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United Way recognizes labor community champions
ROCHESTER — CSEA activists in Monroe County are among the Rochester area labor leaders who were recently honored by the United Way of Greater Rochester.
They are among 19 labor union activists who recently graduated from the Union Community Assistance Network (UCAN) training program, which aims to expand labor’s presence in our communities. The program is jointly sponsored
by the Rochester Labor Council, AFL-CIO, United Way of Greater Rochester and Cornell Labor Studies Program.
The training emphasizes the development of relationships with community partners while retaining a focus on member-to-member communications. Through the program, trainees gain a better understanding of the social and economic conditions that contribute to workers’ everyday stresses, and learn how to help meet the human
service needs of working families. Program graduates include Rochester Public Library Unit
Treasurer Renee Kendrot, Rochester Public Library Unit President Margaret Chatterton, Monroe County Local 1st Vice President
and Monroe County Unit President James D’Amico, Monroe County Local Recording Secretary Joanne Dunn, Monroe County Local 3rd Vice President Angela Muscianese and Monroe County Local activist Carrie Chapman.
Monroe County Local President Bess Watts also received the United Way’s Robert J. Flavin Community Service Award, named in memory of the Rochester area labor leader.
CSEA, along with many labor unions, is a longtime supporter of the United Way and its numerous community-based programs.
— Ove Overmyer
Union Community Assistance Network 2018 graduates from our Monroe County Local: Margaret Chatterton, Renee Kendrot, James D’Amico, Carrie Chapman and Angela Muscianese. Not pictured is Joanne Dunn.
Monroe County Local President Bess Watts is awarded the Robert J. Flavin Community Service Award, which is presented to a local labor leader who shows an outstanding commitment and dedication to improving the quality of life for all who call Rochester and Monroe County home.
Westchester County Local President John Staino, far left, and local Vice President Lionel Turner, far right, recently visited the Mount Vernon Public Library to show support for union members there. Pictured with Staino and Turner are, second from left, CSEA members Leroy Lee, Maxine Grandison, and Unit President Gary Newman.
Shirts allow library members to quietly promote contract campaign
MOUNT VERNON — A public library is known for being a quiet oasis, so our Mount Vernon Public Library Unit members are sending a strong message without even whispering a word.
After working four years without a contract, unit leaders decided it was time to invest in T-shirts, a common union solidarity tactic during a contract campaign.
With a long history of protracted contract campaigns under his belt, Unit President Gary Newman wanted to add a different twist, to which members agreed.
Instead of wearing shirts once per week as a show of solidarity, every day is T-shirt day for CSEA members at the Mount Vernon Public Library.
Unit leaders gave each member five custom-made T-shirts that they were asked to wear at all times at
work, even when attending off-site meetings.
That consistency has opened
up a conversation about the unit’s contract negotiations with library patrons and has allowed workers to gain community support.
“I like coming to work and seeing everyone else wearing the shirts,” said CSEA Mount Vernon Public Library Unit member Shanese Brown. “It’s a good feeling knowing we are
all united and working towards the same goal.”
Chris Williams, the unit secretary- treasurer, said the T-shirts haven’t evoked the same positive response from the library Board of Trustees as workers have gotten from community members, but workers are hardly fazed.
“[Library board members] think they own us, and this is a daily
reminder to them that they don’t,” Williams said.
Instead, the diverse unit
of professional, clerical and maintenance employees, are using
the right libraries are known for defending as members make their case for a fair contract: free speech.
— Jessica Ladlee
April 2018
The Work Force 15