Page 9 - Work Force September 2025

Our union mourns the loss of former President Danny Donohue
CSEA is mourning the loss of former CSEA President Danny Donohue, a towering figure in our union and the labor movement, a fearless advocate for working people and a beloved friend to so many people.
Danny, who passed away on August 10, was a true giant in the labor movement. A CSEA member and leader for more than 50 years, Danny made history as the first Long Islander elected union president and went on to become CSEA’s longest serving president, leading for 25 years.
Rising from his roots as a “truck driver from Brooklyn,” he never lost his blunt style of speaking, quick wit or deep commitment to the people he served. He was bold, unafraid to speak his mind and never hesitant to take on a fight when CSEA members were being treated unfairly.
Beloved by CSEA members and union staff, Danny’s willingness to tirelessly fight for members was balanced with his kind, approachable manner. One of his greatest characteristics was his commitment to making time to listen to anyone who wanted to talk with him, no matter who they were.
“CSEA is greatly saddened by the loss of Danny Donohue,” said CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan. “Danny was a dear friend to me for decades, a mentor and a partner in countless battles for working people. I worked alongside Danny through tough negotiations, political fights, and moments when the odds seemed stacked against us. He was fearless when someone was wronging his members. He’d let them know it, whether they were the Governor
or a local supervisor, and he never backed down.”
Danny began his career in public service in 1965 as an attendant at Central Islip Psychiatric Center. He burst into CSEA’s leadership ranks
in 1975, when he won a write-in campaign to become local president at Central Islip Psychiatric Center. During that time, Danny also became active on our union’s region and statewide levels, eventually becoming the Long Island Region’s 1st Vice President.
In August 1980, Danny ascended to the region presidency. He later won re-election unopposed and would serve as region president until 1988, when he won a
five-way race to become CSEA’s Executive Vice President.
Historic presidency
Danny
was elected
as statewide President in 1994 after President Joe McDermott retired. He was re-elected an unprecedented seven times and led our union until November 2019.
“Danny also
had a gift for
using humor to
make his point
and keep people going through hard times,” said Sullivan. “Sometimes, he’d break the tension in a tough meeting with a joke or a sharp one-liner. He believed deeply in
CSEA and its members, and he gave everything he had to make their lives better.”
During Danny’s tenure, our
union accomplished important advancements for working people that included securing a permanent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for retirees, enactment of a workplace violence prevention law, fighting back
against contracting out and leading a difficult fight for a fair state contract as the 21st century dawned.
Danny also led our union into unprecedented union organizing
in the public and private sectors, especially when CSEA became the representative for more than 25,000 independent child care providers across the state under a new model of union representation.
Never afraid to stand up strong for CSEA members,
tough contract negotiations or face mass layoffs.
In a notable 2014 incident that generated much press, Danny called Cuomo a “monkey” and a “moron” during a Capitol rally. Years later, Danny and Cuomo found common ground in the fight to protect union members in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus decision. While other political leaders sought to weaken unions, Cuomo introduced several legislative changes to the Taylor Law that strengthened our union. Danny was always clear that he would be the first to call out an elected official when they are wrong, but also the first to sing their praise when they do the right thing.
“Under Danny’s leadership, CSEA won landmark victories for our union members,” said Sullivan. “He had an unmatched ability to rally members and speak truth to power, famously declaring CSEA ‘the best damn union in the country.’”
Beyond CSEA, Donohue was a respected voice in the broader labor movement, serving as Vice President of the New York State AFL-CIO and as an AFSCME International Vice President. His influence extended
far beyond contract tables and legislative halls—he helped shape
a generation of labor activists and inspired thousands to step up and lead.
When Danny retired in 2019, he left behind a union stronger, more united and more determined than ever to defend the rights of members. One
of Danny’s more notable retirement gifts was from Cuomo—a pair of boxing gloves to symbolize Danny as a formidable opponent who was always willing to fight for members.
CSEA extends our deepest condolences to his wife Irene, his children Amy, Shawn, and Megan, and to all who knew and loved him. Services were held privately.
— Janice Gavin
September 2025
The Work Force 9
July 1994 cover of The Public Sector.
Danny would frequently fight for our union with elected leaders on
both sides of the aisle. He
led our union’s protracted
fight with Gov. George Pataki
to secure a fair state contract in 1999 and 2000. Some seasoned members may laugh if “Mr. Peanut Man”
is mentioned,
a ploy by
CSEA bringing attention to Pataki’s tough stance of offering
state members “mere peanuts” in the contract negotiations.
A decade later, during the Great Recession, Danny led our union
in fighting for fairness for workers during the March for Main Street. CSEA joined a national call to point out the wealth inequity of workers and the middle class versus the wealthiest 1%, a fight that continues today.
During this time, Gov. Andrew Cuomo came into office on a promise to push back on “powerful” public sector unions and demanded