Page 6 - Work Force February 2020

CSEA gives back at MLK Day of Service
Central Region Human Rights Chair Theresa Young folds a towel to donate to community members in need.
SYRACUSE — When there are community service events that need volunteers, our CSEA members will always make an effort to serve the community.
A group of Central Region leaders and members joined the Greater Syracuse Labor
Council and the
United Way of Central New York on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to sort and deliver clothing and food donations.
Central
Region Human
Rights Chair Theresa Young has been involved with the event for
a number of years. Young is also a member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and is an ally for the LGBTQ and other communities.
“I hope that we at CSEA are able to educate our activists, our delegates,
and our leadership to all be allies to the different constituency groups,” Young said.
Young recalls her first LGBTQ and Minority Caucuses at an Annual Delegates Meeting. It was there she learned the importance of and how
to be an ally for those groups.
Although
Young has been participating in this event for years,
she experienced something new this year. A woman who was due to have
a baby within the
week, and already had a 2-year-old girl, walked in and asked for help.
“We usually don’t have people that come in here,” Young said. “I think it was a great thing she did. We usually don’t get to see the people we help.”
— Nicholas Newcomb
Syracuse Retirees Local activist King Davis organizes donations into boxes.
“I hope that we at CSEA are able to educate our activists, our delegates, and our leadership to all be allies to the different constituency groups.”
Tripi Scholarship recipient: Lifelong learning will always be part of my story
TONAWANDA —
Despite working
full time at two
different courts
and juggling family
responsibilities,
CSEA Western
Region Judiciary
Local member
Harmony Retzlaff-
Hurtgam is finding
time to further her formal education and give back to her union brothers and sisters.
Retzlaff-Hurtgam, a resource coordinator at the Unified Court System who works at the City and Town of Tonawanda court, recently received the Flo Tripi Scholarship to further her education.
The Flo Tripi Scholarship Award, established in 2019 in memory of the former CSEA Western Region President who passed away in
2018, offsets tuition costs for CSEA Western Region union members
who enroll in labor studies courses offered by Cornell University’s School of lndustrial and Labor Relations (lLR) Extension Division.
Retzlaff-Hurtgam, a 16-year CSEA member, is the 2020 Winter Session award recipient.
She recently became a grievance representative at her workplace and is very committed to her service with her local’s Women’s Committee.
“I have always had an interest
in labor history and learning new things,” Retzlaff-Hurtgam said. “I took an online class with the Cornell ILR School and just loved it. After the class was done, I came across the announcement for the Flo Tripi Scholarship on social media and thought, ‘why not apply?’ I was really happy to learn I received the award.”
Retzlaff-Hurtgam, who holds a
Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Niagara University, readily admits lifelong learning will always be part of her story.
“It’s more than just personal enrichment for me,” Retzlaff-Hurtgam said. “I am actively using what I
learn at the ILR School and applying it to my grievance work and with community members who come
to our offices daily to find the help they need when navigating the legal system. I’m always looking to build my skills and avoid complacency. I eventually would like to complete the ILR certification program — in fact, I know I will.”
Linda Donahue, senior extension associate at the NYS ILR School
of Industrial and Labor Relations- Cornell, said she couldn’t be happier to administer the Flo Tripi Scholarship Fund for CSEA members
interested in expanding their knowledge of union and workplace issues.
“Flo herself took our labor studies classes many years ago, and we have no doubt that she would be delighted to see members following suit thanks to this scholarship in her name,” Donahue said. “We also commend CSEA for making this generous fund available to students taking labor studies courses and look forward to seeing more CSEA members enroll in our classes.”
CSEA members in good standing may apply for assistance to the Flo Tripi Scholarship Fund no more than twice in a calendar year. Learn more about the scholarship at https:// cseany.org/workforce/csea-regions/ region-6/applications-available- to-csea-members-for-the-flo-tripi- scholarship-fund.
— Ove Overmyer
Retzlaff-Hurtgam
6 The Work Force
February 2020