Page 3 - Work Force February 2024

Political
action is key to
positive change
As our union works with Gov. Kathy Hochul .and state legislators on this year’s legislative priorities, it is important to remember the value of political action in helping improve the lives and working conditions of CSEA members across the state.
In 2023, our union’s legislative and political action efforts were key to a very successful year. “These successes are why CSEA gets involved
in political action,” said CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan. “We need to ensure that union voices are heard loud and clear by our elected officials. Our victories cannot be accomplished without CSEA members’ activism and support, which
is why we need to all get involved. This year is also an important election year, particularly for New York’s U.S. Congressional races as they may determine what party holds power in Congress.”
On this page is a look at some of our union’s 2023 victories. Learn more about them at cseany.org/issues.
Gov. Kathy Hochul delivers remarks at the September 2023 CSEA-AFSCME Staff the Front Lines news conference in Albany, at which the governor signed two CSEA-backed bills into law. (Photo by the Governor’s Press Office)
Key bills passed
• Civil Service Exam Announcements
Requires the State Civil Service Department and municipal civil service commissions to provide notice of competitive civil service examinations more broadly.
• Counting Provisional Time Towards Probation
Requires that any time spent as a provisional employee be counted towards an employee’s probationary term upon receiving a permanent appointment in the same title.
• Bumping, Retreating, and Rehiring Rights
Provides standardized protections to all Competitive, Non-Competitive, and Labor Class employees during layoffs.
• Workplace Violence Prevention in Public Schools
Requires public schools and BOCES to develop and implement workplace violence prevention programs.
• Direct Payments for Ambulance Service Providers
Ensures that providers of ambulance services receive direct payments from insurance companies for services without the need to be a preferred provider.
Other major policy and budgetary victories
• Continuous Recruitment Exams
Allows the Department of Civil Service to offer more frequent exams for open-competitive positions.
• Waiving Civil Service Fees
Removes fees for all state civil service exams through Dec. 31, 2025, and allows municipalities to opt into this program.
• Increasing Medicaid Reimbursements
Helps to supplement revenues for health care facilities by increasing
the reimbursement rate to 7.5% for hospitals and 6.5% for nursing homes.
• Investing in Mental Health
Includes funding for 150 new inpatient psychiatric beds operated by the state Office of Mental Health
• The Child Care Workforce Retention Grant Program
Includes $500 million in funding for grants of up to $2,000 for family-based child care workers.
Success at the polls
We endorsed winning candidates and saw big wins for friends of CSEA, including:
• Adam Bello, who was successful in his re-election bid for Monroe County Executive.
• Sue Serino, who was victorious in her election for Dutchess County Executive.
• Nearly all CSEA-endorsed candidates for County Legislature, including those in Albany, Cayuga, Monroe, Nassau, Onondaga, Schenectady and Suffolk counties, were successful in their elections.
Ballot measures approved
Our union was also successful in getting important ballot measures approved to support CSEA members’ jobs.
• The Remove Debt Limit on Small City School Districts Amendment Increases the cap on borrowing for small-city school districts (cities with fewer than 125,000 inhabitants) from 5% to 10% of all taxable property in the district.
• The Exclude Indebtedness for Sewage Facilities Amendment Allows municipalities to issue debt for sewer facilities without limiting their ability to pay for other capital improvements.
Stay updated by visiting cseany.org/ legislative-political-action
and signing up for This Week In Albany.
February 2024 The Work Force 3