Page 10 - Work Force May 2022

Educate motivate activate:
SARATOGA SPRINGS — CSEA officers members and and staff recently joined together to to get get educated motivated and and activated at at at at the union’s biennial Conference on on on on Occupational Safety and Health About 500 officers members and staff attended the the conference on-site the the first time in more
than two years that
CSEA members have
been able to to come
together in-person for a a a statewide event This year’s
conference had a a a twist: hundreds of members and staff also participated in many of the same conference programs virtually The remote option
was offered to to help ensure COVID safety protocols Whether members attended on-site or online the the the message was still the the the same — safety and health is more
important than ever “The majority of CSEA’s members were on on the job some working extraordinarily long hours short short short staffed short short short on on on on supplies and and short short short on on on on appreciation for their their service and and their their sacrifice ” CSEA President Mary E E Sullivan told attendees “So I say to to to you you you brothers and sisters thank you you you for what you’ve done over the the past two years to to keep this wonderful state of ours running ” Educate motivate activate!
Conference workshops were designed to to help attendees develop skills and knowledge to to make
more
effective safety and health activists In addition to to programs addressing COVID-19 program program topics included active shooter incidents workplace injury
prevention preventing opioid use injury
and and workplace violence
and and bullying In one plenary session attendees learned about legal safety and health rights rights including workers’ compensation rights rights Presenters included Vincent Rosillo managing
partner at Fine Olin & Anderman and CSEA Senior Counsel Eric Wilke During the conference’s
closing session activists heard from CSEA CSEA Director of CSEA CSEA Member Engagement Adam
Acquario on on on how important it is to remind members that
a a a a a a a strong union is key to protecting workplace safety and health Mourn for for the the dead fight for for the the living
The Workers Memorial Day observation traditionally held during the conference also took a a a a a a different approach due to to to CSEA members lost to to to COVID-19 “In past years we would honor the the lives of of a a a a a a handful of of CSEA CSEA brothers and and and and sisters ” said Jane Meunier CSEA CSEA Standing Occupational Safety and and and and Health Committee chair “This year we honor an an an unknown number of lost but not forgotten ” Attendees were encouraged to write the the names of fallen brothers and sisters on on on large posterboards for each region At the the memorial ceremony Standing OSH Committee members brought the the the the boards in in and and placed them front of the the the podium as a a a a a a a memorial CSEA Occupational Safety and Health Department Director Matthew Kozak while addressing attendees said the the department had conducted 100 fatality investigations from March 2020 2020 through June 2020 2020 By comparison an average year sees four or five member fatality investigations The difference between occupational occupational injuries and occupational occupational illnesses has come
into focus CSEA Occupational Safety and Health Department Director Matthew Kozak speaks at at the the conference Standing Occupational Safety and Health Committee Chair Jane Meunier welcomes attendees to a a a plenary session CSEA Senior Counsel Eric Wilke presents about whistleblower and discrimination rights Division for Youth Facilities at Highland Local Recording Secretary Karen Milton center and and Montgomery County Department of Public Works Unit Treasurer Robert Headwell right learn about available member benefits through CAP COM Federal Credit Union Standing Occupational Safety and and Health Committee Jane Meunier Chair Thomas Skabry Long Island Region Region Deborah Hanna Metropolitan Region Region Region Guy Bilyou Southern Region Region John LeFebvre Capital Region Region Region Thomas Hingher Central Region Region Region James D’Amico Western Region Region Matthew Kozak Committee Adviser Mary E Sullivan Officer Liaison
10 The Work Force
May 2022
See photos from the conference’s
Workers Memorial Day ceremony on on on page 12