Page 7 - Work Force September 2025

For Radcliffe, political action is personal
STATEN ISLAND — Staten Island DDSO Local President Rondell Radcliffe recently stepped into his leadership role with a clear purpose: to protect the livelihoods, health, and dignity of CSEA members and their communities.
Radcliffe, a CSEA federal advocate who also serves as our union’s Metropolitan Region Treasurer, noted that his commitment to federal issues is deeply rooted in the understanding that national policy decisions—particularly those affecting Medicaid—have direct and often life-or-death consequences for the people he represents.
Radcliffe’s concern is personal and practical. A Staten Island native, he knows the borough has only
two or three hospitals to serve
its population. Cuts to Medicaid
or hospital services would leave residents, including local members and their families, without essential care.
“We’ve already seen during COVID what happens when hospitals are
stretched thin,” said Radcliffe. “For some people, those cuts could mean waiting days in an ER—or losing their life.”
His first official day as local president set the tone for Radcliffe’s leadership.
Standing outside the district office of U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis alongside other unions, Radcliffe protested proposed Medicaid cuts.
He was joined by CSEA Metropolitan Region President Lester Crockett, local officers and other labor allies—part of a nationwide action targeting lawmakers across multiple states. The rally wasn’t
just a protest; it was a statement of solidarity.
“It was powerful,” said Radcliffe. “For the new officers to see what boots-on-the-ground action looks like—it’s something we have to keep doing.”
Medicaid, which covers the elderly, people with disabilities and children, insures more than 1 in 5 Americans. In states like New York,
California, and Louisiana, the ratio is closer to 1 in 4 people. Cuts could leave 7.8 million people nationally without coverage—a scenario Radcliffe calls “catastrophic.”
Radcliffe said he is committed to building a culture of participation and accountability among members—showing up for other unions’ fights, answering the call when events happen, and most importantly, voting.
“That’s where our strength comes from,” said Radcliffe. “If elected officials don’t serve our interests, we vote them out. It’s not about party—it’s about who will speak and act for us.”
Radcliffe’s goals include expanding members’ involvement
in political action, strengthening relationships with labor allies
and ensuring that federal policies protect—not undermine—health care access. Radcliffe said he is eager to learn from experienced leaders, collaborate across the labor movement and pass on those lessons
Rondell Radcliffe attends a rally outside U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ district office to fight against Medicaid cuts.
to members.
“This is my first time being
involved in anything political,” said Radcliffe. “But I know it’s going to make me a better leader. And when we’re called, Local 429 will be there.”
— David Galarza
$400 million for 1.8 million residents. “If HEAP goes away, that’s five
jobs that could go away, too,” said Biele.
Child care subsidies are another target for reduction. Biele notes the income requirements are higher than other safety-net programs like HEAP, so more families qualify.
“More than half the families in Warren County qualify for these subsidies,” said Biele. “These cuts will harm the people who need it the most.”
While Biele firmly believes in
the power of political action, he is aware that the ripple heading toward his co-workers and his neighbors will happen regardless of how they voted.
“This is not a political issue, it’s a math issue,” said Biele.
— Therese Assalian
Biele: Federal cuts will harm communities
LAKE GEORGE — The recently enacted federal reconciliation bill pushed through a Republican-led Congress will have a devastating impact to state and local governments, families who rely on services and the workers who administer those services.
and influence to local elections and he serves as a CSEA federal political action liaison (PAL).
Biele describes Warren County as middle-class, predominantly rural with urban and suburban pockets. The county lies in New York’s 21st Congressional District represented by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik.
While the county’s finances are currently sound, no county will be able to sustain the financial tsunami coming from Washington. Biele noted that federal aid helps fund county worker salaries. When that money is cut, the state and local governments will be faced with difficult choices to balance the budget.
“It won’t be easy,” said Biele, who points to a projected $3 billion deficit in next year’s state budget. “Think of it from the counties’ point of view. While the feds can run huge deficits, counties can’t do that.
We have to balance our budget,
and we have a cap on property tax increases. There won’t be many options.”
Biele points to two programs, the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and child care subsidies, as examples of what he terms “a ripple effect.”
HEAP provides assistance to low-income families for home heating and cooling bills.
“We have a lot of homes using oil heat in rural areas,” said Biele. “There’s an enormous amount of people relying on the program.”
In Warren County DSS, five positions oversee the HEAP program, including eligibility determinations. The federal budget eliminates the federal HEAP reimbursement states rely on with minor exceptions for the elderly and those with disabilities.
In 2024, New York’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) allocation totaled nearly
CSEA member Michael Biele, a senior investigator at Warren County Department of Social Services (DSS), likens the economic fallout to a giant boulder landing in a small pond.
Biele
“There will be a ripple effect,” said Biele.
Biele has keen insight into politics. He started our union’s Warren County Local’s Political Action Committee to bring relevance
September 2025
The Work Force 7