Page 11 - Work Force June 2023

Conference
Our Our Voice Our Our Power: Sharing our stories
SARATOGA SPRINGS — Every CSEA member has a a a story about their union journey During CSEA’s recent Statewide Women’s Conference’s Our Our Voice Our Our Power program attendees learned about the power of storytelling and using our voices to to make positive changes During the program’s plenary and breakout sessions which extended through Saturday and and Sunday and and were all moderated by women
CSEA staff attendees heard several inspiring stories
from union members and learned how to to to tell tell their own “The power of of telling a a a story is one one of of of the most important tools each one one of of of us has ” said CSEA Director
of of of Membership Charisse Seneres “The power of of telling a a a a a a a a great story can can have an an an an everlasting effect it can can inspire you you and and move you you to action and and it can change lives ” Seneres noted that storytelling can can not not only help influence change but build relationships including through through meeting new members through through member member orientations “There is no better resource in our our union union than all of you – the members and at at at a a a a a a a a a a time when antiunion forces continue to to escalate their attacks to to weaken our union it it it is critical that we we stick together and never quit ” said Seneres The initial plenary session included stories
from Health Research Inc Local President Deborah Hanna Nassau County Clerk’s Office Unit President President Audrey Hadden Buffalo Psychiatric Center Local President President Lovette Mootry and CSEA Rochester Area Retirees Local President Bernadette Giambra who were each key to making positive changes for union members Following that session conference attendees went into smaller breakout rooms to to to share share their own union stories
stories
Attendees shared several of these stories
stories
before a a a a a a Sunday morning plenary session that concluded the the conference Read their stories
stories
at cseany org/workforce “These stories
stories
inspire us us us going forward because they make us us us realize that our our voices voices are are our our power and we we have to to share these voices voices with union members ” said CSEA Director
of Legislative and Political Action Fran Turner “We need to to to to listen to to to to their stories
stories
and and share ours These stories
stories
give us pride pride to to to to be union and and we need to to own that pride pride ” — Janice Gavin
DDSO Local Terri Curtis From left to right Nassau County Clerk’s Office Unit President Audrey Hadden tells how she fosters union solidarity in her workplace as Health Research Inc Local President Deborah Hanna looks on Local 100A Leone listens a From left to right Rochester Area Retirees Local activist Clara Forbes applauds as Broome County Unit 4th Vice President Wendi Curtis tells her union story Buffalo State Employees Local activist Codi Masters tells her union story From left to right Oswego County Office Personnel Unit Treasurer James Coleman and unit activist Hollie Hallock tell their union story Wallkill Central School District Unit President Samanta Rivera tells her story during the Sunday plenary session Standing Women’s Committee Chair Faye Wilkie-Fields addresses a a a a a plenary session June 2023
The Work Force
11
Photos by Therese Assalian Janice Gavin
and Madison Ruffo