet
1-800-323-2732, ext. 860
ebazinet@cseaebf.org

Central Region

Mike Wagner
1-800-323-2732, ext. 808
mwagner@cseaebf.org

Western Region
James Aldrich
1-800-323-2732, ext. 818
jaldrich@cseaebf.org

State benefits specialist

New York state and Unified Court

System employees
Ryan Toole
1-800-323-2732, ext. 806
rtoole@cseaebf.org

Almost time to retire?

our
local
may

pay the first
year of CSEA
retiree dues,
which is only
$24!

CSEA retiree members enjoy many of
the benefits and discounts of belonging
to a union. In return, you get access to
a wide variety of money-saving benefits
such as:

e Access to insurance plans at
CSEA’s low group rates.

¢ Travel discounts.

e A discounted consumer items
buying service.

¢ Discounted dental and vision care
programs.

¢ A personal legal services referral
network.

e The Retiree News quarterly.

Being a CSEA retiree member also
makes you part of a growing statewide
body that can effectively advocate on
your behalf:

e Legislative and political action
programs designed to enhance and
protect retiree pension and health
benefits.

¢ Participation in a CSEA Retiree
Local.

e Effective lobbying against Social
Security reform.

e Three informative publications.

For more information, visit www.
csealocal1000.org and select “CSEA
Retiree Members” from the “For CSEA
Members” menu.

February 2013

THe Work FORCE
State, local government and private sector CSEA members:

Skills for Success courses

SEA members employed

by New York state, local

government agencies
and the private sector have
opportunities to take Skills
for Success training courses
offered by the NYS & CSEA
Partnership for Education and
Training (Partnership).

Course participation, as
space permits, by CSEA-
represented employees in
local government agencies,
school districts, state
authorities and the private
sector is sponsored by the
CSEA WORK Institute.

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

More than 100 classes in
36 course topic areas are
scheduled statewide from
February through June, 2013.
The training is available at
no cost to employees or
agencies.

All courses are held
at conveniently located
training sites. To increase
participation in courses while
eliminating time away from
the office and travel expenses,
the Partnership is offering
a select number of courses
using the webinar format.

Eligibility

Employees are eligible to
participate in Partnership
courses if they are:

e A CSEA-represented New
York State employee (ASU/02,
OSU/03, ISU/04, or DMNA/47).

e A CSEA-represented

we,

for Education and Training

Shille for Success

Courses for CSEA-represented employees

Courses available February June 2013

employee working in local
government, school districts,
state authorities, or the
private sector, as space
permits.

Available courses
Choose from job-related
and personal development
courses under the following
categories:

¢ Individual Development

e Interpersonal
Communication

e Labor-Management
Development

e Language Skills

¢ Math Skills

e Trades, Operations, and
Maintenance

¢ Work Management

¢ Writing Skills

Employees may take any
of the courses offered, not
just courses that typically
reflect the work they perform.
Employees can directly apply

a M [S ,
‘MORE TH

To get $6 off the regular price of upper le

Create a NEW ACCOUNT (even if you

Mon, Jan 21**
Mon, Feb 4
Sun, Feb 10**
Wed, Feb 20**
Sat, Feb 23
Sat, Mar 2
Wed, Mar 6**

Take advantage of your CSEA membership
for a special discount for certain 2013 SU Basketball
Home Games at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse!

vel seats for certain home games this season,

order online at: http://tinyurl.com/subasketball2013 - click on “Find Tickets” to
select the game of your choice - Use special offer code: SUCSEA12 (no spaces) -

have an account already) - Follow the steps

to purchase and check out. There will be a processing and print at home fee.
‘SU Orange Remaining Home Game Schedule:

Cincinnati * 3:30 p.m.
Notre Dame + 7:00 p.m.
St. John's * 1:00 p.m.
Providence * 7:00 p.m.
Georgetown + 4:00 p.m.
Louisville + 12:00 p.m.
DePaul « 6:00 p.m.

™ CSEA discount available for these games only

for these courses. However,
supervisory approval and
signature are necessary to
attend without charge to leave
credits. Applications should
be sent to the Partnership as
soon as possible as classes fill
quickly.

For more information
A web catalog of the
Skills for Success courses
is available on the
Partnership’s website at

www.nyscseapartnership.
org. The catalog contains
course descriptions, dates,
locations and an application
form that can be downloaded
and printed.

For more information
about Skills for Success
courses, call 518-486-7814
or, for areas outside the
Capital Region, call 800-253-
4332, or email at learning@
nyscseapartnership.org.

18 ie Work Force

February 2013

CONTRACTS RATIFIED
— William Floyd School
District Clerical Unit
members ratified a three-
year contract that calls

CSE
TODAY

Hero...” SANDY RELIEF —
Central Region members have
been generously supporting
Hurricane Sandy victims.
CSEA Southern Tier State

for a one-time lump sum.

payment in the first year, salary
percentage increases in the second
and third year and the employer's
continued full coverage of employee
health insurance contributions.

