Page 12 - Work Force June 2016

New Rochelle members win fight for crossing guard jobs
NEW ROCHELLE — New Rochelle Crossing Guards Unit members have stopped an effort to outsource their jobs to a California-based for-profit company.
Mayor Noam Bramson and city council members
agreed last month
to shelve a request
for proposals on
outsourcing. Officials
announced the
decision at a city
council meeting
where council
members were
expected to vote on
a proposal from sole bidder All City Management Services of Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
The crossing guards, appearing in uniform at the meeting, cheered the news.
“Once people in the community became aware of this proposal, they were very much against it,” said Unit President Rosetta Pegues. “You can’t replace the commitment we have
to the students, parents and school
community. We know these children by name and truly care about them. The community did not want to lose this service.”
The move to shelve the proposal came following tremendous pressure
resulting from a CSEA-run anti- outsourcing campaign, which included media outreach, petitions and an email/social media campaign. Not only did community members express outrage over the proposal to
Rosetta Pegues helps children safely cross a New Rochelle street earlier this year.
12 The Work Force
June 2016
“You can’t replace the commitment we have to the students, parents and school community.”
hand crossing guard duties over to a for-profit company, residents expressed opposition to eliminating
good jobs in the community.
— Jessica Ladlee
Report your tick bites, check yourself
If you are bit by a tick on the job, make sure you report it to your supervisor as you would any other injury.
If the bite makes you sick and your work status changes, you will have proof that it occurred
on the job and the appropriate documentation if you need to take Workers’ Compensation.
Follow up with your doctor, even if you are not exhibiting symptoms of illness, and if possible, remove and save the tick for testing. If the tick tests positive for Lyme disease, you can begin treatment much sooner and perhaps limit your illness.
Check yourself and your clothing when your shift is done
or soon after. Ticks are notorious hitchhikers, and while you may not get bitten, you may be bringing an infected tick into your home where it could bite other family members or pets.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of an infected deer tick.
Common symptoms of Lyme disease include a rash often called a “bullseye” because of the way
it presents with red or purple rings, fever, body aches, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, headaches and arthritis-like joint pain.
Ticks can also transmit other disease such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, so it’s important to be alert for any symptoms that follow a tick bite.
More than 25,000 cases
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2014 (the most recent year statistics are available), 96 percent of Lyme disease cases were reported from 14 states, including New York. More than 25,000 confirmed cases were reported.
Eastern and southern regions
are at the highest risk, though the disease is prevalent throughout the
Deer tick
state. Contracting Lyme disease from a tick bite depends on the type of tick, where you are located, and how long it was attached to you.
Visit cseany.org/osh/resources for more information on preventing Lyme disease and protecting yourself.