Latest CSEA News
We will add additional news content here as it becomes available.
Todd Schmidt,
CSEA Local 856 President
Leadership EMPOWERMENT Zone Update - Thursday, May 12th, 2022
Federal Judge sets primaries, upholds Assembly district lines
This week a Federal court has ruled that the primary for congressional seats and state senate seats will be August 23, 2022 and the primary for Governor, Lieutenant Governor and State Assembly will be June 28 of this year. The court has upheld the redrawn Assembly district lines. We expect the new congressional lines and New York State Senate lines to be released on or about May 20.
Honoring those doing the work to strengthen our Union
Have your fellow leaders or members been signing up new members within your local or unit? Have any of them made an extraordinary contribution towards bringing a new bargaining unit or group of members into CSEA? If so, please consider nominating them for either the Membership Achievement Award or the Nadra Floyd Award! Nominations are due by July 22, 2022. More information on the awards, the qualities the nominees should have, the nomination forms and the process can be found at https://cseany.org/award-nominations.
Last chance to apply for CSEA college scholarships
The last date to apply for our union’s statewide college scholarship awards will be May 15. If you know of CSEA members who have graduating high school seniors, this is your last chance to share the application information with them. We will give out eighteen $1,000 Irving Flaumenbaum Memorial Scholarships, three in each of our six regions. We also have two additional college scholarship opportunities available through the same application. The application is available for download at: https://cseany.org/scholarships.
Communications Department wins awards
I am pleased to share that our Communications Department has won several awards from the New York Metro Labor Council. The Department brought home 13 different awards for their outstanding work in the Work Force, CSEA Calendar and Video production. To view the full list of awards visithttps://cseany.org/metro-ny-awards.
CSEA Appreciation Day is coming, did you get your posters?
Monday, May 23 we celebrate our third annual CSEA Appreciation Day. If you want a supply of posters that you can ask to have posted in your community, please reach out to your Region President and they will assist with distribution. I’d also invite you to view and share our Appreciation Day tribute on our website: https://cseany.org/thankyou.
Have you received the Safety Net newsletter?
Don’t miss the April edition of the CSEA Safety Net, our Safety and Health e-newsletter, recapping our informative and empowering Statewide Conference on Safety and Health held last month in Saratoga Springs. I encourage anyone who hasn’t subscribed to do so at: https://cseany.org/safetynet.
Resolutions and Amendments webinar now available on-demand
We have a brand-new webinar available online for activists interested in our governance process, How to properly write and submit proposed resolutions or amendments to CSEA’s Constitution & By-Laws. It will prepare viewers to properly write proposed resolutions and/or amendments to our governing documents that, if approved, may be voted on at our Annual Delegates Meeting this October. It can be found at: https://cseany.org/webinar-resolutions-and-amendments.
A reminder on submission deadlines:
Proposed amendments to the CSEA Constitution must be submitted to the Office of the Statewide Secretary by May 15, 2022.
Proposed amendments to CSEA’s By-Laws must be submitted to the Office of the Statewide Secretary by June 15, 2022.
Proposed Resolutions to be voted on by the delegate body must be submitted to the Office of the Statewide Secretary by July 1, 2022.Many on-demand safety trainings available from our OSH Department
Our award-winning Occupational Safety and Health Department continues to offer guidance through on-demand webinar trainings that all members can access at no cost. We have dozens of available offerings, including many provided at our recent Statewide Conference on Occupational Safety and Health, as well as school safety and health topics, and employer compliance webinars. For detailed explanations of and links to each workshop, please visit: https://cseany.org/osh-webinars.
Required OFFICER TRAININGS scheduled
We remind all elected union officers that per our constitutions, you are required to take the training for your office during your current term of office. This training must be taken each time you are elected, even if you’ve taken it during a previous term in office. To satisfy this constitutional training requirement, a number of trainings are scheduled. Please make plans to attend the training for the office you hold. To register, contact your CSEA Region Office and let them know which training and date you are registering for. Participants must use their own time or have approved Release Time to attend this training if attending during normal work hours.
President/Vice President Training:
> June 21 & 22 (NOT previously trained officers) – 6 to 7:30 pm - Please register by June 15
> June 28 & 29 (previously trained officers) – 6 to 7:30 pm - Please register by June 23
Treasurer Training:
ONSITE trainings for Region 1 Treasurers - Please register with the Region 1 Office at 631-462-0030 by May 18
> May 24 – 5 to 8 pm – William P. Bennett Hicksville Community Center, Hicksville NY
> May 25 – 5 to 8 pm – CSEA Long Island Region 1 Office, Commack NYVirtual training for all Regions – please register with your Region Office by June 8
> June 15 – 5 to 8 pmWhat do you want to read about?
