Page 3 - Work Force April 2016

Remember the fallen
on Workers’ Memorial Day
MOURN FOR THE DEAD
Since Workers’ Memorial Day 2014, six of our CSEA brothers are sadly among the thousands of fallen workers: George Grumbach, Jarred Newallo, Christopher Polomcean, Eric Rattinger, Tonny Teskera and Adam Burgess.
They weren’t just workers or CSEA
members; they were parents, children, spouses, friends, siblings who were treasured by their loved ones. They were also active members of their communities.
These people died doing their jobs; providing essential public services to
their communities. Their deaths were also preventable.
Here are some comments from co-workers who knew the fallen workers. On April 28, people around the world will observe Workers’ Memorial Day.
Eric Rattinger, 49
Nov. 24, 2014
FIGHT FOR THE LIVING
Christopher Polomcean, 28
Nov. 7, 2014
“Chris as a person was a fun-loving human being. He loved life, was always smiling and never had a bad word to say about anybody. He was just an all-around general decent human being. Off the job, Chris loved to golf in the summer. He and his dad were partners in several golf leagues. He enjoyed bowling in the
winter. He had a band
and he loved playing his
music. At the state park
Workers’ Memorial Day April 28
here, he liked doing just about everything. He was willing to learn anything that he could. Every job he was assigned he did well and with a smile.”
— Southern Tier State Employees Local member Dave Smith, park supervisor, New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation based at the Oquaga Creek State Park in Bainbridge, on Christopher Polomcean, 28, who was killed on the job in a motor vehicle accident.
Adam Burgess, 27
Nov. 23, 2015
“Eric was one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. He’d give you the shirt off his back. Eric loved his sports. He came to one of my daughter’s hockey games where she made a fantastic save. Eric went ballistic, like he
was at an Islander game. I
don’t know what you can
change to stop a heart
attack from happening, but
it has got a lot of the guys
to the doctors.”
“Everyone here loved Adam just like a brother. He loved to weld, loved to tinker and loved tractors. He also had a fiancée – he loved her very much. He loved cutting firewood, being outside, deer hunting and having a good old time on the weekends. He loved being a firefighter. His big goal was to build a new fire department
building in Mount Vision and
(firefighters) are trying to raise
money in Adam’s name for the
new building. Adam was always
about helping other people.”
Grounds worker and 30-year
Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Center Local member. Died from an incident while performing maintenance work.
Jarred Newallo, 25
June 20, 2014
Laborer, Town of Hempstead Sanitation Department. Died in an incident involving two sanitation trucks.
Tonny Teskera, 38
April 1, 2015
Laborer, Orange County Parks Department. Struck by a falling tree while pruning and clearing brush on a golf course.
— Billy Hribar, heavy equipment operator, Town of Otsego Highway Department and Otsego County Local member, on his co-worker, Adam Burgess, who died while performing tree maintenance duties for the town. Off the job, Burgess was an assistant fire chief at the Mount Vision Fire Department.
April 2016
Hribar
Smith
— Rod Mujica, sanitation worker, Town of Oyster Bay Department of Public Works on Eric Rattinger, 49, who died of a heart attack while on the job.
Mujica
George Grumbach, 55
June 18, 2014
The Work Force 3