LAKE PLACID — CSEA members from across New York gathered in Lake Placid for our union’s 2026 Statewide Conference on Occupational Safety and Health, reaffirming a commitment that has defined it for generations: every worker deserves to go home safe.
The conference was held at the historic Lake Placid Convention Center, home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. The opening session was held inside the famed 1980 “Miracle on Ice” rink, providing a memorable setting for those in attendance.
“For CSEA members, workplace safety and health is not an abstract issue. It’s real. It affects our members every single day, whether they work on the roads, in schools, in hospitals, in correctional facilities, in local government or out in the community serving the public,” said CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan. “Every worker deserves the right to go home safely to their families.”
Sullivan said that workplace injuries and illnesses are often preventable when workers have a voice in identifying hazards and advocating for solutions.
“Safety improves when workers have a voice,” said Sullivan. “It improves when employers listen to the people doing the work, and it improves when union members stand together and demand better.”
Throughout the three-day conference, CSEA activists, officers, Standing Occupational Safety and Health Committee members and staff participated in workshops and discussions focused on protecting workers from workplace hazards and strengthening safety protections on the job.
Sessions addressed a wide range of topics, including workplace violence prevention, emergency preparedness, injury prevention, work zone safety, workers’ compensation rights, communicable disease risks and building effective labor-management safety committees.
But the conference was about more than training.
As CSEA commemorates the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and remembers members lost in recent years, participants reflected on the generations of union members who answered the call during times of crisis and worked to improve safety for those who followed.
During the conference, CSEA Executive Vice President Jarvis T. Brown challenged members to “take up the torch” by carrying forward that legacy of activism, advocacy and solidarity.
“We are reminded that every generation of our union inherits the same responsibility of protecting workers, standing together and passing the torch,” said Brown.
From the recovery efforts following the 9/11 attacks to ongoing fights for safer workplaces, stronger protections and improved working conditions, CSEA members have repeatedly stepped forward when workers and communities needed them most. Conference attendees were reminded that the responsibility to protect workers now belongs to the next generation of activists and leaders.
“Safety is not a privilege; safety is a right,” said Brown. “Victories have not happened by accident; they happened because union members carried the torch forward.”
That message was reflected throughout the conference as members shared experiences, exchanged ideas and learned practical strategies to identify hazards, advocate for change and hold employers accountable for maintaining safe workplaces.
Participants also examined emerging workplace challenges, including workplace violence, mental health, infectious disease exposure and evolving safety standards, while exploring ways to strengthen local safety committees and build strong workplace safety cultures.
As attendees returned to their workplaces, they carried with them new knowledge, stronger connections and a renewed commitment to protecting their co-workers. In doing so, they continue our union’s tradition of standing together, protecting workers and taking up the torch for those who will follow.
— Spencer Conlin and Sara McNicholas