I’m asking for your feedback on any topics you’d like to see covered in future editions of this weekly leadership update. If you have ideas, please take the time to fill out our quick online survey at: https://tinyurl.com/leadership-update-topics. I appreciate your response.
In Solidarity,
Mary E. Sullivan
President
Leadership EMPOWERMENT Zone Update - THURSDAY, April 28th, 2022
Be warned: outreach from anti-union front group continues
State workers have been targeted with recent emails from the Freedom Foundation (OptOut Today). In addition, this past week, members in local governments have received mail at home and emails from the Freedom Foundation encouraging them to opt-out.
This coincides with municipalities getting FOIL requests seeking YOUR NAMES AND PERSONAL INFORMATION. If you’re a union leader in a local government municipality - be it a library, village, town, county, or school district - PLEASE let your local FOIL Officer (many times your village or town clerk) know that they are prohibited from distributing an employee's personal identifying information.
I ask that you please educate our members on the advantages of being a CSEA member. The reasons are clear and can be found at: https://cseany.org/advantage. Should you need any assistance, contact CSEA’s Director of Member Engagement Adam Acquario at (518) 257-1303.
Northeast Parent and Child Society workers join CSEA
Northeast Parent and Child Society (NPCS) workers located in Schenectady voted 2 – 1, in a decisive majority, to join CSEA in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) election held yesterday. The 88 full-time and part-time workers organized with CSEA for a stronger voice on the job, a safer workplace and fair treatment. The group works to help the children at NPCS (5-21 years old) navigate life at their residential facility, to and from school, and in the community. As we know, Volunteer Member Organizers are vital to successful organizing campaigns. The support for this group was plentiful and heartwarming. The campaign was led by CSEA Statewide Organizer Greg Bartow with assistance by CSEA Lead Organizer Jess Riley. CSEA Region 4 President Ron Briggs, the Schenectady County DSS Unit, Schenectady County Local Treasurer Katie Soule, Oyster Bay President Jarvis Brown and SCO President Sirlentor Berry and the SCO Executive Board supported the workers throughout the campaign. CSEA Senior Counsel Aaron Kaplan and Associate Mary Slattery won multiple legal victories to keep the final unit to 88 workers against management’s legal team.
Do You Have the My CSEA Mobile App?
Have you downloaded the My CSEA mobile app yet? Have you encouraged your members to download the app? The My CSEA mobile app offers all kinds of information and tools, like region, local and unit officer contact information, access to online application forms like the $10,000 Accidental Death Benefit beneficiary form and much more.
In addition, CSEA Officers can also use the mobile app to electronically send pictures of paper membership applications directly to the CSEA membership Department. Inside the app select “Officers Toolkit,” then select “Membership Application Scanner.” You can either select “Take a Picture” or “Choose from Device” to select from your picture gallery. To take a usable picture of the application from your phone please make sure you lay the application on a flat surface and are zoomed to capture the full application. Click “ok” if the picture shows all the member information clearly, then click “Send Application.” This will instantly send a copy of the application to the CSEA Membership Department and a copy will be emailed to you for your records.
Any CSEA member can download the app by visiting https://cseany.org/newmycseaapp.
2022 AAPI Women in Labor Event on May 10th
On May 10th from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm AAPI Women in Labor will hold a virtual event: Forging New Paths for Safety and Power. I encourage you to register and join this event at https://bit.ly/cluwapala22.
Honoring those doing the work to strengthen our Union
Have your fellow leaders or members been signing up new members within your local or unit? Have any of them made an extraordinary contribution towards bringing a new bargaining unit or group of members into CSEA? If so, please consider nominating them for either the Membership Achievement Award or the Nadra Floyd Award! More information on the awards, the qualities the nominees should have and the nomination forms and process can be found at https://cseany.org/award-nominations.
Governor Hochul appoints Delgado to Leiutenant Governor position
Earlier this week Governor Hochul appointed Antonio Delgado to the Leiutenant Governor position. He most recently served as the Unites States representing the Catskills and mid-Hudson Valley areas. He has been a friend to CSEA in the past and we look forward to working with him in his new role.
