ee ae Unions fight
LOGAL 100 0 back against
AFSCME attacks on
rights, public
AFL-Ci0 sector services
See pages 3, 10, 11
Photo by CSEA Communications Specialist David Galarza
I GIVE Our
Elders
What they
Deserve
More than 150 supporters of the Ulster
County-run Golden Hill Health Care Center
demonstrated in front of the Ulster County
Office Building March 29 before a meeting
of the Ulster County Legislature’s Health and
Human Services Committee. At that meeting,
legislators continued the ongoing debate over
the future of the county home. Support for
building a new county home is growing among
legislators on both sides of the aisle. One week
later, a group of eight local Tea Party members
attempted their own rally calling for the sale of
Golden Hill.
From the Office of President Danny Donohue
NEW YORK’S
LEADING UNION
Local 1000 AFSCME, AFL-CIO
CSEA President Danny Donohue
to meet Capital Region members
on June 14 in Plattsburgh
SEA President Danny Donohue will visit the
CSEA Capital Region on June 14 to meet with
members.
The meetings will be held at the Plattsburgh
Satellite office, 6 Booth Drive, Plattsburgh.
Donohue will meet with union members from 1
to 7 p.m. Please call the satellite office at (518) 563-
0761 for an appointment and directions.
2 | THe Work FORCE
Yonkers schools facing
massive budget cuts
YONKERS — Drastic cuts are again on tap
for the Yonkers School District, a move
CSEA leaders say will dramatically affect
student safety while putting hundreds of
hardworking Yonkers residents on the
unemployment rolls.
At press time, Yonkers Superintendent of
Schools Bernard Pierorazio said as many as
368 CSEA members will lose their jobs if the
Yonkers City Council votes to approve the
proposed budget for the 2011-2012 school
year. As one of the state’s Big Five school
districts, council members instead of the
general public vote the Yonkers school
budget on.
“It is disgraceful that the leaders of
the school district and city again want to
balance the school budget on the backs
of the lowest paid workers,” said Yonkers
School District Unit President Bobbie
DiBattista.
Pierorazio said the district is facing
an $87 million budget gap. The proposed
school budget calls for the elimination
of a district pre-kindergarten program,
a reduction from full-day to half-day
kindergarten, cuts in sports and reductions
in busing. District bus monitors and
teacher aides make up the bulk of the CSEA
members whose jobs are proposed for
elimination.
“Mr. Pierorazio and Mayor Phil Amicone
have let down the thousands of students
attending school in the Yonkers School
District,” said Southern Region President
Billy Riccaldo. “Cutting the bus monitors
who keep our kids safe and the teacher
aides who assist in instruction will
negatively impact our students’ educational
experience.” — Jessica Ladlee
Retirees win in health insurance ruling
CANTON - Since 1985, St. Lawrence
County had reimbursed their retirees the
cost of their Medicare Part B premiums.
In 2009, trying to contain costs, the
county legislature tried to stop paying
those reimbursements for future retirees,
and to freeze the payment amount for
current retirees.
The reimbursement, which amounted to
about $1,200 per retiree, was a mandatory
subject of negotiations and could not
be unilaterally changed. CSEA filed an
Improper Practice charge with the state
Public Employment Relations Board
(PERB), over the change.
Recently, a PERB administrative law
judge ruled in favor of the union, stating
that the county legislature could not
unilaterally freeze the reimbursement rate
for previous retirees or block retirees
from receiving the benefit if they retired
after Dec. 31, 2010. It was a big win for
the union, showing the county has to
negotiate over changes to benefits related
to health insurance.”
— Mark M. Kotzin
CSEA files lawsuit over Nassau County wage freeze
MINEOLA — CSEA has filed a lawsuit
challenging the Nassau County Interim
Financing Authority’s actions in freezing
wages following the declaration of a fiscal
emergency.
Repeated good-faith efforts by CSEA to
fairly negotiate work force cost-savings
with the Nassau County executive may
now be undermined. Rank and file Nassau
County employees may face the brunt of
financial control measures, despite labor
and management efforts to find better ways
to address the county’s finances while
preserving essential services.
“CSEA members do their jobs every day
for the people of Nassau County and they
deserve some fairness and respect,” said
CSEA President Danny Donohue. “It’s even
more important considering that CSEA
members have already provided Nassau
County with considerable savings through
negotiations — a process that is always
better than one-sided imposition of terms.”
“CSEA recently negotiated an agreement
with the county that would have provided
significant savings through a revised
salary schedule for new hires,” said CSEA
Nassau County Local 830 President Jerry
Laricchiuta. “CSEA members have also done
our part in recent years to help address the
county’s fiscal challenges by agreeing to
both salary deferrals and payroll lags.”
May 2011
State budget
will cripple
services,
ruin working
families
ALBANY — The 2011-2012 state budget
approved by the state legislature contains
billions in cuts to vital human services,
education programs, health care and state
operations.
The disastrous effects the budget will have
on CSEA members’ ability to provide services
to the public have yet to be seen, but the
ability to provide public services in New York
will be crippled at every level.
Meanwhile, Gov. Andrew Cuomo isn’t done
swinging his axe, or as he puts it, “sharing
sacrifice.”
Cuomo recently listed his legislative
priorities for the remainder of the legislative
session. They include passage of a property
tax cap, local mandate relief, rent regulation
and ethics reform. The governor said his staff
is working on all of these issues and he hopes
to have agreements on them by the end of the
session.
Cuomo’s legislative priorities will deepen
the wounds inflicted on the middle class and
workers by his budget.
Apparently the best way to avoid any budget
pain in New York is to be a millionaire, slated
for a Cuomo tax cut for the wealthiest New
Yorkers.
Welcome to Wisconsin
tate Sen. Jack Martins, R-Mineola,
introduced a package of legislation that
targets the rights, benefits, and salaries of
public employees.
After CSEA met with the senator and
explained our concerns, he agreed to
withdraw the legislation from consideration.
The bills had called for a 5 percent public
employee tax to offset benefits, a wage freeze
for all public sector workers, and additional
reporting requirements for collective
bargaining agreements.
May 2011
From left, CSEA SUNY Upstate Medical University Local officers Michele Martin, Kathy Yeldon
and Doreen Jacobs attend a community rally in Syracuse, attended by more than 400 union
members and their supporters, to show their solidarity for public workers.
