CSEA President Mary E. Sullivan, left, and Western Region President Steve Healy, right, congratulate Chautauqua County Local President Bonnie Peters, center, on receiving the Danny Donohue Leadership Award – Local Government.
MAYVILLE — Just two years after joining CSEA, Chautauqua County Local President Bonnie Peters got more involved to educate union members after her own unfortunate experience. This would lead her to become an activist and leader within CSEA.
In addition to her local office, Peters also serves as our union’s Western Region Secretary, as well as on numerous other committees and leadership posts at every level of CSEA.
For her ongoing efforts, she was recently honored with our union’s Danny Donohue Leadership Award – Local Government.
“I am honored to receive the award for doing what over the years has become natural to me —helping my fellow union sisters and brothers and fighting to keep our union strong,” said Peters.
Loss leads to injustice
Peters, who is employed at Chautauqua County, started down her path of leadership after she suffered the loss of her grandmother, who lived more than 1,000 miles away in North Dakota.
Peters needed to take off a half day to attend her grandmother’s funeral and decided to use some of her vacation hours with approval from her manager.
When Peters submitted her timecard for that week, her supervisor informed her that her time out would be paid.
She was elated to hear this news, but just a few months later, she would learn that she had suffered an injustice. A clause in our union’s contract with the county included a benefit she could have taken advantage of.
When one of Peters’ co-workers suffered a death in their family, the co-worker informed her that she was going to take three bereavement days. This led Peters to wonder what bereavement was, and why she didn’t receive it when her grandmother passed.
Peters’ supervisor explained to her that in our union contract, workers are entitled to three days of bereavement.
Peters was upset with management because they did not inform her of the bereavement clause in her contract when she took hours out of her vacation time.
Educating and standing strong
It was at that point she knew she had to educate other members on their right to bereavement leave, so they didn’t suffer the same situation she did during such a difficult time.
To educate members, Peters said she needed to educate herself, not only on the bereavement time clause, but on everything about CSEA.
Peters dedicated her time to learning all about our union and worked behind the scenes to assist in member labor education and support.
In this 2021 file photo, Bonnie Peters rallies union members outside the City of Jamestown Municipal Building to protest a budget proposal that would have diminished retiree healthcare benefits.
“I was more of a support person in the beginning. I would go to events and march with the people,” said Peters. “There then came a time when leadership was changing, and I needed to step up.”
Peters started to go to legislature meetings and became the one to go to the microphone. Soon, she was the one holding the megaphone at rallies and events.
“It was at the time the County Home was in the process of possibly being sold that I came out from behind the scenes, and started advocating at the forefront,” said Peters. “It was my turning point to where I became a vocalist and leader in CSEA.”
In this 2022 file photo, Bonnie Peters speaks at a Western Region conference.
Even though the County Home was eventually sold to a private sector owner, Peters’ perseverance and determination to advocate for the home workers paid off.
The new owners agreed to keep unionized workers in the home and committed to work with CSEA to ensure members’ rights.
Why did Peters decide to step up?
“There was nobody else stepping up, which meant I had to do it,” said Peters. “I said to myself, ‘if this is what you believe in, and want to protect these people, then you have to do it.’”
— Sydney Thomas