Last chance to apply for CSEA college scholarships
The last date to apply for our union’s statewide college scholarship awards will be May 15. If you know of CSEA members who have graduating high school seniors, this is your last chance to share the application information with them. We will give out eighteen $1,000 Irving Flaumenbaum Memorial Scholarships, three in each of our six regions. We also have two additional college scholarship opportunities available through the same application. The application is available for download at: https://cseany.org/scholarships.
CSEA Appreciation Day is coming, did you get your posters?
Monday, May 23 we celebrate our third annual CSEA Appreciation Day. If you want a supply of posters that you can ask to have posted in your community, please reach out to your Region President and they will assist with distribution.
This Week in Labor Education e-newsletter published
This week we sent out the latest edition of our newest e-newsletter from our Education & Training Department, This Week in Labor Education. If you haven’t received it, I encourage you to subscribe at: https://cseany.org/this-week-in-labor-education.
Resolutions and Amendments webinar now available on-demand
We have a brand-new webinar available online for activists interested in our governance process, How to properly write and submit proposed resolutions or amendments to CSEA’s Constitution & By-Laws. It will prepare viewers to properly write proposed resolutions and/or amendments to our governing documents that, if approved, may be voted on at our Annual Delegates Meeting this October. It can be found at: https://cseany.org/webinar-resolutions-and-amendments.
A reminder on submission deadlines:
Proposed amendments to the CSEA Constitution must be submitted to the Office of the Statewide Secretary by May 15, 2022.
Proposed amendments to CSEA’s By-Laws must be submitted to the Office of the Statewide Secretary by June 15, 2022.
Proposed Resolutions to be voted on by the delegate body must be submitted to the Office of the Statewide Secretary by July 1, 2022.Many on-demand safety trainings available from our OSH Department
Our award-winning Occupational Safety and Health Department continues to offer guidance through on-demand webinar trainings that all members can access at no cost. We have dozens of available offerings, including many provided at our recent Statewide Conference on Occupational Safety and Health, as well as school safety and health topics, and employer compliance webinars. For detailed explanations of and links to each workshop, please visit: https://cseany.org/osh-webinars.
Required OFFICER TRAININGS scheduled
We remind all elected union officers that per our constitutions, you are required to take the training for your office during your current term of office. This training must be taken each time you are elected, even if you’ve taken it during a previous term in office. To satisfy this constitutional training requirement, a number of trainings are scheduled. Please make plans to attend the training for the office you hold. To register, contact your CSEA Region Office and let them know which training and date you are registering for. Participants must use their own time or have approved Release Time to attend this training if attending during normal work hours.
President/Vice President Training:
> May 17 & 18 (previously trained officers) – 6 to 7:30 pm - Please register by May 12
Secretary Training:
> May 10 - 5 to 7 pm
Treasurer Training:
ONSITE trainings for Region 1 Treasurers - Please register with the Region 1 Office at 631-462-0030 by May 18
> May 24 – 5 to 8 pm – William P. Bennett Hicksville Community Center, Hicksville NY
> May 25 – 5 to 8 pm – CSEA Long Island Region 1 Office, Commack NYVirtual training for all Regions – please register with your Region Office by June 8
> June 15 – 5 to 8 pm
What do you want to read about?
I’m asking for your feedback on any topics you’d like to see covered in future editions of this weekly leadership update. If you have ideas, please take the time to fill out our quick online survey at: https://tinyurl.com/leadership-update-topics. I appreciate your response.
In Solidarity,
Mary E. Sullivan
President
Leadership EMPOWERMENT Zone Update - THURSDAY, April 28th, 2022
Farewell to Maureen Malone
On Saturday, we lost a dear friend to our union, former Statewide Treasurer Maureen Malone. Maureen and I started out as CSEA Local Presidents in Region 5 and, over the years, were fortunate enough to serve our Union as statewide officers. She was my critic, my advisor and my loyal friend for many years. She was always smiling, quick with a joke, a powerful advocate for the members she faithfully represented. I will miss her very much. Rest in Peace, my Union sister.
Workers Memorial Day observed today
Today we honor our fallen brothers and sisters. Observances were held in Manhattan, Rochester, and Syracuse and there will be more in the next few days. I encourage all who can to participate to demonstrate our commitment to fight against preventable workplace injuries and deaths.
