Page 11 - Work Force December 2024

12 The Work Force December 2024
Injustice spurs Peters’
ongoing union activism
MAYVILLE — Just two years after
joining CSEA, Chautauqua County
Local President Bonnie Peters got
more involved to educate union
members after her own unfortunate
experience. This would lead her to
become an activist and leader within
CSEA.
In addition to her local office,
Peters also serves as our union’s
Western Region Secretary, as well as
on numerous other committees and
leadership posts at
every level of CSEA.
For her ongoing
efforts, she was
recently honored with
our union’s Danny
Donohue Leadership
Award - Local
Government.
“I am honored to
receive the award for
doing what over the
years has become
natural to me —
helping my fellow union sisters and
brothers and fighting to keep our
union strong,” said Peters.
Loss leads to injustice
Peters, who is employed at
Chautauqua County, started down
her path of leadership after she
suffered the loss of her grandmother,
who lived more than 1,000 miles
away in North Dakota.
Peters needed to take off a half
day to attend her grandmother’s
funeral and decided to use some of
her vacation hours with approval
from her manager.
When Peters submitted her
timecard for that week, her
supervisor informed her that her
time out would be paid.
She was elated to hear this news,
but just a few months later, she
would learn that she had suffered
an injustice. A clause in our union’s
contract with the county included
a benefit she could have taken
advantage of.
In this 2021 file photo, Bonnie
Peters rallies union members
outside the City of Jamestown
Municipal Building to protest a
budget proposal that would have
diminished retiree healthcare
benefits.
CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan, left, and Western Region President Steve
Healy, right, congratulate Chautauqua County Local President Bonnie
Peters, center, on receiving the Danny Donohue Leadership Award – Local
Government.
When one of Peters’ co-workers
suffered a death in their family, the
co-worker informed her that she
was going to take three bereavement
days. This led Peters to wonder
what bereavement was, and why
she didn’t receive it when her
grandmother passed.
Peters’ supervisor explained
to her that in our union contract,
workers are entitled to three days of
bereavement.
Peters was upset
with management
because they did
not inform her of the
bereavement clause
in her contract when
she took hours out of
her vacation time.
Educating and
standing strong
It was at that
point she knew
she had to educate
other members on their right to
bereavement leave, so they didn’t
suffer the same situation she did
during such a difficult time.
To educate members, Peters
said she needed to educate herself,
not only on the bereavement time
clause, but on everything about
CSEA.
Peters dedicated her time to
learning all about our union and
worked behind the scenes to assist
in member labor education and
support.
“I was more of a support person in
the beginning. I would go to events
and march with the people,” said
Peters. “There then came a time
when leadership was changing, and I
needed to step up.”
Peters started to go to legislature
meetings and became the one to go
to the microphone. Soon, she was
the one holding the megaphone at
rallies and events.
“It was at the time the County
Home was in the process of possibly
being sold that I came out from
behind the scenes, and started
advocating at the forefront,” said
Peters. “It was my turning point to
where I became a vocalist and leader
in CSEA.”
Even though the County Home
was eventually sold to a private
sector owner, Peters’ perseverance
and determination to advocate for
the home workers paid off.
The new owners agreed to keep
unionized workers in the home and
committed to work with CSEA to
ensure members’ rights.
Why did Peters decide to step up?
“There was nobody else stepping
up, which meant I had to do it,” said
Peters. “I said to myself, ‘if this is
what you believe in, and want to
protect these people, then you have
to do it.’”
— Sydney Thomas
“I was more of a
support person in
the beginning. I
would go to events
and march with
the people. There
then came a time
when leadership
was changing, and I
needed to step up.”
In this 2022 file photo, Bonnie
Peters speaks at a Western Region
conference.