1. The State Budget is Late
While the State Budget was due on April 1, negotiations are still ongoing and are expected to continue into next week. The legislature passed two budget extenders this week to cover government expenses, including pay for state employees, through April 7. If lawmakers don’t reach a final budget by Monday, another extender will need to be passed to pay state employees.
We’ve been fighting hard to make sure that this year’s budget supports CSEA members. Some of our top priorities are:
- Protecting DMV license examiners and highway workers against workplace violence.
- Expanding and making permanent the Work Zone Speed Camera program to reduce reckless driving and protect highway workers.
- Securing additional capital funding for SUNY Hospitals.
- Establishing a 25-year retirement plan for firefighters in the state Division of Military and Naval Affairs.
You can find other issues CSEA is fighting for here.
2. Federal Workers Laid Off
The federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it was laying off 10,000 employees this week, reducing the agency’s workforce by a total of 25% since President Trump took office. In addition, HHS recently canceled grants to states and local governments that funded public health programs and research. This cancelation threatened to lay off 150 CSEA members at Health Research Inc, but CSEA leadership has worked with Governor Hochul to move almost all of these employees to other projects.
The HHS layoffs include about two-thirds of the staff at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which does research on workplace safety. In response, CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan said, “These ill-advised cuts to NIOSH will potentially endanger millions of workers. This is not just a budget cut – it’s a rollback of decades of worker safety progress putting millions of workers at risk. One of CSEA’s top priorities is to ensure that our union members can do their jobs as safely as possible so they can get home to their loved ones. CSEA will continue to monitor the situation and act accordingly.”
3. U.S. Senate Advances Budget Resolution
On Thursday, Republicans in the U.S. Senate voted 52-48 to advance a budget resolution, clearing a procedural hurdle that will allow them to pass it with a simple majority. The budget resolution is a framework that sets spending and revenue goals, setting the stage for future budget bills and legislation that will reflect their priorities. The resolution includes an extension of the 2017 tax cuts, which are now estimated to cost $5.3 trillion over the next decade. While the resolution does not detail spending cuts, Republicans are expected to propose up to $2 trillion in spending reductions to offset the cost of these tax cuts. The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on the resolution this weekend.
Join the fight against federal cuts here!
4. NYC Mayor Eric Adams
The corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams were dropped by a federal judge on Wednesday. Previously, the U.S. Department of Justice dropped the charges “without prejudice,” meaning that the charges could be re-instated at any time. The decision this week prevents the charges from being re-instated.
Adams, who is running for re-election, also announced this week he would withdraw from the Democratic party primary to run as an independent.
5. Next Week
The State Legislature will meet on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week.
6. 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. You can also check out the summary of CSEA’s work during the 2023-2024 legislative session.
Tier 6 Reform: |
Updating Civil Service Exams: |
Counting Provisional Time Towards Promotions: |
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| Employee Notice of Records Disclosure: |
Virtual Training for CPS Workers: | Minimum Age & Education Requirements for Exams: |
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