Redistricting plan struck down, primaries to be delayed
Yesterday the State Court of Appeals struck down the redistricting plan put forth by the NYS Legislature for congressional and state Senate seats. The court will appoint a “master” to draw new lines. This will push back the June primary for congressional and senate seats. It is unclear when these primaries will be held. As it stands, the Assembly seats have not been struck down and, absent any new legislation, primaries for the Assembly as well as Governor and Lt. Governor could still be in June. Stay tuned for any updates, as everything is up in the air right now.
CSEA’s Director of Research retiring
After 41 years of working for all of us at CSEA, Don Kelly is retiring! Don has had an impressive career and has made lasting accomplishments for the membership. Known as “Mr. Civil Service,” Don’s expertise in civil service rules and regulations has made him one of the most popular workshop presenters in our union. In addition, he has done an exemplary job running our Research Department supporting our contract and budget fights at all levels of our union. I hope you will all join me in wishing Don the very best in retirement. He will be sorely missed.
Recognizing Public Employees
During the first week of May, people around the country recognize Public Service Appreciation Week, in recognition of all of us who provide valuable public services. I have always said that this recognition should be extended longer than just a week, and that’s why I scheduled CSEA Appreciation Day to be observed on Monday, May 23. Our Region Presidents will be distributing posters to Locals and Units that can be posted throughout our communities to show their support for us.
Safety Net newsletter published
Last week we sent out the April edition of the CSEA Safety Net, our Safety and Health e-newsletter, recapping our informative and empowering Statewide Conference on Safety and Health held earlier this month in Saratoga Springs. I encourage anyone who hasn’t subscribed to do so at: https://cseany.org/safetynet.
Resolutions and Amendments webinar now available on-demand
We have a brand-new webinar available online for activists interested in our governance process, How to properly write and submit proposed resolutions or amendments to CSEA’s Constitution & By-Laws. It will prepare viewers to properly write proposed resolutions and/or amendments to our governing documents that, if approved, may be voted on at our Annual Delegates Meeting this October. It can be found at: https://cseany.org/webinar-resolutions-and-amendments.
A reminder on submission deadlines:
Proposed amendments to the CSEA Constitution must be submitted to the Office of the Statewide Secretary by May 15, 2022.
Proposed amendments to CSEA’s By-Laws must be submitted to the Office of the Statewide Secretary by June 15, 2022.
Proposed Resolutions to be voted on by the delegate body must be submitted to the Office of the Statewide Secretary by July 1, 2022.Many on-demand safety trainings available from our OSH Department
Our award-winning Occupational Safety and Health Department continues to offer guidance through on-demand webinar trainings that all members can access at no cost. We have dozens of available offerings, including many provided at our recent Statewide Conference on Occupational Safety and Health, as well as school safety and health topics, and employer compliance webinars. For detailed explanations of and links to each workshop, please visit: https://cseany.org/osh-webinars.
Required OFFICER TRAININGS scheduled
We remind all elected union officers that per our constitutions, you are required to take the training for your office during your current term of office. This training must be taken each time you are elected, even if you’ve taken it during a previous term in office. To satisfy this constitutional training requirement, a number of trainings are scheduled. Please make plans to attend the training for the office you hold. To register, contact your CSEA Region Office and let them know which training and date you are registering for. Participants must use their own time or have approved Release Time to attend this training if attending during normal work hours.
President/Vice President Training:
> May 10 & 11 (untrained officers) – 10 to 11:30 am - Please register by May 5
> May 17 & 18 (previously trained officers) – 6 to 7:30 pm - Please register by May 12
Secretary Training:
> May 10 - 5 to 7 pm
Treasurer Training: (ONSITE trainings for Region 1 Treasurers)
Please register with the Region 1 Office at 631-462-0030 by May 18
> May 24 – 5 to 8 pm – William P. Bennett Hicksville Community Center, Hicksville NY
> May 25 – 5 to 8 pm – CSEA Long Island Region 1 Office, Commack NY
What do you want to read about?
I’m asking for your feedback on any topics you’d like to see covered in future editions of this weekly leadership update. If you have ideas, please take the time to fill out our quick online survey at: https://tinyurl.com/leadership-update-topics. I appreciate your response.
In Solidarity,
Mary E. Sullivan
President
Leadership EMPOWERMENT Zone Update - THURSDAY, April 21st, 2022
Recognizing Workers Memorial Day next week
Thursday April 28, we commemorate Workers Memorial Day (WMD) and remember all of our brothers and sisters who were killed on the job. As we remember our fellow workers, let’s vow to renew our fight against preventable workplace injuries and deaths. At our recent conference, our Standing Committee on Safety and Health paid tribute to our lost workers. You can view it here: https://cseany.org/osh-conference-plenary-sessions-2022. I encourage all to participate in any WMD events in your area in remembrance of those we lost.
