Page 2 - Retiree News Summer 2020

CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan: Protecting yourself and our public services
Sisters and Brothers:
With
everything
happening in
our world today,
I truly hope you
are staying safe and well during these unsettling times. I hope reading this edition of our Retiree News helps you to not only keep in touch with our union, but also to bring some sense of “normal” to you.
What I want you to know is that despite all the difficulties we are facing, and the challenges we’ve had due to the pandemic, CSEA is still here and continuing to do what we do best, advocating on behalf
of the members, both working and retired.
Of course, this pandemic has had me very concerned for the safety of all our union members, but especially our retiree members, who are at higher
risk. I hope you are following all official recommended protocols
for keeping yourself safe. As far
as CSEA goes, we have canceled
all our major gatherings until at least the end of the year, and are encouraging all our Locals to hold virtual meetings. I know it is very difficult, as we want to be able to socialize and stay connected to our union, but we must keep everyone’s safety as our top priority.
Speaking of top priorities, we still need your help in a few key efforts to bring needed funding to New York State and to protect the public services that union members provide.
The first is our campaign to demand unrestricted aid for our state and local governments
be included in the next federal stimulus package. With the enormous budget deficits every state and local government are facing due to the pandemic, we are going to see drastic cuts to essential public services and the workers who provide them if we don’t get this funding from the
federal government. We’ve already succeeded in getting the U.S. House of Representatives to include this needed funding in the Heroes Act they passed, but the bill is sitting stalled in the U.S. Senate. We need YOU, but also your family, friends and neighbors to take action by calling and emailing your senators and demanding they provide relief for our state and local governments to preserve our public services. Our New York senators are on board, but it wouldn’t hurt for our retirees, spread out all over the country, to be contacting their senators as well. We need to make one last push to get this bill over the finish line and to the White House.
The second priority is to get everyone, and I mean everyone, to file their household’s U.S. Census form. As I’m writing this, the U.S. Census Bureau is reporting that only 57.5 percent of New York State households have self-filed their forms, behind the national response average of 61.9 percent and less than the 64.6 percent that filed in 2010. Our state is ranking 38th out
of 52 states and territories, which is worryingly low. I can’t stress how important it is that everyone be counted. It is estimated that for all those NOT counted in 2010, New York lost out on $120 billion dollars of federal funding. Can you imagine during this challenging financial time, New York losing billions MORE dollars? We can’t allow that to happen, and the solution is an easy one. Go online to 2020census. gov and fill out your form if you haven’t already. Then, ask your family, friends, and everyone else you know to do the same. It will mean preserving public services in our state, and saving the jobs of our fellow union members.
Thank you for helping us take action. Stay safe and well, and enjoy your summer!
In solidarity,
RAetiree Executive Committee Chair Millie Lucas: Getting our work done
s a CSEA directives and encourage social and Zoom are easily available to easiest way to respond is online, Retiree Local distancing. Because older people anyone who has a computer, tablet though you can also respond President are particularly prone to contracting or smartphone. through the mail or phone. Census
and chair of
our union’s
Retiree Executive
Committee, I
look forward to
interacting with
union members at meetings and events, as well as working with you to get our important union business done.
Our meetings not only serve as an important venue to ensure our voices are heard and that crucial information gets to you, but it’s an opportunity for members to socialize.
When the COVID-19 pandemic began affecting our daily lives in March, we canceled numerous meetings and events on every level of CSEA to comply with state
COVID-19, many of our Retiree Locals even canceled meetings throughout the rest of the year.
We know that many of you look forward to these meetings to see former co-workers and friends. We know this time has been difficult for many of you, whether you have lost loved ones, faced the virus yourself or have struggled with the loss of in-person contact with your family and friends. Many of us are facing physical and emotional effects from social isolation.
Through all of this, one thing hasn’t changed: We are still a strong union and we are still getting our work done.
To do so, we are using videoconferencing technology. Programs such as Microsoft Teams
Recently, the Retiree Executive Committee met through a Teams videoconference. Without leaving our homes, we were able to conduct union business.
Technology also plays an important role in helping us become more informed, which is more important than ever during these uncertain times. Our union has been able to continue to help CSEA members continue to gain knowledge, including in safety and health, career and personal skills, estate planning and health care planning.
Shifting gears, another way to ensure our voices are heard is to be counted in the 2020 U.S. Census. If you haven’t yet responded to the census, please do so today. The
workers are due to follow up in person later this year.
The census not only determines congressional representation, but where to allocate more than $675 billion in federal money, including aid to many programs that our working members provide and that you rely upon. In 2010, only 64.6 percent of New Yorkers responded, which cost our state more than $120 billion in federal funding.
During this difficult time, it’s more important than ever for us to stay connected. If you have moved or changed your phone number or email, please let us know so we can keep in touch with you.
In solidarity, Millie
2 CSEA RETIREE NEWS