Page 5 - Work Force October 2019

Great Neck
employees
join our union
GREAT NECK — Our CSEA family recently grew again when about 100 Great Neck Public Schools Buildings and Grounds employees joined our union.
Our new members were already part of an association, but they found that they needed the kind of representation and resources that only union membership can provide.
“A lot of our members came up to me and asked me about unionizing,” said Rob Loughlin, who served as president of the Great Neck Buildings and Grounds Association. “We felt that we weren’t being treated fairly during negotiations. I felt
that we needed help with representing workers during negotiations and that we should seek out professionals.”
Loughlin also found himself having to protect members’ jobs, which is not something that he felt he had the skillset to do alone.
Now that the Great Neck Buildings and Grounds employees are part of CSEA, those worries are a thing of the past. The newly organized unit now has a large network of people who can lend them the guidance and support q`athat they need.
One such person is Nassau Educational Employees Local President Monica Berkowitz, who will be the new unit’s local president. Berkowitz said she is looking forward to working with the new members.
A few of the Great Neck Buildings and Grounds members outside of Great Neck North Middle School. From left, Tim Feehan, Gerard Papasodero, Scott Gray, Rob Loughlin, Carlos Gonzalez Sr., Madeline Vizcarrondo, Robert Cohen and Simon Chu.
“We, as a local, are so very happy about welcoming the Great Neck Buildings and Grounds Unit to our CSEA family,” said Berkowitz. “Together, as CSEA family, we can fight for job security, paid time off, free legal representation on the job, which is a benefit afforded only to CSEA members. Because of our union’s strength, we can advocate for our members on a myriad of issues such as safety and health, workers’ compensation and retirement security. I’m sure that we are headed down a very successful road together.”
Not only has unionizing helped build the new unit’s strength, it also has brought on a stronger sense of camaraderie.
“The value of union representation is that we’re all coming together to establish fairness and equity at the worksite,” said Loughlin. “This is the first time that we have looked beyond things that separate us, like job titles, to establish something better for our entire group.”
— Wendi Bowie
Celebrating our union
SCO Family of Services workers recently gathered together to celebrate joining our union, including overcoming aggressive pushback from facility management on the workers’ road to becoming a part of our CSEA family. At the event, which was held by CSEA’s Oyster Bay Local, our new members filled out a survey that will help pinpoint the workers’ bargaining priorities in negotiating their first contract. Pictured are a few of our new members, along with CSEA Oyster Bay Local officers and CSEA Long Island Region Director Miguel Cruz at the event, held at Harry Tappen Beach.
October 2019 The Work Force 5