Page 9 - October 2017 Work Force

Members speak out about the constitutional convention
“I’m voting no on the constitutional convention because it’s wrong. It’s wrong for the taxpayers
of New York, it’s wrong for the unions of New York that have helped build us to what we are and it’s wrong for the working men and women across New York state. Vote NO on November 7.”
— Ken Greenleaf, Hannibal Central School District
“Because of the way our legislative body is structured, there is a means to make changes in New York state through amendments. So, there’s no need for a constitutional con”vention. It’s a waste of taxpayer money.
— Keishya Coltrain, family child care provider, Suffolk County
“There is no questioning the fact a state constitutional convention will compromise the quality of life for working people in New York state. Public employees worked their whole life to earn a pension, and we could be in real jeopardy of losing our defin”ed benefit [pensions] if this happens.
— Cleandrew Patterson, adult protective investigator and Niagara County Local President
“A constitutional convention will
leave our pensions vulnerable to special interests groups, which is of particular interests to retirees. We could lose everything we’ve worked our entire lives for if we let a constitutional convention happen. On November 7, I’m g”oing to flip that ballot over and vote ‘no.’
— Millie Lucas, Suffolk Retirees Local President and CSEA Retiree Executive Commitee Chair
“I’m voting against the constitutional convention because I’m concerned that a convention could be used to weaken workers’ compensation rights and undo our years of advoc”acy for workplace safety and health.
— Anthony Savastano, senior maintenance mechanic 3 and CSEA activist, Westchester County
“I’m voting against the constitutional convention because
I want to protect our environment because we need to have it for our children in the future.
— Annette Hightower, janitor, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Read what other members have to say on pages 12,13,15 and 16.
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October 2017
The Work Force 9