Page 4 - Work Force November 2021

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: OVE OVERMYER (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
BETH MCINTYRE 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
WorkForce
The
All Politics are Local
SAisters and Brothers:
s we approach another general
election, I remind you that democracy isn’t a spectator sport. As people who
work under conditions and work rules determined by elected politicians, we can’t afford to sit an election out, or fail to be involved in politics. I always say that if you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re likely to be on the menu.
By taking part in the political process, we make sure union members have that seat. We make sure our voices get heard by the decision makers. But being involved
in politics is not effective if we don’t carry through and vote.
The good news? We just heard from our Legislative and Political Action Department that on average, 85% of CSEA members voted last year. That’s much better than the 64% in the general public. The bad news? In election years that don’t have a presidential race to drive people to the polls, like
this year, we unfortunately see voting participation numbers drop.
Yes, it’s important to vote in the big national elections for offices like President and our representatives in Congress. But what some people forget is that those who run for the big offices usually start with the smaller offices first. The people who may end up your Senator, your Governor, your Congressperson, your Comptroller or your President, they may have started serving
on the local School Board, or on the City
or Town Council. When we work to back
a candidate at the local level, we start to establish a relationship that may last for decades. That person we supported when she ran for County Clerk may end up sitting behind the Governor’s desk!
My point is that for those who have earned our support, no matter what office they start at, they remember who supported them, and WE remember who supports
us. When we can establish a good working relationship with our elected leaders, we create the opportunity to have our voices heard by friendly ears. That goes a long way to getting our concerns addressed and our legislative goals achieved.
So when it comes to your local elections, I urge you to please get involved. Help work to support local candidates who you believe will support your issues. Watch for our union endorsements. Make sure you vote in EVERY election. The decisions made by candidates at the local level impact our daily lives and our future just as much, if not more, than those holding top office. We must vote in these elections to keep our communities strong.
In Solidarity,
Mary E. Sullivan, President
4 The Work Force
November 2021