Page 14 - Work Force October 2023

2023 Annual Delegates Meeting Officer Reports
Kenny Greenleaf
Central Region President
My Union, My Voice, My CSEA!
Steve Healy
Western Region President
We are the strongest together
Throughout the course of history, and over the past several years, unions across the country have been constantly under attack. My union, our union, has had to face challenges from anti-union groups their wealthy backers. These groups relentlessly continue trying to destroy unions across
the United States so they can take away our voice, diminish our salaries and benefits and silence any political influence our union has.
We need to make sure our voices are heard loud and clear as we step up to defend our rights and the rights of working men and women across the country. Every member needs to remember, “This is my union, and
I will use my voice to protect, defend, and preserve my CSEA.” It is more critical than ever to stand united.
Our union activists from across the state and around the Central Region continue
to step up their games. Officers, stewards, committee members, and staff represent
our union every day. They are the voices
for our members when they cannot speak for themselves. They work tirelessly because they want to make a difference and they do just that every day. They are protecting “My Union, My Voice, and My CSEA.”
We need to have a solid plan, in both
the short and long term, to move our union forward. We need to do better, be bolder, and not be afraid of taking chances on making the necessary changes needed to keep our great union stronger. In order to do so, we need to be able to embrace and welcome
GOreetings Brothers and Sisters,
n behalf of the over 40,000 members of CSEA Western Region 6 – we welcome everyone to the CSEA 113th Annual Delegates Meeting.
I am so incredibly happy that delegates from across the state will get a chance
to experience the great city of Buffalo,
a cornerstone of Region 6. Buffalo has experienced its fair share of adversity over the past year, with two devastating storms that truly tested the strength of this city.
health care field.
At Erie County Medical Center, members
in the Emergency Department were there
for days as well. There was something one member, Nichelle Moore, said about her time there, who was away from her fiancé and daughter, who were home without heat and power. “One finger won’t make an impact, but you ball all those fingers into a fist, and you can strike a mighty blow,” said Moore. “Now, this family has got to be that fist. A family in the fist at ECMC and we struck
a mighty blow by taking care of the people who came in.”
Moore’s words really resonated with me when I think about CSEA members and our union over the past year. While every one of us have our strengths, we are the strongest together.
Everything we do to
represent and move our
union forward changes
the game. Changing your
mindset and replacing your
negative thoughts with
positive ones is a game
changer. Prayer is a game
changer. Striving to help
others is a game changer.
Together, we can change the
game in our fight against anti-union groups. We will not be deterred, undermined, or underestimated in our resolve to stay union and stay strong!
We will not stand idly by and let anyone try to diminish the middle class. We must stand united to fight for working peoples. We must send a clear message that we are a force to be reckoned with. We must show that we will continue to grow, build, and keep our great union organized. We will continue to use our voices, and no one should ever be allowed to take that away.
Over this past year, I have seen firsthand what kind of strength our union members carry when they stand in solidarity with each other.
Just recently, members in the Oakfield-Alabama School District banded
together to attend a board of education meeting during their negotiations. The tone of the school board members changed immediately when they saw what kind
of presence we can have when we stand together.
West Seneca Blue Collar Unit members, while ensuring their community continues to run through two devastating storms, ran an incredibly successful contract campaign that resulted in near-immediate action.
The unit received one of the best contracts in their history and it is because they showed up not just for themselves,
but for their brothers and sisters when they needed it the most. To see such dedication to and solidarity with one another was truly inspiring to me.
Solidarity comes in all sizes, not just in large groups. Our region had two cleaners from SUNY Geneseo who leaned on each other and their local president to save a Western Region President, continued on page 16
14 The Work Force
October 2023
“We need to make sure our voices are heard loud and clear as we step up to defend our rights and the rights of working men and women across the country.”
diversity, new ideas and suggestions, and listen to the voices of our members. As we move into the future, let us all remember that regardless of the role or title we hold, that every decision we make and action we take is to protect every one of us. To protect My CSEA!
I am reminded of a quote by Maya Angelou that I
would like to share with you: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
I will continue to do better for our union. I will use my voice to help others. I will be part of the change needed so every member feels good about saying “This is My CSEA!”
Respectfully submitted,
Kenny Greenleaf
Central Region President
I will never forget hearing about the harrowing story of the gas station roof that collapsed in West Seneca with people still inside. Late into the night, at the peak of the November 2022 storm, inundated with several feet of snow, I received a photo of a snow-covered emergency fire vehicle from West Seneca Blue Collar
Unit President Brian
Cummins. He explained
that emergency services
had called on their local
highway department, our
union members, to remove
as much snow as they could
to save the residents stuck
inside the collapsed gas station. Thankfully, they successfully extracted the residents from inside. Cummins and fellow members worked around the clock for days with only a few hours here and there to nap while they removed as much snow as they could to restore operations in a town that was completely debilitated by this storm.
During the December storm, just one month later, CSEA members were the
ones who maintained as much emergency operations as they could under severe weather conditions. From local highway departments to state workers and even members from other regions – everyone lent a hand to combat the blizzard. Several 911 dispatchers in the Buffalo area were escorted by the National Guard to their jobs to field lifesaving calls for days on end, with many workers spending Christmas on cots in
break rooms rather than at home with their families. The same went for those working in group homes, psychiatric facilities and any
“I am here to amplify your voices because they hold power, they hold strength and they are what make me proud to represent CSEA.”