SENECA FALLS — Town of Seneca Falls workers are organizing a new union with CSEA. Town Highway Department, Parks Department, Water Department, and clerical workers from across the town are organizing for consistency and stability in their wages and benefits despite a changing town board.
Workers began organizing last summer. The organizing committee signed a supermajority of town workers on CSEA membership cards and delivered a request for voluntary recognition to Town Supervisor Frank Schmitter.
“We asked management to meet with us and discuss a fair process for the town to recognize our local CSEA union,” said Peter Porcelli, zoning and code enforcement officer. “Given our town is the birthplace of the women’s suffrage movement and has a rich history of protecting and respecting rights, we expected the town to respect our rights to organize our union.”
Town of Seneca Falls workers and CSEA supporters attend a recent Town Board meeting in a show of union solidarity.
A resolution to recognize the union was voted on at the August 6 town board meeting. It was passed by a decision of 3-2. The dissenting votes came from Town Supervisor Frank Schmitter and Councilmember Frank Sinicropi, who continue to refuse to uphold the resolution
“The decision was already made,” said Shawn Van Gee, a heavy equipment operator at the Highway Department. “We are wasting taxpayer money because two people are holding up this democratic process and failing to uphold their official town duties; a majority of the workers want this, and a majority of the board voted for this.”
Schmitter and Sinicropi’s refusal to uphold the board’s decision did not prevent town workers from filing their representation certification petition with the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) in late August to have their new union certified.
At the October 16 PERB conference, Schmitter and Sinicropi continued the wasteful legal delays. Attorneys representing the town objected to the job titles that town workers are seeking to include in their CSEA bargaining unit, forcing another PERB conference.
“We are united across town departments and deserve consistency in our jobs despite a board that changes,” said Aaron Passalacqua of the Buildings and Grounds Department. “Management continues to try to fracture our union, but we will not tolerate any efforts to divide us. “It’s unfortunate how they fail to see that having consistency across departments makes their jobs easier and allows us to better serve our community.”
CSEA Volunteer Member Organizers (VMOs), including Seneca County Local President Don Black, Region V Judiciary Local President Ian Spencer, Finger Lakes DOT Local President Paul Bauso, and many others, have stood in solidarity with these organizing workers from the beginning.
The next PERB conference is on Nov. 21.
— Nicholas Newcomb
Town of Seneca Falls workers who are organizing a union with CSEA show their union pride.