How Cuomo’s budget affects you, your job
Total budget is $132.5 billion, down 2.7
percent from last year
¢ Cuts $10 billion
¢ Closes the deficit without borrowing
or increasing taxes; gives a tax cut to the
wealthiest 3 percent of New Yorkers.
Local Government
¢ Reduces Aid and Incentives for Municipalities
(AIM) by 2 percent for cities, towns and
villages outside New York City
¢ Cuomo created the Mandate Relief Redesign
Team to review local government mandates
imposed by state government on school
districts, local governments and other local
taxing districts.
Education
¢ Originally cut K-12 funding by $1.5 billion;
legislature restored $200 million.
¢ Creates a competitive grant program for
school districts that show improvements in
student performance as well as for school
districts that reduce costs and improve
efficiency
e Allows school districts to withdraw excess
funds in employee benefits accrued liability
reserve funds
¢ Cuts library aid by 10 percent
State Work Force
¢ Cuts spending for state operations by 10
percent
¢ Cuomo wants $450 million in state employee
savings or else he will layoff 9,800 state
employees
State Operations
* Cuomo has created the Spending and
Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission to
make recommendations to reduce the number
of state agencies, authorities and commissions
by 20 percent over the long term.
© Merge Department of Correctional Services
and the Division of Parole into a new
department, Department of Corrections and
Community Supervision
¢ Cuomo will have sole discretion to eliminate
3,700 prison beds; for this year only, DOCS
must give 60 days notice prior to closing a
facility to the legislature and must post notice
on a public website.
¢ Merges Banking Department, Department
of Insurance and State Consumer Protection
Board into the new Department of Financial
Services
State University of New York
* Cuts SUNY by $100 million
¢ Reduces SUNY community college funding
by $226 per student; legislature restored more
than $13 million in aid.
* Cuomo slashed all aid to SUNY Upstate,
Downstate and Stony Brook teaching hospitals;
legislature restored $60 million.
Health care
¢ The budget will cut Medicaid by $2.3 billion.
‘Read a complete summary at: http://www.
csealocall000.org/pac_index.php
THe Work FORCE
ISSN 1522-1091
Official publication of
CSEA Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO
143 Washington Ave.
Albany, NY 12210-2303
Danny Donohue, President
STEPHEN A. MADARASZ
Communications Director & Publisher
STANLEY HORNAK
Deputy Director of Communications
LOU HMIELESKI
Executive Editor
JANICE GAVIN
Associate Editor
CATHLEEN FEBRAIO
Graphic Production Specialist
JANICE M. KUCSKAR
Graphic Production Specialist
BETH McINTYRE
Communications Assistant
The Work Force (USPS 0445-010) is
published monthly by The CSEA Publication Office:
143 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12210.
Periodical Mail Postage paid at Post Office,
Albany, New York 12288, 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
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MARK M. KOTZIN Central Region (315) 433-0050
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ey © 1220M ll
pL — WUE.
ARCOICLE
\TH 7,
oy %
° Work Force
CSEA President Danny Donohue
Fleecing you is naked politics
I it just me, or are state and national politics getting more
naked every day?
Think about this:
@ Congressional Republicans to try to hold our
government operations hostage to their social agenda and
demands for more tax cuts for the wealthiest.
@ Many of the wealthiest and most profitable
corporations, including General Electric, Exxon/Mobil,
Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, pay no federal
taxes.
@ New York’s Democrat governor and state lawmakers are congratulating
themselves for an on-time budget that will undermine schools, local governments,
the private sector and put more people out of work — while giving a tax cut to the
wealthiest 3 percent_of New Yorkers.
Income inequality has been on the rise for the past 30 years, as the rich get
richer and the poor get poorer and the middle class disappears. Coincidentally, this
inequality trend tracks with a decline in the number of American workers in a union
over the same period of time. Think there’s a connection?
Meanwhile, there is not a shred of evidence that “trickle-down economics” is
good for our economy or our democracy, yet that’s what’s being shoved down our
throats.
While the facts don’t seem to matter to those who want to scapegoat workers
for the economic meltdown that was really fueled by greed and irresponsibility, we
seem to have crossed a line. There’s a shamelessness in politics today that says let
the public be damned as long as we serve our selfish, moneyed interests.
While many people seem to get it, the erosion of the middle class will continue
until more people are willing to stand with CSEA and other unions and say enough!
Canes
4 | THe Work FORCE
May 2011
SIS Ne
f-— “upy re EMpLOe = : a
Sa 7 =
CSEA remembers the Triangle Shirtw
Cx participated in memorial events in New York City and
Albany on March 25 to mark the centennial of Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York’s Greenwich Village that
claimed the lives of 146 people, mostly young, immigrant women.
The March 25, 1911, fire opened the eyes of the nation to the
need for better labor laws and safer working conditions.
Metropolitan Region President George Boncoraglio was among
the CSEA officers and activists who participated in the New York
City memorial. In Albany, Capital Region President Kathy Garrison,
Capital Region activist Shana Davis and other representatives of
the Capital District Area Labor Federation read the names of those
who lost their lives.
Left, attendees at the
Albany event memorialize
those who perished in the
Triangle Fire.
Right, Metropolitan
Region President George
Boncoraglio places a
flower outside the Triangle E ’,
Shirtwaist Factory building ae y The Triangle Fire memorial
in Manhattan. : —— display at the Albany event.
May 2011 THe Work FORCE
Brooklyn Developmental
Center Local activist
Juliette Spruill looks over
the Cafe CSEA “menu.”
Green Haven Correctional
Facility Local President
Jim Eve shares his
opinions with other
conference attendees
during the Cafe CSEA:
Straight Talk session.
Conference spurs members to fight
ALBANY — CSEA women —
and men — have the power
to win the battle against
unprecedented attacks
on workers by politicians,
corporate interests and the
media.
That was the central
message at CSEA’s recent
Women’s Conference, at
which nearly 500 activists
from across the state
learned that one of the
most important ways to
fight back is for workers to
effectively communicate
the value of the services
they provide to their
communities, specifically
to focus on what services
workers provide and why it
is important to the public.
Fighting back
That lesson will be
crucial as CSEA members
fight back against threats
to services and their union
rights.
“When did you think
a school crossing guard
or a secretary would
become the enemy?” CSEA
President Danny Donohue
said. “If we are breaking the
bank, then the bank was
never full to begin with.
