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CSEA STATEWIDE PRESIDENT continued from Page 10
around us. At the same time, by fighting for what we know is right, we improve our communities. We do all this together, and that means together, there is nothing that CSEA cannot accomplish.
We have faced many fights in the past and have not backed down. We are facing many fights now and we are not going
to back down. Whatever the future brings, be it Artificial Intelligence or anything else, we will face those fights together, too. This is the power of CSEA - My Union, My Voice, My CSEA!
Respectfully submitted,
Mary E. Sullivan
CSEA President
focused on what it means to be a labor union. Our power and bargaining strength is directly related to our power in numbers. Worksite unity directly affects our bargaining power.
We are at a crossroads. We face a choice whether to adapt and assess our union honestly to identify what works and what does not work. The top-down style does not work. We must look left to right to find our strength.
We must become better at organizing ourselves, every Local and every Unit. We must know that together, our voice and our power, is each other. When our union members are engaged and informed — together — we solve the toughest workplace issues and collectively bargain for the best contracts: pay, benefits and working conditions.
We already have a successful model within our union
From a financial standpoint, I am happy to report that CSEA is financially sound. Due to the current economic news of a possible recession, interest rate adjustments by the Federal Reserve Bank and volatility of the stock market, CSEA has maintained a strong fiscal position and has made wise investment decisions. CSEA continues to provide members with the services and resources that we all have become accustomed to.
This year’s theme for the ADM is My Union, My Voice, My CSEA! This theme means many things to me. Most importantly, if members do not speak up if there
is an injustice in the workplace or if members think that management is not listening to them, it makes us all feel powerless. Without our voices heard, management holds
all the power. Labor unions have given members the outlet to voice their opinions and have given them the ability to represent their own interests at work. Unions have provided members with a say in their wages, benefits and other conditions of employment through collective bargaining. When every member has a voice and they join together with other members, they collectively can be stronger in negotiating with their employer.
Building safer work environments is one of the key factors that labor unions care about. We have seen examples of this recently with safety concerns during COVID and the air quality issues we faced due to the wildfires in Canada. When employees voiced their concerns to employers about health and safety issues during these occasions, more
often than not, it was union members and officers that
were able to get masks, gloves and other safety items for their members to ensure that workers had safe working conditions. The collective voice of union workers has made for safer workplaces since union workers promote employee health and safety and demand that safety protocols be in place.
Labor unions fought for front-line workers during the pandemic. Hospital staff, food service workers and delivery drivers were some workers that may not have had a voice
that we can all easily learn from, but we must be open to trying a new approach to be at our best.
When CSEA is at our best, our power is palpable. Everyone is welcome and we open our union community with transparency and an open heart to do what is right. No one feels isolated, only welcomed. Members feel valued and respected. We tackle our challenges, worksite by worksite
by listening, fighting together and supporting each other to make our lives and our families' lives better.
Respectfully submitted,
Denise Berkley
Executive Vice President
in their concerns for their safety if labor unions did not fight for these employees. CSEA fought for school district, corrections, OPWDD and OMH staff, as well as countless other CSEA members, to ensure that members had the proper safety equipment to keep New York functioning.
A worker’s voice in their workplace gives them the ability to represent their own interests on the job. Union members feel empowered when their employers hear their concerns, and their labor union is able to negotiate good contractual benefits for the members. There is strength in numbers and when union members join together to have their voices heard they can achieve many things such as equity and equality in the workplace, good benefits such has wages, health care and a pension and other opportunities that may not be relevant to nonunion workers.
In conclusion, CSEA gave me a voice to fight for injustices in my workplace, ensure that health and safety protocols were in place and to negotiate a contract for the members of my Unit with decent wages, time off and excellent health care. Without that voice, we may not have the benefits that we have today. CSEA also gave me education and training to have the ability to represent members in grievances and arbitrations. Without a voice, we are left powerless, so please continue to stand up and fight the good fight. Our jobs depend on it!
I am honored to be among you all and truly respect the work that you all do every single day. It is essential that we continue to empower each other and to move our union forward. I look forward to working with you all to keep our union strong and unified. Please enjoy the convention! Speak with other members at the convention, get to know one another and please bring back all the information you learned to the members.
Respectfully submitted,
Nicole Meeks
Statewide Treasurer
October 2023
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CSEA STATEWIDE TREASURER continued from Page 11