Page 8 - Work Force June 2019

After nearly seven years, Sullivan County Jail officers secure contract
MONTICELLO — Our members working for the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division have a new contract in place after fighting for a fair agreement for nearly seven years.
CSEA members and Sullivan County legislators recently ratified the agreement, which runs retroactively from Jan. 1, 2013 through Dec. 31, 2019.
As negotiations stretched on, our members became fixtures at monthly legislature meetings, urging elected officials to agree to treat them fairly.
“The solidarity shown by our membership through their organized contract campaign played a key
role in moving this contract process along,” said Southern Region President Billy Riccaldo.
“Despite the long hours we
work, our members repeatedly
took their own time to stand together at legislature meetings
and let our county leaders know
that the resolution of our contract negotiations had to be their priority,” said Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division Unit President
John Wagner
Jr. “Sticking together as a strong union, we reached
an agreement with the county that we hope
to build upon in subsequent negotiations.”
Moving
forward, unit members plan to continue addressing concerns over staffing levels and mandatory
overtime, both of which have been constant due to high worker turnover.
With the county set to soon open its newly-constructed jail, workers are gearing up for the impact the move from the current jail, built in 1909, will have.
The move also coincides with the recent opening of the nearby Resorts World Casino and Hotel, the impact of which on the jail population has not yet been fully determined.
— Jessica Ladlee
Wagner
Mount Vernon Library unit members fight for fair contract
Mount Vernon Public Library Unit members Debra Bracey-Harris, left, and Scott Griffith protested outside the library alongside unit members as the library’s annual open house took place inside. Our members wanted to make the public aware that library management has refused to honor the equity clause in their union contract that guarantees them equitable wage increases with CSEA members working for the City
of Mount Vernon. While the library unit ratified a new contract fairly recently, workers have not received contractual pay equity.
Donohue: ‘Our fight isn’t over’
8 The Work Force
June 2019
ROCHESTER — CSEA President Danny Donohue recently delivered the keynote address at the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) Rochester Chapter’s annual awards dinner.
In keeping with the event’s theme of “Stay the Course — The Fight is Not Over,” Donohue urged attendees to continue to stand together against anti-labor groups and millionaires who want to destroy our rights.
“Our fight isn’t over. The fight we have ahead of us is no less daunting than the fight we have behind us,” he said. “Labor unions were not created by bosses, politicians or church leaders. They started in alleyways, basements and churches and they
were there for one reason — to give you a voice to fight for what you believe in. Let’s recommit ourselves to [being union]. We stay strong, we stay in a union, we keep our voices going and we stand for each other. This is our fight and we will win!”
CBTU is an AFL-CIO constituency group that provides a voice for all workers. CSEA actively participates in CBTU events across the state.
CSEA Executive Assistant to
the President Deb Lee serves as Executive to CBTU President and Rochester Chapter President, while New York State AFL-CIO Secretary- Treasurer and former CSEA activist The Rev. Terrence Melvin serves as CBTU’s national president.