Town of Huntington White Collar
Unit members also approved a

new five-year contract with salary
percentage increases in the last

three years and a no-layoff clause.
Village of Massapequa Park Unit
members ratified a three-year contract
with annual salary percentage and
step increases. The agreement is
retroactive to June 1, 2011, and expires
May 31, 2014.... BIG ARBITRATION
WIN —Two CSEA members were
recently restored to their positions

at Rockland Psychiatric Center and
awarded back pay and benefits after
arbitrators ruled their terminations
were unwarranted. Local President
Earl Herbert said the rulings sent a
positive message to his members,
showing the union’s effectiveness in
defending members against unfairly
harsh penalties against direct care
workers ... LIFESAVING BEDFORD
CUSTODIAN — Kudos to Bedford
School District Unit member Ciro
Mazuero, a custodian at Pound Ridge
Elementary School who recently saved
a student's life. Mazuero recently
performed the Heimlich maneuver

ona student who was choking during
lunch. The district saluted Mazuero
for his heroics, dubbing him “Ciro the

Employees Local members
held a basket raffle, coordinated by
local Treasurer Tammy Witteman,
that raised more than $1,700 for the
American Red Cross. Other Central
Region members also helped with
relief efforts led by the Central New
York Area Labor Federation. The
CSEA Upstate Medical University
and Central New York DDSO locals
contributed money and donated
goods, and Upstate Medical University
Local activist Michele Martin went
to Rockaway Beach to help give
cleaning supplies and holiday gifts
to families affected by Sandy ...
(CSEA’S LOVELADY-HALL HONORED
— Sharon Lovelady-Hall, director
of CSEA’s Education and Training
Department, is featured in the
Workforce Development Institute’s
2013 WomenWorking Calendar. The
calendar is part of the institute’s
Women of the Workforce Initiative,
which brings women in labor from
across the state together to advance
the dialogue around women and work
... LABOR DEGREE — Eric Muldoon,
a labor relations specialist in CSEA’s
Capital Region, recently completed
a master’s degree in Organizational
Development and Knowledge
Management from George Mason,
University in a labor cohort organized
by the National Labor College. Part of
Muldoon’s education was paid through
receiving AFSCME’s Joey Parisi
Memorial Scholarship.

Lee is PEOPLE Recruiter of the Month

avid Lee of the Binghamton University Local in the
Central Region is the PEOPLE Recruiter of the Month for
November. He recruited 13 new PEOPLE members.

“The CSEA PEOPLE Program allows members to go the
extra mile in making sure we are supporting our own future,”
Lee said. “If we could get each member of CSEA to join
PEOPLE we could make sure that our futures - each and
every one of us - are protected. We should never take anything for granted,
look what just happened in Michigan.”

CSEA’s PEOPLE program protects and improves our jobs, benefits and
pensions in Washington, Albany and in your community. Your support and
participation in PEOPLE strengthens CSEA’s clout in the workplace, in the
legislature, in your community and in the labor movement.

— Mark M. Kotzin

February 2013

Western Region President Flo Tripi,
left, congratulates Monroe County
Local activist Ove Overmyer on being
named Working Families Advocate

of the Year by the Rochester Labor
Council. (Photo by Bess Watts)

CSEA honored by Rochester Labor Council
Rochester

Labor Council

recently

the CSEA 2

Western he

Region and

activists ata (Photo by Ove

recent labor Overmyer)

dinner. The

for best float at the 26" Annual

Rochester Labor Day Parade,

held Sept. 3. The labor council

Employees Local activist Kim

Whitlock for her attendance

and service as a delegate

Local activist Ove Overmyer the Working Families Advocate of the

Year, which recognizes an individual who has exceeded expectations

publicly advocating the needs of working men and women during the

he | alll :
recognized
two of its Whitlock
Western Region was honored
also honored Rochester State
to the Rochester Labor Council. The council named Monroe County
past year.

Highway workers show holiday spirit

r i

a a
For the second year, Schenectady County Highway employees adopted

a Schenectady family. County Department of Social Services workers
identified a family and provided a list of needed items and gift ideas. The
employees held raffles, many donating their winnings back and purchased
and wrapped more than 60 gifts. In photo, Schenectady County Highway
workers Len Demers, Ralph Angerami, Tim Deffer, John Roth, Joe
Sangiovanni, Chris Smith and Mike France prepare to deliver the gifts to

the family.
Tre Work Force 19 |

Work, Force

Published by CSEA
143 Washington Ave * Albany NY * 12210
Danny Donohue, President
(518) 257-1000 * (800) 342-4146
CSEA * Local 1000 AFSCME * AFL-CIO

| love making my
patients happy.

CSE fe On the line every day.

People working together to make a better New York for all.

New York's LEADING Union

ER DANAE SMART | DYNAMIC | CARING | DEDICATED