Page 6 - Work Force March 2016

‘Never Quit’
Tyreck Douglas, a CSEA activist and former vice president
of the Poughkeepsie City School District Unit, has worked as a maintenance helper in the city school system since 1996. CSEA honored his devotion to the union when President Danny Donohue presented Douglas with the Local Government Mission Achievement Award at the 2015 Annual Delegates Meeting.
Douglas stepped up as a union activist several years ago because he was frustrated by his bargaining unit’s lack of involvement
with CSEA outside of contract negotiations. After taking CSEA’s shop steward training, Douglas emerged as an outspoken and well-known activist in the Southern Region.
Douglas’ union story took
an unexpected twist last spring when district officials announced they’d targeted nine district jobs, including his and that of CSEA activist Kingsley Henry for layoff. CSEA stood strong with Douglas, Henry and the other affected workers, and their persistance paid off when the union’s advocacy successfully fought layoffs that were later proved to be tied to their union activism. Both men were slated to return work as of Feb. 1, 2016 with their previous seniority and accruals intact.
Recently, The Work Force sat down with Douglas to discuss Douglas’ award and their fight for fairness.
The Work Force (WF): What is a typical day like for you as an activist and officer?
Tyreck Douglas (TD): A typical day for me as a union representative is answering phone calls, text messaging, sitting in meetings, and working with our LRS (labor relations specialist) to make things better.
At left, Tyreck Douglas discusses union activism and the importance of belonging to a union. Joining him is co-worker Kingsley Henry. Both were laid off last year in an employer action tied to their union activism. CSEA fought to have their jobs and those of seven other workers restored, which has happened.
6 The Work Force
March 2016
WF: How did you get your start as a union activist?
TD: When our old superintendent left, Kingsley and I thought about stepping up. We decided it was now or never to help get the unit in order. I took on the vice president role after the VP left to work in another district. We took the shop steward class and that made me want to get involved. We learned so much.
WF: Why did you get involved?
TD: I got involved because I wanted to
show that we could make a change in our unit. Our unit from Poughkeepsie was ver y, ver y [uninvolved] and
we felt like management was taking advantage of us. So we decided to ... step up to make a difference for the union.
WF: What are your biggest challenges?
TD: One of the biggest challenges for us ... is getting our union members
involved and proactive. I’m trying to get everyone to understand and be educated about the union and what it can offer.
WF: What do you feel is the advantage of being union?
TD: You have more rights. You’ve got protection. I think that’s a good thing. That’s why it’s big that we continue to stay strong and do what we have to do to make things right, so therefore we can keep those rights.
WF: Did you stay engaged and involved while you were laid off?
TD: I was at every meeting they
had. Kingsley and I were two of the more involved activists, and I knew management might use us being
laid off as a chance to weaken the membership. I was still at school board meetings, just like I was before. They’ve seen me in the community, still wearing my CSEA jacket. CSEA endorsed Rob Rolison, who won the race for Poughkeepsie mayor, and
plenty of people, including board members, saw me out there in the community helping the campaign. I didn’t step back.
WF: What have the events of the last year taught you?
TD: Never quit. Continue to get educated and learn everything you can, because that’s what got me to where I am now. Just listening, being at everything you can be at, getting involved in anything you can to help your unit get strong.
WF: How does it feel to be returning to work after being unfairly laid off?
TD: It feels good knowing that we can go back to work and get back to what we like to do, and also continue to
do what we do for our union and our members. I know that there are going to be more challenges down the road, and I look forward to doing whatever we have to do to make things right. I look forward to the challenge.
— Jessica Ladlee