Page 3 - Work Force May 2022

Political Action works! State budget full of improvements on worker priorities
ALBANY — Thanks to the powerful collective action of union members pressuring their elected officials during state budget deliberations, the enacted $220 billion New York State Fiscal Year 2023 budget contains much good news for union members.
The budget gains prove that union political action pays off when making sure our budgetary priorities are addressed by Albany’s decision- makers. This was especially true when it came to our key legislative priority of getting fixes to our state pension system.
First positive pension reforms in more than 20 years
Thanks to members’ political activity, the final budget includes the first positive pension reform in more than 20 years, which will help our state and local governments improve worker recruitment and retention.
Action by CSEA members, including more than 12,000 emails sent and 10,000 calls made to legislators, was key in reducing from 10 to five years the amount of time workers in Tiers 5 and 6 must work before becoming vested in their pension. This was the No. 1 priority
for CSEA members.
Also, for the next two years, Tier 6
employee pension contributions will be calculated using base salary only, excluding all overtime worked, which stops workers from being penalized for the overtime they’ve had to work due to pandemic staffing shortages.
“The governor and legislative leaders took a good first step toward making public pensions a better incentive, recognizing the need to better recruit and retain workers at all levels of government,” said CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan. “This should help improve staffing, but there’s more work to be done. We thank all the CSEA members and other union supporters who kept up the pressure on our elected officials to make sure this priority was included in the final state budget.”
Our union is not done trying
to “Fix Tier 6.” CSEA will pursue additional pension reforms before the state legislative session ends in June.
Bonuses, assistance for direct care workers
Also in the enacted budget, all direct care workers in the state Office of Mental Health, Office
for People With Developmental Disabilities, public hospitals and nursing homes and county public health nurses will be eligible to receive a one-time bonus of up to $3,000 in the coming year. CSEA will be issuing more specific guidance on eligibility.
In addition, human service workers in not-for-profits will receive a 5.4% COLA this fiscal year.
The budget creates a new loan repayment program for registered and licensed practical nurses who agree to work in underserved areas or with underserved populations for three years. CSEA will work with the state to ensure that public agencies and health care facilities are included in this program.
Education spending increases
Funding for school districts is increasing by $2 billion.
The enacted budget also includes a substantial increase in aid for SUNY campuses and hospitals for the first time in many years, as well as additional resources for capital improvements.
Aid for local governments
Local governments are also seeing
positive steps in the enacted budget. Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) is now being funded fully
by the state rather than funding payment from county sales tax revenues.
Gas tax relief
New Yorkers will also see temporary relief at the gas pump. From June 1, 2022 until Dec. 31, 2022, the state will suspend sales tax on gas. This move will cut the price of gas by about 16 cents per gallon. Local governments will also have the option to stop collecting sales tax on gas during this period.
Child care funding
The enacted budget also contains increased funding for those providing and those seeking child care. See below for a breakdown
of how these funding increases will impact CSEA/VOICE child care providers.
For a more detailed summary of the enacted budget, visit our union’s website at cseany.org/issues.
Unprecedented investment in child care shows advocacy, union power in action
The enacted New York State Budget includes unprecedented positive investments in child care, thanks to action by CSEA members.
Nearly 3,000 CSEA child care providers sent letters to elected officials urging them to prioritize child care. In March, more than
600 providers also turned out for a virtual press conference and lobby day with our coalition partners at the Empire State Campaign for Child Care.
As a result, child care had some major state budget victories for providers, as well as the children and families they serve, proving what we already know — the more people take action, the more we
May 2022
show our united strength and power. The enacted budget, which
reflects many providers’ asks, delivers a significant pay increase for providers serving children eligible for subsidy, increased access to subsidies and a significant decrease in co-payments for parents receiving subsidies.
Also for providers, the state expanded the subsidy eligibility
time frame from six to 12 months, increased paid absences, and provided a second round of grants to stabilize and expand child care small businesses with the aim of creating thousands of jobs.
The budget also expands a subsidy bridging program, facilitated
enrollment, to Nassau and Suffolk counties. Currently, the program
is administered by the Workforce Development Institute in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Erie, Monroe, Oneida and Onondaga counties. This program helps people who are right over the income
line for eligibility but who struggle financially just as much as those who qualify. Many CSEA members serve children whose family needs this program to stay afloat and keep working.
“As our union grows, so does our power,” CSEA/VOICE Local 100A President Pamela Wells said. “We know power creates change and with more influence we can solve
the issues we face.
The pandemic hit
providers hard, and
I am grateful for
our union. United
with others in the
profession and
being able to get in
front of those who
make the decisions
about our work
was our vision back in 2002. In 2022, this is not just a vision but a reality. Thank you to all of the providers who took part in these advocacy campaigns.”
Learn more at cseany.org/issues. — Jill Asencio
Wells
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