We know this fight isn’t
going to be easy, but we
never intend to give up the
principles we fought for.”
National AFL-CIO
Executive Vice President
Arlene Holt Baker, in
Sing-Sing Correctional Facility Local President Bonnie
Wilber discusses the challenges facing CSEA members.
‘CSEA President Danny Donohue, front row, center, with Women’s Committee members
and first-time conference attendees.
her keynote address to
conference attendees, said
workers are winning the
message war against anti-
worker interests.
“You must be the face of
what keeps our community
together,” Baker said.
“Nobody can tell your story
better than you. You have
the power of your story —
use it!”
The Cafe CSEA: Straight
Talk session focused on
teaching members to tell
their stories.
Workers stand as one
Wisconsin Gov. Scott
Walker tried to divide
working men and women in
his move to gut collective
bargaining rights, Baker
said. While Walker retained
union rights in many
professions dominated by
men, such as police and
firefighters, he targeted
union rights in professions
dominated by women,
including education and
social services.
But Walker’s attacks
brought workers closer
National AFL-CIO Executive
Vice President Arlene
Holt Baker addresses the
conference.
together. “We are one,”
Baker said. “We will not be
forgotten.”
Baker said working
people are the only thing
blocking anti-labor leaders
from pursuing agendas
that benefit the rich and
undermine workers.
“This isn’t about
balancing state budgets,”
she said. “This is about
busting state unions!
This agenda is wrong for
workers, wrong for women
and wrong for everyone!”
Standing Women’s
Committee Chair
Jacqueline Stanford
welcomes members to the
conference.
Baker said CSEA has
always been a leader on
issues concerning women’s
rights, referencing the
union’s victory in the fight
for pay equity in Nassau
County in the early 1990s.
She urged CSEA women to
strengthen their skills and
seek leadership positions.
“CSEA sisters, you have
the power to fight for social
justice and workers’ rights,”
Baker said. “You must be
strong enough to stand as
one.”
— Janice Gavin
6 | Te Work Force
May 2011
Orange County Local
activist Vanessa Bisone talks
about involving members in
the union.
CSEA Executive Vice
President Mary Sullivan
and Metropolitan Region
President George
Boncoraglio lead a standing
ovation for AFL-CIO
Executive Vice President
Arlene Holt Baker after
Baker’s address.
Moultrie, Johnson continue
hen it comes to improving
women’s and working j
families’ lives on and off the
job, Delphine Moultrie and Betty Jo
Delphine Moultrie accepts the Irene
Johnson are leaders.
And for their efforts, CSEA President
Carr Leadership Award from President
Danny Donohue.
Danny Donohue presented the union’s
Trene Carr Leadership Award to
Moultrie and Johnson at the recent
Women's Conference. Carr, a former
statewide secretary, led CSEA in
advancing work and family issues.
Moultrie’s call to lead
Moultrie led the union’s push for
the State Insurance Fund, where she
is a CSEA activist, to end an overly
restrictive mobile phone policy, even
filing an Improper Practice charge.
“I enjoy (activism),” said Moultrie.
“It’s a pleasure learning, day by day,
what I can do for society while also
helping myself and my union.”
“It was an honor to see Delphine
receive the Irene Carr Leadership
Award,” said Metropolitan Region and
Statewide Women’s Committee Chair
Jacqueline Stanford. “She is ambitious,
determined and a hard worker and
there is nothing that she can’t do once
she puts her mind to it.”
Johnson stands strong
For Johnson, a social welfare
examiner in the Madison County
Department of Social Services’ Child
Support Unit, the award culminated
years of fighting for working women.
During the unit’s contract
negotiations, Johnson fought to prove
that workers’ wages were artificially
low because of the predominantly
female work force. The workers stood
firm under Johnson’s leadership and it
was partially rectified.
Carr’s legacy
President Danny Donohue
congratulates Betty Jo Johnson on the
Irene Carr Leadership Award.
“I know what Irene Carr stood
for,” Johnson said. “She stood for
the promotion of women throughout
the ranks of CSEA and she stood
for standing up for our rights in the
workplace as women and workers.”
“Betty Jo is one of the strongest
advocates on behalf of working
women, and she’s tireless in her efforts
mentoring new activists to make
our union stronger,” Central Region
President Colleen Wheaton said,
— David Galarza and
Mark M. Kotzin
Left, the CSEA Women’s Committee
with AFL-CIO Executive Vice President
Arlene Holt Baker and Irene Carr
Leadership Award recipients Delphine
Moultrie and Betty Jo Johnson. From
left are committee staff adviser Sharon
Lovelady-Hall, Janice Beaulieu, Rose
Conti, Carlotta Williams, Committee
Chair Jacqueline Stanford, Baker,
Karen Pecora, Moultrie, Kim Wallace-
Russo, Johnson, Catherine Custance,
Cathy Baretta, CSEA Executive Vice
President and committee officer
liaison Mary Sullivan and Sylvia
Thomas.
Several young Capital Region Girls, ;
Inc. members perform poetry and
other readings honoring labor history.
Pa: an
Hudson Valley DDSO Local members Delcina
Fisher, Dawn Woody, Tonya Miller and Michelle
Dewitt learn self defense techniques.
Weaver.
Women’s Committee member Catherine Custance, right,
gives information to Erie County Local and Next Wave
activists Alison Schoonover, Rachel Casey and Michele
le
THe Work FORCE
May 2011
BOCES nursing
instructors leave
UPSEU to join CSEA
lwenty nursing instructors
employed with Eastern
Suffolk BOCES (adult/continuing
education) recently decertified
their union with UPSEU (United
Public Service
everyone in the union, from the
unit level, the locals, the region
and statewide. We function
together, and the voice of every
worker is heard. This was very
attractive to
Employees Union)
them,” said Maria
Local 424 to join “We brought Navarro, Suffolk
CSEA. issues and Educational
The group’s to th Local president.
newly elected COnCEMS tO Mem “We have a
president, Jim Van (UPSEU Local responsibility
Tassel, said having | 424) that were as community
asay and amore never considered to take care of
democratic union
is the No. 1 reason
for the switch.
