Budget Agreement Reached!
1. State Budget Progress
This week, a final agreement was reached on the State Budget. Now, the legislature must pass 10 budget bills, which will then head to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk for final approval. As of this publication, four of these bills have passed, including three Article VII bills on Public Protection & General Government; Transportation, Economic Development and Environmental Conservation; and Revenue. We are still waiting for Education, Labor, and Family Assistance; Health and Mental Hygiene; and the appropriations bills. The legislature is expected to work late tonight and into the weekend to pass the remaining bills.
2. What’s in the Budget?
While we haven’t seen all of the bills yet, but there are already several wins for CSEA members in this year’s budget, including:
- A 2-year extension on the exclusion of overtime wages from pension contribution calculations. This ensures that CSEA members don’t have to pay a higher contribution because they worked overtime.
- A 2.84% Cost-of-Living-Adjustment for OPWDD non-profit providers, which includes a guaranteed 1.7% salary increase for workers.
- An elimination of the 5-day salary withholding for new state employees.
Unfortunately, the final budget also provides the governor with the authority to close up to five state correctional facilities with only 90-day’s notice.
We are continuing to review the final budget and will provide a full summary in next week’s publication.
3. Early Voting Available in CD-26
CSEA-endorsed candidate Senator Tim Kennedy is running in a Special Election for Congressional District 26 (parts of Erie and Niagara Counties). Tim has been a huge advocate for CSEA and a strong voice for Western New York. Click here for The Work Force’s feature on Senator Kennedy
Early Voting for this race begins Saturday and runs through April 28. Make a plan to vote! For times and locations, use these helpful links:
Niagara County Voter Information
4. Next Week
The State Legislature is expected to convene throughout the weekend to finish passing budget bills. Once they finish, they are not scheduled to convene again until May 6.
5. CSEA Legislative Toolkit
We’re encouraging members to get the word out about our legislative successes. Click the icons below for informational documents that you can print, share, and post on social media to spread the news!
Ambulance Direct Payments:
Bumping, Retreating and Rehiring Rights:
Civil Service Exam Announcements:
School Workplace Violence Prevention Programs:
Counting Provisional Time Toward Probation: