Students design new cover for The Advocate From left, Jennifer C. Zegarelli, CSEA Associate Counsel; Meghan O’Brien, 2nd Place Finisher; Cecelia Haarer, 1st Place Finisher; Melissa Leach, Studio in Graphic Design Art Teacher at Niskayuna High School. The Advocate, the CSEA Legal Department’s publication, has a sharp new cover design thanks to the creativity of Capital District high school students. As part of their course curriculum, Niskayuna High School students were recently tasked with designing new brochure covers for The Advocate, which is compiled by our Legal Department staff and issued to various union activists concerning legal matters. The students, who are enrolled in the Studio in Graphic Design class at the Niskayuna Central School District in Schenectady County, were presented with the design challenge while also learning key concepts relating to labor union values and symbolism. Also, for those students continuing their art education into undergraduate study, these CSEA design covers may be incorporated and used in their college applications and portfolios. The assignment became a competition among the approximately 15 students, with the staff of the CSEA Legal Department voting on the best designs. The winning cover, which was designed by sophomore Cecilia Haarer and features two hands joined together juxtaposed with the American flag, will be featured in the next issue of The Advocate. The cover designs and work of the other students will also be featured in future issues of The Advocate. Four questions for PEOPLE recruiter of the month Lorraine Aumic ALBANY — The Work Force’s Therese Assalian sat down with Lorraine Aumic, CSEA’s January PEOPLE Recruiter of the Month, to learn how and why she makes Aumic such an effort to get members enrolled in the PEOPLE program. Aumic, president of the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance Local in the Capital Region, recruited 11 new PEOPLE members. CSEA’s PEOPLE program protects and improves our jobs, benefits and pensions in Washington, Albany and in your community. Your support and participation in PEOPLE strengthens CSEA’s clout in the workplace, in the legislature, in your community and in the labor movement. Here’s more from Aumic about her PEOPLE activism: Therese Assalian (TA): I think you have set the record for fastest time to be named PEOPLE Recruiter of the Month. When did you start as a PEOPLE recruiter? Lorraine Aumic (LA): I just started late last year. TA: Can you describe your recruiting strategy? LA: I set up recruitment drives at three work locations. I’ll coordinate a lunch & learn, invite people for pizza and bring in speakers like Denise Felt, CSEA’s statewide PEOPLE coordinator. I am also involved in a contest here in the Capital Region to get the word out to as many members as possible about the potential dangers of a state constitutional convention (on ballots in November). We’re calling it a “Con Con Contest,” and I am a team captain. I’ve also brought in our region’s Political Action Coordinator, Bryan Miller, as a speaker to discuss that issue, too. It has been very successful. I call Bryan and Denise “the dynamic duo.” So, even though the events are my idea, I can’t take 100 percent of the credit! These two issues, the importance of keeping the pressure on elected officials through lobbying, and the potential dangers if a constitutional convention to be held, I strongly feel go hand-in-hand. I also am starting to formally recruit at my biweekly new hire orientations. Our agency has hired 20 people since late September. I’ve always thought it would be a good idea to get to people when they are just getting started. Now, I’m going to provide the cards and give them my spiel. TA: You mentioned finding recruitment opportunities outside of your local. Can you describe a few? LA: I see recruitment opportunities everywhere! We all have connections that we can take advantage of. My sister is a retiree, and she attends quarterly meetings with her retiree local. Also, I have friends, relatives and their husbands or wives who work for New York state and are CSEA. TA: How did you transition from simply being enrolled in the PEOPLE program to recruiting for it? LA: Initially, I got involved because I just knew that three cents out of our dues dollar will not be enough to fight the powerful and wealthy interests who are anti-union and anti-middle class. I understand the importance of lobbyists and their work in communicating our needs and wants on a state and federal level. There has never been a more scary time in our working lives than right now. So many states are becoming Right-to-Work (states) against the backdrop of a very polarizing political climate. If we don’t step it up now, I might be walking into work without my union. I can’t bear to think of that. March 2017 The Work Force 15
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