“At UPSEU,
there was no
real democratic
representation for
us and we were
told this is what
you're getting and
told what they
could do for us,”
said Van Tassel.
or addressed. I
was even told not
to speak to the
members during
negotiations. We had
no voting rights at
all. ’'ve never had
the chance to vote
for any officers. Our
those around us,”
Navarro said. “Jim
Van Tassel said
to me that all the
members of the
bargaining unit
were on board to
leave UPSEU and
join CSEA. I spoke
to the region and
the Organizing
Department to get
From left, new BOCES Nursing Instructors Unit officers being
sworn in by CSEA Suffolk County Education Employees Local
President Maria Navarro: President Jim Van Tassel, Vice
President Chris Villaneuva, Treasurer Christine McNally, and
Secretary Kathleen Parente. The nursing instructors left their
former union to get better represenation with CSEA.
from the move.
“I know what it feels like to
want to be heard and I know
what it means to really be
listened to,” said Navarro. “I
once had a worker in another
organizing campaign where I was
a volunteer member organizer
tell me, ‘You know what? You're
just one of us.’ That touched me
structure in CSEA but ultimately,
I'm a member.”
“I may be an elected officer
now, but I came from the same
place — a worker just trying to
do better for co-workers and
have a say in my workplace. She
wasn’t expecting us to be that
way. That’s the CSEA difference,”
Navarro said
needs were not being | it moving.”
“We brought
: met.”
issues and
“Maria and the
organizers were
concerns to them
that were never
considered or addressed. I was
even told not to speak to the
members during negotiations.
We had no voting rights at all.
I've never had the chance to
vote for any officers. Our needs
were not being met.”
The nursing instructors
investigated their options
thoroughly and looked into three
or four different unions before
deciding on CSEA.
“CSEA allows our membership
to really be heard. Our
democratic process involves
very helpful. Right
away, they opened
up their offices. They made
sure that we met with all of the
leaders and staff. We never, in
the eight years we were there,
never met the leadership of
UPSEU, only our rep,” said Van
Tassel.
Van Tassel expressed hope
to build a better relationship
with the administration through
CSEA. He said he feels very good
about this decision because
long after he’s gone, he can rest
assured that those who come to
East Suffolk BOCES will benefit
and made an impact. I thought, — Jill Asencio
sure, there is organizational
YOU NEED YOUR CSEA ID NUMBER TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE YEAR 2012 ELECTIONS
(Statewide, Region, Board of Directors and
AFSCME Delegates)
Your 10-digit CSEA ID Number was assigned to you in 2010 and is printed
on your CSEA/AFSCME membership card. It is the only number you
need when conducting CSEA business. This includes Union election-
related business — running as a candidate, signing candidates’ nominating
petitions, voting, etc.
If you are unsure of your ID Number or have lost your card, you may
contact CSEA’s Membership Department to request your CSEA ID Number
or to request a replacement card by calling toll free at 1-800-342-4146 and
asking for the Membership Department.
May 2011
8 | Tue Work Force
Better
NewYork
PRACL-
——
Fair for All: Help for All
Sacrifice from All
“Far too
frequently,
public
employees are
painted with a
negative brush
and blamed for
all that is wrong
throughout the
state. Nothing
could be further
from the trut
Town highway workers save man
GREECE — An elderly man
might not be alive today if
not for two Town of Greece
highway workers.
On a blustery March
weekend, as he walked
between highway buildings,
Ron Bandemer heard cries
for help. He looked toward
the highway buildings, but
then realized they were
coming from the
opposite direction.
“CSEA
who came over and
held onto the man until
emergency personnel
arrived on the scene.
The two CSEA members
then helped firefighters
and other emergency
responders pull the man
from the pit.
“Hypothermia was
setting in,” O’Connell said.
“The man said
he had been
They were members there for a half
coming from an hour and he
elderly man who never was so cold.”
somehow found
himself in the
middle of a fenced- $O the
in construction ”
site next to mile.
the highway
department.
“He was standing up to
his armpits in mud and
water and clinging toa
post,” Bandemer said. “He
was sinking.”
Bandemer called
co-worker Dan O'Connell,
hesitate to
“Far too
frequently,
public
employees are
painted with a
negative brush
and blamed for all that
is wrong throughout the
state,” said CSEA Western
Region President Flo Tripi.
“Nothing could be further
from the truth. CSEA
members never hesitate to
go the extra mile. In this
extra
Dan O’Connell, left, and Ron Bandemer stand near the
fence surrounding the construction site where an elderly
man sank into and became stuck in mud.
case, a man is alive today
because of their efforts.”
No one knows for sure
how the man, who is in his
80s, got his car into the
construction site. After the
car got stuck in the mud,
the man walked about 100
feet before sinking into the
mud pit.
“He said he was looking
for the library (which is
on the other side of the
highway department),”
O'Connell said. “I’m just
glad Ron heard him.”
The pit in the
construction site has been
filled in and the hole cut in
the fence to save the man
has been repaired.
— Lynn Miller
Poughkeepsie school nurse hailed as hero
Observe Workers
Memorial Day
on April 28.
For an event
in your region,
visit www.
csealocal1000.
org/workers_
memorial_day.
php.
POUGHKEEPSIE — CSEA member
Nancy Liber is proof that the job of a
school nurse goes far beyond Band-
Aids and ice packs.
Liber, a nurse at Poughkeepsie
City School District’s Krieger
Elementary School, was hailed as a
hero recently after saving the life of a
student’s grandfather during a school
concert. Liber successfully revived
the grandfather using CPR after the
man collapsed because of a cardiac
episode.
“I went running into the cafeteria
after a parent came into my office
to tell me there was a man who had
stopped breathing,” said Liber, who
is in her 10th year with the district
after 20 years working in labor and
delivery. “I was performing CPR for
what seemed like 10 years when he
started coughing and gagging and
Poughkeepsie City School District
Unit member Nancy Liber, a school
nurse, on the job.
coming around.”
That the man was quickly
resuscitated before an ambulance
arrived is amazing, Liber said. She
said that even more miraculous is
that the man was completely aware of
his surroundings.
Liber received a certificate of
commendation from the district
superintendent of schools, as well as
thanks from the man’s family.
Southern Region President Billy
Riccaldo said the incident is a good
reminder of the importance of having
a trained nurse in every school
building.
“Our school nurses play an integral
role in creating a safe place for our
students,” Riccaldo said. “In this
case, Mrs. Liber’s training means that
a young kindergarten student will
hopefully have her grandfather at
many more school concerts to come.”