Second town hall meeting held with union leaders
Last evening, I held my second electronic town hall meeting with Local and Unit Presidents. This was an opportunity for me to provide leaders with answers to their questions on many different topics. I want to hear from our leaders and make sure we keep our communications flowing in both directions. I appreciated the opportunity to hear from all who participated and asked questions. I hope you found this meeting worthwhile. I plan to continue to hold more town hall meetings in the future.
New issue of This Week in Labor Education sent out to subscribers
The fourth edition of This Week in Labor Education came out this week. This newsletter provides good information on labor education topics as well as a schedule of ongoing webinars provided by our Education and Training Department. I encourage all to subscribe to this newsletter at: https://cseany.org/this-week-in-labor-education.
Registration deadline extended for the CBTU International Convention
The 51st International Convention of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists will be from May 25-30, 2022 in Los Angeles, California at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel. The theme for the convention is “Power of the Past, Force for the Future”. Please visit https://cbtu51st.info for further information. The registration deadline has been extended to April 30, 2022. Hotel rooms are going fast! All participants must be vaccinated to attend the convention and proof is required. Please note, while it is appropriate for Region/Local/Unit Executive Boards to authorize the use of rebated funds to participate at constituency group events, Regions/Locals/Units may not send more representatives to these non-CSEA events than are sent to any CSEA Statewide event.
Required OFFICER TRAININGS scheduled
We remind all elected union officers that per our constitutions, you are required to take the training for your office during your current term of office. This training must be taken each time you are elected, even if you’ve taken it during a previous term in office. To satisfy this constitutional training requirement, a number of virtual trainings are scheduled. Please make plans to attend the training for the office you hold. To register, contact your CSEA Region Office and let them know which training and date you are registering for. Participants must use their own time or have approved Release Time to attend this training if attending during normal work hours.
President/Vice President Training:
> May 10 & 11 (untrained officers) – 10 to 11:30 am - Please register by May 5
> May 17 & 18 (previously trained officers) – 6 to 7:30 pm - Please register by May 12
Secretary Training:
> April 19 – 5 to 7 pm
Treasurer Training: (ONSITE trainings for Region 1 Treasurers)
Please register with the Region 1 Office at 631-462-0030 by May 18
> May 24 – 5 to 8 pm – William P. Bennett Hicksville Community Center, Hicksville NY
> May 25 – 5 to 8 pm – CSEA Long Island Region 1 Office, Commack NY
What do you want to read about?
I’m asking for your feedback on any topics you’d like to see covered in future editions of this weekly leadership update. If you have ideas, please take the time to fill out our quick online survey at: https://tinyurl.com/leadership-update-topics. I appreciate your response.
In Solidarity,
Mary E. Sullivan
President
Leadership EMPOWERMENT Zone Update - THURSDAY, April 14th, 2022
State Budget update
I am happy to report on the great strides we made and the overwhelming engagement of our members in this year’s budget. CSEA members’ activism, with over 12,000 emails sent and over 10,000 phone calls made, resulted in pension reform for Tier 6 members. Workers in Tiers 5 and 6 will now be vested after 5 years rather than ten years. This is what Tier 6 members said was most important to them and we did it! In addition, this governor has made the first step in investing in our state workforce with additional funds for state agencies and especially our direct care workers who have been overwhelmed with mandatory overtime. There is much to be applauded in this budget for all CSEA members and I encourage you to read the summary online. Find the link listed under the State Budget section of: cseany.org/issues.
Board of Directors met today
Our CSEA Board of Directors met today in Albany for our first in-person Board meeting in the past two years. It was great to see everyone who attended. We took care of the regular business of running our union, including hearing reports from our department heads and committee chairs, and voting on a number of motions made. A summary of all business transacted will be published in the next edition of the CSEA Work Force.
Town of Seneca Highway Department workers join CSEA
Congratulations to the newest members of CSEA who work in the Highway Department for the Town of Seneca in Ontario County. The Town Board recently voted last week to approve their request for voluntary recognition of CSEA as their union. Thanks to Western Region President Steve Healy, who worked with Labor Relations Specialist Paul Peters and our Organizing Department to make this happen despite a protracted wait. Welcome to our union family!
