Page 12 - Work Force October 2016

Proposed amendments to
CSEA’s Constitution and By-Laws
The Committee has, amongst its functions, the
duty to review proposals and make recommendations to the Delegates regarding amendments to the CSEA Constitution and By-Laws. Committee recommendations are presented to the Delegates, together with the reasons for the recommendations. This report addresses proposals submitted for the 2016 Delegates Meeting. (New language is underlined; deleted language is [lined out and in brackets].)
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THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE BEING PRESENTED TO THE DELEGATES BY THE COMMITTEE AS PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE STATEWIDE CONSTITUTION. PRESENTATION TO THE DELEGATES AT THIS MEETING CONSTITUTES A FIRST READING OF THESE AMENDMENTS.
Proposal 1
The following Constitution proposal was submitted by Judy Richards as Chairperson of the Retiree Executive Committee.
ARTICLE III. Membership
Sections 1 & 2. Text Remains the Same.
Section 3. RETIRED MEMBERS. Any person who, while actively employed, was a member or an associate member and who has retired from active employment may elect to become a retired member or who receives a retirement allowance from the New York State and Local Employees Retirement System or the New York State Policemen’s and Firemen’s Retirement System shall be eligible to become a retired member. Retired members shall have none of the rights or privileges of membership except that they shall be eligible to the extent the insurance program permits for participation in insurance programs sponsored by CSEA, and they shall be eligible for membership in Retired Member Locals and such other rights and privileges approved by the Board of Directors.
Retired employees of CSEA, Inc. who do not receive a pension from the New York State and Local Employees Retirement System or the New York State Policemen’s and Firemen’s Retirement System shall be eligible to become retired members.
EXPLANATION: This proposal was submitted with the following justification:
“Retired employees of CSEA, Inc. have experience and expertise in dealing with matters important to retirees. Their knowledge, skills and abilities would
be invaluable in helping the Retiree Division deal with the issues and challenges it confronts. Moreover, their dedication and loyalty to CSEA is proven. As members, they would be a great asset and their inclusion would enhance the value and stature of the CSEA Retiree Division.”
The Committee supports this proposal for the reasons set forth in the explanation of the proposer. Currently, retired CSEA employees who are also former public employees of the State or one of its subdivisions, and therefore receive a pension from the New York State and Local Employees Retirement System or
Policemen’s and Firemen’s Retirement System, are eligible for membership. But retired CSEA staff members who do not receive a New York State public pension
are not eligible. This amendment would allow retired CSEA employees to become members of the Retiree Division whether or not they receive a pension from
the New York State and Local Employees Retirement System or the New York State Policemen’s and Firemen’s Retirement System.
FOR THE PURPOSE OF PLACING THIS AMENDMENT BEFORE THE DELEGATES, ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE, I MOVE THE ADOPTION OF THIS AMENDMENT. THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS A “YES” VOTE.
Proposal 2
The following Constitution proposal was submitted by Judy Richards as Chairperson of the Retiree Executive Committee.
ARTICLE III. Membership
Sections 1 & 2. Text Remains the Same.
Section 3. RETIRED MEMBERS. Any person who, while actively employed, was a member or an associate member and who has retired from active employment may elect to become a retired member or who receives a retirement allowance from the New York State and Local Employees Retirement System or the New York State Policemen’s and Firemen’s Retirement System shall be eligible to become a retired member. Retired members shall have none of the rights or privileges of membership except that they shall be eligible to the extent the insurance program permits for participation in insurance programs sponsored by CSEA, and they shall be eligible for membership in Retired Member Locals and such other rights and privileges approved by the Board of Directors.
Spouses and domestic partners of current
retiree members who were never members of CSEA themselves and were never connected with a place of work for which CSEA was the bargaining agent and do not receive a public employment allowance shall be eligible to become retired members.
EXPLANATION: This proposal was submitted with the following justification:
“Currently, spouses and domestic partners of CSEA retiree members can join once the member dies if they continue to receive the public pension benefit of their deceased spouse or domestic partner. If they can join once the member dies, they should be able to join when the member is alive. They shouldn’t have to wait until they are widowed and eligibility should not hinge on whether or not they receive a public retirement allowance. These individuals have a strong bond with the CSEA Retiree Division.
They attend the meetings of their respective Locals, participate in the discussions, know the issues being addressed and regularly volunteer their services. Their active involvement, support and interest as well as their legal status as the spouse or domestic partner
of the retiree member should afford them the right to
membership.”
The Committee supports this proposal for the
reasons set forth in the explanation of the proposer.
FOR THE PURPOSE OF PLACING THIS AMENDMENT BEFORE THE DELEGATES, ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEE, I MOVE THE ADOPTION OF THIS AMENDMENT. THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS A “YES” VOTE.
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THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE BEING PRESENTED TO THE DELEGATES BY THE COMMITTEE AS PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS. IF PASSED AT THIS MEETING, THESE AMENDMENTS WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.
Proposal 3
The following By-Laws proposal was submitted by Scott Gartland of Local 333:
ARTICLE I. Officers
Sections 1-7. Text Remains the Same.
Section 8. STATEWIDE, REGION, LOCAL, AND
UNIT OFFICERS. All Statewide, Region, Local and
Unit Officers upon election or appointment to their position shall be issued a CSEA email account. This CSEA email account will be utilized by the association, when applicable, for the purposes of communication and notification for all of the Statewide, Region, Local and Unit Officers.
Rest of Article Remains the Same.
EXPLANATION: This proposal was submitted with the following justification:
“Unions are under attack and now, more than ever, we must utilize our resources for maximum efficiency. This proposal will create faster and more efficient lines of communication between all levels of leadership within CSEA. It will also in time translate to thousands of dollars in savings. By utilizing electronic mail, we will immediately and drastically reduce the cost of postage and printing. We will save money on paper, ink, postage, envelopes, labels and will also eliminate the wasted labor of stuffing envelopes.
By issuing the email addresses, CSEA will retain control of the email accounts. When a union officer leaves office, CSEA will be able to redirect all emails sent to the former officer’s union email account to the new person holding the position. This will create continuity of representation when there are changes to union officers.
Electronic mail creates a faster and more reliable form of communication than traditional mail. It creates a communication conduit that allows for immediate feedback. Since electronic mail is free, there will
not be cost restrictions that may impact the flow
of information. Most state and local government management uses electronic mail to communicate with all levels of management. We too must utilize the technology available to us, so we may communicate with all levels of union representation as fast and efficiently as they do. We can no longer afford to lag
Continued on page 13.
12 The Work Force
October 2016