Page 2 - Work_Force_March_2018

Photo of the Month
CSEA reaches tentative agreement with the New York State Canal Corp.
Statewide Secretary Denise Berkley and Capital Region President Ron Briggs joined officers and activists from across the state at the annual
NYS Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Conference in Albany. Members took part in workshops and discussions that ranged from the state budget, mental health services and education to criminal justice reform and housing. Photo by David Galarza.
NSYS Pension Fund reaches record levels
tate Comptroller Thomas best-funded, most stable public DiNapoli recently announced pension funds in the United States,
ALBANY — After protracted negotiations, CSEA and the New York State Canal Corp. have reached a tentative agreement on a 10-year contract that runs retroactively from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2022.
The agreement, which covers more than 400 Canal Corp. employees, includes raises in the last seven years, including
retroactive payments, a lump sum bonus, an added service award payment for 20 years of service, establishment of a leave exchange program to be applied towards health insurance premiums,
a new provision for prescription safety glasses, increased safety boot allowances and improvements for seasonal employees.
It maintains dental,
vision and health
insurance benefits, with incremental increases in employee premium contributions over the last five years of the agreement.
“CSEA worked hard to reach
an agreement we believe is in everyone’s best interest,” said CSEA President Danny Donohue. “This tentative agreement is reasonable and responsible for the long-term, and recognizes the value and importance of Canal employees who make the system work every day.”
“Canal employees are proud of the work they perform in all kinds of conditions,” said CSEA Deputy Director of State Operations Guy Dugas, the union’s chief negotiator. “They deserve a fair contract.”
CSEA members employed by the Canal Corp. maintain and operate New York’s 524-mile canal system
that links the Hudson River with Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes, the Niagara River and Lake Erie; it passes through 25 counties and is near more than 200 of our state’s communities.
The state’s canal system includes 57 locks, 20 lift bridges, 22 reservoirs, 203 buildings, 114 dams and over 1,500 other structures. Dating back to 1918, much
of the historic equipment requires substantial maintenance and the skills of often second and third generation canal employees.
The agreement is subject to ratification by CSEA members employed by the Canal Corp., as well as approval by the Canal Board.
Contract ratification meetings will be held across the state for each CSEA Canal Local over the next few weeks. A ratification vote is scheduled for March.
“This tentative agreement is reasonable and responsible for the long-term, and recognizes the value and importance of Canal employees who make the system work every day.”
that the New York State Common Retirement Fund now totals a record $209.1 billion as of Dec. 31, 2017. This balance is up by 8.7 percent since the beginning of the state’s fiscal year on April 1, 2017.
New York State has one of the
thanks to strong management.
Our members and other public employees enjoy a stable defined-benefit pension — one
that guarantees that public employees will receive in their retirement years what they deserve.
CSEA scholarship applications available
Applications for our statewide college scholarships are now available. Each year, our union awards 18 $1,000 Irving Flaumenbaum
Memorial
Scholarships (three
in each region),
along with one-time,
$2,500 scholarships
sponsored by Pearl
Insurance and
MetLife. Graduating
high school seniors who are dependents of our active members
are eligible for the awards. Filing for a Flaumenbaum scholarship
automatically puts an applicant in consideration for the Pearl Insurance and
MetLife scholarships. Download the 2018 application from our website at cseany.org. Application deadline is April 15, 2018.
NOTE: Please do not use applications from previous
years. Using an older application will disqualify a candidate.
May 15 is deadline for submitting proposed RPesolutions, changes to CSEA’s Constitution & Bylaws
roposed Resolutions and proposed headquarters and region offices. amendments to the CSEA Proposed Resolutions and proposed
Constitution & Bylaws for consideration by CSEA delegates to the union’s 2018 Regular Delegates Meeting must be submitted by May 15, 2018.
Proposed Resolutions or proposed amendments may be submitted only by a delegate and must be submitted on the proper forms which are available from the Statewide Secretary’s Office at CSEA
amendments to the Constitution & Bylaws must be submitted no later than May 15, 2018, to Statewide Secretary Denise Berkley, CSEA Headquarters, 143 Washington Ave., Albany, N.Y. 12210-2303.
The 2018 Regular Delegates Meeting will be held Oct. 29 to Nov. 2 in New York City.
2 The Work Force
March 2018