State Employees: Change in weekly testing vendors
The NYS Office of Employee Relations advised us yesterday that as of close of business on April 21, 2022, Visit Healthcare will no longer be a vendor under the State’s weekly testing program for unvaccinated State employees. Unvaccinated state employees must utilize Quest Diagnostics or Wellstand Health.
CSEA participates in Work Zone Safety Awareness Week events
I’d like to thank CSEA members in the Albany and Rochester areas for participating in joint press conferences with the State Department of Transportation and the Thruway Authority this week, to help remind the public about the importance of work zone safety. As I said last week, we continue to be vigilant on this topic, as we’ve had too many workers killed or injured due to work zone intrusions. We continue to remind New Yorkers “Don’t Zone Out” and to slow down in work zones.
CSEA/VOICE leaders build skills, honor leaders
Nearly 200 CSEA/VOICE child care providers participated in a statewide professional child care conference last week. While at the New York Association for the Education of Young Children (NYAEYC) conference, officers held a CSEA/VOICE Local 100A Executive Board Meeting, heard from CSEA Secretary Richard Bebo, CSEA Treasurer Nicole Meeks and also honored Pam Wells, who is stepping down as CSEA/VOICE Local President at the end of her term. On the second night of the conference, the group also paid tribute to former CSEA Director of Early Learning and Childcare Ed Gresco, who recently retired.
Holidays being observed
This time of year is a busy time for people of many faiths observing holidays. If you are observing the holidays of Ramadan, Vaisakhi, Passover, Easter, or any other holidays this month, I hope you have a meaningful holiday experience, and I urge you to think of those public service workers who sacrifice their own holiday gatherings with their families in order to maintain the essential services we provide all the time.
Statewide Scholarships reminder
To give more children of members the opportunity to apply for our union’s statewide college scholarship awards, I have extended the application period through May 15. If you know of CSEA members who have graduating high school seniors, I ask you to please share the application information with them. We will give out eighteen $1,000 Irving Flaumenbaum Memorial Scholarships, three in each of our six regions. We also have two additional college scholarship opportunities available through the same application. The application is available for download at: https://cseany.org/scholarships. These scholarships can really help make college more affordable for the families of college students, so please help us spread the word.
Missing our listings of educational webinars?
If you’re wondering where the listings of our Education and Training webinar offerings have gone, they’re now being published in our new e-newsletter, This Week in Labor Education. If you’re interested in receiving the lists of upcoming trainings, you can get this newsletter delivered right to your inbox. Subscribe today at: https://cseany.org/this-week-in-labor-education.
Required OFFICER TRAININGS scheduled
We remind all elected union officers that per our constitutions, you are required to take the training for your office during your current term of office. This training must be taken each time you are elected, even if you’ve taken it during a previous term in office. To satisfy this constitutional training requirement, a number of virtual trainings are scheduled. Please make plans to attend the training for the office you hold. To register, contact your CSEA Region Office and let them know which training and date you are registering for. Participants must use their own time or have approved Release Time to attend this training if attending during normal work hours.
President/Vice President Training:
> April 19 & 20 (previously trained officers) – 10 to 11:30 am - Please register by April 14
> May 10 & 11 (previously untrained officers) – 10 to 11:30 am - Please register by May 5
> May 17 & 18 (previously trained officers) – 6 to 7:30 pm - Please register by May 12
Secretary Training:
> April 19 – 5 to 7 pm
What do you want to read about?
I’m asking for your feedback on any topics you’d like to see covered in future editions of this weekly leadership update. If you have ideas, please take the time to fill out our quick online survey at: https://tinyurl.com/leadership-update-topics. I appreciate your response.
In Solidarity,
Mary E. Sullivan
President
Leadership EMPOWERMENT Zone Update - THURSDAY, March 17th, 2022
Time to resume in-person meetings
I want to let all of you know that the time has come to start holding in person events. We have been away from each other for far too long. You should remember that not everyone will be comfortable with that, so please do what you can to accommodate those members. If you need assistance, please let us know.
CSEA taking part in search for new SUNY Chancellor
I wanted to let you know that I am serving on a subcommittee of business, state and labor leaders who are working with SUNY to find their next chancellor. I’ve already shared my strong belief that the next chancellor needs to respect the CSEA members who keep our SUNY campuses and hospitals running. If any SUNY leaders have specific input you’d like to share with me regarding the chancellor search, please email or call me with your thoughts.
Sign the petition: Confirm Judge Jackson to the Supreme Court!
