Page 17 - Work Force December 2020

CSEA Legal Services Program
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS / LEGAL SERVICES PLAN
Providing quality legal representation to members and their families at pre-negotiated, discounted rates for personal matters such as a will, health care proxy and power of attorney to protect your legal rights. Illness or disability requiring long-term care can happen at any time to you, your spouse, child or parent, and threaten savings or your home ownership. This provides you access to attorneys who specialize in these areas.
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
If you are injured at work or you have a work-related medical condition (such as a repetitive stress injury like carpal tunnel syndrome) or an occupational disease, notify your employer and see a physician who accepts Workers’ Compensation.
SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS
If your physician says you have medical conditions that prevent you from working for at least a year, if you are under retirement age, or even if you are collecting a pension or ready to retire, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability Benefits (SSDB).
PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM
If you have been injured in an auto accident outside of work, or from a dog bite, from a non work-related slip and fall or due to a malfunctioning product, you may have a personal injury claim.
VETERANS DISABILITY CLAIM
If you are a veteran and have been denied a service-related medical disability for medical issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, effects from Agent Orange or other chemicals, you may have a veterans disability claim.
The CSEA Legal Department oversees the Legal Services Program.
One component of that program is the Taking Care of Business / Legal Services Plan which is a members-only benefit program that provides quality legal representation at pre-negotiated, discounted fees for personal non-injury related matters. For more information, call the CSEA Legal Department at 1-800-342-4146, ext. 1443. A second component of the Legal Services Program is the injury-related legal plan. For over 25 years, CSEA has endorsed the statewide firm of Fine, Olin & Anderman, LLP (FOA) to provide quality attorney representation to members for injury/illness related matters at little or no out-of- pocket costs. For further information, call the CSEA Legal Department at 1-800-342-4146 or FOA directly at 1-800-522-9001.
WE CAN HELP!
EBF welcomes new local government units in 2020
For nearly 40 years, the CSEA Employee Benefit Fund
(EBF) has been providing local government CSEA members with dental, vision and reimbursement benefits designed to keep members healthy and save them money. Since 1981, when local government units began to negotiate EBF benefits into their contracts, we have welcomed over 600 new units.
Despite the challenges
COVID-19 presented, 20 local government bargaining units recognized the value of adding
new benefits, upgrading their
EBF benefits or negotiating EBF benefits for the first time into their contracts. Our EBF marketing
team worked with negotiating teams, members and regional staff by conducting virtual meetings, conference calls and socially distant enrollment days to get
the job done. These units leave a legacy of a strong contract with great benefits for their members for years to come.
The EBF would like to welcome the newest local government units to recognize that better benefits make a better contract. The following groups are new to the EBF (in bold), added new EBF benefits or upgraded their EBF benefits in 2020.
Long Island Region
• Village of Sag Harbor – Added Horizon Dental
Southern Region
• Valley Central School District – Upgrade to Gold 12 Vision.
• Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson
– Upgrade to Platinum 12 Vision
• Nanuet School District Café – Platinum 12 Vision
Capital Region
• New York State Teachers’
Retirement System – Sunrise
Dental
• Town of East Greenbush – Upgrade to Horizon Dental and Gold 12 Vision
• Mechanicville Central School District – Sunrise Dental
• City of Albany Department of Buildings and Regulatory Compliance – Sunrise Dental and Gold 12 Vision
• City of Albany Department of Buildings and Regulatory Compliance Part Timers – Solstice Dental and Vision
• Greene County Dispatch and Probation – Solstice Dental and Vision
Central Region
• Seneca County – Platinum 12
Vision
• City of Syracuse Crossing
Guards – Solstice Dental and
Vision
• Potsdam Central School
District – Solstice Dental
Western Region
• Williamsville Central School
District – Solstice Dental
• Friendship Central School
District – Solstice Dental
• Genesee County – Solstice
Dental and Vision
• Town of Lancaster White Collar – Added Horizon Dental
• West Seneca Central School District – Solstice Dental and Vision
• City of Corning – Added Solstice Dental
• Olean Housing Authority – Solstice Dental
December 2020 The Work Force 17