— Jessica Ladlee
May 2011
THe Work FORCE 9 |
Union members fighting back
We Are One
SEA members are well aware of
how difficult and tenuous New
York's financial
situation is, but
much of what is
affecting the state
is due to national
policies that over
the last 30 years
have undermined
the middle class.
Now, the
situation is growing worse. Not only
are corporations and the wealthy
getting away with tax breaks and
not paying their fair share, they are
funneling huge sums of money into
organizations like the Tea Party that
are attacking unions, pensions and
the middle class.
WE
ARE
Many of the biggest, most
profitable companies such
as Exxon-Mobil, General
Electric and Bank of
America paid no federal
taxes last year.
in New York.
Who loses? You do, and so do your
communities. CSEA members across
the state have been fighting back,
taking part in rallies to show support
for public employees in Wisconsin
and elsewhere.
A day of action
was held across
the country
on April 4,
culminating in
hundreds of We
Are One rallies,
emphasizing
workers’ rights
and the growing gulf between the
super rich and everyone else.
Here are some images from those
rallies and others, and some of the
explanations of attacks on working
families across the country and here
The Bush tax legacy means we currently tax wealth less
than work: middle-income paychecks are taxed at 25
percent compared to stock dividends and capital gains,
which are taxed at a top rate of only 15 percent.
10 | Tue Work Force
CSEA and other union members take part in a Western New York Area
Labor Federation We Are One rally in Buffalo.
Above, CSEA Rockland
Psychiatric Center Local activist
Sheila Dunlop takes part in a
Newburgh We Are One rally. At
left, Long Island Region CSEA
members rally in Hauppague
against Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s
budget. (See story, Page 3)
ARE
The government collected
less in taxes in 2010
than it has in over three
generations and tax rates
are at historic lows.
WE
ARE
The Bush tax cuts added
$1.7 trillion to the
nation’s debt between
2001-2008, which is
more than it would cost
to send 24 million kids
to four-year, public
universities.
A middle-class family
with two young children
receives on average $1,200
through the federal child
care tax credit, yet the
cost of their child care
averages $18,000.
Upper income households
save an average of $5,500
thanks to the mortgage
interest tax deduction.
Since 1910
May 2011
May 2011
Across the country, workers’ rights under attack
y
IDAHO: The “Labor Relations” bill, which passed both
houses, eliminates “good faith” bargaining, allows
districts to unilaterally reduce pay and benefits, forbids
using seniority in layoff decisions, and eliminates tenure.
schedules, requires merit pay, requires higher contributions into
health insurance plans and puts the power of breaking contract
disputes solely in the hands of elected officials.
HIO: Gov. John Kasich signed a bill that prohibits the state
and public colleges from collective bargaining, abolishes salary
>
‘NEW HAMPSHIRE: A Senate bill — SB1 — would
eliminate automatic continuation of contracts if
impasse is not resolved by the time the contract
expires. A House bill — HB 474 — would prohibit
contracts that require agency shop.
4
‘WASHINGTON: Senate bill 5347 would do away
with agency shop for public employees.
COLORADO: Sen-
Child care workers illegal. HR 4059 would prohibit any
use of “union release” time to represent union members.
MICHIGAN: House bill HR 10 calls on the governor to NEW YORK: State MAINE: Freshman Gov. Paul
impose an immediate wage freeze on all state employ- Senate passes LePage is asking the legislature to
ees for three years. HR 4003 would make organizing bill that would raise the state worker retirement
ate bill 11-112
would prohibit
state, county and
municipal gov-
ernments from
recognizing or
bargaining with
a union. Senate
bill 11-038 would
overturn a 2007
executive order
giving publicem- |}
ployees bargain-
ing rights.
ARIZONA: Senate bill 1363
would limit how unions can
protest or picket during labor
disputes.
7
Editor’s note: This
graphic was first
published by the New
York State United
Teachers on March JOWA: SF 180
24. Some of the would prohibit
i . schools from
information may have making payrall
changed since then. deductions for
union member-
ship.
Visit www.aficio.org
for the latest news
on attacks against
workers’ rights.
WISCONSIN: Gov. Scott Walker
has signed legislation stripping
almost every bargaining right
from most public employees.
It cuts take-home pay 6-8 percent
and uses these funds for health
care and pension costs.
INDIANA: House bill 1337 TENNESSEE:
would narrow collective House bill FLA: Governor to
bargaining to only wages 160 would gets :
and fringe benefits. House make it illegal Fedrateted VIRGINIA: House bill 1784
bill 1468 would make it a for unions to teachers; it estab- would permit any local govern-
misdemeanor for employers make contribu- lishes merit pay ment or school board to replace
to require employees to join tions to politi- and an evaluation defined benefit pensions with a
or remain in a union. cal candidates. system in 2014. defined contribution plan. J
eliminate seniority
as determining
factor in layoffs.
Several groups call
for dismantling Tri-
borough rights and
pension changes.
age from 62 to 65, while demand-
ing workers pay more for benefits.
LePage also wants to freeze, and
then cap, retiree cost-of-living
adjustments.
RHODE ISLAND: The mayor
of Providence has given
layoff notices to 1,926 city
teachers with the apparent
intention of hiring back only
those he wants, without
regard to seniority.
CONNECTICUT: A House bill
— HB 6324— would require
boards of education to
establish layoff procedures
and policies that do not
allow seniority to be the
\ sole factor in layoffs. }
NEW JERSEY: Senate bill 2310
would cap public sector agree-
ments to 2 percent increases
per year, including benefit costs.
Assembly bill 3796/Senate bill
2705 requires public employees
to contribute 8.5 percent of
salary to fund their pensions and
eliminates future COLAs.
THe Work FORCE 11 |
Fair for All Help fi for All
Sacrifice from All
“There
are more
administrators
now than ever
before. They
should cut
from the top.”
Did you know
that the Town
of Hempstead
includes 22
villages and
37 hamlets?
It is one of
only three
townships
in Nassau
County and
is the most
populated
town in
the United
States.
12 fie Work FORCE
Teaching associates give district
an ‘F’ for worker fairness
officials
NIAGARA FALLS —
Teaching associates in
the Niagara Falls School
District took to the street
recently to protest job cuts
and stalled contract talks
with management.
At issue is the loss of
33 jobs, as well as health
insurance proposals by
CSEA that would level the
playing field and create
fair and equitable health
insurance costs for unit
members.
