In 2021, CSEA members not only continued to fight and overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, but moved us forward as a union.
Union members were key to staffing and providing vital support to vaccination clinics. Union members also continued to provide essential services to every community in the state.
Led by CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan, our union worked hard to ensure the continuation of essential services amid pandemic-spurred economic difficulty.
CSEA members ramped up our fight to secure the federal funding to sustain essential public services, which was realized when U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan.
We honored and highlighted struggles faced by women, during a year of historic firsts for women in leadership roles. Kamala Harris, the first Black and South Asian woman to serve as U.S. Vice President, began her term. We welcomed Kathy Hochul as New York’s first woman governor. Liz Schuler was elected the first woman AFL-CIO president.
At our union’s virtual statewide Women’s Conference, CSEA’s Women’s Committee presented the Irene Carr Leadership Award to all CSEA members to honor their efforts during a time of unprecedented challenges.
CSEA also honored members of the Black, Latinx, LGBTQ and Asian American-Pacific Islander communities who play key roles in our union.
On May 20, CSEA held our union’s second annual statewide CSEA Appreciation Day to recognize all our essential workers, and reminded the public we are ALL essential.
We also won strong legislative and policy victories, reducing state budget cuts to OMH and OCFS facilities, getting work zone speed camera legislation passed to make highway work safer, and successfully advocating for the Department of Motor Vehicles to end its unsafe instant in-person notification policy.
Many locals and units saw transition as members participated in our union democracy by electing new leaders, and many veteran officers left their leadership roles. Our union empowered current and future leaders and activists, graduating the 2020 LEAD class and holding our union’s virtual 111th Annual Delegates Meeting.
As COVID infection rates rose, leading our union to again halt most in-person gatherings, we continued to safely engage members through virtual events and drive-throughs. CSEA’s organizing efforts also added hundreds of members to our union. Union members also showed our power at the polls by playing a key role in helping union-endorsed candidates in local government win election to office.
We also mourned the losses of our union brothers and sisters, from COVID-19 and on-the-job incidents, and remembered those lost on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
As we enter 2022, our union continues to face the challenges of ending the pandemic, as we gear up our union’s important fight against to the proposed New York Health Act and more. CSEA will face these challenges as a strong union.
