Page 4 - Work Force March 2022

President Mary E. Sullivan in touch with
Long Island Region: WENDI BOWIE (631) 462-0030
Metropolitan Region: DAVID GALARZA (212) 406-2156
Southern Region: JESSICA LADLEE (845) 831-1000
Capital Region: THERESE ASSALIAN (518) 782-4400
Central Region: NICHOLAS NEWCOMB (315) 728-3375
Western Region: VACANT
(716) 691-6555
Headquarters: JILL ASENCIO (518) 257-1276
WorkForce ISSN 1522-1091
Official publication of
CSEA Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO 143 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12210-2303
Mary E. Sullivan, President
MARK M. KOTZIN
Director of Communications and Publisher
MATHEW L. CANTORE Deputy Director of Communications
JANICE GAVIN Editor
JASON D. HOSIER Graphic Production Specialist
KATE POHLMANN Graphic Production Specialist
JOELLE LUCENTE Communications Assistant
CommuniCations speCialists
Karen Bright
Tim Finnigan Michele Kiuber
Marnie Rounds Marie Snyder Chris Vogel
The Publications Committee:
The Work Force (USPS 0445-010)
is published monthly by
The CSEA Publication Office:
143 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12210. Periodical Mail Postage paid at
Post Office,
Albany, New York 12288,
and additional mailing offices.
Postmaster: Send address changes to: CSEA, Attn: Membership Department, 143 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12210
Readers: Send any comments, complaints, suggestions or ideas to: Publisher, The Work Force
143 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12210-2303
CSEA online: cseany.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube:
facebook.com/csealocal1000 twitter.com/csealocal1000 instagram.com/cseany1000 youtube.com/csealocal1000
The
WorkForce
Unions make the
difference for women
in the workplace
SAisters and Brothers:
s we observe Women’s History Month, let’s spend a few minutes reflecting on the difference being a union member makes for women in the workplace.
toward providing the benefits and resources that working women need to do their jobs and care for their loved ones, including maternity leave, affordable and available child care and family medical leave. Unions have also had a leading role on helping enact stronger policies to end discrimination in the workplace, including sexual harassment.
It’s important to point out that out that women make up a majority of CSEA’s membership. That’s not unusual. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of women in the workforce when last measured was over 57 percent. With more women in the work force, how does being in a union make things better?
Every time we can use our collective power to make positive changes, either legislatively or in the contracts we negotiate, we make strides against marginalizing women. We still have a long way to go, but as a union, we show our strength and power as working people.
Overall, union membership helps push women further toward equality, but our work
is far from done. Even in 2022, working women are still facing inequality, including with pay, advancement opportunities and discrimination. Women’s pay has lagged behind that of white men doing the same job. The most recent figures from the National Committee on Pay Equity show that women are still only earning an average of 82 percent of what men doing the same work earn. The disparity is even greater among women of color. Every spring, we observe Equal Pay Day, the date that symbolizes how far into the year women must work (in addition to their earnings last year) to have earned what men had earned the entire previous year.
Being part of their union also allows women opportunities to take on leadership roles
outside of their work. I’m proud that our union encourages women to hold union office, and we offer multiple training opportunities to enhance their leadership skills. Our statewide and region conferences and workshops, including our biennial CSEA Women’s Conference, empower CSEA women to be more effective leaders in the workplace and in their communities. I am always proud to lead by example and to point out that three out of our four CSEA statewide officers are strong union women. As only the second woman president of our union’s 112-year history and the first elected woman president, I look forward to seeing more women take on leadership roles and work hand in hand with our union brothers to build a better future for the entire CSEA family.
The good news is that a union contract can prevent gender-biased salaries by employers. When you get a union job, your contract determines and locks in the rate of pay you’ll receive, which can be impacted by seniority and other factors, but not your gender. That’s a huge step in the right direction. However, while union women have far more pay equity than nonunion women, we must continue the fight to ensure full equal pay. We have seen far too many examples of undervalued work in jobs more traditionally held by women.
As we celebrate the achievements of working women this month, and those who’ve gone to great lengths to struggle on their behalf, we thank all our union women for their contributions to our workplaces, to our communities, and to our union.
4 The Work Force
March 2022
The labor movement has also led the charge on women’s issues in the workplace in other areas. Even today, many working women still have fewer opportunities for advancement due to factors such as having to care for a child or other loved one. A union goes a long way
In Solidarity,
Mary E. Sullivan, President