“They are using fuzzy
math like they use in
Albany,” CSEA Teachers
Associate United Unit
President Michele Brocious
said of the school board.
District officials,
Brocious said, are justifying
the massive cuts to the
workers by stressing that
it is just a 6 percent cut
Alida Barreto, a special education associate, leads :
co-workers during a demonstration against budget cuts
and stalled contract talks at the Niagara Falls Schools.
to the unit. Meanwhile,
cutting one administrator
is an 11 percent cut to the
administration.
“There are more
administrators now than
ever before,” she said
“They should cut from the
top.”
In addition to the job
cuts in next year’s budget,
the district is targeting unit
members in contract talks.
The associates have been
without a contract since
June. CSEA’s proposals
have largely been ignored
by the district.
Some people in the unit
— among the lowest paid
employees in the district
- already pay half toward
health care coverage. They
are literally working to pay
for insurance. Meanwhile,
those earning larger wages
— such as administrators
— pay just a very small
percentage of health care
costs.
The unit represents 260
teaching associates. The
associates aid teachers
and assist students in
the classroom, in special
education settings, the
library and the cafeteria.
— Lynn Miller
Lighting crew workers help keep town safe
HEMPSTEAD — Thanks to
a dedicated town street
lighting crew, Hempstead is
brighter and safer at night.
CSEA activist Gary Aue,
a field supervisor for the
town, oversees a crew
of 12 workers who are
responsible for maintaining
nearly 50,000 lights —
enough to stretch from
Long Island to Colorado
if they were placed ina
straight line.
“We average 21 repair
calls per day and more
than 12,000 in a year,”
said Aue. “Over 3,000
work orders have been
completed in just the first
three months of 2011.
Hempstead is the most
populous township in the
United States, but residents
are fortunate because my
crew has a collective work
ethic that is first rate and
we are up to the task.”
CSEA members on the
town’s lighting crew are
not only responsible for
keeping all of the town’s
streetlights and public
parking lot lights in top
form, but maintain clocks,
decorative lights, timing
sensors, tree trims, pole
swaps and fixture changes.
Weekend emergencies are
handled by on-call teams as
they occur.
“This kind of work is
more involved than it
appears to the average
person driving by on
the street,” said Aue.
“My crew is well-trained,
knowledgeable and
Town of Hempstead street lighting crew member Nick
Acuri repairs a streetlight in North Valley Stream, a
hamlet within the town.
meticulous.”
“The skill and
dedication of our street
lighting crew is truly
outstanding,” said
Hempstead Local President
Charlie Sellitto. “They
have a very tough job and
limited personnel but like
all true professionals, they
make it look easy.”
— Rich Impagliazzo
May 2011
State librarian helped preserve history
following inferno
Oo: March 29, 1911, flames
tore through the State
Capitol, and destroyed vast
amounts of New York’s history.
It was a devastating event that
took the life of night watchman
Samuel Abbott and incinerated
an invaluable collection of books,
documents and other artifacts.
One of the unsung heroes was
a state library worker named
Joseph Gavit, who was integral
in documenting what was lost in
the fire and helping to identify
and salvage what remained.
Later in his career Gavit was
active in the Assoc. of State Civil
Service Employees as CSEA was
known then.
Gavit began work as a junior
clerk at the state library,
then housed in the Capitol in
1896 and he quickly became
supervisor of the shelf section
in the library. Gavit worked
under library director Melville
Dewey, known for developing the
Dewey Decimal system, which is
still used to organize books on
library shelves.
Gavit’s vast knowledge of the
Joseph Gavit at work in 1946.
May 2011
library collection would serve
him well in helping to address
the fire’s aftermath, a task that
filled the rest of his career.
Awakened at his nearby
home by the fire alarms, Gavit
witnessed the library engulfed in
flames. He understood that many
of the books and manuscripts
would be destroyed, but his
memory of the shelves and
sections aided with salvaging
and preservating books and
manuscripts.
Devastating month
The Capitol fire came just four
days after the tragic Triangle
Shirtwaist Factory fire in New
York City’s Greenwich Village
that clamed the lives of 146
workers, mostly young immigrant
women, due to unsafe working
conditions and poor fire safety.
(See related story, page 5.)
The fires helped raise
awareness of the need to reform
New York’s safety and health
laws and fire codes. Many
measures were enacted that
improved the safety of public
and private buildings as a
result. The official cause of the
Capitol fire is listed as faulty
electrical wiring, but there is
some evidence that a cigar in
a conference room may have
started the blaze.
The state library collection
was scheduled to move to
the new state Education
Department building across
the street from the capitol, but
the move had been delayed
because construction was
behind schedule. Some of the
of NYS Library
Photos courte:
New York State Capitol engulfed in flames the evening of March 29, 1911.
documents salvaged in the fire
are still being restored and
preserved by state employees to
this day.
50-year career
Gavit retired from state
service in 1946 after a 50-year
career. A profile of his
contributions was then printed
in CSEA’s official publication, The
State Employee.
After retirement, Gavit
continued to work to improve
standards in state service by
helping to develop cooperation
and morale between government
leaders and public employees,
and make advances in the merit
system. The Capitol fire and
the important role he played in
responding to it with dedication
and professionalism shaped a
great deal of his career. In his
memoirs, Gavit used the horrific
event as a lesson:
“It seems wholly fitting that
such a story as this should be
made part of our permanent
records...
While its
details
may cause
us regret
for the
things
we might
have done
or left
undone, had we foreseen, it is
the trend of history in all things
that out of loss and failure and
mistakes and misfortunes, come
the better conditions,” he wrote.
— Navar McCloud
Gavit as a young man.
The story of Joseph Gavit and
the Capitol fire is the subject of a
new book titled The New York State
Capitol and the Great Fire of 1911
(Arcadia Publishing, 2011) by Paul
Mercer, senior librarian at the New
York State Library, and Vicki Weiss. It
uses extensive research to go in depth
about the Capitol Fire of 1911.
A documentary about the fire was
also produced by WMHT-TV and has
aired statewide on PBS stations.
THe Work FORCE
May 15 is deadline for submitting
proposed resolutions, changes to
CSEA’s Constitution & Bylaws
roposed resolutions and proposed amendments to the CSEA
Constitution & By-Laws for consideration by CSEA delegates to
the union’s 2011 Annual Delegates Meeting must be submitted by
May 15, 2011.
