As we head into the winter months, I’d like to wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday season.
One of the most important functions of labor is protecting safety and health in our workplaces. This is a basic right that every employee should have. Everyone deserves to return home safely after their shift is over. Over the years, CSEA has made great strides, but we still have work to do.
This is unfortunately apparent through incidents we’ve seen this year involving members across many different industries. We should be reminded that no workplace is perfect and improvements that can protect us all can always be made. CSEA is committed to improving workplace safety everywhere.
Earlier this year, we saw the death of Aaron Peters, a park and recreation aide at the Niagara State Park Commission’s Golden Hill State Park. In May, three workers, including one CSEA member, were attacked by a patient at Buffalo Psychiatric Center.
More recently, one of our Department of Transportation members was nearly struck by a box truck while working on I-81 in the Southern Tier. We have also witnessed a death as a result of wildfires in the Southern Region. These deaths and incidents are tragic and we can and must learn from them to prevent additional injuries and deaths.
Recently, Stephen Ebling, a CSEA member employed at the New York State Thruway Authority, died on November 4 after being struck by a vehicle while on the job in Western New York. Stephen was known to his loved ones as a loving and caring person who put others first. He enjoyed watching sports, bowling and traveling. Most of all, he had a family who will now have to deal with a tragic, preventable loss.
CSEA continues to push for changes and to make improvements to prevent more incidents like these from happening. Our union is urging the Governor and state lawmakers to make the protection of highway workers a top priority during the 2025 legislative session. The state has already passed legislation that strengthens the Move Over Law, as well as other measures to help keep people in work zones safer, but we need even more meaningful steps. CSEA will work to strengthen the existing laws, implement heavier penalties to help highway workers, and better educate the public about the critical need to move over and slow down for emergency and maintenance vehicles.
We are also working on solutions for other health and safety issues such as workplace violence prevention and ensuring employers provide proper training on equipment and procedures.
No employee should ever have to go to work without the assurance of making it home. If you have a concern about your workplace, please contact your Labor Relations Specialist or your region Occupational Safety and Health Specialist.
