LIVINGSTON MANOR — After two small school districts in northern Sullivan County were dissolved and replaced with one new, larger district, there were plenty of decisions that needed to be made.
When it came to choosing a union to represent non-teaching employees, workers in the newly-formed Rockland Central School District didn’t hesitate – they chose CSEA.
Workers voted overwhelmingly in a recent Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) administered election to have CSEA form a new bargaining unit representing them.
The choice was easy, said CSEA activist Nikki Rasnick. Workers in the former Roscoe School District, where CSEA represented non-instructional staff, valued our union and the resources that come along with it, a message they shared with their new colleagues who previously worked for the Livingston Manor School District.
“We fought for CSEA because it was the best choice for us and we wanted to keep the representation we’d had,” said Rasnick, who works as a custodian. “CSEA did an incredible job promoting [union] benefits and showing people that each department within our union has their own specialty, and that makes a difference because we have those resources there for us.”
Rasnick knew the CSEA difference, having served as a leader of the Roscoe School District Unit.
When the time came to choose representation in the new district, she and her former Roscoe co-workers shared their experiences with our union. The regular availability of both elected CSEA leaders and their labor relations specialist (LRS) was a major plus, they said.
Since she stepped up as a leader, Rasnick said her LRS has been alongside her every step of the way, helping her learn and making sure members knew of the resources available to them.
With negotiations for their first contract beginning, Rasnick said she and her former Roscoe co-workers highlighted the transparency in past negotiations and our union’s solicitation of member feedback before starting negotiations.
Feeling like their voices are heard as they head to the table is a good feeling as they continue to adjust to the larger district, Rasnick said.
“When our LRS was here for a meeting, he stayed one day two to three hours after the meeting to make sure everyone’s questions were answered,” said Rasnick. “We have never felt like a number. When you treat people like people, not a number, it makes a difference.”
— Jessica Ladlee