Don’t Forget to Vote!
1. Get Out the Vote!
Election Day is this Tuesday, June 25! Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Early voting is also available through June 23. Make a plan to vote! You can check your registration, find your polling place and view CSEA’s endorsements in your region here. Voting is an important way to show the strength of our union and to elect representatives that protect workers, fight for better wages and benefits, and reflect our values. Make sure to vote!
2. Legislative Victory: The LOADing Act
Each week, we’ll be highlighting one of CSEA’s legislative victories from this past session. This week, we’re highlighting the LOADing Act (S.7543/A.9430). This first-in-the-nation legislation regulates the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the public sector. The use of AI is on the rise in every industry, including public service. While the use of AI isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s important to ensure that its use is regulated, that it does not replace workers and that humans still have oversight of critical decision-making. All of this is wrapped up in the LOADing Act, which includes groundbreaking employee protection language that will prohibit the displacement of state employees when a state agency uses an AI program or system. Additionally, this legislation would ban the use of AI for the delivery of public assistance benefits and requires impact studies be conducted before AI systems can be used to make consequential decisions.
This bill passed both houses of the State Legislature and is awaiting action by Governor Hochul. If signed, this would be a significant victory for workers nationwide, as other states will likely use this legislation as a model for AI regulation. CSEA will be monitoring this legislation closely and urging the Governor to sign it into law.
3. OSC Posts Pension Returns
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced that the New York State Common Retirement Fund’s investment return was 11.55% for the state fiscal year that ended March 31, 2024. The Fund closed the year with an estimated value of $267.7 billion.
4. 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 CSEA’s summary of the 2024-2025 Enacted Budget here.
Tier 6 Reform:
Ambulance Direct Payments:
Bumping, Retreating and Rehiring Rights:
Civil Service Exam Announcements:
School Workplace Violence Prevention Programs:
Counting Provisional Time Toward Probation: