The Executive Budget proposes to close Rockland Children’s Psychiatric Center and allow for other significant reductions in service, including the elimination of 200 State-operated inpatient beds and an additional 100 State Operated Community Residences (SOCR) beds.

These proposals continue the State’s years-long effort to decrease capacity and bring down State-operated mental health services and need to be rejected by the legislature.

Click here to send a letter to your legislators and ask them to reject these cuts.

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Read the letter from CSEA President Mary Sullivan regarding proposed OMH cutsr.

Read the memo opposing OMH Cuts

The Governor has proposed to close four OCFS juvenile justice facilities. OCFS has not presented any plan on where the youths would be transferred, would leave huge regions of our state without any facilities, and could lead to loss of employment for workers. Send a letter to your member of the Senate and Assembly opposing these closures.

Red Hook Residential Center
Columbia Girls Secure Facility
Goshen Secure Facility
Brentwood Residential Center

Print and display this flier – Don’t Cut Funding to the Office of Children and Family Services

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Read our memo opposing OCFS closures

The Executive Budget calls for the closure of an unspecified number of State prisons with only 90-days’ notice and provides this authority for the next two State Fiscal Years.

The legislature should not grant the Governor unfettered authority to close additional correctional facilities in any part of the state without one-year notice and a true assessment of future needs.

Click here to send a letter to your legislators and ask them to reject these closures

Read our memo opposing Prison Closures

Workers at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) need our help. Whether working for the State or for a county clerk handling DMV transactions, these workers are constantly interacting with the public. Unfortunately, this often means dealing with irate customers or worse.

It is not uncommon for DMV workers to be threatened or assaulted, Motor Vehicle License Examiners (MVLE) have even been kidnapped after a road test.

We must do better to protect these workers.

CSEA supports provisions contained in the Executive Budget that would increase penalties for assaulting a DMV worker (either State or county). CSEA also continues to encourage the State to develop an electronic notification system of road test results to better protect MVLEs and other workers.

Click here to send a letter to your legislators and ask them to support these protections.

Read our memo in support of protecting DMV workers

The budget proposes to permit virtual arraignments statewide. Currently, only certain counties have this authority independent of the COVID pandemic. In addition, virtual appearances are permitted for hearings on felony complaints until April 30 of this year in response to the COVID pandemic.

CSEA understands the need for these expanded provisions in response to COVID, but we have concerns about their broad expansion beyond the pandemic. Any expansion of these provisions should be limited to the duration of the pandemic, and their impact on the workforce in our courts should be examined.

Click here to send a letter to your legislators and ask them to protect jobs in our courts.

The Executive Budget proposes significant cuts in State aid to cities, towns, and villages. The budget would eliminate state payments to towns and villages through the Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) program and cut county support to these municipalities by 20%. It would also cut AIM payments to cities by between 2.5% and 20%. The budget also proposes to eliminate funding to localities that host a Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) facility, except for the City of Yonkers.

If local governments aren’t kept whole, services and jobs will be eliminated. Public employees are also taxpayers, consumers, and supporters of local businesses. Forcing local governments into a position where they have to lay off employees will only further delay our state’s recovery.

Click here to send a letter to your legislators and ask them to reject these cuts.

Read our memo opposing cuts to Local Governments

The Executive Budget contains several proposals (contained in Part B of S.2508 / A.3008) to enhance protections for transportation workers. Something must be done – now – to better protect these workers.

No worker should have to fear for their safety while on the job. These proposals are all positive steps that would show that the State is taking seriously the risks faced by transportation workers.

However, all these proposals are reactionary. What we really need is a pro-active effort to better protect workers before another tragedy strikes.

Click here to send a letter to your legislators and ask for their support for a work zone speed camera program in the budget to make our roads safer.

Read our memo in support of highway workers

Whether delivering meals or instructional materials, or simply maintaining operations during shutdowns, transportation departments at many school districts have continued to work throughout the pandemic.

The 2021-22 Executive Budget proposal ensures that districts will receive aid for some of these services during the 2019-20 school year. However, at the same time, the budget would reduce overall transportation aid and leave some costs unaddressed both for 2020 and moving forward.

Write to your legislators today and ask them to support full funding for school transportation services.

Under New York State law, veterans and disabled veterans can receive additional points on civil service exams in recognition of their service. Unfortunately, these benefits are currently limited to veterans that served in specific times and theatres of war. Ask the legislature to ensure that all veterans who honorably served our country be recognized for their service.

Click here to write to your legislators in support of this bill

Probation officers play a vital role in keeping our communities safe. While facing many of the same risks and threats as other law enforcement personnel, Probation officers are not eligible for the same medical and wage protections that other law enforcement and first responders are entitled to. This bill would allow, at local option, counties to offer full pay and benefits for county probation officers who are injured on the job.

Click here to write your legislators in support of this bill