Page 3 - Retiree News Summer 2021

DOT work zones should get safer once governor signs bill into law
Union persistence pays off with legislative victory protecting highway workers
ALBANY — Thanks to persistence and political pressure from CSEA members, legislation to protect highway workers is one big step closer to becoming state law.
After three years of lobbying and building pressure on lawmakers, the bill to put automated speed cameras into active highway work zones
has now passed both houses of the state legislature. The bill was one of CSEA’s biggest legislative priorities this session.
This victory is the result of much work by union activists working through our union’s Legislative and Political Action Department.
This legislative session, in addition to virtual lobbying meetings and support memos, our union’s Legislative and Political Action staff ratcheted up visibility to push the bill, teaming up with our Communications Department to run a digital advertising campaign
targeting legislators. An online letter writing campaign generated hundreds of letters from union members to their representatives urging passage. Postcards to legislators reminded them to pass the bill.
“We pushed hard on this safety campaign on behalf of our highway workers,” said CSEA President
Mary E. Sullivan. “Union members turned up the heat and demanded something get done to improve work zone safety. We appreciate everyone who took action, and our legislators for passing this livesaving bill.”
Overdue legislation
For thousands of CSEA members who work on or near roadways, as well as their loved ones, this bill is long overdue.
CSEA members who work on highways have endured too many close calls with injuries due to
motorists driving unsafely, and they’re the lucky ones.
Our union lost 57 members due to work zone intrusions since 1983, and numerous more have been injured. Earlier this year, CSEA members employed at the state Department of Transportation were seriously injured in a work zone incident in Saratoga County.
It was a sad reminder that our elected officials needed to do more. CSEA demanded action to prevent more needless loss of life and limb.
“How many more crashes, injuries, or deaths will union members have to endure before something is done?” asked Sullivan following the recent incident.
Slowing down saves lives
Speed zone cameras have already proven effective in reducing speeds around work zones and lowering numbers of intrusions, injuries and
fatalities.
“We know that slowing down
helps save lives,” said Mike Garfolo, CSEA Transportation, Region 1 Local President and DOT Labor- Management Committee Chair. “We need to hold drivers accountable for their reckless behavior near work zones that could injure or kill our co-workers. This bill will help do that.”
Next steps
Now the bill will be sent to the Governor for action. CSEA will continue to lobby to make sure the bill is signed into law.
“We need to keep the public accountable for their driving, because people’s lives are at stake,” Sullivan said. “We will not back down until this bill is signed into law.”
— Mark M. Kotzin
relationship with CAP COM leaves Nichols with more energy to devote to her post-retirement passion: art. She’s a self-taught artist specializing in painting and drawing.
While she always had a passion for creative pursuits since childhood, Nichols really began to dive into art once she retired. Now, she takes part in pop-up painting events at a market called The Dig in her town, Millerton, and creates one-of-a-kind greeting cards sold there.
From Aug. 4-29, she is slated
to have an exhibit featuring her work on display at the NorthEast- Millerton Library. Visit www.nemillertonlibrary.org for more information.
— Jessica Ladlee Editor’s Note: See page 7 for more
about CAP COM’s available benefits.
CAP COM savings give retiree peace of mind
MILLERTON — CSEA Dutchess- Putnam Retiree Local 909 member Marilyn Nichols knows that retirees on fixed incomes love the chance to save money.
rate on auto loans,” said Nichols, who retired after 48 years working at Taconic DDSO, formerly Wassaic Developmental Center. “My car was only half paid for and I thought, I could save a little bit if I transferred my loan and made an account with CAP COM, so I went ahead and got my auto loan transferred.”
The process was simple, said Nichols, who said the personalized service from the credit union was a refreshing change from dealing with larger banks. Nichols said
her contact at CAP COM, Erica Leskowsky, made the process easy and quickly handled any concerns.
The experience was so positive that Nichols, after reading more about what CAP COM offers
CSEA members, decided to take advantage of the credit union’s low-interest balance transfer credit card. Not only was the balance transfer a money-saver on an
existing balance, Nichols realized that the lower interest rate of the CAP COM credit card would lessen the financial impact if she needed to charge a large purchase.
“The rate of the credit card alone was a huge drop when I applied for it,” said Nichols.
She was so enthusiastic about the savings via the CAP COM benefits that she shared her
story with CSEA Retiree Program Specialist Christine Meehan when the Dutchess-Putnam Retiree Local recently had its first in-person meeting since the start of the pandemic.
Nichols urged CSEA members to join a retiree local upon retirement so they can continue to take advantage of the
non-contractual benefits offered through our union.
The peace of mind that comes from programs such as CSEA’s
Nichols
Nichols used both CAP COM’s auto refinancing program and low-interest credit card balance transfer.
“I heard about CAP COM through the emails we receive from CSEA and saw they were offering a low
SUMMER 2021
That’s why she
recently shared with CSEA the fantastic experience she had when she used two of the CSEA member benefits offered through the CAP COM Federal Credit Union, which kept money in her wallet that would have otherwise gone to paying interest.
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