Today is the AFL-CIO’s day of action to have union members support the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Labor Movement is confident she will bring her clear commitment to equal justice and fairness to the nation’s highest court. Add your name to the petition asking your senators to confirm her at: https://tinyurl.com/confirm-kbj.
Did you subscribe to This Week in Labor Education yet?
Last week we launched the first edition of our new e-newsletter being published by our Education and Training Department. It will contain information on labor history and issues, labor terminology, and a schedule of upcoming training opportunities. You can access our first edition online now at: https://cseany.org/this-week-in-labor-education. To receive future editions delivered directly to your email, please subscribe at: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/subscribe-to-this-week-in-labor-education. Feel free to share this information with members.
Required OFFICER TRAININGS scheduled
We remind all elected union officers that per our constitutions, you are required to take the training for your office during your current term of office. This training must be taken each time you are elected, even if you’ve taken it during a previous term in office. To satisfy this constitutional training requirement, our union has scheduled a number of virtual trainings. Please make plans to attend the training for the office you hold. To register, contact your CSEA Region Office and let them know which training and date you are registering for. Participants must use their own time or have approved Release Time to attend this training if attending during normal work hours.
President/Vice President Training:
(This training is for previously-trained officers in all sectors. Please register by April 14)
> April 19 & 20 – 10 to 11:30 am
Treasurer's Training:
(Please register by April 12)
> April 19 – 5 to 8 pm
Labor news briefs
NY tv and film post production workers petition for union election: Members of the Post Production Guild-New York, a union representing over 150 freelance post production workers in New York, partnering with the CWA, filed for a National Labor Relations Board election, after the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers repeatedly refused to voluntarily recognize their union, despite having a majority of cards signed. Read more at: https://www.postproductionguildny.com.
AFL-CIO supports striking workers: With a statement in support of striking coal workers in Alabama, the AFL-CIO Executive Council this week reaffirmed their commitment to support striking workers everywhere in their fights for respect, and the wages, benefits and health and safety protections they deserve. Executive Council members committed to show up, collaborate, and share resources to wield the full power of the labor movement anywhere workers are standing up for our rights at work. Read more at: https://tinyurl.com/afl-cio-supports-strikers.
Starbucks CEO out amid wave of union activity: News this week that Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson is stepping down following a wave of organizing by Starbucks baristas. So far, roughly 140 stores in 26 states are seeking union elections. Six stores have already voted in favor of unionizing. Also this week, a group of 75 Starbucks investors sent a letter to the company urging them to adopt a neutrality policy when it comes to union elections. More at: https://tinyurl.com/starbucks-ceo-out.
What do you want to read about?
I’m asking for your feedback on any topics you’d like to see covered in future editions of this weekly leadership update. If you have ideas, please take the time to fill out our quick online survey at: https://tinyurl.com/leadership-update-topics. I appreciate your response.
In Solidarity,
Mary E. Sullivan
President
Leadership EMPOWERMENT Zone Update - THURSDAY, March 10th, 2022
Sad news to share
I regret to share the unfortunate news of an on-the-job fatality of a member this week. This person worked as a bus monitor for the Arlington Central School District in Dutchess County and was killed as the result of a head-on collision between the school bus and a State Police vehicle. Our Occupational Safety and Health Department is investigating. On behalf of our union family, I extend our deepest condolences to the members in the Arlington School District and the family of the worker we mourn.
Support for Ukraine
CSEA has joined the global labor movement in condemning the attack and invasion by Russia into Ukraine, and we stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. We also joined our international union AFSCME in supporting the prudent divestment of public pension fund assets from investments with ties to Russia, and recently made a contribution to provide aid to our brothers and sisters in Ukraine.
New membership application forms available
Please be aware that we’ve updated our member application forms and have sent copies to all Region Offices. These new forms are dated 1/2022 under the “CSEA USE ONLY” box. If you have older copies, please discard them and request a new supply from your Region Office. Submitting outdated forms will only slow down their processing. I encourage you to have new members fill out ONLINE applications, as this allows for the fastest and most accurate processing. The new applications contain a QR code that can be scanned to immediately go the online application, or they can text CSEA to 237263, or go to https://cseany.org/join.
Have you taken action yet to Fix Tier 6?
We’re running out of time to get fixes to Tier 6 included in the State Budget. I appreciate all members who’ve already called and sent emails to their legislators urging them to fix Tier 6. If you haven’t already, please call your legislators at (844) 956-2891. Tell them if they want to make public sector employment more attractive, we must Fix Tier 6! To send an email, visit https://cseany.org/fixtier6.
