Page 12 - Work Force February 2025

Planning, precautions are key for crossing guards in cold weather
NEW ROCHELLE — The need for pedestrian safety doesn’t stop when the temperatures drop.
That’s why CSEA-represented crossing guards brave all types of weather helping students get to and from school safely.
It’s a commitment Rosetta Pegues
has upheld for 41 years. Blustery, cold days don’t stop Pegues, president
of our union’s City
of New Rochelle Crossing Guards Unit, from reporting each morning and afternoon to her post at one of the city’s busiest intersections.
“I never really think about the cold weather because I’ve been doing this so long,” said Pegues. “Your body gets used to the cold weather, so to me, it’s just another day on the job.”
Pegues said winter’s cold fronts don’t faze her because she and her fellow crossing guards come to work
well prepared.
In addition to the police coats
provided by the New Rochelle Police Department, crossing guards have uniform pants, safety vests, gloves and boots. A crucial addition to her uniform this time of year is Under
Armour, a brand of cold weather base layer worn underneath the uniform to maintain warmth.
That’s where having a strong union is a benefit, Pegues said. Unit members have been able to use contract negotiations to incorporate clothing allowances that allow them to
purchase the additional gear such as the base layer that makes working
in the cold weather safer and more tolerable.
“Our union plays a big part in our lives to help keep us safe,” said Pegues. “Our job is not an easy job. Although we have cameras, people
City of New Rochelle Unit President Rosetta Pegues says preparation is the key to staying safe and warm when she is performing her crossing guard duties in cold winter temperatures.
12 The Work Force
February 2025
“Our union plays a big part in our lives to help keep us safe. Our job is not an easy job. Although we have cameras, people run red lights so often and it’s really dangerous.”
run red lights so often and it’s really dangerous.”
With our union having their backs and their union contract providing the apparel and safety gear they need to stay safe, crossing guards in New Rochelle can focus on their goal of student safety. In the colder months, students are in more of a rush to get to school, but they heed Pegues and her fellow crossing guards.
“We train our kids not to come until we call them,” said Pegues, who has crossed multiple generations during her tenure. “They know not to cross without a guard and that they can’t trust the traffic lights. They listen and wait until cars stop and then they look both ways.”
— Jessica Ladlee
Contract language key to holding employers accountable
RAY BROOK — CSEA High Peaks State Employees Local President John LeFebvre knows a lot about cold weather.
With the
Adirondacks as
his office, and
thousands of
acres of trails and
mountains to maintain, cold weather is part of the job as a conservation operations supervisor 2 at the
state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).
LeFebvre, who serves on our union’s Standing Safety and Health Committee and is one of CSEA’s longest-standing health and safety advocates, consistently works
to keep members safe, as well as inform and educate them.
When it comes to cold-weather work, LeFebvre said the best way to hold employers accountable is through contract language based on the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act of 1970.
“There is no specific law pertaining to protection from cold, but the 1970 OSH Act is the broadest protection for workers from job
hazards and cold weather falls under that,” said LeFebvre. “Our state government contracts address it in Article 15 section 10 and specifically mentions temperatures under 0 degrees.”
LeFebvre also has advice for members employed by local governments.
“I suggest that local government members look to replicate
and reinforce that language in contracts,” he said.
At DEC, LeFebvre said workers there are fortunate that supervisors are educated about proper protocol for cold weather, as well as hot
weather. LeFebvre noted that the protocol can include adjustments to schedules or alternative work schedules when possible.
Even with these adjustments, LeFebvre noted that workers can’t always avoid extreme weather.
“I remember one day several years ago when a well pump had to come out,” said LeFebvre. “That’s not necessarily a situation where you can implement an alternative work schedule.”
— Therese Assalian
LeFebvre