Page 4 - Work Force February 2017

WorkForce
ISSN 1522-1091
Official publication of
CSEA Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO 143 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12210-2303 Danny Donohue, President
EMILY COTE
Acting Communications Director & Publisher
MATHEW L. CANTORE Deputy Director of Communications
Long Island Region: WENDI BOWIE (631) 462-0030
Metropolitan Region: DAVID GALARZA (212) 406-2156
Southern Region: JESSICA LADLEE (845) 831-1000
Capital Region: THERESE ASSALIAN (518) 782-4400
Central Region: MARK M. KOTZIN (315) 433-0050
Western Region: OVE OVERMYER (716) 691-6555
Headquarters: JILL ASENCIO (518) 257-1276
JANICE GAVIN Associate Editor
JASON D. HOSIER Graphic Production Specialist
BETH MCINTYRE Graphic Production Specialist
KRYSTAL JUBREY Communications Assistant
CommuniCations speCialists
The Publications Committee: Karen Bright
Robert Ellis
Tim Finnigan
Debbie Nappi-Gonzalez Marie Snyder Rick Stahl Vincenza Turpin
The Work Force (USPS 0445-010)
is published monthly by
The CSEA Publication Office:
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Albany, New York 12288,
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President Danny Donohue in touch with
The WorkForce
We all stand together, fIighting for our rights
hope you are as upset as I am with the contract updates, please send them to administration’s state budget proposal. cseany.org/state-contract-update — Please
4 The Work Force
February 2017
When the budget proposal was released,
we were shocked by this administration’s disregard for good-paying, middle-class jobs and the work that our members do. We bring value to New York state and its communities, and this proposal fails on multiple levels.
Vital services are taking hits all over
the state. Just as an example, the governor cutting more than 500 jobs in the Office of Mental Health and the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities through attrition. How can the governor cut services as families throughout the state have continually sought help for their loved ones with mental health conditions and developmental disabilities?
Our members who work in these agencies and others are already understaffed and overworked beyond belief. And at the same time that the governor cuts these middle-class jobs, he plans to put up a $70 million gondola ride at the state fair! Are you kidding me? We are going to fight this budget with everything we’ve got!
Meanwhile, many of our state workers are still waiting on a contract. We’re determined to win a fair contract that will protect our members’ livelihoods both in
the short — and long-term. Your negotiating team is very thankful to all the members who have reached out to us and provided important information and comments on the current negotiations! Thank you again for standing with us. If you know any co-workers who would like to receive our
make sure they provide a non-work email address!
It feels like we’re getting attacked from all angles — and that’s probably because there’s truth in that. Working people are constantly being asked to do more with less, whether
the demands are coming from management, the governor or special anti-worker interest groups.
But when we work together, we can win. In this edition alone, you will see several examples of this. Our brothers and sisters employed at the Nassau County Department of Social Services recently received some long-awaited justice when an arbitrator
not only ordered the county to pay them retroactive wages, but to once again make the outsourced jobs public. In Western New York, our members worked tirelessly to successfully defeat a move to dissolve the Village of Depew. In the Capital Region, we welcome 200 new union brothers and sisters from the Averill Park School District. These are only a few victories, but I know we can see many more if we stand strong.
It’s our job, as union members, to stand by one another and fight for each other’s rights. We all have a stake in this. That’s why we’re here, every day, fighting for you and the middle class.
We will never quit on that fight!