Local Government & School District Division

CSEA offers many resources to support and protect members like you, no matter what sector you’re a part of. Explore the resources available to CSEA members employed in local government and school districts.

About the Local Government & School District Division

CSEA local government and school district members are the backbone of every community in New York state. From towns and villages to counties and cities, we plow the roads, care for our seniors, maintain our parks, protect public health, support our schools and deliver the essential services our neighbors count on every single day.


We Keep Our Communities Running

We don’t just work in our communities; we are our communities. We are parents, neighbors, volunteers and taxpayers. And when we come together through CSEA, we build power to protect what we’ve earned, improve our jobs and make sure our voices are heard at every level of government.

As union members, we organize to win strong contracts, safe working conditions and respect on the job. We know that when we stand together, we don’t have to accept less than we deserve. We have each other’s backs because no one understands the challenges we face better than we do.

Our work matters. Our voices matter. And through CSEA,

we make sure that everyone knows it.

Resources for Local Government & School District CSEA Members

Field Operations Department

Improving members’ lives on and off the job

The Field Operations Department works alongside members and activists every day. Whether it be negotiating bargaining agreements and protecting members’ rights under those agreements and law, providing additional benefits outside of those agreements, introducing our union to new members, offering educational and training programs, fighting for safe and healthy workplaces or protecting and advancing retirees’ rights, our goal is to support members for better working conditions and a better quality of life for all CSEA members.

Local government contract negotiations handbook

2025 Leave accrual sheets for Local Government:

Safety & Health

Each day, more than 14 workers are killed on the job and thousands more are seriously injured or diagnosed with illnesses as a result of work. A safe and healthy workplace is not a dream. It’s the law. All employers in New York state are required to provide a workplace free of recognized hazards. Your Occupational Safety and Health Department is here to help ensure your right to a safe and healthy workplace. CSEA has one of the largest and most comprehensive safety departments in the country whose goal is to help protect you.


We are your health benefits resource

When it comes time to negotiate your next contract, health insurance will most likely be a primary issue at the bargaining table. Given the complexity, cost and rapidly evolving landscape of health insurance, employers often rely on benefit professionals to assist them in negotiations.

The CSEA Health Benefits Department’s Local Government & Private Sector Division is the advocate on behalf of CSEA members and serves as a vital resource to support our union members, leaders and negotiators across New York state.

Whether it’s contract negotiations, labor management meetings or concerns about the costs of your employer sponsored health benefits, a CSEA Health Benefits Specialist is YOUR resource, directly impacting and improving your negotiated benefits.

Participation in contract negotiations

Employers propose changes to your health insurance usually in consultation with an insurance broker or consultant. It is important that CSEA members have that same sort of representation. A Health Benefits Specialist provides the same level of consultation and works very closely with the LRS and negotiating team until management and CSEA come to a resolution on health insurance-related issues.

Presentations & Educational Seminars

The Health Benefits Department understands the complexities and confusion of health insurance. That’s why it’s imperative to educate our union membership on health care definitions, industry trends, product information and funding arrangements along with current legislative actions that impact the benefits that are provided to union members. We educate CSEA members, whether in a workshop/classroom setting, or membership meetings so they know the difference between myth and fact when it comes to their health insurance.


Labor/management health insurance committees

One of the most impactful strategies that every CSEA unit can employ is the creation of a Joint Labor-Management Health Insurance Committee. With a collaborative approach, both labor and management can review health plan performance and identify strategies to manage the overall risk of the health plan and improve the health and well-being of plan participants. Instead of typical employee cost shifting, a committee can explore different cost containment strategies as a more progressive approach to employee health care, creating a WIN‐WIN opportunity.


Health Benefits

The CSEA Health Benefits Department’s Local Government & Private Sector Division is the advocate on behalf of CSEA members. The CSEA-NYS Joint Committee on Health Benefits, pursuant to Article 9 of the State Contract, is primarily responsible for the oversight and administration of the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) for state employees. The NYSHIP program includes the Empire Plan and Health Maintenance Organizations located throughout the State of New York. View CSEA’s Health Benefits page for more information.


Informational Flyers on Health Benefits

Benefits and services for families of CSEA local government employees who have passed

The death of a loved one brings sorrow to those they leave behind. It can also bring responsibilities you’ve never had before. It can get overwhelming at times. CSEA has resources for families of CSEA members who have died, making it easier to get the information you need about services and benefits that may be available to you through the union and other sources. 

Local Government Workers Layoff Services & Resources

CSEA fights hard to prevent cuts to members’ jobs and public services. Despite our best efforts, and because the law gives employers the right to manage their workforce as they see fit, this sometimes means layoffs or furloughs are unavoidable.

When we can’t avoid layoffs, our Labor Relations Specialists work with your elected union officers to make sure that your employer follows both the law and our union contract to make sure they are properly administered. That means following seniority lists and Civil Service Law. We regularly work with the employer to try and find alternatives that will not put workers out of work and public services at risk.

We know that layoffs cause stress and confusion for union members looking at losing their jobs. To assist those who may be impacted by a layoff (also known as a Reduction In Force), CSEA has brought together a series of resources here to help guide you through the process.

Not sure which resources apply to you? Our union’s Research Department and Work Institute have developed this valuable learning tool that can assist in clarifying the process:

Alternatively, you can select additional resources below.