This Week in Albany – February 2, 2024

CSEA Testifies Before the Legislature! 

1. CSEA Testifies

On Tuesday, CSEA testified at the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on Labor and Workforce Development to discuss the provisions of Governor Hochul’s executive budget and other proposals that impact CSEA members. CSEA highlighted the erosion of the public sector workforce and spoke about a number of potential solutions to the recruitment and retention crisis, including fixing Tier 6, eliminating salary withholdings and lag pay for new state employees, and streamlining onboarding processes.

CSEA will be working hard in the upcoming session to advocate for these changes and other proposals to improve recruitment and retention of the public sector workforce. You can read CSEA’s full testimony here and watch the video of our testimony here.

 

2. Breslin Will Not Seek Reelection

State Sen. Neil Breslin, who represents parts of Albany, Schenectady, and Montgomery counties, announced on Wednesday that he will not be seeking reelection in November. Breslin is the longest tenured member of the State Senate, elected in 1996. Breslin chairs the Senate Committees on Insurance, Ethics and Internal Governance, and the Legislative Ethics Commission.

 

3. Federal Budget Progress

On Monday, congressional negotiators reached an agreement on how much money will be allocated to each of the 12 bills Congress must pass to fund the government. This comes after a previous agreement between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Mike Johnson on the overall spending levels for the fiscal year, inching us closer to a final budget deal.

 

4. Early Voting

CSEA-endorsed U.S. House candidate Tom Suozzi is running in a close Special Election in the 3rd Congressional District (parts of Nassau County and Queens). CSEA’s endorsement is based on Tom Suozzi’s history of fighting for CSEA members. As a moderate, he knows how to work with both parties to get things done.  

Early Voting will run from February 3 to 11. Make a plan to vote!

For times and locations, use these helpful links:

Nassau County Early Voting Information

Queens Early Voting Information

 

5. REMINDER: PEOPLE Rewards

All PEOPLE contributors should have received an email from AFSCME regarding PEOPLE Rewards. AFSCME is transitioning away from rewards points and they are set to expire March 1, 2024.  To redeem your points prior to the expiration, AFSCME has included detailed instructions on how to login to access the PEOPLE Rewards online store. Click here for instructions.

 

6. CSEA Legislative Toolkit

We’re encouraging members to get the word out about our union’s 2023 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:

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