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 2011 CSEA Annual Delegates Meeting will be held Oct. 3-7 in
New York City.
Visit your Company Store at
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MEMBERS ONLY INFORMATION
sos CSE RS "=
Legal Services
Program
Workers’
Personal | Personal | Tc Care| Veterans
Compensation and)” tegal | Injui Bushes Disabili
apap Matters Matters Eder Law Benefit,
l his members-
only
benefit program
provides attorney
representation
for Workers’
Compensation,
Social Security
Disability, Personal
Injury, Veterans
KAnow
Your
Rights!
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 CEA members.
1-800-342-4146
Call uring normal business hours, 8 am. ~ 5 pm, Mon.-Fi, and follow the menu instructions forthe Legal Services Program
CSEA Headquarters, 143 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12210
Web site: www.csealocall 000.org (through the CSEA members-only portal)
Danny Donohue, President
A break in union membership status can
have long-term future implications. Your
membership status affects your eligibility
with respect to:
© seeking or holding union office;
* signing nominating petitions for
potential candidates;
* voting in union elections, and;
* voting on collective bargaining
contracts.
Only members “in good standing” can
Break in membership affects eligi
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,
ility for union office, voting privileges
maternity or paternity, you may be eligible
for dues-free membership status for a period
not to exceed one year. If you are called up
for active military duty you may also apply
for dues-free status.
Note, however, you must continue to pay
dues to run for office. Dues-free or gratuitous
membership allows members to continue
their insurance coverage while out of work.
It does not protect your right to run for or
hold office. This does not apply to members
who are on leave due to being called up for
military duty. Members on active military
duty, upon return, are considered to have
had continuous membership status for all
CSEA election purposes.
Please notify the CSEA Membership
Records 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
May 2011
Summary of April 2011 Board of Directors Meeting
Editor’s Note: The
Work Force publishes
a summary of actions
taken by CSEA’s
Board of Directors.
The summary is
prepared by CSEA
Statewide Secretary
Denise Berkley for
union members.
ALBANY - CSEA’s
statewide Board
of Directors met on April 14. In official
business, the board:
e Appointed Kathy Hartwig (Genesee
County), Kevin Ray (Judiciary), Katherine
Moran (Saratoga County) and Amy
Simmons (St. Lawrence County) to the
Board of Directors;
e Approved two contracts for upcoming
Central Region conferences;
¢ Confirmed Jack Rohl as Vice
Berkley
Chairperson of the Local Government
Executive Committee;
¢ Retained the services of
Pricewaterhouse Coopers for the 2011
fiscal year audit;
e Adjusted budgeted Membership
Dues and Agency Shop income, reduced
budgeted AFSCME Grant income and
increased budget for pension and post-
retirement expenses;
e Authorized capital additions to make
security improvements at various region
and satellite offices;
¢ Designated the American Arbitration
Association as independent election
agency for 2012 combined elections;
e Appointed Jacqueline Williams-
Matthews and Toni Knight to the
Metropolitan Region Political Action
Committee;
e Appointed Nilda Palau-Lopez and
Christine Bischoff to the Southern Region
Political Action Committee;
e Appointed Stanley Rusinovich and
James Courson to the Capital Region
Political Action Committee;
e Appointed Chris Kraynak to the
Central Region Political Action Committee;
¢ Confirmed Liz Piraino as Chairperson
of the Publications Committee; and
e Placed into administratorship Butler
Correctional Facility/Local 190; Capital
Region Armory Employees/Local 250;
Town of Shelby (Blue), Unit 7954-00/Local
837; Port Washington UFSD Security Aides,
Unit 7567-01/Local 865; William Floyd UFSD
Security Guards Unit 8766-04/Local 870;
and Rockville Centre Library Unit 7234-00/
Local 882.
Questions concerning the summary should
be directed to Statewide Secretary Denise
Berkley, CSEA Headquarters,
143 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12210
(800) 342-4146 or (518) 257-1253.
May 2011
THe Work FORCE
A messa: mm _ NY:
[ler Tom DiNapoli:
Moving forward by protecting our pensions
hen times are tough, New York
state public employee retirees
and their beneficiaries play a vital
role in keeping our economy moving.
Retirees’ income and spending
support local businesses and
contribute to local tax bases. When
we talk about retirees in New York
state, we’re talking about keeping our
state economy moving.
Over these past few months, special
interests have cast a spotlight on state
budgets, pension plans and public
employee unions. This year’s on-time
state budget begins to align revenues
with spending, but we are just starting
to see a true recovery from the
economic collapse of 2008. One reason
why we are in a stronger position now
than we were just a few years ago is
the hard work and contributions of
people like you.
While it may not get much press
attention, the economic contributions
Dorothy Breen, center, joins other CSEA
activists in meeting with then-Gov. Mario
Cuomo in this archival photo from the
1980s. Breen who has most recently directed
CSEA’s Retiree division, is retiring after 49
years of membership and service to the
union. See next month’s Work Force for a
retrospective on Breen’s remarkable union
career.
Westchester County Local President ‘John
Staino greets Tom DiNapoli at a rally last fall.
to our state of current and retired
members of CSEA and all public sector
unions have been a steadying influence
on our economy. Retirees from the
New York State and Local Retirement
System generate $9.5 billion in
economic activity annually, and pay
$1.3 billion in property taxes. All the
economic power helps put New York
to work; 55,000 New York state jobs are
linked to our retirees’ spending.
For all of the hue and cry over
the size of pensions and benefits for
retirees, the average member of the
Employee Retirement System takes
home a pension of $18,000 per year.
Public employees contribute to their
pensions and they've earned the
reasonable level of economic security
provided by those pensions.
I am a strong supporter of the
defined benefit system. I refuse to
participate in a race to the bottom to
provide the least amount of benefits to
retirees. New York should not be in the
business of forcing public employees
to choose between retiring poor and
not retiring at all. We shouldn’t, and
more importantly, we don’t need to.
We have a sustainable system that
is 90 years old, well managed and
recognized for its well-funded status.
Eighty-four cents of every dollar paid
toward pensions in our retirement
system is derived directly from
investment returns.
These are challenging times for all
New Yorkers. But we must remember
that we are all in this together. You -
the public employees who keep New
York running - are doing all the right
things to help move our state forward.
Let’s keep spreading the word that we
are on the road
to recovery,
and let’s
continue to
make New York
strong.
