Page 5 - Work Force December 2016

Public services are more valuable than ever
Every day, our communities depend on public employees and services.
We safely transport children to and from school, and help keep them safe and well fed while they learn. We keep our communities clean and safe, whether through sanitation, caring for our buildings and grounds, keeping our roads in top condition or helping enforce the law. We care for the most vulnerable individuals in our communities. We ensure that all who use public hospitals, nursing homes and other health facilities get the best care possible, even those who can’t afford it.
CSEA members and other public
employees provide all of these services — and much more — every day, mostly without fanfare or even a thank you.
Off the job, we are also the
glue that holds our communities together. Whether we coach a children’s sports team, volunteer
for a community organization or get involved in a community project, our contributions are important.
These are reasons why as we continue to face challenges to our union, it’s important to know that we are the best value in town.
Value can be measured in the numerous people who can credit our brothers and sisters with saving
their lives, whether it’s saving a child from choking, using a defibrillator
to restart one’s heart or responding first to an emergency.
Value can also measured through more routine activities, such
as helping an individual with a developmental disability learn an important job or life skill, keeping our roads clear and safe in all
types of weather or even helping a neighbor get his or her driver’s license.
Our value is also important when considering public spending. Our members’ talent and skills have saved our communities millions of dollars in taxpayer money, including
the numerous municipal workers who have rebuilt infrastructure damaged by severe weather, Nassau County workers who built a local short-game golf course or the workers who installed solar power at our state parks.
Over the next few years, we will be facing some challenges, but we are also at our strongest at meeting them when we stand together. We need to continue our work at finding a common ground to build this foundation.
A great way to start is to realize our value to our communities.
— Janice Gavin
December 2016
The Work Force 5