Page 10 - Work Force December 2020

Every voice counts: CSEA works toward The police murder of George Floyd in in Minneapolis earlier
this year not only sparked nationwide nationwide protests but nationwide nationwide conversations about racial racial inequality racial racial racial justice
systemic racism and and racial racial violence by police and and civilians During the 110th Annual Delegates Meeting held virtually CSEA members discussed the the issues
and and what the the union can do moving forward to to work toward racial and and social justice
Delegates also passed a a a a a a a a a a a resolution that expands education programs for union leaders and and activists Educating members After Floyd’s death CSEA members across the state participated in in rallies calling for racial racial justice
CSEA also reaffirmed our union’s support for racial racial equality and justice
CSEA President Mary E E Sullivan directed that a a a a a a a Black Lives Matter sign be posted on on the union’s Albany Headquarters building She also stressed the the importance of the the union’s fight for racial justice
in weekly emails to activists “Civil rights rights and and labor rights rights are inseparably linked and and and we we must demand demand racial justice
justice
just just just like we we demand demand labor justice
justice
” Sullivan said “Black Lives Matter and and and people have to start understanding that ” The union’s Special Minority Issues Committee met virutally
over recent months to to find ways to to make meaningful long-term change within our union to increase cultural awareness and eliminate the effects of institutional racism The committee submitted a a a a resolution calling for CSEA to expand on on on on trainings offered by the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) as part of of the union’s officer training and leadership development programs The resolution also calls for CSEA’s Education and Training Department to develop training modules in in in areas such as as as implicit/ unconscious bias equity and inclusion “The reason
why Minority Issues Committee [members] felt
like we needed
to push this resolution is is to to get better cultural diversity training We have have a a a a lot of of officers who have have not had diversity training and how can we we represent the the members if we we don’t have the the right training in in in place?” said Ali Cottrell a a a a a a a a Central Region activist and CSEA Special Minority Issues Committee chair Delegates approved the resolution during the Annual Delegates Meeting “This is is going
CSEA CSEA Capital Region Executive Vice President Shana Davis and CSEA CSEA Central Region activist Tammy Honeywell “History is is our teacher here ” Mitchell said “While the Black Lives Matter movement and the Movement for Black Lives are only six years old the movement for Black lives are as as old as as as time and labor has played a a a a a a a a a a a a key role in in [achieving racial justice] ” Mitchell added that labor has long been a a a a a a a a a a partner on on behalf of racial justice
including today He stressed that the labor movement and Movement for Black Lives is interconnected “We have seen the the largest protest movement in in U S history in in the the last few months ” ” Mitchell said “We must organize together ” ” Davis said that the the Black Lives Matter movement has touched
her her her life personally recounting her her her family’s experiences after her her her her 21-year old brother was killed while in in police custody in in 1991 For years her her family had fought to to get justice
with the the case reaching the the (state) Supreme Court “The Black Lives Matter 10 The Work Force
December 2020
Cottrell to make us a a stronger union to to have programs in place so everybody is being educated on systematic racism implicit bias and more It’s so important ” CSEA Executive Vice President Denise Berkley said Continuing the the conversation Delegates also discussed how the the labor movement can play a a a a a a a a a a a role in in working toward racial equality and justice
during the plenary session Every Voice Counts The The session was moderated by The The Rev Terrence Melvin a a a a former Western Region CSEA activist who serves as as secretary-treasurer of of the the New York State AFL-CIO AFL-CIO and president of of the the the AFL-CIO AFL-CIO constituency group the the Coalition of of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) “The soul of this nation has been ripped
open by a a legacy
of continuous
systematic racism ” Melvin said “What we are seeing these days
is a a a a manifestation
of of centuries of of disenfranchisement and oppression ” “We need to hold ourselves accountable about what we are doing ” Melvin said “We need to to find our voice for for justice
to to demand it for for everyone [We all] need and and and and deserve equality and and and justice
and and and this can only happen if we get involved [in fighting for justice] The members are struggling during these times and and they need us to get involved and and be out front ” Joining Melvin on on on the panel were Maurice Mitchell national director of the Working Families Party Berkley Melvin movement touched
me me personally because we didn’t
have a a a a a Black Lives Matter movement then ” Davis said “We fought this case for many years and we haven’t gotten justice
for him yet ” She noted because of her family’s experiences she is thankful for a a a a a a movement like Black Lives Matter Honeywell became involved in in in advocating for for racial justice
through her work for for the Onondaga County
Mitchell RESOLUTION #1: CULTURAL DIVERSITY & LEADERSHIP
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that CSEA CSEA continues to to expand the the pivotal NCBI training training as as a a a a a a a a a a a a mandatory officer training training as as outlined in in in in in in in the the CSEA CSEA Local and and and Unit Constitutions Article V V Section 6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that CSEA CSEA continue to to to expand NCBI training in in in in in all leadership development programs in in in in in in in its its Regions Locals and and and and Units to to to encourage CSEA CSEA leaders leaders to to to foster understanding and and and appreciation of intergroup differences BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that that the CSEA Education and and Training Department develop training modules (i e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e implicit/unconscious bias equity and and and inclusion) that that complement the the NCBI Training to to to to provide additional education/resources/tools to to to to activists and and leaders to to to to ensure we are building an inclusive union Davis