The Work Force
May 2011
Employee Benefit Fund
now offers Quick Response
April 30 is deadline for
2010 Empire Plan claims
hat is that all have QR codes
strange thing
that looks
like a square bar
code on magazine
advertisements and
CSE
AFSCME Local 1000, AFL-CIO
on their business
cards. Just scan
the code, and their
EMPLOYEE contact information is
mpire Plan enrollees
have until April 30, 2011
(120 days after the end of
the calendar year) to submit
Health
Benefits =a.
product displays?
That quirky design is
a Quick Response code
(QR). It is similar to a
bar code.
The code consists of
black pixels arranged
in a square pattern on
a white background.
If you have a smart
phone, you can
download a free QR
reader application, and
that is what’s used to
scan the QR code.
The information provided
could be a website address,
a special coupon, or contact
information. When you scan the
code, it will bring you directly
to the website or text that is
contained in the QR code without
having to type anything.
In an effort to stay on top of
the latest technology trends, the
CSEA Employee Benefit Fund
has begun using QR codes. The
benefit specialists at the EBF
Sp here —
Don’t Zone Out!
Oy
1)
code.
The EBF’s new
Quick Response
automatically stored
in your phone.
The EBF also
has a QR code on
our postcard that
advertises our website.
When you scan that
code, it brings you
= right to our website
without having to type
the web address.
Our goal at the EBF
has been and always
will be to provide
the best possible
customer service to
our members. This is another
example of how we’re taking an
initiative to make it easier to find
the information you're seeking.
So what are you waiting for?
Scan the QR code and see where
it takes you!
Visit EBF’s website at www.
cseaebf.com or call EBF at
(800) 323-2732 to learn more
about our programs.
n’t Zone Out!
That’s the advice from CSEA to motorists
everywhere, especially in New York. As spring
arrives, CSEA members will be working on New
York’s roadways and highways. You can help protect
these workers with a simple message: be careful
driving through roadway work zones.
Help spread the word and help save lives. Your CSEA brothers and
sisters working in roadways and highways will appreciate it.
Take the pledge online:
www.csealocal1000.org
May 2011
medical expenses incurred
during the 2010 plan year to:
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, KY 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 get 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.
Enrollees can call the Empire Plan at 1-877-7NYSHIP
(1-877-769-7447) with questions or to get claim forms.
THe Work FORCE
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My Te chan ever you
The Work Force 18]
Smith is PEOPLE Recruiter of the Month
loria Smith of the SUNY Upstate Medical
University Local in the Central Region is
the PEOPLE Recruiter of the Month for
March. She recruited 23 new PEOPLE members.
“As union members, we're in the fight of
our lives, with all these people trying to pass
anti-union legislation throughout the country,”
Smith said. “We need to use our combined
strength to fight back and make sure that these
attacks don’t go unchallenged. Our members
should be proud to join PEOPLE and know that
they’re helping our union fight on their behalf.”
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.
Stay up-to-date! Visit your region
online and on Facebook
Be sure to stay up to date between Work Force editions by
checking your region’s web page and Facebook page.
or
Long Island Region:
http:/Awww.csealocal1000.org/r1
http:/Awww.facebook.com/csealongisland
Metropolitan Region:
http:/Awww.csealocal1000.org/r2
http:/www.facebook.com/csearegion2
Southern Region:
http:/Awww.csealocal1000.org/r3
http:/Awww.facebook.com/csearegion3
Capital Region:
http:/Awww.csealocal1000.org/r4
http:/www.facebook.com/csearegion4
Central Region:
http:/Awww.csealocal1000.org/r5
http:/Awww.facebook.com/csearegion5
Western Region:
http:/Awww.csealocal1000.org/r6
http:/Awww.facebook.com/cseawesternregion6
Since 1910
WASHINGTON
COUNTY
Bo impact of the state
CSE budget on workers
MOBILIZES — ss inwvorxstzaona nen and the public.
CSEA recently
learned that the Washington
County Board of Supervisors will
soon vote to issue a request for
proposals for the county nursing
home and public health nursing
services. CSEA represents
the public health nurses, who
visit residents throughout the
county with chronic conditions
or who are unable to travel for
medical visits. CSEA members
in Washington County are
mobilizing around the issue ...
FIGHTING IN GLEN COVE —
More than 50 CSEA members
from the City of Glen Cove Unit
attended a city council meeting
to protest the fact they have
been working with an expired
contract for over a year. The
members displayed “Show Some
Respect” signs throughout the
meeting and applauded when
Long Island Region President
Nick LaMorte and Nassau
Municipal Employees Local
President John Shepherd asked
city officials to get serious about
concluding negotiations ...TOWN
HALL MEETING — More than
50 people recently attended
a recent CSEA Metropolitan
Region Town Hall meeting in
Brooklyn that discussed the
Speakers included
Metropolitan Region President
George Boncoraglio, Statewide
Secretary Denise Berkley, CSEA
activists Adriane Hudson and
Fitzroy Wilson and a state worker
who was laid off after 25 years
of service, as well as state Sens.
Eric Adams and Diane Savino.
Representatives from other labor
unions across New York City
also participated in the forum
... SPA CITY CONTRACT — The
Saratoga Springs City Council
recently approved a four-year
deal with CSEA’s DPW and City
Hall units. The previous contract
expired Dec. 31, 2008. The pact
was ratified by members last
week and includes increases
in 2011 and 2012 as wellasa
switch to a new health insurance
provider ... FIRST CONTRACT
— Members of the Brookhaven
Public Safety Unit ratified their
initial two-year contract. The unit
was organized two years ago and
involved in negotiations for most
of that time ... UNIT RATIFIES
— The Eastport/South Manor
School District Teachers Aide
Unit approved a new one-year
contract, which includes a salary
increase.
Save the dates!
CSEA has set dates and places for these statewide events:
¢ Spring Workshop: May
¢ Retiree Delegates Meeting: Aug. 1
e Annual Delegates Meeting: Oc
Check ww
Niagara Falls;
1, Niagara Falls; and
7, New Yo!
sealocal1000.org for information about these
events. Registration information and details about other events
will be posted on the website as it becomes available.
May 2011
THE 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
CSE
New York’s LEADING Union
We're family, friends and neighbors
doing the work that matters.
SMART | DYNAMIC | CARING | DEDICATED
