Page 4 - Work Force October 2019

WorkForce
ISSN 1522-1091
Official publication of
CSEA Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO 143 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12210-2303 Danny Donohue, President
MARK M. KOTZIN
Director of Communications and Publisher
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President Danny Donohue in touch with
The WorkForce
WO hen we don’t vote, we lose
n Labor Day, I joined our union brothers deliver better public services. The services and sisters at the Labor Day Parade at the our members provide really do improve the
New York State Fairgrounds outside Syracuse. We were loud and proud, and showed fairgoers from around our state that we’re staying strong.
quality of life for all New Yorkers, and when our workers do better, New York does better. Second, I want to dispel the myth that our
We need to remind the public our Labor Movement is still active, that our work matters, and that we make people’s lives better.
union only supports Democratic candidates. County Executive McMahon is a Republican who we are proud to endorse. We don’t
make our endorsements based on party. We provide our support to those who have earned it, regardless of political affiliation. When
But more importantly, I wanted to point out a small, but historic, change at this year’s parade.
they take care of us, we take care of them. When they stand against us, we fight them
as hard as we can. It really isn’t about our personal politics, which can divide us in our workplaces; it’s about our larger shared values as union members, and which elected officials support them.
Before our march began, I spoke with Republican Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, who thanked me for our union’s endorsement in his upcoming election. He then marched with us, wearing a CSEA shirt.
Why is this important? A year ago, if anyone had told me that the Onondaga County Executive would march alongside
our members, I would’ve laughed in their face. At the time, we were dealing with the previous county executive, an adversary to our workforce from the day she took office. She never tried to work cooperatively with our union. We fought many battles with her administration. No one from CSEA shed a tear when she left.
So, my message as we head toward Election Day? YOUR vote matters. CSEA members
are overwhelmingly registered to vote, but in local government elections, we can always do better with voter turnout. The people who run our counties, towns and villages, who help set our tax rates or decide which roads to pave, THEY are who we should work hard to elect; arguably more impactful to our daily lives than politicians at the state or national levels. As articles in this edition point out, when we DON’T vote, we LOSE. But more importantly, when we DO vote, we can certainly make important progress.
By the same token, when McMahon took office, it was like someone switched on a light. He immediately reached out to our union leaders, political and labor relations staff. He then began meeting with us on a regular basis, providing a direct pipeline to share our ideas and concerns. Have we solved all our issues? Of course not. But has morale improved and are we making things better by working cooperatively? I would argue the answer is yes.
We will share our endorsements to ensure you know who we support, but the real job
is up to you. We will let you know who we believe will do their best to hear our issues and act on our concerns. We hope you will take our recommendations to heart when, not if, you go to the polls.
I tell this story to make two important points. First, the people we elect to lead our local governments matter. If we can work together, we can make better workplaces and
In solidarity,
4 The Work Force
October 2019