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CSEA STATEWIDE PRESIDENT, continued from Page 10
is no substitute for the personal contact where people work. And that takes hard work.
The efforts of CSEA leaders must focus
on making all feel welcome and creating an environment that brings people together, as individuals. Get to know people. Encourage them. Everyone wants to feel valued and appreciated and that’s what builds the strength of the union.
No one can do it all alone and one size
does not fit all in CSEA — we are a large and diverse organization. Not every leader can know every co-worker, especially as we get into larger worksites. Delegating outreach responsibility through a network of representatives connects people better. It also strengthens our union by involving more people.
We have to keep at relationship building and not take it for granted. It requires trust
and credibility. It begins with reaching out to new hires and helping to orient them. Just as important is systematically working to establish contact with everyone else in a bargaining unit. Learn about who they are, what they care about and specifically where they work. Invite them to join in and plan activities that bring people in the worksite together.
It’s always good to connect people around common interests, but doesn’t always have to
be a contract or labor relations issue. Simply establishing the relationship is the key to a strong union. When people know each other they are more likely to be more responsive to one another
— especially if they are asked to do something. People respond to those they trust. We all
need to build and strengthen trust and credibility. Responsiveness for leaders also means
understanding what people truly care about and addressing it. Sometimes it’s as simple as just following through and getting people an answer. Other times its more complicated but we all need to be responsive. This is how we strengthen CSEA.
All of these things — Awareness, Relationships and Responsiveness — are connected.
Each is dependent on the others — like our union itself. As we improve each area the other areas are strengthened too.
Every one of us can improve our personal performance in each of these areas. If we make a commitment to actually do what we say we will do — there is great hope for a better CSEA.
This is the choice we face at this historic crossroad. Each of us must make the commitment to never quit.
Respectfully submitted,
Danny Donohue
CSEA President
“what are we willing to do to prevent that from happening?”
If we are going to succeed in navigating the road ahead, every single one of us needs to ask ourselves: “What is my role? How
can I help to build a stronger, more effective union?” Because the truth is, each of us has an important role to play. The union belongs to all of us, and as such, the responsibility to grow our union and make it all that it can be, belongs to every member.
We also need to put aside our differences, and break down the political barriers that keep us from reaching out to those around us. I heard a great speaker, Nina Turner — not to be confused with Tina Turner — once say that
“we are given two arms for a reason — one to reach up to achieve our own goals, and the other to reach back to help others reach theirs.” THAT is the spirit of our union — to raise one another up and move forward. Find someone around you who shows interest in getting involved, and become his or her mentor. Teach them everything you know, and then encourage them to do the same. That’s how activism grows. That’s how we become stronger. That’s how we rebuild our labor community.
We can no longer stand on ceremony, waiting for others to step forward. I know
that you care about our Union. I know that you want CSEA to continue to be a powerful force for working people. A stronger, more collaborative CSEA is in front of us. Let’s reach forward, and reach out to one another, and get there together.
Respectfully submitted,
Mary E. Sullivan
Executive Vice President
their families. In 1999, our Unit was able to negotiate a 10-year contract; it is believed to have been the first time that a
10-year contract has been accomplished. I mention this because sometimes you have to follow your gut instincts and not be afraid to take a chance.
In 2011, we hit another home run when we secured an eight-year contract extension with the town. Because of good planning and looking ahead to tackle potential challenges before they present a problem, more than 900 of our members employed by the town have great stability during a time when too many of our brothers and sisters are facing uncertainty. Personally, this extension gave me great peace of mind that our members and their families would be protected through 2019. It made my decision to run for this office much easier.
Over the years, I also served on many CSEA statewide and Long Island Region committees, including chairing our Statewide Legislative and Political Action Committee, and serving on the Statewide Election Committee and the Long Island Region Legislative and Political Action Committee.
I wanted to share my experience with you because I am proud of my union activism and know that when we fight together that we can accomplish many things. My negotiating team and I worked together to bring unprecedented contract stability to hundreds of CSEA members who work for the town, but there were many challenges that came my way over the course of my CSEA career. I may not have realized it at the time, but I know now these challenges have made me a better leader and made my life more rewarding.
Also rewarding to me is my role in mentoring and supporting my union sisters and brothers throughout my Unit, Local and Region. I look forward to also helping all of you in any way that I can
as we go through some of the greatest challenges that we have ever seen as union activists.
Many of you have participated in one of our region Never Quit blitzes earlier this year. While the original court case that helped spur these efforts has ended, we expect that there will be more than one upcoming Supreme Court case that will present similar challenges. Even if no other cases were at hand, Never Quit is about so much more than reacting to yet
another attack on working people. We are proactively working to build our union and power to fight back against attacks on working people.
As you know, we are facing crucial elections this November, including the Presidential election. The outcome of
this election will determine the future of collective bargaining, as well as that of many federal programs that are essential to keeping our middle class alive. The next President will appoint the ninth Supreme Court justice to replace Justice Antonin Scalia, and the 45th President will also likely replace other justices. Our endorsed candidate, Hillary Clinton, supports
our right to organize and collectively bargain, and she has — and will — fight for programs, policies and services that help working people. She is fighting for us. During these challenging times, when other politicians and corporate leaders continue to attack working families, we need someone who will truly stand up for us.
That being said, I would like to leave you with this thought. If we always try to suppress those who challenge us, how can we ever succeed? We need more moderate discussions from all viewpoints to work through our challenges. It is the only way of keeping — and improving — all that we hold dear.
Have a great convention and enjoy Washington D.C.
Respectfully submitted,
William Walsh
Statewide Treasurer
CSEA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, continued from Page 10
CSEA STATEWIDE TREASURER, continued from Page 11
November 2016
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