Safety Conference virtual platform login information coming soon
If you registered to attend our upcoming Conference on Occupational Safety and Health, whether onsite or online, be on the lookout next week for an email from “CSEA OSH Conference Registration” with the reply address of get.active@cseainc.org. This e-mail will contain your personalized link to access our virtual venue platform. You will need to click on that link in advance of the conference to create your account on our platform (please don’t wait until the conference has started and don’t share the link with anyone else). Even if you’re attending onsite, you should create an account on our platform using the instructions on the email you’ll receive. We’re only weeks away from this exciting event, and I’m excited to see you there!
State employees: Longevity payment dates coming up
If you are a state employee who qualifies for a lump sum longevity payment that CSEA negotiated on your behalf, please be aware that these payments will be made as follows:
> Institutional Payroll - 04/21/2022
> Administrative Payroll - 04/27/2022 If you have questions about longevity payments, please refer them to your Agency Personnel Office, your CSEA Labor Relations Specialist, or CSEA’s State Operations Department.
Final reminder on registration for our Resolutions and Amendments webinar
An important part of our union governance process is the ability to submit proposed amendments to our Constitution & By-laws documents, as well as proposed resolutions to be voted on by delegates at our Regular Delegates Meeting. To review why amendments and resolutions are so important and how to write effective proposals, we’re holding an online webinar on Monday, March 21 at 6pm. Please register through your CSEA Region Office no later than NEXT Wednesday, March 16.
Education & Training introduces new e-newsletter
I’m pleased to announce the launch of a new e-newsletter being produced by our Education and Training Department, This Week in Labor Education. This e-newsletter will contain information on labor history and issues, labor terminology, and a schedule of upcoming training opportunities. You can access our first edition online now at: https://cseany.org/this-week-in-labor-education. To receive future editions delivered directly to your email, please subscribe at: https://actionnetwork.org/forms/subscribe-to-this-week-in-labor-education. Feel free to share this information with members.
Required OFFICER TRAININGS scheduled
We remind all elected union officers that per our constitutions, you are required to take the training for your office during your current term of office. This training must be taken each time you are elected, even if you’ve taken it during a previous term in office. To satisfy this constitutional training requirement, our union has scheduled a number of virtual trainings. Please make plans to attend the training for the office you hold. To register, contact your CSEA Region Office and let them know which training and date you are registering for. Participants must use their own time or have approved Release Time to attend this training if attending during normal work hours.
President/Vice President Trainings:
Note: Please only register for the training matching your status as either previously trained or first-time attending.
> March 22 & 23 – 6 to 7:30 pm (first-time attending, register by March 17)
Labor news briefs
Congratulations to NYC REI workers: By an overwhelming majority vote of 86% and despite employer opposition, the workers at the REI Sporting Goods Co-Op in Manhattan have chosen to realize the union difference, joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). This makes their store the first unionized REI store in the nation. Welcome to the union family!
Digital media workers gain tentative contract after brief strike: Members of the Writers Guild of America, East working in the newsrooms of the Gizmodo Media Group went on strike last week after their second contract expired and negotiations stalled. After four days, management recognized their strength, settling on a tentative agreement that met the union’s demands. Congratulations on showing the strength of solidarity! More info at: https://gmgunion.com. Note: public employees are prohibited under the Taylor Law from striking.
NY Times tech workers vote “Union Yes”: In a landslide majority vote, New York Times tech workers won their NLRB election to form a union. The unit of more than 600 workers includes software engineers, data analysts, project managers, product managers, and designers. They’re represented by The NewsGuild of New York, affiliated with the Communications Workers of America. More info at: https://tinyurl.com/nyt-tech-workers-victory.
Tell FOX: Give broadcast workers a fair contract: Broadcast workers who belong to IATSE Local 784 and work for FOX Television Stations, Inc. are fighting for a fair contract, but so far management is not moving off their demands to create a more disposable workforce. Help their fight by signing their petition at: https://tinyurl.com/iatse-fox-petition.
What do you want to read about?
I’m asking for your feedback on any topics you’d like to see covered in future editions of this weekly leadership update. If you have ideas, please take the time to fill out our quick online survey at: https://tinyurl.com/leadership-update-topics. I appreciate your response.
In Solidarity,
Mary E. Sullivan
President