Photo of the Month Photo by David Galarza HERO OF LABOR — Bronx Psychiatric Center Local President Abraham Benjamin, center, was honored as a Hero of Labor by LaborPress and EmblemHealth. CSEA Statewide Secretary Denise Berkley and Metropolitan Region President Lester Crockett presented the award. “Whether it’s fighting for more workers to prevent workplace violence or organizing to ensure that important mental health care remains available to the people who need it, I will continue to demand respect for workers and the individuals we serve,” said Benjamin. Follow the LaborPress blog at: www.laborpress.org Vote Nov. 4 for candidates who have earned your support CSEA is not endorsing in the Governor’s race this year because neither of the major party candidates has earned it. Consider the records and positions of all the candidates and make your own judgment in that race. But please support state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli and Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (see pages 8-9) along with CSEA-backed candidates for other offices (see pages 14, 15). They need and deserve your vote. The union has taken no position on this year’s ballot propositions. ALERT NEW YORK’S LEADING UNION CSEA President Danny Donohue to meet Metropolitan Region members on Nov. 12 President Danny Donohue will visit the CSEA Metropolitan Region on Wednesday, Nov. 12 to meet with members. The meetings will be held at the Metropolitan Region Office, 125 Maiden Lane, Manhattan. Donohue will meet with union members from 1 to 7 p.m. Please call the region office at: 1-212-406-2156 for an appointment and directions. Reduce Ebola risks ALBANY — CSEA’s Occupational Safety and Health Department has helped develop fact sheets, issued by the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH), about what precautions, safeguards and actions employers must take and provide to health care workers and cleaning crews, particularly at health care facilities, to protect workers from exposure to Ebola. According to the Centers for Disease Control, health care providers caring for Ebola patients and those in close contact with them are at the highest risk of getting sick because they may come in contact with the blood or body fluids of sick patients. CSEA members who meet this description should take appropriate precautions, including treating any body fluid as if it is infectious, and wearing impermeable, disposable gloves and other personal protective equipment. Employers are required by OSHA to protect workers against exposure to Ebola, and workers should insist on appropriate training, equipment and protective clothing. CSEA members at risk of exposure must ensure that the employer has the proper personal protective equipment and training on how to use this equipment to ensure worker health and safety. To date, two nurses in the United States have been infected with the virus, and one man has died. Recently, the State Department of Health has directed all hospitals, diagnostic and treatment centers, and ambulance services in New York state, to follow protocols for identification, isolation and medical evaluation of patients requiring care. Of the eight hospitals statewide designated to handle all patients diagnosed with Ebola, two have employees represented by CSEA: Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, and Stony Brook University Hospital on Long Island. — Ed Molitor Download safety fact sheets at: cseany.org CSEA mourns passing of Central Region activist Carmina Russo SENECA FALLS — CSEA is mourning the death of longtime union activist Carmina Russo. Russo, 63, began working for Seneca County in 1983 as a social welfare examiner in the Division of Human Services, and worked her way up to becoming a paralegal assistant and then the sole paralegal for the county attorney. In her more than 30 years of service, Russo held many union positions, most recently serving as a representative on CSEA’s Board of Directors and as vice president of the Seneca County Local, as well as a unit shop steward and grievance representative. She was elected to numerous local and unit offices, and was a member of the region Political Action and Women’s committees. She regularly attended union events such as Labor Day parades and AFSCME Lobby Days, as well as meetings of the Rochester Labor Council. CSEA Central Region President Colleen Wheaton said Russo was a dedicated activist for the union and her community. “Carm was very involved in our union, and would be there whenever you needed someone. She was also very involved in local community causes. She will be missed,” Wheaton said. Russo also got CSEA members involved in the local Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk to raise money for cancer research and was an officer in her local Republican Party. Occasionally she would also don a flowered hat, paint her face, load up with balloons and perform as “Daffy Dill” the clown for local events and parties. Upon learning of her death, Seneca County directed all flags to be flown at half-staff in her memory. — Mark M. Kotzin 2 The Work Force November 2014
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