Page 8 - Retiree News Spring 2021

Pay battle made
Condon realize
union clout
WAPPINGERS FALLS — It isn’t always easy balancing motherhood and union activism, but Dutchess-Putnam Retirees Local 909 President Norma Condon is proof that not only can a woman do it, she can do it well.
Once her daughter entered
kindergarten in the 1970s, Condon
took a job as a clerical worker at
the Wappingers Central School
District. Soon, she became CSEA
unit president. Condon later served in numerous leadership roles, including Dutchess County Education Local President, Board of Directors and most recently Dutchess-Putnam Retirees Local 909 President.
When she began working at the school district, workers there were underpaid, something Condon was ready to address at the bargaining table.
“Somebody said to me, ‘Well, what do the clerical workers want?’ and I said, ‘Well, we would like to be paid the same as the IBM clericals,’” said Condon, referring to the nearby computer plant that was then the primary employer in Dutchess County.
While district officials pointed out that IBM was a profit-driven business and the district was not, that didn’t stop Condon and her co-workers from pushing for parity.
“Two contracts in a row, we negotiated [significant] raises for all three years of the contract,” said Condon.
Quickly realizing the clout that comes with unionism and the importance of union endorsements, Condon has been a member of the Southern Region Political Action Committee for 40 years.
Condon, an Ireland native, said she has also enjoyed the friendships and camaraderie that has come with her activism, both as an active member and later as a retiree.
She urged members nearing retirement to join a CSEA retiree local, both as a way to stay active in the union and maintain connections with former co-workers.
As CSEA recently marked Women’s History Month, Condon noted that there is an equal place for women in our union.
“I’ve always felt I had an equal voice as a woman in CSEA,” said Condon. “I served on a lot of committees over the years, chairing some of them, and I always remember women being active members and leaders. That isn’t the case in every organization, but a woman can have an equal voice in the union.”
Condon
— Jessica Ladlee
Update your contact, beneficiary information
Now more than ever, it’s important for our union to be able to communicate. Please help us make sure we have your most current information. Update us by emailing infoupdate@cseainc.org (please include your full name), or by logging into or creating your online member account at https://cseany.org/register. Once logged in, select “MY CSEA ACCOUNT” in the application dropdown box. You will need your CSEA Member ID Number, which can look up on the home page of our website at https://cseany.org.
It’s also important to keep your beneficiary information updated:
• Pension: New York State & Local Retirement System.
website: https://www.osc.state.ny.us/retire/ Toll-free: 1-866-805-0990.
• Health Insurance Providers: NYSHIP: 1-800-833-4344. All others: check your card for number
• Employee Benefit Fund: Members with vision and dental contractual benefits. Website: cseaebf.com; Phone: 1-800-323-2732
• Pearl Insurance: 877-847-2732
etiree NEWS is published to share information and generate
ideas on subjects important to retirees.
Published by CSEA
143 Washington Ave., Albany, N.Y. 12210
(518) 257-1000
(800) 342-4146 cseany.org
Mary E. Sullivan, President
CSEA
Local 1000 AFSCME AFL-CIO
R